Writing
Tales
History
Geography
Natural History
Picture Study
Foreign Language
Math
Brush Drawing
Recitations
Reading
Music
Music Appreciation
Singing
Drill
Work
World Religions, Philosophy and Logic
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*Note: “Narration” (Oral) narration at the end of each lesson.
Writing
The PNEU programmes specified a particular handwriting program to be used. Charlotte Mason felt that handwriting should be beautiful, and recommended in Book 1 printing before cursive. There is current controversy over print-first vs cursive-first. We recommend you do your own research and choose what is right for your family. The program that CM used and recommended is similar to today’s italic handwriting. We recognize that not everyone will want to use italics. A few handwriting programs to consider:
After initial strokes are mastered, one letter to be mastered each lesson. To be able to write, or print, letters and words from dictation as well as from copy (see Home Education page 234).
Tales (note: Beatrix Potter does not need to be read during school time)
- Term 1
— 3 Fairy Tales. Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book [AMZ], or your favorite book of fairy tales.
— 3 Aesop’s fables (published by Dover or Scholastic) [AMZ]
— Beatrix Potter series [AMZ]: (read one per week)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
The Tailor of Gloucester
The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
The Story of Miss Moppet
The Tale of Tom Kitten
- Term 2
— 3 Fairy Tales. Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book, or your favorite book of fairy tales.
— 3 Aesop’s Fables
— Beatrix Potter series (one per week)
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or, The Roly-Poly Pudding
The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
The Tale of Ginger and Pickles
The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes
The Tale of Mr. Tod
The Tale of Pigling Bland
Appley Dapply’s Nursery Rhymes
The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse
Cecily Parsley’s Nursery Rhymes
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
- Term 3
— 3 Fairy Tales. Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book, or your favorite book of fairy tales.
— 3 Aesop’s Fables
— Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales
Note: If this is your child’s first experience with fairy tales, Classic Fairy Tales by Scott Gustafson [AMZ] is a wonderful collection of ten lavishly illustrated tales.
History (of your own country- check the options page for Canadian option)
America First starts midway through term 2. Read this blog post for a discussion of it.
- Term 1
— American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne [AMZ] (you can also find this book at Scholastic’s website)
Davy Crockett; Sally Ann Thunderwind Whirlwind; Johnny Appleseed
— John Henry by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney [AMZ] (note — the story of John Henry is also in Mary Pope Osborne’s book, but this version is so wonderful we feel it is worth getting separately. You may simply read the story in American Tall Tales if you wish)
Schedule one tall tale every three weeks. Read each in 2 or 3 sessions. History should be done 1x per week.
- Term 2
— American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne.
Paul Bunyan; Pecos Bill (take 6 weeks)
— America First by Lawton Evans [AMZ] (Not all stories are read – use the following. Begin approximately halfway through the term, once tall tales are completed.) OR, better, learn your local history through local books and field trips.
Leif the Lucky; The Lost Colony of Roanoke; Persecutions of the Pilgrims and Puritans; Building a Canoe; The Flight of Roger Williams
- Term 3
— America First by Lawton Evans. (not all stories are read)
Old Silver Leg; William Penn and the Quakers; The Charter Oak; Bloody Marsh; The Saving of Hadley; Sir William Phips and the Treasure Ship; The Story of Acadia; Blackbeard the Pirate; The Salem Witches; Traveling by Stage-Coach
*note: there is a paragraph in Bloody Marsh concerning how it got its name that you may want to skip. Again, we strongly recommend that you run a quick eye over the day’s story so you are prepared to edit.
Geography
- Term 1
— Living Geography for the Primary Grades, edited by Marjorie Lang, Lessons 1-5
— Children of the Northlights by Ingri d’Aulaire [AMZ]
–Make in a tray of sand, islands, isthmuses, straits, mountains, lakes.
- Term 2
— Living Geography for the Primary Grades, Lessons 6-10
— Jenny Goes to Sea by Esther Averill. [AMZ] Begin about halfway into term, reading approx one chapter per week. Read the first 6 chapters this term.
— Make in a tray of sand, valleys, rivers, hills, villages.
- Term 3
— Living Geography for the Primary Grades, Lessons 11-17
— Jenny Goes to Sea by Esther Averill. Finish, reading approx one chapter per week.
— Describe, and tell the boundaries of 3 fields.
Natural History
Keep a Nature Note-Book. Click here for nature study resources. [because you may be starting in any season, be sure to do fruits in autumn, twigs in winter, flowers in spring]
- Term 1
Find and describe (a) 6 wild fruits; watch, if possible, and describe (b) ten birds, (c) five other animals. [interpret ‘birds and other animals’ loosely]
–Wildlife in Woods and Field by Arabella Buckley (Eyes and No Eyes Series) [AMZ]
The Wonders of the Jungle, Book 1 by Prince Ghosh, ch 1-5 [some references to ‘the animals God made’ and ‘God’s creation’.
