Mater Amabilis™

Level 2 Online Syllabus

Scroll to end of syllabus for outline, sample weekly schedules, and 36 week charts for both years.

General Instructions

+ Subjects considered to be essential at this level. Other subjects should be included if at all possible to give a broad Charlotte Mason style education.

(N) Books/subjects intended for narration.

* Key curriculum – books considered to be key parts of the curriculum are shown in bold type and marked with an asterisk.

Highly Recommended materials/subjects are shown in bold. These should be included if possible, but are not essential.

Optional extras – optional books and suggestions are shown in italics

Selections listed in bright blue are alternatives for home educators in the UK

History Cycle for Australian students [provided by Ruth Marshall]

At this level most lessons should last around 20 – 30 minutes. 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION +

(1) New Testament

Year One (weekly)

(N) * The First Christians: The Acts of the Apostles for Children by Marigold Hunt. Read and narrate one section each lesson. See detailed reading plan for First Christians.

      • Term 1: Introduction; Ch. 1 to 4
      • Term 2: Ch. 5 to 8
      • Term 3: Ch. 9 to 12

Year Two (Weekly, Ordinary Time only)

(N) * Speak Lord I am Listening by Christine Haapala (Used as a read aloud book in the Prep Level, it is revisited here for deeper study. A free study guide for this book can be downloaded here.)

UK: (N)* An Illustrated Rosary by John Udris (published by Family Publications)

Note: Both of these booklets include the Luminous Mysteries and are illustrated with beautiful 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. Children can illustrate these if they like. 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 (Year One: 2x/week, Ordinary Time only; Year Two: 2x/week in Ordinary Time, weekly for the rest of the year)

(N) * 57 Stories of Saints by Anne Heffernan

Note: Please preview the contents of the chapters on St. Dymphna (1st Year) and St. Maria Goretti (2nd Year) in 57 Stories of Saints. 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. The older version does not have the same problematic content, but has a few different saints.

Schedule for 57 Stories of Saints:

Year One

      • 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 Two

      • 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)

Year One (Alternate schedule for The Young People’s Book of Saints)

      • Term 1: St. James to St. Hermengild
      • Term 2: St. Isidore to St. Swithun
      • Term 3: Lent / Easter reading

Year Two (Alternate schedule for The Young People’s Book of Saints)

      • Term 1: St. Wenceslaus to St. Francis of Assisi
      • Term 2: St. Dominic to St. Bernadine of Siena
      • Term 3: St. Joan of Arc to St. Alphonsus Liguori

Recommended Reading:One saint’s biography to be assigned as independent reading each term.

Options for Year 1: Saint Helena and the True Cross, Saint Dominic and the Rosary, and Saint Joan: The Girl Soldier

Students in Year 1 not ready for the more advanced reading level of the Vision series of books might prefer to choose titles from the In the Footsteps of the Saints series.

Options for Year 2: St. Thomas More of London, Crossbows and Crucifixes, Florence Nightingale’s Nuns

(3) Catechism (weekly)

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

Year One: *Jesus Our Guide, Faith and Life Series 4

      • Term 1: Lessons 1-11
      • Term 2: Lessons 12-21 plus Advent & Christmas Supplement
      • Term 3: Lessons 22-30 plus Lent & Easter Supplement

Year Two: St. Patrick’s Summer by Marigold Hunt (schedule of readings)

      • Term 1: Chapters 1-6
      • Term 2: Chapters 6-11
      • Term 3: Chapters 11-16

Optional Alternate: Continue with the Faith and Life Series *Credo: I Believe, Faith and Life Series 5

      • Term 1: Lessons 1-11
      • Term 2: Lessons 12-21 plus Celebrating the Church Year (Appendix)
      • Term 3: Lessons 22-30

Optional Extras: Jesus Our Guide activity book 4 and Credo: I Believe activity book 5

(4) Advent (2x/week)

Stories of the Child Jesus from Many Lands by A. Fowler Lutz. Read one story for each lesson. (Use over both years)

(5) Lent (2x/week)

Year One: My Path to Heaven by Geoffrey Bliss

    • Week 1: Made for God & The Best Way of Life
    • Week 2: The Three Sins & My Own Sins
    • Week 3: The Call of a King & The Incarnation
    • Week 4: The Two Standards & The Election
    • Week 5: The Agony in the Garden & The Cross of Jesus
    • Week 6: Jesus the Consoler & How to Love God

Year Two: The Way of the Cross by Inos Biffi

    • Week 1: pp. 8-10
    • Week 2: pp. 12-15
    • Week 3: pp. 16-19
    • Week 4: pp. 20-23
    • Week 5: pp. 24-33
    • Week 6: pp. 34-45

(6) Easter (2x/week)

Year One: Saint Jude: A Friend in Hard Times by Michael Aquilina (Out of print)

In print option: Of Bells and Cells by M. Cristina Borges

Year Two: Our Lady’s Book by Lauren Ford (Out of print) 

In print option: Our Lady’s Message by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

MATHEMATICS +

(1) Work through any math program of your choice at a pace appropriate for your child. Short daily lessons lasting 20 -25 minutes should be enough.

