Advanced Elementary / Primary (approx. ages 9 to 11)
Normally this course will be taken over two school years:
Grades 4 and 5 in the US and Years 5 and 6 in the UK.
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General Instructions
* Key curriculum – those books considered to be key parts of the curriculum are shown in bold type and marked with an asterisk.
Highly Recommended books are shown in bold. These should be included if possible, but are not essential.
Optional extras - optional books and suggestions are shown in italics
+ Indicates subjects we consider to be essential at this level. Other subjects should be included if at all possible to give a broad Charlotte Mason style education.
(N) Denotes books intended for narration
Books listed in blue are alternatives for home educators in the U.K.
History Cycle for Australian students [provided by Ruth Marshall]
The curriculum is designed to fit into thirty-six weeks, with many subjects broken down into three blocks of twelve weeks (terms).
The approximate number of lessons required each week for each subject is shown in italics. Often the lessons can be covered in ten or eleven weeks, allowing a little leeway in the schedule. Each term one classic children’s book, one additional history book, one saint’s biography and a geography book should be read outside formal lesson time.
The program is designed to work with the liturgical year. Each year you will need to allow three weeks for Advent, six weeks for Lent and six weeks for Easter. During these seasons there will be some changes in the program. The remaining 21 weeks of the year are Ordinary Time. You will need to fit Ordinary Time around the liturgical seasons according to when you start and finish your academic year. For example, you may find you have nine weeks of Ordinary Time before Advent, six weeks between Christmas and Lent and six after Easter. This is the schedule we have used, as it fits with the school year in both the UK and some parts of the US. If you start and finish your school year earlier, simply use the Ordinary Time assignments in order, taking a break as necessary.
At this level most lessons should last around 20 – 30 minutes.
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+ RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
1) New Testament
Year 1 (Weekly)
(N) *The First Christians: The Acts of the Apostles for Children by Marigold Hunt. Read and narrate one section each lesson.
- Term 1: Introduction; Ch.1 to 4
- Term 2: Ch.5 to 8
- Term 3: Ch.9 to 12
2nd Year (Weekly, Ordinary Time only)
USA: (N) * National Catholic Register Guide to the Rosary
UK: * An Illustrated Rosary (published by Family Publications)
Note: Both of these booklets include the luminous mysteries and are illustrated with sacred artwork.
Read and narrate the Bible passage for each mystery of the Rosary. Written narrations can be used to make the student’s own Rosary book. One mystery to be studied each week. Older students can also use the meditations (UK students can also look up the additional Bible and Catechism references in the Family Publications booklet).
(2) Saints (1st Year: Twice weekly, Ordinary Time only; 2nd Year: Twice weekly in Ordinary Time, Weekly for the rest of the year)
(N) * 57 Stories of Saints by Anne Heffernan
Year 1
- Term 1: pp.7-99, Archangels to St.Helen (18 lessons)
- Term 2: pp.100-162, St.Martin of Tours to St.Margaret of Scotland (12 lessons)
- Term 3: pp.163-220, St.Francis of Assisi to St.Catherine of Siena (12 lessons)
Year 2
- Term 1: pp.221-340, St.Bernardine of Siena to St.Germaine (21 lessons)
- Term 2: pp.341-448, St.Martin de Porres to St.Bartholomea (18 lessons)
- Term 3: pp.449-554, St.John Bosco to Bl.James Alberione (18 lessons)
Note: Please preview the contents of the chapters on St. Dymphna (1st Year) and St. Maria Goretti (2nd Year). If you feel that the nature of the stories and the way in which they are told are inappropriate for your child, they can be omitted.
Recommended Reading
One saint’s biography to be assigned as independent reading each term.
(3) Catechism (Weekly)
(N) * Faith and Life Series (pub. Ignatius Press). Read, narrate and discuss one lesson each week.
- Year 1: * Jesus Our Guide Faith and Life Series 4
- Year 2: * Credo: I Believe Faith and Life Series 5
Optional Extras
Jesus Our Guide activity book 4 and Credo: I Believe activity book 5
(4) Advent (Twice weekly)
Stories of the Child Jesus from Many Lands by A.Fowler Lutz. Read one story for each lesson. (Use over both years)
(5) Lent (Twice weekly)
Year 1: My Path to Heaven by Geoffrey Bliss (one section each lesson)
Year 2: The Way of the Cross by Inos Biffi
(6) Easter (Twice weekly)
Year 1: Saint Jude by Michael Aquilina
Year 2: Our Lady’s Book by Lauren Ford
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+ MATHEMATICS (Daily)
(1) Work through any math(s) program of your choice at a pace appropriate for your child. Short daily lessons lasting 20 minutes should be enough.
