Our new history approach

Next year we're not doing history at all, as it's been decided to focus on geography for the entire year using Discovering the World of Geography and using our reading time to focus on literature instead of historical fiction. So our current history, Tapestry of Grace, Year 3 lost it's luster for the some of the same reasons we're not doing Tapestry next year. I need pick up and go without much thought or planning on my end.

I tried to like The Story of the World again. I really did but I'm spoiled now, as is Camille because we like whole books, Tapestry does such a fine job of presenting history with all its various regions into focus whereas SOTW just seems to jump around too much and throw too many names, events and countries at the reader. I realized that since I couldn't bring myself to use SOTW again that none of the condensed, all-in-one history books were going to satisfy us anymore.

What's left? Trusty old Usborne! Since switching to Tapestry, we've been using their core books instead of this encyclopedia. I don't want to coordinate books right now or figure out how to manage all of our reading. I want to, I want to read whole books with fabulous illustrations and rich writing but I can't. I want history to get done but reading, writing and math are much more important to me right now.

What we're doing is reading the 2 page spread, exploring the internet-links and I have maps from Tapestry's MapAids so I just have Camille label a map according to what we read about. This week it was Africa and the struggle over land, the Zulus, Boers and the British. Pictures to come this weekend.

Instead of reading a historical fiction book, Camille is reading Black Beauty and I'm reading a literature book to her as well, I'm still working on our next title-I need to find a free, online study guide to help so that is holding up the decision of the title at this time.

My Method: Planning a TOG Unit

We're currently on a two week break from our lessons, and I'm planning out the 2nd quarter of our year. Yesterday I planned 9 weeks of TOG in about 45 minutes and a friend who struggles with organization said she wants to be able to do this too. So, I'm posting every step I take in preparing a TOG unit (minus the TOG curricula details). A disclaimer- I am only doing this for 1 child, if multiple children, a spreadsheet could be made for each child if this process is appealing.

1. Pick the level of study: LG, UG, D, R. Choose your books based on what you feel your child will do best with.
Right now I'm blending LG and UG to help transition Camille to UG by the end of the year. I cannot give details (titles) but overall I'm picking UG literature and geography and using LG selections for everything else. She's also in Level 2 of Writing Aids.

2. It helps to have in mind how your week will flow.
I know when I'm picking items to include in our week, I factor in how much time it will take to accomplish it. If it seems too much, I won't include it on the spreadsheet. I still filter things out as we do them but being able to filter some just for the spreadsheet helps.

3. Read the Introductory notes for the Unit.
This will provide an overview of the unit's objectives and help set a frame of mind as you're making your choices.

4. Create your spreadsheet.
This can be done Excel or any other program you have to make tables or spreadsheets. I use Appleworks b/c I'm on a Mac, although this is an old program. Microsoft Works should have something similar. Here is a sample spreadsheet with all the details taken out.
I love having a spreadsheet, it becomes my 'cheat' sheet and the only time I have to open our Tapestry unit is to read the Teacher's Notes.

5. Print out Student Activity Pages, MapAids (if you use it), Evaluations (if you use it)
I go to the Loom and print out the Student Activity Pages for each week as well as any maps from MapAids we'll need and Evaluations that I want to use. I also print out the page for Fine Arts & Activities most of the time and highlight with a highlight marker activities I think we'll do that are suggested.

Usually the Geography activities are listed under Fine Art so I'll also highlight those. I put these in Camille's notebook with her Student Activity page and map from MapAids. To save paper, I print the activities on 1 side of a piece of paper and the SAP on the other side.

I also photocopy anything we'll need from Activity Books or Dover coloring books we're using- paper crafts or any prep work I can do ahead of time. If I choose to go ahead and cut items I put them in a page protector within her notebook to keep them safe. I don't tend to do this although it does save time when I do!

6. Collect your books and materials on one shelf
This is a time-saver for me, I have one place to go for our materials.

Now TOG is a do-the-next-thing subject for us, with just a little bit of planning.

