Vintage Catholic Homeschool Curriculum (2015--2016)

It's hard to believe that we are in the last month of this homeschooling year! My teacher friend will be here this weekend to do my daughter's portfolio evaluation, which is one of the options for reporting in Ohio. As such, I have prepared my curriculum for next year, which I will share with you here. Our school district asks for a brief outline, so my book lists are not entirely comprehensive, but a large portion of our literature will be sourced from the elementary cycles at the back of Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss.

 fleur-de-lis, aquaticglassmosaics.com

Section 1 of the curriculum write-up gives a description of our Vintage Catholic Home Education style. As many of this blog's readers will know, I use a fleur-de-lis symbol (see above) to focus my homeschooling vision. The base of the fleur-de-lis is always Catholic Faith Formation, represented by the Holy Family--Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The three upper petals symbolize the methods/philosophies from which I draw inspiration and practical tools. The last designation I used was Maria Montessori, Charlotte Mason (CM), and relaxed homeschooling.

Because my child is almost 11 and will be in 5th grade, and I want to provide a more rigorous academic experience, I have replaced the relaxed homeschooling petal with Classical Christian Education. Already having in mind the type of changes I wanted to make, I happily came across a pertinent online article, "Charlotte Mason and Classical Education" by Christine Miller (http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/faq/mason.html). Miller combines the joyful guided discovery of Charlotte Mason, the benefits of the modern "school as play" movement, and the rigorous tradition of classical education into her Classical Christian Homeschooling approach.

I think that the "school as play" lifestyle element is intrinsic to both CM and Montessori, and the Classical Christian approach reflects my idea of relaxed homeschooling (the classic concept of schole, study as leisure), so these three "petals" (Maria Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and Classical Christian Education) perfectly encompass my entire vision. I use the word vintage with a dual meaning, indicating both the implementation of older, time-honored educational traditions and the use of vintage books. A third meaning of vintage refers to the pioneering days of homeschooling, before the advent of boxed curriculum companies and conventions (and before the internet!), when home educators had to forge their own paths. In my opinion, it isn't necessary to choose just one method, but at the same time one does need to limit the options so as to have a clear purpose and way to accomplish one's goals. The fleur-de-lis model, in my experience, helps to strike the desired balance, custom designed as you see fit.

I also know that many home educators have become discouraged and over-burdened from trying to strickly follow a curriculum package or one particular methodology. They sometimes feel like failures for not perfectly embodying the standards. Drawing from multiple but related sources allows you to truly individualize the education of your children and to tailor your homeschooling lifestyle to best suit the needs of your family; the learning styles, talents, and interests of your kids; and your own teaching style and preferences. From this standpoint, whatever you are doing is "right"! Your home education efforts can develop organically with you firmly at the helm, steering your ship as you choose, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

I think it's important to mention that the Catholic Faith, according to the Church, must permeate the entire curriculum. However, I don't interpret this to mean that every single resource must come from a Catholic writer or publishing company. What I believe is necessary is that you use as many Catholic materials as possible while also prioritizing using the best books available (which may not always be Catholic ones); that the atmosphere of the home (a.k.a. the domestic church) as well as direct teaching promote a living faith; and that truth, goodness, and beauty prevail. Of course you will take care to avoid anything anti-Catholic in flavor. As such, it may be wise to choose secular, neutral materials when suitable Catholic choices aren't available or don't meet your needs, rather than Protestant resources which could compromise your child's faith development.

copyright Organic Mothering

The 2nd part of my write-up lists the specific books and resources I use as the parent-teacher in creating my self-designed Catholic curriculum. These direct my way to the philosophies and particulars of the methods I employ. I wish to draw from these sources inspiration and wisdom; information regarding the learning tools directly employed; knowledge of the Faith and Catholic parenting; and specific book suggestions to be used with and by the child in her lessons. 

The third portion of the outline divides the books and materials used by and with the child in the lessons into the subject areas required by our school district. Though not required, I listed religion along with the history and geography category. You will find here both specific book titles and general subject matter to be covered. There are many other books, materials, and resources that could have been listed, including the Catechism of the Catholic Church, papal encyclicals such as "On the Christian Education of Youth", and Montessori's own works.  I hope that you will glean something useful from this curriculum guide. Please feel free to borrow anything you would like and to ask questions or give suggestions in the comments.