(2) Five minutes of daily drill in math(s) facts, particularly multiplication tables.
Recommended Extra
(3) Mathematical reading and activities from How Math Works by Carol Vorderman
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+ ENGLISH
(1) Reading
The books set for Level 2 for history, religion, geography, literature and science should normally be read by the child, either aloud to you or independently.
(2) Writing and Composition
(a) Copywork (10 minutes daily)
Copy two lines daily from favorite poems, prayers, Bible passages or the Shakespeare play being studied.
Recommended Resources
The Harp and the Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist
Shakespeare quotations suitable for copywork.
Suggested Activity
When the whole item has been copied illustrate it, decorate it, cover it with contact paper and use it as a place mat.
(b) Composition (Daily)
Regular written narrations from books set for history, religion, geography, literature and science.
(3) Grammar / English Language (three times weekly)
* Intermediate Language Lessons by Emma Serl
Year 1
- Term 1: Lessons 1-50, pp.1-51
- Term 2: Lessons 51-100, pp.52-106
- Term 3: Lessons 101-150, pp. 107-159
Year 2
- Term 1: Lessons 151-200, pp. 160-209
- Term 2: Lessons 201-250, pp. 209-260
- Term 3: Lessons 251-301, pp. 261-316
UK Alternative
- Year 1: English Prep 2
- Year 2: English Prep 3 (published by Galore Park)
(4) Studied Dictation (Twice weekly)
Short paragraphs or passages to be dictated from a section (two or three paragraphs) of a history, literature, geography or religion book that has been studied in advance.
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+ LITERATURE
(1) Mythology (Weekly)
(N) * The Children’s Homer by Padraic Colum
(N) * The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Alfred J.Church
Year 1
- Term 1: Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 1 to 10
- Term 2: Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 11 to 20
- Term 3: Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 21 to 23; Odyssey: Chapters 1 to 7
Year 2
- Term 1: Children’s Homer – Odyssey: Chapters 8 to 17
- Term 2: Aeneid – The Horse of Wood to The Plots of Juno
- Term 3: Aeneid – The Gathering of the Chiefs to Afterwards
Optional Further Reading: D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths by Edgar and Ingri D’Aulaire
(2) Classic Children’s Literature (Ad.Lib.)
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Swallows and Amazons and other books by Arthur Ransome
The Midnight Folk by John Masefield
The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Anne of Green Gables by L.L.Montgomery
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
(3) Shakespeare (Weekly)
Suggested plays (others of your choice can be substituted):
Year 1
- Term 1: The Tempest
- Term 2: Macbeth
- Term 3: As You Like It
Year 2
- Term 1: Henry V
- Term 2: Julius Caesar
- Term 3: Twelfth Night
See notes on How to Study Shakespeare
Recommended Resources
Re-tellings of Shakespeare plays. Choose from:
Tales from Shakespeare: Children’s Classics by Charles and Mary Lamb
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E.Nesbit
The Random House Book of Shakespeare Stories by Andrew Matthews
[UK Title: The Orchard Book of Shakespeare Stories]
Books about Shakespeare. Choose from:
William Shakespeare: His Work and His World by Michael Rosen
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley
Books about plays and teaching notes:
Shakespeare and Macbeth by Stewart Ross
Shakespeare Made Easy: The Tempest; Macbeth; Henry V ; Julius Caesar; Twelfth Night
(4) Poetry
The Harp and Laurel Wreath: Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculumby Laura Berquist: Grammatical Stage
At this level The Harp and the Laurel Wreath has a lot of poems related to American history. To give a wider selection of British poetry add The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems.
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+ NATIONAL HISTORY (twice weekly; additional book ad.lib.)
Option 1: Introduction to British History (Recommended option at this level for American users)
(N) *Our Island Story by H.E.Marshall
(N) * Our Lady’s Dowry - Catholic history book by Kathryn Faulkner (In preparation. Chapters will be made available to Mater Amabilis users as they are written – please request details through the Teacher Training Forum)
Recommended additional book each term, to be read either aloud or independently outside lesson time.
See additional schedule, suggestions for further reading, and notes on Our Island Story.
or Finish three year course in American history. If your child has not done Level 1 you may prefer to use Option 2
Option 2: Introduction to American History
(N) * From Sea to Shining Sea (Catholic Textbook Project)
Recommended additional book each term, to be read either aloud or independently outside lesson time.
or Finish three year course in British history. If your child has not done Level 1 you may prefer to start with Year 1 of the British history course
Option 3: History Cycle for Australian Students
See Australian history outline.