- Term 2
Find and describe (a) 6 twigs of trees; watch, if possible, and describe (b) ten birds, (c) five other animals. [interpret ‘birds and other animals’ loosely]
–Plant Life in Field and Garden by Arabella Buckley [AMZ] (Eyes and No Eyes Series), ch 1-7
The Wonders of the Jungle, Book 1 by Prince Ghosh, ch 6-10
- Term 3
Find and describe (a) 6 wild flowers; watch, if possible, and describe (b) ten birds, (c) five other animals. [interpret ‘birds and other animals’ loosely]
–Plant Life in Field and Garden by Arabella Buckley (Eyes and No Eyes Series), ch 8-16
–The Wonders of the Jungle, Book 1 by Prince Ghosh, ch 11-end
Picture Study
Click here for this term’s selections
Foreign Language
Choose a foreign language spoken widely in your area, or one that is culturally relevant for your family. We suggest Spanish or French, depending on where you live. For 1B, work should be entirely oral. Please see Home Education for further instruction on how to teach this subject.
A great resource is the website Mason’s Living Languages
For Spanish, consider a combination of Salsa from Georgia Public Broadcasting System and
Los Pollitos from Spanish Mama The first unit is free is appropriate for all Form I beginners.
*Learn at least 1 children’s song in the target language each term. It is preferable to listen to CDs sung by native speakers.
Click here for other language programs. (Back to Subject List)
Math
Use the math program of your choice. Manipulatives like dominoes and beans should be used. See Arithmetic in Home Education, page 253.
Brush Drawing
Click here for parent resources.
- Term 1
6 wild fruits and (from memory) 6 animals you’ve been able to watch; scenes from your Tales, in brushwork. Children should draw occasionally in brush or chalk from memory. [interpret ‘animals’ loosely]
- Term 2
6 twigs of trees and (from memory) 6 animals you’ve been able to watch; scenes from your Tales, in brushwork. Children should draw occasionally in brush or chalk from memory. [interpret ‘animals’ loosely]
- Term 3
6 wild flowers and (from memory) 6 animals you’ve been able to watch; scenes from your Tales, in brushwork. Children should draw occasionally in brush or chalk from memory. [interpret ‘animals’ loosely]
Recitations
(Have your child memorize and recite perfectly his/her full name, address, parent’s names and phone numbers if (s)he has not yet mastered this)
Focus on one poem per week, reading the same one every day, but also reading a few other poems of choice. Read at meals, tea times, in the evenings, etc.
- All Terms
A Child’s Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa [AMZ] OR Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose [AMZ]
Reading
Teach reading as in Home Education, or by using a program
Suggested (all free online):
Easy Readers series:
- Little Bear (Else Holmelund Minaret) [AMZ]
- Ling and Ting (Grace Lin) – Chinese-American twins [AMZ]
- Flicka, Ricka, Dicka (Maj Lindman) – Swedish girls [AMZ]
- Snipp, Snapp, Snur (Maj Lindman) – Swedish boys [AMZ]
- Frog and Toad – Arnold Loebel [AMZ] (and other series by this author)
- Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parish) [AMZ] – note that the series has been continued by her nephew, Herman Parish.
- The Fire Cat (Esther Averill) [AMZ]
- Penny and Her Song [AMZ] (and others in this series, by Kevin Henkes)
- Early Readers series by Shelley Davidow [AMZ]
Music
Piano resources: Faber Piano Adventures Progressive Piano Method for Young Beginners
Free piano resources: Hoffman Academy Let’s Play Music
The PNEU programmes that we based this curriculum on specify piano; however, we understand that many of us don’t have access to one. We humbly suggest that learning any instrument is better than learning no instrument. To that end, here are two other programs that come highly recommended:
Nine Note Recorder Method (Penny Gardner)
Living Music from the Heart (the penny whistle — this is a Waldorf resource)
If an instrument is not an option, Legends of the Staff of Musique teaches music fundamentals through singing (based on Kodaly method). It is written directly to the homeschool parent and presumes no prior music background. It brings in Waldorf elements such as storytelling, but is fully compatible with a Charlotte Mason education. It is wonderful and we highly recommend it.
Jolly Music Handbook is also based on the Kodaly method, and the Beginners level covers the same material as Legends of the Staff Level 1. It is written for the classroom teacher and some activities will need to be modified or skipped for the homeschool classroom. The material is sound, but the activities are not as engaging in a one-on-one setting as they would be in a classroom.
This page from Charlotte Mason Help has good ideas for learning an instrument inexpensively: Learn to Play Piano on a Shoestring
Music Appreciation — Children’s Classics
- Term 1
Britten’s “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” Dukas’s “The Sorceror’s Apprentice”
- Term 2
Bizet’s “Jeux d’Enfants” Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” Ridout’s “Ferdinand” Rossini’s “Duet for Two Cats” students will also enjoy this version.