I. Vintage Catholic Home Education: We will be using a self-designed curriculum incorporating the philosophical methodologies of Dr. Maria Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and Classical Christian Education, drawing from the books and resources listed below. "Living books" will be the predominant choices for lessons, which are those written by an author who takes special interest in his subject and in which facts are presented in story form. Classical learning tools such as narration, copy work, memorization, and dictation will be utilized, with a core of Religion and the traditional liberal arts.

II. Curriculum Books and Resource:

- The Charlotte Mason Original Homeschooling Series (six volume set)

- Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss
- Mater Amabilis: a Charlotte Mason Style Curriculum for Catholics (www.materamabilis.org)
- Ambleside Online (www.amblesideonline.org)
- The Year and Our Children: Catholic Celebrations for Every Season by Mary Reed Newland

- Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum: A Guide to Catholic Home Education 
  by Laura M. Berquist
- For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School
  by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
- Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Your Self-Directed Learner by Lori Pickert

- The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims Version and Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition       

III. Subjects and Books/Materials:

Language Arts – Prayers for Young Catholics (Daughters of St. Paul); "Faith and Freedom" Ginn Readers; American Cardinal Readers; classic literature; Poetry for Children and Other People; Ingri and Edgar Parin d' Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths; Emma Serl's Primary Language Lessons; Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb; Parables from Nature (Gatty); Making Words (Cunningham and Hall); Montessori Moveable Alphabet; Native American literature; public library visits and programs; Latin (Prima Latina, Memoria Press); Grammar workbooks (Frank Schaffer Publications)

Religion, Geography and History – Religious Education class at Sacred Heart Church; The Baltimore Catechism, No. 1; United States puzzle map; globe and maps; America's Founders and Leaders by William H.J. Kennedy and Sister Mary Joseph; A Child's History of the World and A Child's Geography of the World (Hillyer); Native American history and tradition; history of cultural, seasonal and holiday traditions; visits to Sauder Village living history museum; The Saint Book by Mary Reed Newland; Vision Books biographical novels of the saints (Ignatius Press); Hurlbut's Story of the Bible; The Loyola Treasury of Saints; Tree in the Trail and Minn of the Mississippi (Holling C. Holling)

Mathematics –  Intermediate Idea Book for Cuisenaire Rods (Learning Resources Inc.); Total Math (American Education Publishing); measurement; fractions; time and money; place values; addition and subtraction with regrouping; multiplication; division; decimals and percentages; Cuisenaire Rods and other related manipulatives; flash cards; calendar; mathematician biographies; board games

Natural Science – Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock; The Story Book of Science by Jean-Henri Fabre; One Small Square series (Silver); Kingsolver Encyclopedia of Horses; nature walks and nature notebook; study of trees and leaf collection; study of flowers and flower pressing; study of insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and dinosaurs; the seasons; climate; sustainable living and organic gardening; science museum visits; calendar; ecosystems/animal habitats; chemistry kit experiments; dog training classes; volunteer work at the Humane Society

Health Education – General Hygiene by Frank Overton; study of bacteria, mold and viruses; nutrition; food preparation and baking; herbology; vegetarianism; The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by Valorie Schaefer and The Feelings Book: The Care and Keeping of Your Emotions by Dr. Lynda Madison (American Girl)

Physical Education – Gym class at St. Patrick; dance; Parks and Recreation soccer program; yoga practice; daily outdoor play; hiking; sledding; trampoline; running; swimming; scooter; pogo stick; horseback riding; hiking; bicycling; dog walks

Fine Arts – Art class at St. Patrick School; painting; drawing; poetry, music, and art appreciation (artist, poet, and composer studies; classical and folk music; hymns); pottery; Come Look with Me Series by Gladys Blizzard; art museum visits; attendance at plays and concerts; dramatic play; Parks and Recreation/library arts and crafts programs; Fayette Opera House concert series; piano lessons; movies and documentaries; needlepoint; crochet; creative writing

First Aid, Safety, and Fire Protection – Continued reinforcement of these subjects through library materials, field trips, and home safety plans

Catholic Natural Learning, Fleur-de-Lis Update

In past posts I used the symbol of the fleur-de-lis to illustrate my personal approach to home-centered learning.  This popular French motif has traditionally been used as a Christian symbol representing either the Holy Trinity, Jesus, or, due to the lily's association with purity, the Virgin Mary.  In my concept of Catholic Natural Learning, the base of the fleur-de-lis (that which ties the petals together) is Catholic Faith Formation. The lower parts of the flower represent the Holy Family--Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.  Religion is the foundation upon which education is built, as was discussed in the previous article.