Year 1: American History
(N) * From Sea to Shining Sea (Catholic Textbook Project)
Year 2: Australian History
Arthur Baillie, Our Sunburnt Country: An Illustrated History of Australia [Out of print - available second-hand]
OR H.E. Marshall, Our Empire Story [available online]
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+ ANCIENT HISTORY (twice weekly)
Year 1: Ancient Greece
(N) * Famous Men of Greece
- Term 1: The Gods of Greece to Lycurgus
- Term 2: Draco and Solon to Socrates
- Term 3: Xenophon to the Fall of Greece
Each chapter can be spread over two lessons, or can be read and narrated in a single lesson leaving the other free for further reading or working on a book of centuries.
Alternative Option
Children and families who want to study Greek history in greater detail may prefer to use
(N) The Story of the Greeks by Helene Guerber. This would require three lessons each week, with one chapter read and narrated per lesson.
Recommended Reference Materials
Ancient Greece Timeline (Our Father’s House)
Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World
Further reading according to interest see Ancient Greece Booklist
Year 2: Ancient Rome
(N) * Famous Men of Rome (Memoria Press)
- Term 1: Romulus to Cincinnatus
- Term 2: Camillus to Pompey the Great
- Term 3: Julius Caesar to End of the Western Empire
Each chapter can be spread over two lessons, or can be read and narrated in a single lesson leaving the other free for further reading or working on a book of centuries.
Alternative Option
Children and families who want to study Roman history in greater detail may prefer to use
(N) The Story of the Romans by Helene Guerber. This would require three lessons each week, with one chapter read and narrated per lesson.
Recommended Reference Materials
Ancient Rome Timeline (Our Father’s House)
Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World
Optional Extra
Usborne Time Traveller: Rome and Romans
Further reading according to interest – see Ancient Rome Booklist
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+ GEOGRAPHY AND EARTH STUDIES
Note: Please read our introduction to geography study and the Charlotte Mason method.
(1) American Geography (Twice weekly)
(N) Year 1: * Paddle-to-the-Sea and * Seabird by Holling C.Holling
(N) Year 2: * Tree in the Trail and * Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C.Holling
Recommended Extra
Holling C.Holling Geography Map Set of 4
Optional Extra Reading
Maps: Getting from Here to There by Harvey Weiss
Adventures in Geography by Gertrude Allen Kay – an 11 year old boy and his uncle sail around the world
British Alternative (Twice weekly)
Year 1: British Geography
Children of Britain Just Like Me
Note: For each copy sold a donation was made to UNICEF, an organization which the Catholic Church no longer supports due to its population policies. We recommend that you either buy a used copy or borrow this book from the library. (At the time of writing it appears to be out of print, so this should not be a problem.)
Children’s Atlas of the British Isles by Clare Oliver and Theodore Rowland-Entwhistle
Usborne Internet-Linked Book of LondonYear 2: American Geography
Paddle to the Sea and Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C.HollingRecommended Reference Book
The Oxford Junior Atlas (pub.OUP)
Optional Extra Reading
Seabird by Holling C. Holling
(2) Peoples and Places (Ad.Lib.)
Choose one book each term from the selection for independent reading.
Year 1: The Americas
Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada (Cuba)
Maya Quest: Interactive Expedition by Dan Buettner – bicycle trek through Central America
The Cay by Theodore Taylor (Caribbean) – fiction
Secret of the Andes (Puffin Book) by Ann Nolan Clark (Peru) – fiction
Chucaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa by Francis Kalnay (Argentina) – fiction
Year 2: Africa
Hippos in the Night: Autobiographical Adventures in Africa by Christina Allen
Africatrek: A Journey by Bicycle Through Africa by Dan Buettner
Journey to Jo’burg by Beverley Naidoo (South Africa) – fiction
Jock of the Bushveldt by Sir J.Percy Fitzpatrick (South Africa) – classic fiction about a dog
(3) Map Work (Weekly)
Focus particularly on the map of the Americas in the 1st Year and the map of Africa in the 2nd Year. Aim to be able to quickly name and locate countries, capital and other major cities, important rivers and mountain ranges.
Spend a short time each week locating places mentioned in reading for other subjects.
