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terayon_124
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| Posted: Feb 09 2015 at 9:53am | IP Logged
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Hi ladies,
I have been homeschooling for a number of years now. Having started out with CM methods, as more babies arrived I started to doubt myself and the method [mainly across English] and added in 'back up methods' which, with the benefit of hindsight, I realise of course meant CM couldn't work...
I have spent the past few months paring back and really feel that Charlotte Mason is the right way of educating my family BUT I don't know where to start with the logistics of it all. I have 7 in school [ junior, freshman, 2 in middle school 2 in elementary and 1 in kindy with special needs] plus 2 younger including a 2 month old...My biggest questions revolve around the narrations and covering them all with everyone and for high school, knowing how much reading to assign, especially across history and literature...And how do I manage it so that there's actually an end in sight before dinner time?? [Def not CM...!]If anyone can offer advice or wisdom I would be grateful.
Rita
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SallyT
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| Posted: Feb 10 2015 at 6:22am | IP Logged
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Hi and welcome, Rita!
I searched for some threads that *might* be helpful reading for you as you contemplate this return to your ideal:
Charlotte Mason in a Busy Household
Ease Into CM With 6+ Children
Smooth Homeschooling Days -- this one is recent and active, and though it doesn't target large-family issues, it's a great conversation about resources, moving children toward independence (key when you have a lot of levels going), keeping things simple and focused, and more.
Is a Curriculum Easier? -- good discussion of the pros and cons of prepared curriculum, with lots of meat about making a CM education work (not necessarily harder than teaching from prepared plans).
I hope these help you for a start! And again, welcome!
Sally
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Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
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SallyT
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| Posted: Feb 10 2015 at 6:40am | IP Logged
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Also, if it's helpful to you, I'll be glad to share what my older children thus far have done for high school. I have one 21-year-old graduating from college this spring -- with a job teaching in a classical school! Yeah, I'm a little excited about that, to the tune of mentioning it gratuitously in conversation all. the. time. And I have one graduating from home this year. He actually started out as a junior, but when we looked at his credits, we realized that our arguments for staying home another year were pretty lame . . .
So, our Junior/Senior Year has looked like this. He does take outside classes and is actually out of the house daily, but does this reading for me, with writing and conversation. I have plans for ancient and medieval/Renaissance history and literature which I'm happy to share as well.
And then I have two middle schoolers. Far fewer levels to juggle, so I can't speak as much to getting *everyone* finished by dinnertime. But what we do is pretty simple and effective. My basic MO is to have one person reading while I work with the other on math, Latin, and grammar/composition, and then flipflop. And although at this stage lessons are longer, they're still not super-long -- my 12yo 6th grader works 45 minutes max on a subject, while my 5th grader is still in the half-hour-per-subject zone. And some things, like copywork, are 5 minutes.
When I had everyone home, I worked from youngest to oldest. We would have a Morning-Basket-type time first thing, with everyone, for prayers and read-alouds. Then I would send kids who could work independently off to get started on reading and anything else they could do on their own. Basket reading would pretty much cover subject/content areas for my younger ones, so that what I'd have left to do with them was work on reading and math -- 5 minutes each for each subject, and done. Then they were free to play, and I was free to talk to and help the olders.
It seems so easy in hindsight! Our days were not always smooth, and I didn't have quite the same spread that you do -- when everyone was home, it was more like high school - middle school - early elementary/kinder. But it did work. My high-schoolers did work pretty much all day, even so -- my current one studies all.the.time., even on weekends, though that's largely because he's also taking some college classes and needs to stay afloat. But they worked largely on their own, so that I was free to manage younger kids and the house -- I wasn't tied up with their work all day.
I hope this gives you at least a start in your thinking and planning. And we can help you brainstorm as you go.
Sally
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Abandon Hopefully
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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: Feb 10 2015 at 3:28pm | IP Logged
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Hi Rita,
My kids' grades match up with yours and we homeschool all. It is doable, although I don't think we are totally CM. I desire to get there as you do. I did enroll my 3rd child, who is a sophomore, first in Kolbe and just this semester in MODG to save the relationship. He is very smart but lazy and the endless nagging by me partnered with a busy household (and crazy few years) was not working. I need this kid to graduate and go off to college and this was our solution in order to keep homeschooling.
Thanks, for the links, Sally. Our homeschool looks like your last two paragraphs. And, our oldest is a sophomore at TAC and the second entering a cloister in the Fall (more on that later when I am freer to speak about it).
I know that this isn't specifically the answer you asked for, but you can do it, Rita! :)
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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terayon_124
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| Posted: Feb 12 2015 at 10:02pm | IP Logged
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Thank you for your replies. I have carved out some time this afternoon to start to look over them....Reassuring to find others managing so there is hope for me!
God bless,
Rita
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Returning to CM