Initially I had designated the three upper petals of the flower to represent the philosophical methodologies of Charlotte Mason (CM), Maria Montessori, and unschooling.  I am still utilizing the first two.  I will give you a brief overview of how we implement both of these.

I rely heavily upon the use of living books as advocated by Charlotte Mason.  These include high quality fictional literature, as well as non-fiction works that are written in story form by a single author who is passionate about his topic.  There is little, if any, use of textbooks or workbooks.  Most subjects are narrated. That is, the child is read to or reads for himself and then gives either an oral or written composition of the material.  Narrations have always been an integral part of our lesson times, but at present my daughter doesn't find them enjoyable to give, so for now I'm not requiring them. She does, however, enjoy doing picture studies, which are another form of narration.  Copy work is regularly done from Catholic prayers, the Bible, or Emma Serl's Primary Language Lessons.  

As a former Montessori classroom teacher, I can tell you that to transfer the Montessori Method to a home setting would require a great deal of space, intensive teacher training, and a huge financial investment. However, none of this is necessary in order to use select Montessori resources which you believe would facilitate your child's learning. Many Montessori materials can be handmade, such as the popular sandpaper letters, and lesson plans are available online. Similar, less expensive materials can be found by companies such as Melissa and Doug. Currently we are using the Montessori moveable alphabet for phonics training and word making, in conjunction with a set of phonics cards and a dry erase board. We use a clock with moveable hands along with a Time and Money workbook, and real money as well.

Key tenets of Montessori philosophy, such as treating the child as a person and educating him for life, including the nurturing of his spirit, can be incorporated by anyone, and these are also core ideas of Charlotte Mason. As Montessori is a very tactile, "hands on" type of method, the use of tools such as math manipulatives; building activities such as Lincoln Logs and Legos; putting together puzzles; and practical life experiences such as dish washing, orange juice making, and folding clothes are things easily incorporated in the Montessori spirit.

Honing one's faculty of observation is also a primary Montessori element. In the home, you can prepare the environment to provide developmentally appropriate activities that the child is free to choose from. Establishing learning centers with materials for such things as creating artwork, making music, doing science experiments, and for use in dramatic play encourages self-directed projects. The parent/teacher has the opportunity to observe and "follow the child" in exploring her interests, finding her gifts, and supporting her in the more challenging areas.

So what of unschooling? I have determined that creating an atmosphere of learning all the time can be established using natural methods such as CM and Montessori, making the inclusion of unschooling unnecessary. All of the promise of a joyful way of family life can be had without the dogmatic baggage that comes with unschooling and the generally anti-teaching attitude of many unschoolers.  And the truth is that unschooling does not qualify as a method at all; rather, it is a philosophical mindset. I do not believe that children should shoulder the primary responsibility of deciding what, when, and how they will learn, especially in the extremes of radical unschooling. This idea goes against the Christian vocation of parents as the primary educators of their children. Since the unschooling Gestapo will insist that one can't partially unschool, it makes sense to avoid the issue altogether.

What I have chosen instead for the 3rd petal on the fleur-de-lis is relaxed homeschooling, a term coined by Mary Hood. Relaxed homeschooling is also a mindset rather than a method. Hood has described it as a middle path between the opposite ends of unschooling and the traditional school-at-home approach. Upcoming posts will illustrate how I apply a relaxed mindset with the particular methods of Maria Montessori and Charlotte Mason in the context of Catholic education.

