Here is a schedule for a young child from Mater Amabilis:
Monday - Religion, Reading, Painting, Break, Number, Handwork, Geography, Writing
Tuesday - Tales, Number, Handwork, Break, Reading, Singing Games, Writing, Nature Study
Wednesday - Poetry, Reading, Nature Study, Break, Number, Handwork, History, Writing
Thursday - Religion, Number, Handwork, Break, Reading, Singing Games, Writing, Tales
Friday - Tales, Reading, Picture Study, Break, Number, Handwork, Nature Study, Writing
It looks simple and uncluttered. In addition or rather, overlapping, are my "Preschool Priorities".
I am going to try to make lists -- mental or physical "baskets" -- that can help me come up with things for these different areas. I'd like to overlap with the Year 7 topics a bit, just so that (1) the Year 7 child can help design activities for them (he is good at that and enjoys it) and (2) so that my head doesn't explode.
Now, for habits -- this year I want to read Charlotte Mason's ideas on habits, which are traced through all of her books, and come up with some things I want to emphasize and work on.
So the main "goals" for the little ones are goals for myself -- what *I* want to do and think about.
Here is the Level 1 Timetable from Parent's Review
(For "Drill and Dancing" I can think Aidan's physical therapy and work Paddy in there too. For "handicrafts" and writing, brush-drawing etc I can work in his OT goals. and for the other subjects, I can work in his speech goals --- widening vocabulary and organizing skills for the content subjects, oral expression for narration, receptive language for listening to read-alouds).... then visual discrimination for things like nature study and object lessons)
When I have "baskets" or in other words, too many choices -- I get paralyzed, so I'm going to make some tentative sequential lists. But definitely, the curriculum is a lot more open at this age than it is for the older children.
If you take this Goal List (A Formidable List of Attainments) it gives a start on categories:
Nature Study and Local Observation
- to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows
- to describe the boundries of their own home
- to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach
- to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views
- to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.
- to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees
- to know 6 birds by song, colour and shape
- to tell three stories about their own "pets"--rabbit, dog or cat.
- to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations.
Song and Verse and Language -- Oral Expression
- to recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns
- to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm
- to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences
- to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song
Number, Reading and Writing
- to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters
- to read--what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child
- to copy in print-hand from a book
Literature and Narration
- to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English (or American!), and 3 from early Roman history
Handwork
- to send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed
You can see I could break it up differently, to emphasize all the different subjects, but I am trying to keep it simple and targeted towards "habits" rather than a bunch of different "subjects".
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