Both Camille and I can look at the spreadsheet to see what needs to be done in a week's time. I do not schedule out daily assignments but we still get everything done in a week. At times we drop activities or books to read. Here's look into what we currently do weekly:

MONDAY
Start reading the Core Book
Start reading the In-Depth book (if there is one)
Reading the Read-Aloud selection at bedtime

TUESDAY
Finish the In-Depth book
Dd8 starts reading the Literature book (if she didn't start on Monday due to length)
Start working on Map Work /Writing Aids or other Project (if any)
Reading the Read-Aloud selection at bedtime

WEDNESDAY
Finish Core book if haven't
Keep reading Literature book
Work on Map work/Project
Reading the Read-Aloud selection at bedtime

THURSDAY
Finish Literature reading, work on SAP
Finish any other reading for the week- I usually divide it up by days (dividing # of pages by # of days)
Work on (finish) map work/project
Reading the Read-Aloud selection at bedtime

FRIDAY
Finish up day for anything lingering
Reading the Read-Aloud selection at bedtime (most of these last more than 1 week)

Wordless Wednesday Oct 15

From Corps of Re-Discovery

Answering TOG questions

Tapestry of Grace is a definitely a major curiosity for those that do not use it, out of all the curriculum we've used, it is the one I get asked the most about. I think there's a great reason for it though. It's a packaged curriculum that provides SO much and in comparison to one year programs, it costs a lot more.

We use many of TOG's components but at our pace, from it I use history, church history, worldview, crafts, biographies, some science, literature selections for read alouds and eventually we'll use it for even more as we progress through the levels. If you'd like to see all that it entails, click here to visit the Exploring Tapestry website that has step by step directions on how to learn all about Tapestry. Click the Start Here button and take your time. Remember each Tapestry year plan contains K-12 instruction so it may seem very overwhelming at first, but each year plan can be used again and again at varying levels.

How we use TOG in our home will be different than how someone else may use it in their home. How I organize our lessons may be different than others. That's okay, in fact that is wonderful because it means we're each using TOG with our strengths and weaknesses. The thing is, I can't tell anyone how to use TOG in their home, all I can do is share what we do.

We received our Unit 1 of Year 3 yesterday and I can say that I wasn't overwhelmed at all. After using Year 2's Units 2-4, I simply opened Unit 1 of Year 3 and read the introduction to the unit and flipped through quickly to see the components we are already using in our other units. I closed it and put it on the shelf with the knowledge that in a few weeks, I'll plan it out for our lessons in September in more detail.

I'm grateful to have Tapestry in our homeschool, I'm much more calm about our studies that derive from Tapestry. I love the books, the plan and all the components.

Weekly Report TOG2, Week 21

We read the Mayflower Compact this week from a reproduction (at RainbowResource.com).

Starting at Plymouth, England

Mid-Atlantic

Landing at Cape Code, Massachusetts

What is written:
The Pilgrims grew herbs, cabbages, and onions in rows inside a fence to keep animals out.
The Wampanoag grew corn, beans, and pumpkins together, fertilized by fish.

Whew! This was a week of crafts! Although we had a lot of fun, this is isn't what we want to focus on so there will be one project a week, two if time permits. Now here's what I consider the true shining glory of our week, Camille's first written book report...



Just in case it's hard to read:

George's Marvelous Medicine

George has a Grandma that told him to stop growing. He asked Grandma how to stop growing and she said ate slugs and worms.

George made a medicine that will make her nicer.

Grandma drank the medicine and Grandma got taller and taller and she went through the roof and Grandma had to have a crane to get her out. She asked for a glass of tea, so George gave her the medicine which made her very small but nice.

