History Cycle for Australian students [provided by Ruth Marshall]

(N) Denotes books intended for narration

(1) Bible History - see Ancient History

(2) New Testament (Weekly, except during Advent)

(N) * The Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt. Approximately three pages to be read (aloud in the first year, independently if possible in the second year) and narrated for each lesson. The schedule is lighter in the first terms to allow a break for Advent.

    1stYear - Term 1: pp.3-18; Term 2: pp.21-49; Term 3: pp.49-79
    2nd Year - Term 1: pp.81–109; Term 2: pp.109–150; Term 3: pp.153-188

Recommended Reference Materials

Any children’s Bible encyclopedia (or similar), for background information, maps and
pictures of houses,clothing, every day items and locations.

(3) Catechism (Weekly)
(N) * Faith and Life Series (pub. Ignatius Press). Read, narrate and discuss one lesson each week.

1st Year: * Faith and Life 2

Term 1: Lessons 1 to 11

Term 2: Lessons 12 to 22

Term 3: Lessons 23 to 34
2nd Year: * Faith and Life 3
Term 1: Lessons 1 to 9
Term 2: Lessons 10 to 20
Term 3: Lessons 21 to 30

Optional Extras
Faith and Life Activity Books 2 and 3  -  for children who like workbooks

UK: Abbreviated Catechism with Explanations by Canon F.Drinkwater – uses penny catechism,
which has simpler and clearer language than the catechism questions in Faith and Life

UK: 250 Catechism Stories by Canon F.Drinkwater

(4) Saints (twice weekly, once in UK)

(N) * A Catholic Child's Illustrated Lives of the Saints by L.E.McCullough

OR 

(N) * Saints for Young Readers for Everyday, Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Susan Helen Wallace
      Read and narrate the saint of the day twice a week.

(N) The Lion Treasury of Saints by David Self. 

Note: From an Anglican publisher, but almost all the saints covered are Catholic. Note that the section on Mary does not give the full Catholic perspective. Otherwise, a beautifully done book.

OR

(N) * The Childs Book of Saints by Hugh Ross Williamson. Read and narrate one saint each week. (Out of print)

(5) Advent (Three times weekly)

* The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean

(6) Lent (Twice weekly)

One story to be read each lesson. Not for narration.

1st Year - * Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls by Caryll Houselander
2nd Year - * More Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls by Caryll Houselander

(7) Easter (Twice weekly)

(N) 1st Year: * The Story of Padre Pio by Clare Jordan Mohan
(N) 2nd Year: * The Young Life of Saint Maria Faustina by Clare Jordan Mohan

Children’s Daily Prayer  –simple liturgical prayer for use with children. Includes a monthly psalm and grace, and daily prayer, reading, and short introduction to the day (sometimes about the saint of the day, sometimes other topics). Also includes special blessings for different circumstances and occasions.

(1) Work through any math(s) scheme of your choice at a pace appropriate for your child. Short daily lessons lasting 20 minutes (including drill) should be enough.

(2) Five minutes of daily drill in math(s) facts.

Basic Facts Worksheet Factory - free downloadable software for creating worksheets to practice basic arithmetic facts.

You might like to vary your week by making Friday a fun math(s) day, doing activities and mathematical reading instead of your usual math(s) scheme.

G is for Googol: a Math Alphabet Book by David Schwarz

(1) Reading (Daily)

Continue using the reading programme of your choice.

Daily reading practice

2nd Year: Books set for religion, history and geography to be read independently or read aloud by the child. When making the transition to independent reading "buddy reading", alternating paragraphs or pages between parent (or older sibling) and child can be helpful.

(2) Writing (10 minutes daily)

(a) Handwriting

Continue with handwriting scheme of your choice. Schemes we can recommend personally are D’nelian cursive and Getty-Dubay Italic

(b) Copywork and Studied Dictation

Short selections taken from the literature, history and religion selections, or from * The Harp and Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist.
The Faith and Life books contain a number of Bible quotations suitable for copywork.

(c) Written Narration

Depending on your child’s writing ability, you may want to start making the transition to written narration in the second year of Level 1A. If so, then start with shorter, simpler narrations. Saints for Every Day for Young Readers may be a good choice for this.