(2) Five minutes of daily drill in math(s) facts, particularly multiplication tables.

Math Mammoth Practice
Math-drills.com (printable free practice pages)
Xtra Math (Interactive fact practice)

(3) Mathematical reading and activities

Paper Sloyd: A Handbook for Primary Grades by  Ednah Anne Rich
How Math Works by Carol Vorderman
Multiplication & Fractions: Math Games for Tough Topics (Math You Can Play) by Denise Gaskins
Life of Fred elementary and intermediate math series by Stanley Schmidt
Penrose the Mathematical Cat and others in the series by Theonia Pappas 

ENGLISH +

(1) Reading (daily)

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. More quotations for copywork and memory work available at Ken Ludwig’s website for How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare.

The CopyWork Book: Comedies of Shakespeare (BlueSky Daisies)

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. For more information about oral and written narration, we recommend reading Know and Tell by Karen Glass.

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

* Intermediate Language Lessons by Emma Serl

A classic grammar text covering usage and basic composition, with inspiration from poetry, art, and prose. We recommend the Hillside Education edition of ILL which retains the charm and grace of the original with some additions: updated modern usage, color pictures, larger page size, updated poems, and a variety of new lessons. Page numbers reflect the Hillside edition.

See Intermediate Language Lessons schedule.

Answer key and Teacher Guide for Intermediate Language Lessons

Year One:

    • 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 Two:

    • 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 (2x/week)

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.

Recommended resource: Spelling Wisdom for pre-selected passages.  

LITERATURE +

(1) Mythology (weekly) See detailed Level 2 Mythology schedule.

A two year study of the three ancient epics by Homer and Virgil using classic retellings, while students study Ancient Greece and Rome in their history studies.

(N) * The Children’s Homer by Padraic Colum
(N) * The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Alfred J.Church

Year One

    • Term 1: The Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 1 to 10
    • Term 2: The Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 11 to 20
    • Term 3: The Children’s Homer – Troy: Chapters 21 to 23; Odyssey: Chapters 1 to 7

Year Two

    • Term 1: The Children’s Homer – Odyssey: Chapters 8 to 17
    • Term 2: The Aeneid – The Horse of Wood to The Plots of Juno
    • Term 3: The 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.)

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

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
Alice’s Adventures 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.M.Montgomery
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

(3) Shakespeare (weekly)

Highly Recommended: How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig

Suggested plays (others of your choice can be substituted):

Year One

Year Two

See notes on How to Study Shakespeare

Recommended Resources:

Re-tellings of Shakespeare plays

Choose from:

Books about Shakespeare

Choose from:

Books about plays and teaching notes:

(4) Poetry (weekly)

The Harp and Laurel Wreath: Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum by Laura Berquist: Grammatical Stage

See the plan and schedule for Poetry Levels 1-4.

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. 

NATIONAL HISTORY +

(2x/week; additional book ad.lib.)

At this level, children should begin to keep a Book of Centuries. They will record in it for the rest of their school years. (See The Book of Centuries Revisited for more information) For further reading about the Book of Centuries and other notebooks traditionally used in Charlotte Mason’s schools, consider reading The Living Page: Keeping Notebooks with Charlotte Mason by Laurie Bestvater. 

Option 1: Introduction to British History (Recommended option at this level for American users)

(N) *Our Island Story [available online] (multiple editions available) (Notes on Our Island Story)

(N) * Our Lady’s Dowry – Catholic history book by Kathryn Faulkner

Optional Alternative: A History of England for Catholic Children by Burns & Lambert

Recommended additional book each term, to be read either aloud or independently outside lesson time.

See also:

or

Finish three year course in American history. If your child has not done Level 1 you may prefer to use Option 2 (see below).

Option 2: Introduction to American History

(N) * From Sea to Shining Sea (The Catholic School Textbook Project)

Alternate Text: (N) * This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall if not used in Level 1 (Notes on This Country of Ours)

See also: This Country of Ours Study Guide by Jill Papsdorf

Recommended additional book each term, to be read either aloud or independently outside lesson time.

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] 

 ANCIENT HISTORY +

(weekly)

Year One:

Ancient Greece

(N) * Famous Men of Greece by John Haaren

    • 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.

For schedule of readings, see Ancient Greece Booklist.

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 Hélène Guerber. This would require three lessons each week, with one chapter read and narrated per lesson.

Recommended Reference Materials:

Ancient Greece Timeline
Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World

Further reading according to interest see Ancient Greece Booklist

Year Two:

Ancient Rome

(N) * Famous Men of Rome by John Haaren

    • 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.

For schedule of readings, see Ancient Rome Booklist.

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 Hélène Guerber or Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster. This would require three lessons each week, with one chapter read and narrated per lesson.

Recommended Reference Materials
Ancient Rome Timeline
Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World

Optional Extra
Usborne Time Traveller: Rome and Romans

Further reading according to interest – see Ancient Rome Booklist  

GEOGRAPHY AND EARTH STUDIES +

Note: Please read our introduction to geography study and the Charlotte Mason method.