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+ NATURE STUDY (Weekly)
(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
Other Resources
Discovering Nature Indoors ed. Laurence Pringle
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+ SCIENCE (twice weekly)
Year 1: Science in Ancient Greece
(1) Reading
(N) Science in Ancient Greece (Kathlyn Gay)
(N) * Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
(2) Activities
Home Science Adventures: Light
Home Science Adventures: Magnetism
Note: Available from Emmanuel Books (US) and Ichthus Resources (UK). Kits include all equipment needed for experiments.
Simple Machines (Starting with Science) (Adrienne Mason and Deborah Hodge)
See schedule of lessons and activities
Year 2: Science in Ancient Rome and the Human Body
(N) * Science in Ancient Rome by Jacqueline Harris
(N) * Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick
(N) * Blood and Guts by Linda Allison
* The Body Book by Donald M. Silver and Patricia J. Wynne
See schedule of lessons and activities
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+ FOREIGN LANGUAGE (Optional)
Option 1: Spanish
* Learn Spanish With Grace by Miriam Alvarez Gallaher
Option 2: French
* First Start French (Memoria Press)
British Options
Option 1: Spanish
So You Really Want to Learn Spanish Book 1 (Galore Park)
Option 2: French
So You Really Want to Learn French Book 1 (Galore Park)
Use over two years. CD and answer book also available.
Alternative
* Skoldo French Book 2
Year 1: Term 1, pp.1-8; Term 2, pp.9-16; Term 3, pp.17-25
Year 2: Term 1, pp.26-33; Term 2, pp.34-42; Term 3, pp.43-50
If your child has not yet started French you will need to begin with Skoldo Book 1. Aim to complete this book in four terms and you will catch up by the end of Level 3.
Optional Extra Resources
Watch a favorite DVD in French. Many DVDs have French as one of the language options.
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+ LATIN (Year 2 only) (twice weekly)
Option 1: Intensive Approach
Note: This is equivalent to the schedule used by the Parents’ Union Schools in the 1960s. This option is recommended for academically oriented children requiring a challenge and will enable children to read Latin texts in the original during high school. It requires a teacher familiar with Latin, or who is prepared to commit time and effort to master the material alongside the child.
* Henle Latin I Units 1 and 2
Option 2: Gentler Approach
Latina Christiana, Vol.1
British Alternative
Option 1: Intensive Approach
Note: This is the schedule used by the Parents’ Union Schools in the 1960s. O Level Latin was taken at the end of Approach to Latin Part 2. The standard achieved was roughly equivalent to the current A level standard. This option is recommended for academically oriented children requiring a challenge and will enable children to read Latin texts in the original. It requires a teacher familiar with Latin, or who is prepared to commit time and effort to master the material alongside the child.
* The Approach to Latin, First Part by J.Paterson and E.Macnaughton: pp.4-57 (cover about 18 pages each term)Option 2: Gentler Approach
Latina Christiana, vol.1
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+ PICTURE STUDY
Year 1: Gothic and Renaissance Art
- Term 1: Giotto and Saint Fra Angelico
- Term 2: Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli
- Term 3: Michelangelo Buenarotti and Raphael
Year 2: English Romantics
- Term 1: George Stubbs and Thomas Gainsborough
- Term 2: Joseph Mallord William Turner
- Term 3: John Constable
See notes on picture study for details, resources and instructions for picture study.
Optional Extra
Art Fraud Detective by Anna Nilsen
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+ MUSIC APPRECIATION (weekly)
* Music Masters Set 2 (Handel, Beethoven, Wagner, Dvorak, Haydn, Vivaldi/Corelli).
CDs can also be bought separately as The Story of Handel 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
Masters of Classical Music (Box Set) – economical set of 10 CDs, each featuring works by a different composer. Ideal as follow up listening to the Music Masters CDs (includes Beethoven, Wagner and Vivaldi).
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+ ART (Twice weekly)
Artistic Pursuits: Grades 4-6, Book One: The Elements of Art and Composition
This can be used slowly over two years, or started in the second year of Level 2.
Recommended Resources
Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters 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.
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.
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+ MUSIC
(1) Singing
Learn two new songs and two new hymns of your choice each term.
(2) Instrumental (Daily practice)
If you have a piano or keyboard available, either start or continue learning to play it. Two beginners’ piano programs that can be used independently are:
Beginning at the Piano books, by Alan Jemison (Catholic)
Alternatively either continue or start learning to play the recorder. A good starting point is the The New Nine-Note Recorder Method: Easy Music for Beginners by Penny Gardner.
Optional Extras
The 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
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+ PRACTICAL WORK
(1) Help in house and yard (garden).
(2) Work on learning a practical craft or skill of your choice.
British Resource
Opitec sells a wide range of reasonably priced craft kits, projects and hobby materials.