A Modified Homeschooling Fleur de Lis

 

Our homeschooling approval letter arrived today. The superintendent is always very prompt; I only turned in my paper work on Monday! This means that the evaluation by a certified teacher was completed and my curriculum outline finished. Not only that, but aside from what we will borrow from the library, I have all of the books we will use for the upcoming school year organized into a basket and an antique egg crate. These are next to our shelves of games and other fun, educational activities. A freshly dusted and tidied set of shelves, I might add! If you remember reading it, or in case you didn't, Order on the Homestead was one of the upper petals of my original "little way of homeschooling" fleur de lis. The center petal was Catholic Faith Formation, and the other was Charlotte Mason/Open Source Learning. The base segments represented Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Now that I have had time to delve deeply into studying unschooling, and have determined that many of the positive points are also found in Montessori and CM, I think I will modify the format. Catholic Faith Formation will actually be at the foundation, tying everything together, with the members of the Holy Family still in their places. The Faith is central to our lives, home (domestic church), and educational efforts. It should guide and permeate the methods (petals) used above the base. Since I am now calling our homeschooling philosophy Catholic Natural Learning, the upper domain of the fleur de lis will be Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and Unschooling. These are all natural methods. Order is intrinsic to Montessori's philosophy, while CM is strong on good habit formation. There is then no need for a separate category of "order on the homestead".

While unschooling's benefits are basically included in the other two methods, the emphasis on joyful living; partnering with children in learning; treating children respectfully and as equal people; acknowledging that the child is the primary agent in his or her learning; balancing the needs of all family members; and passionately pursuing interests has been such a good influence on me that I want to keep these principles in the forefront of my mind.

One more very important point to mention. Maria Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and John Holt were all brilliant educational reformers, and each cared deeply for children. However, none of these was ever a parent but Maria, who was not instrumental in raising her son, Mario. As carefully and mindfully as they observed children, none of them were ever homeschoolers. They were all classroom teachers, though after leaving teaching, Holt spent much time with families in their own homes. As much inspiration as we may glean from these folks, our own experience and intuition trumps any scholarly advice or modern educational guru. We know our children best. We know best what they need to learn and thrive as human beings. And if we aren't sure, no one cares more about finding out than we do. So trust in God, and trust yourselves!

I do not believe that the full burden of education and decision-making, or even the greater part of it, should ever rest on children. As they age and mature, certainly they can handle ever-increasing autonomy. Gradually. The gentle authority of parents should be exercised. Consistency is important. Peaceful borders (limits) are necessary. These elements create security for children and are part and parcel of the parental vocation. In fact, I would say that they are all quite... natural. 

A Homeschooling Fleur de Lis

"In the Middle Ages the symbols of lily and fleur-de-lis (lis is French for "lily") overlapped considerably in Christian religious art. Michel Pastoureau, the historian, says that until about 1300 they were found in depictions of Jesus, but gradually they took on Marian symbolism and were associated with the Song of Solomon's "lily among thorns" (lilium inter spinas), understood as a reference to Mary. Other scripture and religious literature in which the lily symbolizes purity and chastity also helped establish the flower as an iconographic attribute of the Virgin. It was also believed that the fleur de lis represented the Holy Trinity" (Wikipedia).

 
<sup>I was inspired by the fleur de lis to come up with my own "little way" of homeschooling, under the patronage of St. Therese and the Blessed Mother, but not necessarily under the label of unschooling. Though I have not yet received my Keeping It Catholic book, I think I have read enough on unschooling to see that it is problematic for the Catholic homeschooling family, possibly even in the less radical forms. The Faith is supposed to permeate the entire educational experience, and because unschooling does not put forth a clear educational philosophy and method (at least not to my satisfaction), I think I am safer calling what we do ''relaxed CM Catholic homeschooling".  But we'll see... And even if Charlotte Mason was heretical in her worldview, as Marianna Bartold proposes, living books, narration, and nature journals are not used exclusively in the CM method, and these and other techniques can certainly be employed in a Catholic homeschool, as long as the books and materials used are not in conflict with Church doctrine. In this I agree with Mater Amabilis, and I have found some book suggestions on their online curriculum list to try. 

As to the fleur de lis, the central petal represents Catholic faith formation; the left petal stands for order on the homestead; and the one on the right is CM, open source learning. The base of the fleur de lis in my little way corresponds to the Holy Family, with Jesus at the center and Mary and Joseph on each side. I think St. Therese would agree with keeping it simple in our homeschooling so that we do not break our heads over it, as she was wont to say. I want my family to be grounded in the Catholic faith in all things; I wish to continue to bring order to my home and yard (for how else can anyone who lives here relax?), and order is also necessary for the blossoming of Beauty; and I feel that using the CM method in a relaxed, Catholic way gives me a firm foundation for educating my child, along with keeping the good aspects associated with unschooling in mind as we seek open sources for learning.</sup>