It is her first independent composition, I see the errors but I'm so proud of her! I told her to write a book report on George's Marvelous Medicine that included one or two sentences about the beginning, middle and end. We discussed how every story has a problem that the author is trying to solve and how the characters change because a solution to the problem requires something to change. This was the perfect book to highlight this with. Camille chose to read this book all on her own a couple of weeks ago (? or was it one week?) and I've allowed her to chip away at it, reading 20 minutes a day.

We are working on a Bird Poster that will show all that we've learned, there should be pictures next week but they will be a "work in progress". Our bird study will be over at the end of May, I think next week we're going to be examine and identify the skeleton of a chicken to understand bird anatomy. Camille is very excited, and I'm excited because she is. I love how homeschooling allows me to be the "cool" mom in my kids' eyes.

I have not included pictures for all our other subjects this week, there is only so much time I can devote to processing pictures and very soon I won't be able to do much online b/c we'll be super busy with the move.

Oh, don't forget to scroll down to the next post, Weekly Report Preview to see the diorama of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag cooking differences.

Presenting Jamestown

TOG 2- 20, Jamestown Map Project from
Easy Make & Learn Projects: The Pilgrims, the Mayflower & More by Donald M. Silver

Weekly Report: TOG2, Week 12

We are in transition, I'm reading all about Charlotte Mason so my mind is completely occupied and our lessons are a little lighter until I figure everything out. I have general items that need more prayer and consideration before I'm ready to put them on paper and make them a part of our lives.

Here are the kids reading Usborne's First Encyclopedia of Our World after I read to both of them, we have finished our earth science lessons and will be moving onto astronomy next week. Right on schedule!

History books we've read this week: Camille read the Christopher Columbus book on the right all by herself and narrated it well, with enthusiasm! History is very light right now because I'm doing minimal planning and preparation as I digest Charlotte Mason ideas and philosophies.

Math is going so much better now, I am teaching in between these activities and eliminating where I feel it is beneficial. I told Camille that if she did all of the purple addition problems and got them right, she wouldn't have to do the green ones. She was so thrilled to hear that!! Horizons says not to eliminate any exercises but I think this is best for Camille at this time.

This is our newest French program and I say newest because I've tried a lot of them. This one only takes 15 minutes daily and it reviews the lesson 9 times before you're to move on to the next one. We also have the workbook, which I'm using at the end of the lesson to determine whether moving on is the right action to take or if more review is needed.
It is called Écoutez, Parlez! (Listen, Speak), you look at the book while an audio cd plays with instructions in French and English. No fuss, get 'er done! Lol. (It's at RainbowResource.com)

This is our poetry notebook that I've reformatted for Camille. I want all of her poems that she memorizes in one place, when it gets to be too big, we'll get a bigger notebook. Each poem is copied and illustrated by her. We have poems to put in from first grade and I plan on tabbing it- First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade. That way she can see her growth through the years and we can use it as an easy review of previous memorized poems.

What it looks like before she does any work.

These two pictures show two poems she has copied and illustrated (with my help).

The picture below is of a page within Comprehension Quickies. I have Camille do 1 page a week to practice formulating her own sentences which I feel is practice she needs. Explode the Code is going well, especially after using the Teacher's Manual this week. She is getting the phonics reinforcement that she needs and she's reading and spelling better. We have dropped Spelling Workout completely. Primary Language Lessons is going well, Camille did her first dictation exercise this week, she realized she needed to study the selection more before attempting to write it from dictation.

Jack and one of the kids' Valentine's Day balloons.
This picture took awhile to take because he was chasing me through the house!
The kids taking a break in-between lessons by watercoloring.
This would be what Charlotte Mason calls "Masterly Inactivity"

I am very relaxed in demeanor about our lessons and gaining confidence about doing things the way I've felt I should instead of following what someone else says we should be doing. It's a mixture of learning how to teach, and gaining confidence in my own knowledge and instincts. I think this is a MAJOR milestone in our journey. It's not that I will have it all figured out but I will feel much more confident listening to my heart and assessing what we need to do when hiccups occur instead of feeling like a complete and utter failure. I'll be able to talk about this more later.