Optional Extras

The Child on His Knees by Mary Dixon Thayer – short, interesting but simple poems and prayers

Suggested Activity

Copy two or three lines of a prayer or poem daily. When the whole thing is done illustrate it, decorate it, cover it with contact paper and use it as a placemat.

(3) Grammar / English Language (Three times weekly)

* Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl

1st Year

 2nd Year

British Alternative

1st Year: Grammar Skills 1 or 2 (Learners Publishing, Singapore) 

2nd Year: Grammar Skills 2 or 3(Learners Publishing, Singapore)

Note: These books use British English and spellings. Available from Halfmoon Books. Singapore schools start using this series at age 6. As the series provides considerably more grammar coverage than would be usual in British schools, you may prefer to start at age 7. You can see samples here to decide which book would be the best fit for your child.

(1) Tales (Twice Weekly)

(N) * Classic Myths to Read Aloud by William F.Russell

1st Year - Listening Level 1 (22 stories)

2nd Year – Listening Level 2 (17 stories)

(N) Stories taken from books of your choice from the following list:

English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
Favorite North American Indian Legends and other collections published by Dover Books
Old Peter’s Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome
The Green Fairy Book and other collections by Andrew Lang
Of Swords and Sorcerers: The Adventures of King Arthur and His Knights by Margaret Hodges

(2) Classic Children’s Literature (ad.lib.)

Choose at least one book each term from the selection to read aloud. Not for narration, just read and enjoy!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis
All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L.Baum
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney
Little House in the Big Woods and other books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Treasure Seekers and other books by E.Nesbit
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
The Princess and Curdie and The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kastner
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

(3) Poetry

* The Harp and the Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist.

+ National History (twice weekly; additional book ad.lib.)

Continue with a three-year course in the history of your own nation. If your child has not done Level 1B then start with Year 1 of this course. Otherwise, continue with Years 2 and 3.

Option 1 – Introduction to American History

(N) * This Country of Ours by H.E.Marshall. ( Also available free online)

(N) * The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas by Illeen Reninger  

Recommended additional book each term, to be read aloud at your own pace.
See additional schedule  and suggestions for further reading.

Option 2 – Introduction to British History

* (N) Our Island Story by H.E.Marshall (Also titled An Island Story)

* Our Lady's Dowry by Kathryn Faulkner. (In preparation. Chapters are being made available to Mater Amabilis users through the Teacher Training Forum as they are written.)

Recommended additional book each term, to be read aloud at your own pace.

See additional schedule and suggestions for further reading.

Option 3: History Cycle for Australian Students

See Australian history outline. Two year study of British history recommended for this Level.

+ Ancient History (twice weekly, during Ordinary time only)

Year 1: Bible History

(N) * New Catholic Picture Bible by Rev. Laurence G.Lovasik. Read aloud and narrate one chapter each lesson. (43 lessons)

Recommended Reference Materials

Ancient Israel Timeline (Our Father's House)

The Ancient World of the Bible by Malcolm Day 

(UK Title: Great Events of Bible Times: Stories and History from the Old Testament) 

- this book supplies a broad range of background material, including pictures of everyday objects, maps, and reconstructions.

Year 2: Ancient Egypt

(N) * The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne. Read aloud and narrate according to the schedule (40 lessons).

Recommended Reference Materials

Ancient Egypt Timeline (Our Father’s House)

Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World

Optional Extras

Usborne Time Traveller: Pyramids and Pharaohs

The Orchard Book of Egyptian Gods and Pharaohs by Robert Swindells.

Further reading according to interest – a booklist is included at the end of the schedule.

+ Geography and Earth Studies (three times weekly, plus map work)

Each term you should cover 36 lessons and also spend a short time each week on map study. How you want to schedule these lessons is up to you: you could take one lesson from each section each week, or you may prefer to work in blocks of lessons from one section at a time.

Please read our introduction to geography in a Charlotte Mason education. ***ADD LINK***

Recommended Reference Material

Atlas suitable for the child to use independently.

(Recommended UK option: The Oxford Junior Atlas )  

Map Work

Spend a short time each week locating places mentioned in reading for other subjects. You will also be focusing particularly on the map of Europe in the 1st Year and the map of Asia in the 2nd Year.

1st Year (Themes: Europe; Maps and Plans; Weather)

(1) Peoples and Places (Europe) (12 lessons each term)

Choose one book each term from the list below to read aloud (not for narration) over the course of a term. Before each lesson, spend five minutes studying the map of the region. Aim to be able to quickly name and locate countries, capital and other major cities, important rivers and mountain ranges.

