School Week 4 - Classical Writing

We just finished up week 4 of school, but our first week with Classical Writing - Aesop, using only the core and not the workbooks.

Our first three weeks of school I was using R&S English as written for both big girls, R&S spelling for each, and Classical Composition-Fable for Savannah.  The problems ended up being that R&S English was taking a long time, especially for Charlotte.  School, in general, was taking a long time.  Our first lesson with Classical Composition - Fable was OK, but I wasn't sold on it.  There wasn't enough explanation for certain portions of it.  And Savannah mentioned that she wasn't learning anything new with the spelling.  They are both natural spellers. 

So insert Classical Writing - Aesop.  I think we have a winner! 

I am doing R&S English 4 orally with both kids at the same time, two lessons a week.  We're skipping the composition lessons.  We apply what we are learning in grammar to 3-4 sentences from the Aesop model we are studying for the week.  I like this because we get to practice on real sentences that are never as straight forward as the canned sentences from R&S.

I dropped spelling completely.  I picked ten words from the Aesop model to analyze on the whiteboard together (separate into syllables, mark the phonograms, go over the spelling rules that apply).  Then they write the list into their notebooks twice.  Next week I will test them on the list.  They also practice spelling through dictation during the week.

The previous post has the schedule that we used.

So this is how our week with Classical Writing - Aesop went:

Monday:

Introduced the model, The Hare and the Tortoise.  I read it aloud.  We defined some of the difficult words on the board together.  Each kid read it aloud to practice oral reading (pronunciation).  Then we discussed the title, the author, the main characters, the plot, the purpose of the story, the meaning of the fable, etc.

Later that day I sat with each kid individually and we made an outline for the story (there are actually directions in Aesop on how to make a simple outline, unlike Classical Composition).  Then on their own they wrote a narration using the outline.  It worked great.

Tuesday:

The kids each read aloud the story again to practice oral reading (this time with animation/feeling).  Then we went over spelling words as described above.  I marked off a portion of the story for them to copy in their best handwriting and they copied it into their notebooks.

Later that day I sat with each kid individually and we edited their first draft of their written narration, fixing punctuation, capitalization, and making the sentences make a little more sense.  This took about 5 minutes for each child.

Wednesday:

We don't do Classical Writing on Wednesday, but I do require them to do a freewrite for 10 minutes.  This is where I set a timer and we all just write whatever we want.  The rule is that you can't stop writing, it doesn't have to be in neat handwriting, and I won't read it.  If they can't figure out something to write then they can write that over and over: "I don't know what to write.  I don't know what to write."  I give them a few topics they could write on or tell them they can write one of the poems the have memorized.  They just have to WRITE.  The purpose of this exercise is to get them over the fear of writing, or only writing when they have something perfect to put on the page. 

Thursday:

Again each kid read the story aloud to practice oral reading. 
This is the day we apply our grammar to a few of the sentences from the model, as described above.
Then they dictated to each other the copywork that they did on Tuesday.  In other words, Savannah read her copywork passage aloud to Charlotte as Charlotte writes it down without looking at the model.  They wrote this dictation into their notebooks.  Then they went over each other's dictation to make sure they wrote it down correctly, and corrected each other's mistakes. 
The point of dictation is to help them remember how to spell and punctuate correctly.  It can also be a practice in keeping a sentence in your memory long enough to write it down.

Later that day I sat with each kid and we added dialogue to their written narration.  This took about 10 minutes per kid.

Friday:

They rewrite their corrected and amplified first draft into a final product.


My thoughts:

I think this is a solid and thorough writing program and an excellent supplement to our Language Arts.  I like how we are studying one model the entire week and applying what we have learned to the model.  It makes our learning RELEVANT.  I like that.  I find it easy to implement.  I'm writing a post on the details of how I plan for the week, which I will post soon. 

For my girls, I think we will continue this pace for the rest of the year and move into Homer next year.  I don't plan on using the workbooks for Homer either.  I have found a lot of reviews talking about how people give up CW because it is so confusing to use, and I think that is because they are relying on the workbooks, wanting something easy to open and go, and don't want to, or can't, understand the Homer Core book.  I think, THINK, that for this program to be successful you have to understand the Core well enough to manipulate it to your needs and the current needs of your students.  So that is my plan.  I think this is an excellent writing program and I have every intention of sticking with it.  Then again, this is week 1 of Aesop...  I am speaking out of inexperience.  Time will tell.

New schedule

Click to read



I'm really excited about next week and incorporating Classical Writing into our day.  I really like the focus of our studies. 

The "Morning with Mom" is going to be from 530 am until 7am. 

7am-8am is breakfast, dress, clean, break

8am-1200 is Latin copywork, independent CW, math, & enrichments.

1200-100 is lunch/break

100-200 is quiet time / literature reading

200-300 is CW with mom, rotating Savannah and Charlotte

Piano  and "other" is anytime before 630pm

It is basically the same thing we've been doing the last three weeks except the oral part of Language Arts will be with me in the early morning.  Composition and analysis will play a greater role in our day, I will have a more active role in teaching LA instead of using independent curriculum, LA is more streamlined and relevant, and Charlotte is folded into the learning instead of it being just for Savannah.  I think it is going to be a really good change.  I hope, I hope, I hope.  I want some consistency this year.

 

Radical

I'm thinking about doing something totally radical and see how it works out.

Next week I'm going LCC: multa non multum, all the way.

Why?  Because I feel we are not being efficient with our curriculum or time.  I'm not satisfied.  This is a flaw of mine and I may never be satisfied.  I go back and forth on curriculum constantly, trying to find the perfect fit.  At least my kids aren't behind on any subject.  Yet.

I'm dropping R&S Spelling, MP's Grammar Recitations, R&S English, and Classical Composition.  *faint*

I added Classical Writing - Aesop (it streamlines spelling, grammar, and composition, plus adds in literature analysis).  A lot of people use an additional grammar and spelling program, but I am going to try to refrain from doing so.  I think between CW and Latin, it is enough.  We will have to pick up R&S English eventually in the higher grades, or another grammar curriculum, but for now an additional grammar is not needed.  It is all in CW-Aesop.  (Well.. maybe we'll keep English.. I don't know)

So here is my plan so far (I have until Monday to change it all around a million times):

Daily:
Scripture Study
Latin
Classical Writing
Math Mammoth / xtramath.com
Geography or Science or Classical Studies
Read literature for 1 hour
Piano
Poetry Recitations
I read aloud at night, they narrate: History, Bible, Homer, and Shakespeare.


What I like about Classical Writing is that the different components of language arts are all drawn from one weekly model.  That is something that I have always wanted to have.  Their recommended literature is the small collection of great books I have been looking for.  It just seems to fit my goals and educational philosophy, and seems to be exactly what I've been looking for.  We'll see.

So what is LCC?  It is a book called The Latin-Centered Curriculum.  He talks about multa non multum, which is Latin for "much, but not many."  The three main principles of multa non multum are:
1.  "The number of subjects must be limited to the truly academic."
2. "Whenever possible, subjects are taught in relation to one another and in the context of broader intellectual concerns." And, "in all subjects, students should be led to ask big questions: What is Man? What is the Good Life?  How then should we live?"
3. "Readings in Literature and History consist of a very few representative masterpieces that the student reads slowly and studies in depth." - Andrew A. Campbell

He gives a 12-year overview of recommended subjects and curriculum, most of which I am following with this plan, substituting a few things.