- Term 3
Coates’s “Three Bears Suite” Ravel’s “Mother Goose” Camille Saint-Sean – Carnival of the Animals Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”
Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” (this is quite religious, and while delightful, could easily be omitted. )
Note — You may choose to use the Composer Rotation, especially if you have older children. If so, we recommend using the Composer Rotation in addition to, rather than instead of, the Children’s Classics.
Amahl and the Night Visitors and Peter and the Wolf are both scheduled in the composer rotation for opera, as an either/or choice. You may choose to skip one or the other this year, or simply re-watch or listen to them when they show up in the composer rotation. Beautiful music does not need to be experienced only once. (Back to Subject List)
Singing
Resources: Wee Sing Children’s Songs and Finger Plays; Mary Thienes-Shunemann Lavenders Blue Dilly Dilly; Raffi; Lisa Loeb Nursery Rhyme Parade (Amazon Prime free streaming)
Form 1B is the only Form that doesn’t say ‘learn X number of English songs’ but instead lists The Joyous Book of Singing Games as a resource. These are action songs, some nursery rhymes, and fun games typically played as a group. We have been unable to find anything comparable not geared towards classroom use (ie, that doesn’t expect a group of 15 or more children at hand).
Going with the spirit of the book, we instead suggest nursery rhymes and action games. We recommend you continue with these even if your children learned them at age 3, and even if you add in the singing rotation with your older children. Use other songs in addition to, not instead of, action songs and nursery rhymes. Don’t limit yourself to just these suggestions. There are many more songs that are suitable.
- Term 1
Lavender’s Blue, Dilly Dilly; Sing a Song of Sixpence; Hickory Dickory Dock; Baa Baa Black Sheep; The Farmer in the Dell; The Grand Old Duke of York; London Bridge Is Falling Down; I’m A Little Teapot; The Itsy Bitsy Spider; B-I-N-G-O; Do Your Ears Hang Low
- Term 2
The Bear Went Over the Mountain; If You’re Happy And You Know It; Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes; Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush; The Wheels on the Bus; Mary Had A Little Lamb; The Muffin Man; Old King Cole; A-Hunting We Will Go; The Green Grass Grew All Around; How Much Is That Doggie In the Window?
- Term 3
This Old Man; Pop Goes the Weasel; Ring around the Rosie; Aikendrum; Kookaburra; Froggie Went a-Courting; Skip to My Lou; Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me; This Is The Way (We Wash Our Clothes); The Hokey Pokey; Row Row Row Your Boat; I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Drill
Two types of drill are mentioned specifically in Home Education: Drill in good manners, and Swedish drill.
Swedish drill is a specific set of movements for grace and physical education. Here is one example from the era. Swedish drill was not simply free play. As to drill in good manners, the following is from Home Education:
Just let them go through the drill of good manners: let them rehearse little scenes in play,––Mary, the lady asking the way to the market; Harry, the boy who directs her, and so on. Let them go through a position drill––eyes right, hands still, heads up. They will invent a hundred situations, and the behavior proper to each, and will treasure hints thrown in for their guidance; but this sort of drill should be attempted while children are young, before the tyranny of mauvaise honte sets in. Encourage them to admire and take pride in light springing movements, and to eschew a heavy gait and clownish action of the limbs.
Swedish drill can be replaced with yoga for children. There are several options available. If yoga is a sticking point due to personal beliefs, it is by no means a requirement. (Back to Subject List)
Work
Helpful resources for all terms (more resources here):
Sewing School by Andria Lisle Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy Kids Knitting by Melanie Falick or A First Book of Knitting by Bonne Gosse Martha Stewart’s Favorite Crafts for Kids by the editors of Martha Stewart Living
- Term 1
— Help in house or garden
— pre-sewing: sew on a disposable plate or plastic canvas with yarn
— fingerknitting for advanced fingerknitters, an Easy Finger Knitting Bunny
— Simple paper folding — fan, cup, box
- Term 2
— Help in house or garden
— sew a felt pattern, or choose a project from Sewing School
— knit stitch: knit a bookmark (cast on 15 stitches, knit 8 or so rows, cast off, add fringe) or choose a project from your knitting book
— Simple origami models – 4
- Term 3
— Help in house or garden
— sew a small pillow for a stuffed animal (straight stitch and whipstitch) , or choose a project from Sewing School
— knit stitch: a simple cat , or choose a project from your knitting book
— Simple origami – 4
— clay or beeswax modelling (see our notes on the Options page)
World Religions, Philosophy and Logic
Charlotte Mason’s original curriculum included comprehensive Bible readings alongside optional Sunday readings. Wildwood encourages each family to include books on their own spiritual traditions, and as those are so plentiful, it would be impossible for us to include them all. As an alternative, we offer some suggestions for those who may be interested in readings on World Religions, Philosophy or Logic. (Back to Subject List)
The following instructions are taken directly from the PNEU programmes:
- In home schoolrooms where there are children in A as well as B, both forms may work together, doing the work of A or B as they are able.
- For methods of teaching the various subjects, see Home Education and School Education.
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