Vendela in Venice by Christina Bjork (Italy)
The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren (Sweden)
The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson (France)
Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil (Italy)
The Wheel on the School by Meinhart de Jong (Netherlands)

Note: We have not been able to find suitable literary non-fiction books for this Level, so have had to rely on fiction set in European locations.

(2) Maps and Plans (36 lessons)

* The Earth: the Geography of Our World by Barbara Taylor (ISBN: 0753454254). 

Note: Do not confuse this with other similar-titled books by the same author.

OR Maps and Mapping: Geography Facts and Experiments by Barbara Taylor (one of four separate books included in The Earth)

  Coming soon! Schedule of lessons, most of which involve practical and outdoor activities.

(3) Weather (36 lessons)

* The Earth: the Geography of Our World by Barbara Taylor (ISBN: 0753454254)
or  Weather and Climate: Geography Facts and Experiments by Barbara Taylor (one of four separate books included in The Earth)

**Schedule of lessons, including practical and outdoor activities

2nd Year (Themes: Asia; Extreme Environments; Mountains and Volcanos)

(1) Peoples and Places (Asia) (12 lessons each term)

Choose one book each term from the list below to read (or read aloud) over the course of a term. Before each lesson, spend five minutes studying the map of the region. Aim to be able to quickly name and locate countries, capital and other major cities, important rivers and mountain ranges.

A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night by Song Nan Zhang (China)
The Children of China: an Artist’s Journey by Song Nan Zhang (China)
Sovietrek: a Journey by Bicycle Across Russia by Dan Buettner (read narrative before studying pictures and captions)
Water Buffalo Days: Growing up in Vietnam by Quang Nhuong Huynh (Vietnam)
Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden (Japan) – fiction
Daughter of the Mountains by Louise Rankin (Tibet / India) – fiction Note: This book includes references to Buddhist prayers and practices and also to the use of astrology that you would need to discuss with your child.

For background information on the position of the Church with regard to other religions see EWTN Link 1 and Link 2

(2) Earth Studies – Extreme Environments (36 lessons)

Term 1: Deserts

►* My Sahara Adventure: 52 Days by Camel by Lawrie Raskin

Term 2: Jungles

►* Jungle Islands: My South Sea Adventure by Maria Coffey

Term 3: Arctic / Antarctic

►* By Truck to the North: My Arctic Adventure by Andy Turnbull

Most children should be able to read these books independently. Read and narrate the main text for each chapter, then explore the photographs, captions and supplementary text after the narration.

Optional Extras

Eyewitness Guide: Arctic and Antarctic (Dorling Kindersley)
Race to the Pole by Meredith Hooper
Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Owings Dewey

(3) Earth Studies – Mountains and Volcanoes (36 lessons)

* The Earth: the Geography of Our World by Barbara Taylor (ISBN: 0753454254)
or  Mountains and Volcanoes: Geography Facts and Experiments by Barbara Taylor (one of four separate books included in The Earth)

See schedule of lessons

(1) Take at least one nature walk each week.

(2) Keep a nature notebook.

 Recommended Resources

Keeping a Nature Journal by Claire Walker Leslie and Charles E.Roth

Wild Days: Creating Discovery Journals, by Karen Rackliffe

Introduction to Nature Study and Backyard Nature by MacBeth Derham (websites)

Wild Monthly online nature study newsletter, also by MacBeth Derham

Optional Extra Reading

Secrets of the Animal World, by Eulalia Garcia (series)

Natural Partnerships: The Story of Symbiosis, by Dorothy Shuttlesworth

+ Science (twice weekly)

Science study at this level will focus on nature study in Year 1, and on a study of magnitude in Year 2. 

1st Year

A year's study of the natural world, concentrating on plants, birds and insects.

Key Resources

TBA: Book on plants

Science With Plants (Usborne Science Activities)

The Burgess Bird Book for Children, by Thornton Burgess

UK Alternative: Wayland Book of Common British Birds: a Photographic Guide by Nick Williams

Provisional: The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery

Home Science Adventures: Discovering Birds

Home Science Adventures: Discovering Insects

Povisional schedule of lessons and activities

2nd Year

This year's study will help your child to get a sense of the order of the universe. Your child will learn to classify everything within creation by magnitude, and will set up a binder which will also be used in future years.  

