Homeschool 2nd Grade & Kindergarten: Classical and Charlotte Mason Education

As we are nearing the end of the school year, I want to recap the 2019-2020 school year for our family. It is the end of April, and like years past, we are very ready to finish out our studies and seat work now that Spring has sprung.

This year I had Cody in Second grade, and Jesse in Kindergarten. Anna officially began her preschool seatwork with some curriculum just to satisfy her desires of sitting around the desk and doing school and Titus, two, was everywhere we were.

Grade 2 added some more depth to our days. In a challenging way, Cody and I needed stronger self discipline to get more done each day. Our rhythm became well established this year, for which I am so thankful! In an easy and enjoyable way, the subjects at hand were even more delightful than the last couple of years. The books we read were great, and we regularly dove into our studies with excitement because he was enjoying it. The difficult hurdles were very difficult! Having a toddler is never easy, but especially when you want to have a more quiet space, it’s loud. When you want him close to you, he scuttles away. When you wish he would rest, he whimpers. And when everyone has had it with his destruction, another creation gets trampled.

When asked for a favorite subject, Cody said Math. His favorite part of school is going on nature walks and visiting state parks with his friends, especially when there are trails for bikes, roller blades or scooters to explore along. I was surprised he chose Math! He fights me a lot on the requirement of it. It’s a subject he is expected to complete each day, and sometimes getting a daily lesson finished seems to him like soooo much time he could better spend working or building or listening to Adventures in Odyssey.

Classical-Charlotte Mason Education

Classical Education with some of the methods of Charlotte Mason has again proven itself as a beautiful, redemptive education cultivating a rich home-life and stellar academic pursuits.

Here is our routine: a loose and flexible schedule

• High-Five (daily habits and chores) 
• Read Bible, Pray, Memory, Hymn from Happy Hymnody 
• Read Aloud group subject either History or Science with an oral or illustrated narration in their History notebook or Nature Journal. 
• Little One works with me while Older does a more independent work like Math, Spelling or Handwriting 
• Little One's independent work while older does work with me like Reading, Grammar,  Latin, or other narrations from a previous lesson or reading. 
• The youngsters typically want to be where we are, but are dismissed after our Bible time. They can sit at the table and work with us in their own workbooks when they are interested, but otherwise find their play around us with toys and activities. 
• lunch, kitchen tidy, play outside, laundry, walks, etc... 
• quiet time 90 mins with 30 minutes in a reading book before other stories, puzzles, quiet activities
• afternoons are wildly chaotic, or calm and restful depending on the day, the children and the mother. 
• Dinner together as a family is important as is reading together before bed. 

edited July 2020 to add that we did a lot of fun things in May, June and now into July. Also, don't want to forget COVID-19 and the Pandemic changes and scares the world and US have been facing. We are so grateful to live in the country outside of a rural "big" city. We have had online church and so desparately miss all our quality time and classes at Library, church, friends, homeschool coop etc. It's really been different, but we are so thankful we were already homeschooling and that I only work from home part time! Tim has still had full time work, he is busy, and WOW! What a blessing to have that stability in the days of instability!