More thoughts on Charlotte Mason’s Formidable list

I sat down last 2 days with the checklist for the formidable list of attainments, and I worked out a sort of plan of action for our summer primer.  Before I go into it, I want to point out that all of this will be done very informally and very relaxed.  It looks like a lot, but in reality, over the course of each day, it won’t really amount to that much actual study time.  And really, it’s surprising how much learning happens without any planning at all.

So here’s my run down:

To recite beautifully 6 easy poems…

-choose 1 poem each week or two and practice reading it aloud.  I’ll try to let them choose their own, but I have a feeling the boys will need some assistance choosing.

To recite, perfectly and beautifully a parable and a psalm.

-same as above–I’ll do the choosing this time, and we’ll just learn a line or two daily until we’ve got the whole thing memorized.

To memorize math facts…

-play computer games, use Mathmania magazine, play Smath, play with flash cards, read living math books, etc.  Basically, we’ll do something math related each day.

To read…

-The children are already required to read every day, for a minimum of 10 min.  Annie usually reads for 2-3 hours a day, but the boys are less apt to pick up a book if I don’t tell them to.  I’ll also read aloud each day for 30 min. or so.

To copy in careful cursive from a favorite book.

Once a week they will choose a passage from their reading and copy it in careful, neat cursive.

To know the points of a compass…Describe the boundaries of their home.

I figure we’ll do this pretty informally.  The boys each have a compass for scouts, so we’ll take them outside and “play” with them around the yard and we’ll take them with us on nature walks.

To describe any lake, river, pond, island, etc…

We happen to live right next to a pond, so this is an easy one.  I’ll have them narrate to me a description of the pond, and then they can choose a medium (water color, color pencils, oil pastels, etc) and draw/paint a landscape of the pond.

To tell 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early American history and 3 from World history.

We’ll read bible stories, Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans, Once Upon a Time Saints, etc. and I’ll have them narrate to me what they heard.  Possibly, if they want to, they can write their narrations and illustrate them, either just a drawing and a few sentences, or comic book style.

Describe 3 walks and 3 views

Very informal…I plan to take at least one nature walk a week, and just casually I’ll have them describe their walks.  As for views–I figure we’ll use our backyard, their grandparents back yard and the view from the beach house.  Again, I’ll keep this very casual.  I’ve learned that if they think they’re doing school, they can’t think of anything.  But if it’s just everyday conversation, they can talk enough to fill several notebooks, lol.

To mount in a scrapbook a dozen common wildflowers, leaves and flowers from 6 forest trees…

We’ll start keeping nature journals and I’ll have them either mount the specimens they find or draw them and keep track of where they were found, their common and latin names, etc.

To know 6 birds…

This will be easy, because we are already bird watchers.  We’ll keep watching the birds that come to our feeder and pay close attention to their songs.  We might add in some reading of The Burgess Bird Book, but for some reason (despite our love of birds) this book has never been a favorite here.

To learn a new craft/art

I’ve been wanting to learn sewing and Annie has been trying to get me to help her learn to sew, so that covers her new craft.  The twins can have Rob teach them some sort of art technique or wood working, etc.  Whatever he’s willing to teach them, lol.

Tell 3 stories about their own pets…

They will make little illustrated books about our dog Sam for Cutie.

To recite 2 prayers in Latin.

I own Prima Latina, so I’ll just use the prayers they cover, I think they have the Sanctus and Our Father and the Table blessing…it’s been a while since I used it.

To name 20 common objects in Spanish…

We’ll use the Usborne First 1000 Words in Spanish.

To sing a hymn, a Spanish song and a Patriotic song.

We’ll choose a song they hear frequently at church, I’ll have to do some research on a spanish song–maybe we’ll learn a song they already know, translated into spanish, and for our patriotic song, I’d like to have them learn The Star Spangled Banner.

To keep a caterpillar and tell his life story…

In addition to keeping a caterpillar and watching over it, I’ll have them draw the life cycle of a butterfly and write his life story.

I’ve decided we’ll have notebooks to keep all their work in, nothing fancy, just a binder–we might even keep their nature journal pages loose-leaf to add to our notebooks.  I’m thinking we’ll just call it our Charlotte Mason Summer Primer.