My daughter is going into second grade, and my son is four years behind her. What follows is the pattern that is guiding our days in the years to come - the five R's of Redemption, Recitation, Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic.
Redemption We start each day focusing on God and his Word, both reading the Scriptures and learning about the Bible and its message of redemption and peace with God. We also spend time on character education, exploring what a life devoted to God looks like. Of everything we are teaching our children, this is the most important of all. |
Recitation This is our memory work. As classical educators, we take advantage of this time in our children's lives, when it is easier to memorize than at any other time in their lives, to fill their minds with information that is both useful academically and profitable spiritually. Our memory work consists of what we are learning in history, science, math, Latin, English grammar, and geography, Bible verses, and catechism questions. |
Reading There are two parts to our reading instruction. The first is learning how to read, primarily through the use of phonics. Later, when the process of reading has been internalized, we spend time reading aloud to improve fluency and pronunciation. The second part is understanding what is read. Before phonics is internalized, and even afterwards sometimes, we practice this by me reading aloud and my children listening, and then talking about what we have read. In the later elementary years, my children will do more of that reading on their own, independently. It is during this time that we read about science, social studies, and geography, as well as poetry and literature. |
Writing Like reading, our writing instruction has two parts. The first is the act of writing - penmanship (first learning to form letters and then practicing through copywork, both print and cursive), spelling, and brief writing projects such as writing to a cousin or other relative. The second is the internal structure, the grammar, of writing, and for that, we use the First Language Lessons series. |
Arithmetic This is pretty obvious. We use Saxon math as our primary curriculum, and the IXL website and app for extra practice. |
If you homeschool, how do you organize your days and lessons?