(1) American Geography (2x/week)

(N) Year One: * Paddle-to-the-Sea and * Seabird by Holling C.Holling

(N) Year Two: * Tree in the Trail and * Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C.Holling

Recommended Extras:

Optional Extra Reading

UK Alternative (Twice weekly)

Year One: 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 London

Year Two: American Geography

Recommended 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 One: The Americas

Year Two: Africa

(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.

Optional Suggested Resource: Geography Coloring Book (3rd Edition) by Wynn Kapit. This book can be used for mapwork through Level 3.

Lesson Plans using the Geography book created by Jill Papsdorf can be used as a help to map work.

Spend a short time each week locating places mentioned in reading for other subjects. 

SCIENCE +

(2x/week)

Year One: Science in Ancient Greece

(1) Reading

    • (N) Science in Ancient Greece (Kathlyn Gay)  Out of print – OOP books are often more expensive at the beginning of the school year when traffic drives up prices. Consider trying BookFinder (search multiple editions), shopping earlier or later in the year, or your local library.
      (N) * Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick
    • The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
    • Our Solar System by Seymour Simon [2007 edition on Amaz][1992 edition on Amaz]

(2) Activities

    • Home Science Adventures: Light
      Home Science Adventures: Magnetism
      • Note: Available from Rainbow Resources (US). Kits include all equipment needed for experiments.
    • Simple Machines (Starting with Science) (Adrienne Mason and Deborah Hodge) Out of print – OOP books are often more expensive at the beginning of the school year when traffic drives up prices. Consider trying BookFinder (search multiple editions), shopping earlier or later in the year, or your local library.

 

Supplemental Resource:

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding: A Science Curriculum for K-8 and Older Beginning Science Learners by Bernard J. Nebel, Ph.D.
This book offers further activities and guidance for educators in developing scientific inquiry regarding these concepts with students. If followed closely, the activities can take the place of the scheduled activity kits. An inexpensive non-printable PDF is available on the official website.

See schedule of lessons and activities

Optional Additional Resources: K’Nex Education Levers and Pulleys, Wheels, Axles, and Inclined Planes or this smaller set K’Nex Stem Exploration Levers and Pulleys.

Year Two: Science in Ancient Rome and the Human Body

  • (N) * Science in Ancient Rome by Jacqueline Harris. Out of print – OOP books are often more expensive at the beginning of the school year when traffic drives up prices. Consider trying BookFinder (search multiple editions), shopping earlier or later in the year, or your local library.
  • (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  

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Option 1: Spanish

* Learn Spanish With Grace by Miriam Alvarez Gallaher
The Fun Spanish by Brookdale House

Option 2:  French

* First Start French (Memoria Press)

Option 3:  German

52 Weeks of Family German: Bite Sized Weekly Lessons Designed to Get You and Your Children Speaking German Today! by Eileen Mc Aree

My Very First Little German Book free online and read aloud on YouTube

UK 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.  

LATIN 
Year Two only

Option 1: Intensive Approach

Visual Latin
Latin for Children
First Form Latin
* Henle Latin I Units 1 and 2

*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.

Option 2: Gentler Approach

Minimus (for a more casual approach, the teacher’s manual is not necessary–simply read the student book)
Getting Started with Latin by William E. Linney (supplementary resources including audio recordings available at the author’s website).
I Speak Latin
Latina Christiana, Vol.1

UK 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 

NATURE STUDY

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

(2) Keep a nature journal.

Recommended Resources:

Optional Extra Reading:

See also: Notes on Nature Study

Other Resources

MUSIC APPRECIATION

(1x every other week)

Study one composer each term using the Music Masters CDs. Follow up each CD by listening to complete works by the featured composer.

Year 1:

Year 2:

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).
Music Study with the Masters by Simply Charlotte Mason
Classics for Kids

PICTURE STUDY

(1x every other week)

Year 1: Gothic and Renaissance Art

Year 2: English Romantics

Suggested resources:

See also: Notes on Picture Study

Optional Extra
Art Fraud Detective by Anna Nilsen 

ART

(2x/week)

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:

MUSIC

(1) Singing

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

Recommended Resources

Go In and Out the Window: An Illustrated Songbook for Children
Free Catholic Hymn Study plans.
Optional: Solfa singing lessons similar to those used in Charlotte Mason’s schools available at the Children of the Open Air YouTube channel.

(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:

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

PRACTICAL WORK

Help in house and yard (garden).

Work on learning a practical craft or skill of your choice.

Recommended Resources:
The Winky Cherry System of Teaching Young Children to Sew
Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of All Ages

UK Resource: Opitec sells a wide range of reasonably priced craft kits, projects and hobby materials. 


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Year 1

Outline and Sample Schedule

36 Week Chart (pdf) (doc)
(updated 2022 to reflect 2020/21 revisions)

Year 1 Resource List

Year 2

Outline and Sample Schedule

36 Week Chart (pdf) (doc)
(Updated 2021)

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