Danny is doing well with read alouds, playing with Camille like above and playing at Starfall.com, which he absolutely loves. I'm not big on computer learning so this is a struggle for me but he's enjoying it right now and developing hand/eye coordination as well as enthusiastically repeating whatever Starfall says. A happy sigh.

Weekly Report, TOG2, Week 11

Do you know how hard it is to relax? It is so hard! This week in TOG we studied art and the Renaissance and I yo-yo'd between feeling like, "Yes, this is how I should be approaching history for the first cycle" to "My goodness, I didn't read this book or that book and aaaahhhhh!" Lol. It's not just about what books we did or didn't read, I'm a little unsettled right now. I'm caught between trying to figure out what is actually best for Camille and my expectations and personal goals for her and whether or not I'm completely off the mark or close to the target. I'm patiently waiting for some Charlotte Mason books to come in through interlibrary loan, that may take a while.

We did receive Simply Spelling Grades 3-12 by Laurie Hicks today, and I'm impressed. I read through the lessons and levels and I was blown away because right in front of me is something that appears to be so simple, yet it's thorough and advances in the higher levels with goals I am comfortable with. Hard academics can be gentle? Whoa! Lol.

Let me share our week by subject.

BIBLE
This week we dove back into our Explorer's Bible Study, Beginnings II, New Testament and Camille is now able to read the story and answer the questions on her own! This is a huge improvement from the beginning of the year. Her reading is progressing but so is her comprehension and retention. She doesn't blink at having to answer the questions.

MATH
Oh dear, math. She is doing well with the concepts but it takes her an hour to do a two-sided page (pictured). She told me that she tries to find the easiest way to do the work and will even do 2-3 problems in the first activity and then switch to the second activity to do 3 problems and switch again. She also said that she daydreams or gets distracted. We're going to sit together a little longer, she has also said she wants me to verbalize the problem, sort of hold her hand. I'm torn about this actually. I've told her that 3rd grade (next year) will be a year of transitioning more towards being able to do the work on her own after a teaching session. She has a test Monday, I'll see how well she has retained the concepts and see if there needs to be more teaching or practice.

HISTORY
We went a little light this week on history, I really wanted to focus on reading and writing. We read about the Renaissance and Leonardo Da Vinci, including Leonardo's Horse by Jean Fritz (amazing story) and Camille did some art. We studied Da Vinci's paintings and without reading about his technique or seeing the actual painting, Camille tried to color The Lady With a Jewel, guessing how Da Vinci's version looked based on his other paintings. This was fun for both of us, she really enjoyed working on it.

The other coloring page is a painting by Raphael and Camille added clouds to the background. "It needed something," she said. Lol! We didn't do any mapwork other than locating where Italy is, but she knows that already. It was a light week in history.

SCIENCE
Magic School Bus and a little nature study was it for us this week. It's my fault, I'm in a funk. My balance is a little off. There is absolutely no reason for us not doing science this week, even if my head isn't where it should be. Camille and Danny both examined an oak tree in our yard and I discovered we need a book to help us identify trees! We have the DK Eyewitness Tree book but it doesn't cover every tree, especially in our area. We have art supplies coming and we're going to start nature journaling again, this time with a better idea of HOW to. Barb will be proud, lol.

LANGUAGE ARTS
Primary Language Lessons is a HIT, Camille loves it and wants to do it everyday. She has asked if she can do "grammar" (what we call it) first, ever since Monday when we started it. I feel so encouraged by this, and I personally love Primary Language Lessons too. I feel so efficient and confident that this is what we both needed. Which is why I'm in a funk- what other areas could be like this?

Hard Decisions

There are times when it is hard to decide what would be purposeful for our children and what would be challenging or just a plain waste of time. I have this dilemma now with history this week. I'm awaiting the arrival of a book that would serve as a spine for this week and I've explored the other two options I have.