Key Resources

The Universe in My Hands by Mary Daly

Note: You will require both the booklet and the set of dividers. We advise you to read through the booklet before starting the lessons with your child. 

UK: As the dividers are intended for American sized 3 ring binders, and there is no UK source for them, you may prefer to make your own set. They will not be as good as the real thing, but will save on postage and on the frustration of having dividers the wrong size for your file and paper!  

Home Science Adventures Units: 

(1) Microscopic Explorations

(2) The Astronomy Adventure

Adventures With Atoms and Molecules: Chemistry Experiments for Young People (Vol.1), by Robert Mebane and Thomas Rybolt

See schedule of lessons and activities

Recommended Resources

Heaven and Earth: Unseen by the Naked Eye, by Katherine Roucoux

or Powers of Ten: a Flipbook by Charles and Ray Eames

Option 1 – Spanish

* Learn Spanish With Grace by Miriam Alvarez Gallaher

Option 2 – French

* Skoldo French Book 1*

1st Year – Term 1: pp.1-9; Term 2: pp.10-18; Term 3: pp.19-27

2nd Year – Term 1: pp.28-36; Term 2: pp.37-45; Term 3: pp.46-53

* Children need to be reading and writing fairly well to use Skoldo Book 1. If you think your child might not be ready for this you can start with the Elementary Book. The vocabulary covered is the same in both books, but Book 1 adds in conversation and begins simple French grammar. Children who have used the Elementary Book (either in Level 1B or Level 1A) are likely to be able to complete Book 1 in one year because of the overlap.

We have scheduled the Skoldo books at a slow pace to allow time for extra French books and activities, and to prevent children being overburdened by the grammar element.

Optional Extra Resources

Watch a favourite DVD in French. Many DVDs have French as one of the language options.

Picture Study (weekly)

1st Year: Impressionsts

Term 1: Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Term 2: Edgar Degas

Term 3: Claude Monet

2nd Year: Post-Impressionists

Term 1: Paul Cezanne

Term 2: Vincent Van Gogh

Term 3: Henri Rousseau and Georges Seurat

See notes on picture study for suggested pictures, recommended reading, other resources and instructions for picture study.

Optional Extra

A Child’s Book of Prayer in Art by Sister Wendy Beckett

Music Appreciation (weekly)

* Music Masters Set 1 (Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann/Greig, Mendelssohn, Schubert). CDs can also be bought separately as The Story of Bach etc. Study one composer each term. Follow up each Music Masters CD by listening to complete works by the featured composer.

Note: Other Music Masters CDs can be substituted so that all children in a family can study the same composer.

Recommended Resource

The resources below provide ideas for a wide range of art projects.

Recommended Resources

Discovering Great Artists by Mary Ann Kohl and Kim Solga – lots of art projects in the style of great artists. All projects are given a rating for both difficulty and the amount of preparation required.

Oxford First Book of Art by Gillian Wolfe – looks at many different aspects of art, with each double page spread having a different theme. For each theme there are pictures of various works of art, questions to help children focus on the pictures and a suggested art activity.

The Usborne Book of Art Skills by Fiona Watt – lots of simple but effective projects, using a variety of media.

[UK] Artists Workshop Series by Penny King and Clare Roundhill – pictures of different works of art and styles are used as the inspiration for art activities for children.

If you would prefer more formal art instruction I Can Do All Things from How Great Thou Art provides three years worth of lessons, covering drawing, colouring, painting and art study.

(1) Singing

Learn two new songs and two new hymns of your choice each term.

Optional Resources

Wee Sing America CD and Tape Set
American Song Treasury: 100 Favorites

(2) Instrumental (Daily practice)

If you have a piano or keyboard available, either start or continue learning to play it. Two beginners' piano programmes that can be used independently are:

Beginning at the Piano books, by Alan Jemison (Catholic)

Bastien Piano Series.

Alternatively either continue or start learning to play the recorder. A good starting point is the Nine Note Recorder Method by Penny Gardner.

Optional Extras

Usborne Book of Easy Recorder Tunes
Easy Duets for Catholics: a Nine Note Recorder Book by Penny Gardner
Easy Christmas Duets: a Nine Note Recorder Book by Penny Gardner