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Sunday Occupations
Writing
Dictation
Composition
English Grammar
Literature
U.S. History (or alternative)
General History
Citizenship
Geography
Natural History and Geology
General Science
Hygiene and Physiology, Domestic Economy
Picture Talk and Architecture
First foreign language (French/German/Spanish) 
Latin
Second foreign language
Arithmetic/Geometry/Algebra
Drawing
Musical Appreciation
Recitations
Reading
Music
Singing
Drill, etc.
Work
World Religions, Philosophy and Logic

Narration (oral or written) at the end of each lesson.  At least two written narrations each day.

Sunday Occupations

All terms:

A Book of Centuries.

Choose and inscribe verses in beautiful lettering on good paper or vellum. Make holiday cards with illuminated borders and lettering.

How to draw a Medieval Floral Border


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Writing

Each term:

Continue with handwriting instruction and practice as necessary or desired.

Choose and transcribe some of your favorite passages from (a) the poets set, and (b) other literature.

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Dictation

(best handwriting to be used)

All terms:

Two or three pages or a passage (to be prepared beforehand) from a newspaper, or, from the prose and poetry set for literature; words not known to be visualized (see Home Education p 240-243); a paragraph to be then dictated or to be occasionally written from memory; see Home Education pp. 240-243.

In other words, choose two or three pages to go over with your student, noting punctuation and difficult spelling words. If they are unsure of the spelling of certain words, they should visualize them or go over spelling rules. Once the student feels he knows the passage well enough, a paragraph of your choosing is dictated. This may take several days of preparation.

For exams, a paragraph should be dictated without first reviewing the passage it is taken from.

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Composition

 (Also oral or written narration each day)

All terms:

Essays, or letters, or narrative verses, on news of the week from the newspapers, or, on subjects taken from the term's reading.

We recommend Benjamin Franklin's writing method.

If you want more hand-holding with essay writing, Beyond the Book Report Season 3 from Analytical Grammar.

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English Grammar

All terms:

Parse and analyze, each week, from books read, making progress each term.

Continue with your grammar program of choice. Some options: KISS Grammar, Analytical Grammar, Winston Grammar, or Fix It Grammar.

Literature

(including holiday and evening reading)

All terms:

A Book of Luminous Things by Czesław Miłosz [AMZ]: read poems from the 1700S


U.S. History (or alternative)

(Users from other countries see this page: https://wildwoodcurriculum.com/users-from-other-countries/)

Read a students' daily news report and keep a calendar of events. Optional: Begin a Century Chart of the 18th century (see this post about the Century Chart -- not affiliated with Wildwood Curriculum)

Note: A Different Mirror is used very briefly in Form 4, and then more thoroughly in Forms 5 & 6.  If you don't own it, you can get it from your library for this small bit of reading in Form 4.

An Indigenous People's History of the United States is assigned under Reading.

General History

Keep a Book of Centuries, putting in illustrations from all the history studied during the term. Visit history museums regularly.

If you have access to a large history museum that covers multiple civilizations or time periods, focus on one time of these each term. Add in additional information about that period or civilization to enhance your studies.

Note- we use the same book for both our modern and our study of ancients, but read at different places in the book.

Citizenship

The PNEU programmes also recommended a Classical dictionary and Classical atlas as references. Cities of the Classical World is one possible choice for an atlas.

Geography

Map questions to be answered from map before each lesson; then reading and narration; memory sketch maps. 

Know something about foreign places coming into notice in the current newspapers (see under History). Ten minutes' exercise on maps of the world every week.

Note: Complete Idiot's Guide to Geography, 3rd edition, is going out of print. Guest Hollow created an online adaptation of World Regional Geography for high school students. It's an excellent alternative to the Idiot's Guide.

The original World Regional Geography by Finlayson [AMZ] is also excellent, It's a much stiffer book, so work through it slowly if you choose to use it.

Natural History and Geology

Keep a Nature Note-Book (see Home Education, p 54-55), with flower, bird and insect lists, and make daily notes. For out-door work, some special study suitable to season and climate. A Nature Study Guide by W. S. Furneaux, The Changing Year by F. M. Haines may be used.

Give some account of the geology of your own neighborhood or area, if possible. You may find the Roadside Geology of (Your State) books, or similar, helpful.

Each term:

General Science

A word about science -- we are following Charlotte Mason's philosophy of a liberal education, which could be called "science for non-majors" or "science for humanities majors".  We can't tell you if it will satisfy your state's requirements, if any, for graduation or college admissions.

What we can tell you is that our choices closely mimic what we did for our own now-adult students when they were in high school. They've all done well post-high school, some in science-heavy fields and others in non-science fields.

If you'd like a more traditional, rigorous track, we recommend using  Khan Academy, in person or online classes, or traditional textbooks.

For experiments, choose 1-3 of the T.O.P.S. Earth and Space books, depending on how experiment-heavy you want your year to be.

Hygiene and Physiology, Domestic Economy

Picture Talk and Architecture

Study, describe (and draw from memory details of) six reproductions of pictures from the artist of your choice, or the term's artist.

See Home Education p 307-311, and School Education p 239.