In TOG there is a multitude of ways to use it and implement their book selections to fit your child. Camille is teetering between lower grammar (1-3) and upper grammar (4-6) and it is hard for me to know what is appropriate and right for her all the time, each week. I recently discovered that I have already read 2-3 books aloud to her that have been deemed for Dialectic stage (7-9th) and looking back I just don't know why. When I see Upper Grammar and Dialectic- I see students that can read on their own and possibly the books contain more mature themes.

It wasn't my intention to pick books that were harder, the books I chose in the past seemed to be the right book then. I'm not fretting about this but I do consider my mistake now as I'm trying to determine the correct course of action for our week ahead.

If I were to read SOTW as it is outlined in TOG, we'd read chapters 23-27 covering The First Russians, The Ottoman Empire, The Hundred Years' War and the War of the Roses. Those topics would take all the time I'm willing to use for history.

If I were to read The Story of the Middle Ages by Harding, we'd cover Medieval Europe in more detail, much more than what Camille has been given but key points would be addressed and the reading would not be long.

The problem is both of the above options while doable are deemed upper grammar and this is the first time in two years, I don't want to read The Story of the World. The objectives in TOG for this week for lower grammar is to learn about Joan of Arc, learn about the plague, guilds and craftsmen and the impact they made on Medieval Europe. With Camille in mind, taking the lower grammar route seems best.

I can tie our study of the Mongols to the plague and then from there we can read about Joan of Arc with the coloring book by Guiteras or I could read Diane Stanley's book. We can read about the guilds and craftsmen as well as the medicine practices during the plague in The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley. Since I don't have the Medieval World spine I'm waiting for I can use our Usborne World History Encyclopedia and then we'll be able to read Medieval Feast by Aliki and The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop.

I know the right answer, it just feels weird deviating from The Story of the World after reading it all year. I have no problem dismissing The Story of the Middle Ages and even Famous Men of the Middle Ages because we have not been reading them all year. If we had, we would read them now- they are just hard to 'jump' into.

I knew that switching to TOG would mean some changes both in my approach but also in our lesson structure. I'm grateful that I have a path to follow to keep it on Camille's level even though I don't regret what we've done so far either. Although justified, I feel a little weird about this week but I know that this will give me plenty of opportunity to focus on narrations both oral and written. It's going to be an easy-going week for us in history.

Weekly Report: TOG2-Week 8

Others have said to me that history shouldn't be the focus in 2nd grade and I've felt guilty for enjoying it so much. I've wondered if I'm doing Camille wrong by allowing history and science to driving forces in our lessons. I'm over it now. History will always drive our homeschool, there is nothing about this world that is not history and frankly I just don't understand when others say that history DOESN'T drive their homeschool.

Through our history lessons, Camille is reading, writing, being creative, critically thinking and gasp- having fun. Through science, we are doing math, reading and writing some more and alas- critically thinking and gasp, again- having fun! BUT that does not mean we're not doing the nuts and bolts of reading, writing and math. We are. Which is why I'm putting Spelling Workout to the side so we can start Explode the Code Book 5 on Monday. I've also lightened Camille's reading by giving her one book to read for as long as she needs to finish it (a chapter a day is working well) and I've downsized the amount I read to her or at least I'm telling myself that.

I didn't go into much detail for last week's weekly report but that was because I just got back home and I've had an overwhelming list of 'things to do' looming overhead. Don't get me wrong the list is still there, it has shortened a little but I've exhaled so I can really make a weekly report. Grin.

Bible: One lesson from Explorer's Bible Study at Youth group this week- discussed being fishers of men and New Year's Resolutions. Watched Raging Waters, a StoryKeeper DVD this week at home and discussed it.


Math: Camille started multiplication this week and she LOVES it. She thinks it's so easy which has been a relief to me. Kudos to Horizons again for making my job easier. She's showing math fact mastery with her addition and subtraction, it's hard to believe I panicked over this just a few months ago!


