Notes on Subjects

RELIGION
Charlotte's Students studied the Bible daily, and the Catechism on Sundays, as well as participating in the liturgy and using the prayer book. They also learned civics and practiced virtue, and practiced mental prayer.
In keeping with this, religion is not a separate subject for us either.

We pray the liturgy of the hours as a family 3 x a day (Morning, Evening, Night) with the Church.
If we are able, we attend Mass daily, and if not we do the day's Bible readings at the end of our meals (again, three times a day). (Catholics have 3 Bible readings daily from the OT, Psalms, and NT)

We pray the rosary in the evening at the children's bedtime (Mental prayer.)

Habits and the Catechism are studied during breakfast.

The children have a steady list of chores and work to do in the home in the service of the family.


HISTORY

Ambleside's History periods are in bold below, with our additional notes for freereads and added scheduled books in italics that pertain to history and religion. We do a stream of world history as a family, and individual national history.

This allows for two distinct streams that are in line with the direction AO has taken in the curriculum, but fills holes we felt needed to be filled in the realm of Catholic History. See the "additions and substitutions" page for more info on specific titles we added.

Charlotte Mason taught English history alongside French History, and our family happens to be French, so we have added it alongside Our Island Story and use the very book used in her schools, called "a First History of France." We schedule it into our Morning Times, which follow Connecting With History's lesson plans.


Year 1 -- early history (especially British), focusing on people rather than events
Replace Synge/Hillyer with The World's Story

Year 2 -- 1000 AD - Middle Ages
Replace Synge/Hillyer with The World's Story
Year 3 -- 1400 - 1600 (Renaissance to Reformation)
Replace Synge/Hillyer with The World's Story

Year 4 -- 1700's up to the French Revolution and American Revolution
Replace Synge/Hillyer with The World's Story

Year 5 -- 1800 to 1920 up to WWI
Replace Synge/Hillyer with The World's Story
Year 6 -- end of WWI to present day, then a term in ancient history
Term 1: Add The Story of the Chosen People
Year 7 -- 800-1400's Middle Ages (Alfred, King Arthur, Joan of Arc)
Add History of France
Year 8 -- 1400-1600's (Renaissance to Reformation)
Add History of France
Year 9 -- 1688-1815 including French and American revolutions
Add History of France
Year 10 -- 1815-1901 including the American Civil War
Add History of France
Year 11 -- 20th Century
Add History of France
Year 12 -- Current Issues/Post-modernism & Ancient History track
Add Lands of Hope and Promise
LANGUAGES
How did CM teach languages?

1. Learning the names of simple objects in the room in French.
2. Learning phrases- 40 phrases in a 60 day term, and songs.
3. In the 4th grade students started doing French copywork, some read-alouds and conversation. At this time German was begun the same way French had been.
4. In Grade 7 the students would be beginning simple essays in French and doing German copywork, and beginning the oral part again with Latin and Italian.
5. Latin was consistent and students were expected to achieve fluency;  Italian was conversational and intended for travel, etc..
6. In High School came reading literature (usually aloud), conversing, and singing in one period, writing essays or doing copywork in the second.
 7.  High school graduates would be expected to be totally fluent in English, French, and Latin (able to translate at least 4 books of Virgil), and able to get around in German and Italian.  Most students achieved this.