First foreign language (French/German/Spanish) 

  • Read Home Education for how to teach a second language.
  • Use the program of your choice. If you have been studying a foreign language orally for at least two years, then add in grammar, exercises, and reading.  
  • Consider The ULAT, which is inexpensive and oral for the first 2+ years.  Parents will likely need to monitor to make sure the student is repeating the words and actions and not simply watching the videos.  The first 15 lessons are free.
  • Read several poems in your target language and learn one.
  • Read and narrate short stories or books in your target language
  • Learn three songs per term in the language you are studying.

Latin

Continue working through a Latin course. If you've been following Charlotte Mason's progression, this is your fifth year of Latin. Students continued to read, translate, and narrate Latin passages each term, as well as studied grammar, declensions, and conjugations.

For Latin recommendations, see this page.

Second foreign language

Begin, or continue, a second foreign language. We recommend your child begin learning orally first before being introduced to the written language. In the PNEU programmes, the families were given a choice between Italian and German, with Italian being preferred.

Choose one that is relevant to your area or family, or that your child is particularly interested in. Interest goes a long way towards learning difficult subjects.

As with your first foreign language, use lessons with narrations, exercises, grammar, stories, poems, etc. Read short stories and narrate in your target language.

Arithmetic/Geometry/Algebra

Continue with the math program of your choice. Charlotte Mason taught Arithmetic, Geometry, and Algebra concurrently at this level, working out of multiple books.

This does not mean, however, to do a full program of all three at once. For example, there were 10 pages from the geometry book assigned for the term, and algebra 15 pages.

Practice quick mental exercises and review previous work regularly.

Continue to read interesting mathematical books in leisure time.

Drawing

Continue drawing instruction regularly, allowing the student to draw and sketch what interests him or her.

Drawing Resources for Upper Forms

Illustrate several scenes from literature, mottoes, or fables.

Musical Appreciation

Use this term's selection from the Composer Rotation, or choose your own to study.

Note that unfortunately, you'll probably need to get this book as a Kindle ebook. Used copies are scarce.

Recitations

  • Term 1
  • Term 2
    • Keep Going by Edgar Guest
    • 1-2 poems of student's choice
    • A scene from Shakespeare

  • Term 3
    • Ain't I a Woman by Sojourner Truth
    • Two poems of student's choice
    • A scene from Shakespeare

Reading

(including holiday and evening reading)

Books set under Literature, History, Geography should afford exercise in careful reading and in composition. 

Poetry should be read daily.

Music

Continue music lessons on your instrument of choice.  The PNEU programmes had the student learn a suitable composition from the term's Musical Appreciation composer.

Singing

The term's songs, or choose your own.

Three songs from your first foreign language.

If you have a religious tradition, use one of your tradition's songs (hymns) in place of one of the folk songs each term.

Continue sol-fa or sight singing. 

Drill, etc.

Daily physical activity, some during the movement/singing/play break midway through the day's lessons.

Students in the PNEU were learning graceful exercises, English country dances, Scandinavian dances, and playing hockey and "net ball".

In short, get your students moving! Play ball in the yard as a family, get a net and play badminton, or get a dvd that teaches country dances.

You could certainly continue doing yoga in this space.

Another idea for an occasional fun break - have you thought of playing The Youth Fitness Song for your kids? If you went to school in the 70s or 80s, you'll know this as "The Chicken Fat Song". There are several snippets available on YouTube.

Work

Each term:

Learn to type: typing.com

Teacher should consult: Drawing, Design, and Craftwork by F. J. Glass

Do some definite house or garden work. Square Foot Gardening, or here is a site with good tips for gardening with teens.

Practical living skills:

100 Things Every Homeowner Must Know: How to Save Money, Solve Problems and Improve Your Home

Shop Class for Everyone: Practical Life Skills in 83 Projects

Both boys and girls, darn and mend garments from the wash each week: ABC's of Mending

Handwork: Each term, complete 1-2 projects from this list, or choose your own

Participate in a Scouting program or 4-H.

Do some volunteer work, either through an organization like Scouts or your religious organization, or on your own as a family.

World Religions, Philosophy and Logic

IN PROGRESS


N.B. (nota bene -- take special notice)

Pupils should spend one year in Form IV (average age 14-15)

The lighter portions of the Literature, verse, play, or poems are read for amusement in the evenings and also in the holidays.

Less time may be given if desired in any Form to Science and Modern Languages and more to Classics and Mathematics. 

In grammar (English and foreign language) and in mathematics there must be no gaps. Pupils, if not at the stage indicated, must go on from where they left off.

Music, Handicrafts, Field Work, Dancing, Nature Note Books, Century Books, are taken in the afternoons.

For methods of teaching the various subjects, see Charlotte Mason's books Home Education, School Education, and A Philosophy of Education.

Parents are asked to remember that an average pupil should cover the whole programme suitable for his age; also that provision is made for holiday and evening reading, occupations, and hobbies.

The work of the Programmes cannot be fully carried out unless each child keeps a Nature Note Book and a Century Book.

You may also find our podcast, Stonechats, helpful.

 

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