Grammar & Mechanics: The workbook approach is going well for us, Camille is eagerly doing her work and I feel at ease with the content as well as Camille's retention. Another plus is that it doesn't take long at all, just 10 minutes a day for 2 pages, I'm so proud of her!

Science: We were supposed to do Grasslands this week, but didn't. I might do it tomorrow after church because it really is a short lesson, if not- I'll add it to Rainforest this coming week. Maybe we can do a compare/contrast between the two.

Poetry: "I Heard a Bird Sing" by Oliver Herford is successfully memorized, next up is 'The Night" by Myra Cohn Livingston


Independent Reading: Last week Camille read "Minstrel in the Tower" and this week it is "Frog and Toad Together". She read Frog and Toad All Year Long in first grade but since seeing the play "A Year with Frog and Toad" she's interested in reading the book again. This is the visual learner in her coming out- she saw the play, enjoyed it so much that it translates in enjoying the book. I don't care- she's reading with INFLECTION and ease. I know it's an easy read for her but her confidence is booming and mama is beaming! She's so cute about it, she wrote a list of the chapter headers and she's crossing them off as she reads them- is she MY girl or what?!? Lol.


History: TOG2- Week 8: The Mongols, Marco Polo and the Far East
I'll give you the breakdown of the week so you can see how we're using TOG.

Monday- Samurai
Read SOTW 17.2 about Samurai
Read "How to be a Samurai Warrior" (finished the entire book)
Read "Step Into Ancient Japan" pg. 16-19
Copywork: Chanticleer & The Fox moral lesson
Read Aloud: The Door in the Wall
*We were so entranced by samurai, we just read and talked. I didn't require her to do anything other than the copywork, plus I didn't have a Samurai coloring page with me and we were at my parents' house with no printer.


Tuesday- Mongols & Genghis Khan
Read SOTW 21, p.211-216
SOTW mapwork
Define Chanticleer & the Fox vocabulary
Read Chanticleer & the Fox
Read Marco Polo Overland to China about The Mongol Empire p.22-25
Completed SOTW Sequence of Events activity
Coloring page of Genghis Khan
Read-aloud: The Door in the Wall




Wednesday-Marco Polo
SOTW2, Chapter 22, p. 219-222
SOTW mapwork
Read Famous Men of the Middle Ages-Marco Polo
Read Aloud: The Door in the Wall



Thursday: day off b/c we just got home Wed. night
Wed.'s lessons were done before we left my parents house.
Read-Aloud: The Door in the Wall

Friday: Marco Polo
Read through Marco Polo Overland to China, smelled Ginger and Cloves
Glanced through Marco Polo: A Journey Through China to familiarize ourselves with the journey
Coloring page of Kublai Khan
Created cookie dough map of Japan
Locate all geography locations on map
Read-Aloud: The Door in the Wall


As a sidenote: I don't know if this is TOO big as a cookie dough map but it's our first and it was time consuming b/c Danny kept eating the M&M's off Japan, not to mention eating some of Japan itself! I tried so hard to get the outline of Japan right and by the time it burnt in the oven- I didn't have the gumption to try and label it with Camille. The mountains turned out nicely I think but I am considering just using clay from now on, possibly colored clay too. Lol.

So far my approach is using one topic a day and I think this is really helping us. I think Camille was getting bored with dragging out one SOTW chapter a week. It might change but we're enjoying it so far, I think she loves the mapwork everyday which is great because I do too. Before you think I'm nuts, The Door in the Wall is a bedtime reading, not during the day.

PS- Danny will be getting back to preschool as soon as I get control over our house again, including putting away Christmas decorations and re-organizing the kids' rooms to house their new Christmas gifts. He has been potty-training which I'll spare you the details but dh thought bribing him to potty was a good idea. I'm so NOT the briber, lol. I will be consistent with the training as long as Danny doesn't buck me completely. It would be nice to have him done before he's 4.