This Q&A episode of the Charlotte Mason podcast addresses such varied topics as introducing the Book of Centuries, dawdling and disinterested beginners, preschoolers participation, and transitioning students to independent reading.
Listen Now:
“In the first place, never let the child dawdle over copybook or sum, sit dreaming with his book before him. When a child grows stupid over a lesson, it is time to put it away. Let him do another lesson as unlike the last as possible, and then go back with freshened wits to his unfinished task.” (Vol. 1, p. 141)
“That the claims of the schoolroom should not be allowed to encroach on the child’s right to long hours daily for exercise and investigation.” (Vol. 1, p. 177)
“Form IIB has a considerable programme of reading, that is, not the mere mechanical exercise of reading but the reading of certain books. Therefore it is necessary that two years should be spent in Form IA and that in the second of these two years the children should read a good deal of the set work for themselves.” (Vol. 6, pp. 181-182)
“This habit should be begun early; so soon as the child can read at all, he should read for himself, and to himself, history, legends, fairy tales, and other suitable matter.” (Vol. 1, p. 227)
Made in the … Books by Christine Price
History of Everyday Things, Quennell
Colonial Craftsmen, Tunis (and all his other books)
A Museum of Early American Tools by Eric Sloane (and many of his other books)
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Thank you for the podcast! This last question has been on mind recently as I plan for next school year. Do you mind answering a few more questions?
1) Do you have any tips on inspiring the student to do their work independently? I have been working with my daughter (form 1B) to read her lessons independently (she is a great reader). Currently we take turns reading her school books. But when the baby is fussy and I suggest she reads by herself and then narrate, she does not want to do lessons by herself; she loves being read to and likes that time together. While she does struggle with laziness, she is an obedient child and would do the lesson by herself if I told her to. But I would like to inspire her to being more independent, not just demand it. Any ideas?
Also, should a 3rd grader be separated out (almost like a first grader is) in form 1 for more independent work? Like have them read their own history and geography book? Or should their time be spend practicing reading aloud by reading to the other form 1 kids?
Thank you again! Your podcast is THE MOST helpful resource I have found in homeschooling. I tell my family it is My school!
Katie,
Form I is a time to gain ability in reading, writing, and numbers. A first-year student who is a competent reader is a blessing. I certainly don't think it is unreasonable to ask her to read independently if she is capable, perhaps beginning with small portions, like a page or two, and not a complete lesson? If your third-year student is able to read aloud well, it is also reasonable to occasionally have him practice reading aloud to a young child, perhaps 5-10 minutes worth. There is a fine balance between reading confidence and complete independence, and I think it takes gentle and slow steps, not any sudden shift from mama helping to self-reliance. Perhaps you could lessen the length of independent work for such a young student, or at least the number of things you are asking him to do solo. Just as narration begins one lesson at a time, one day at a time, working toward narration of every lesson, so goes reading independently.
Liz
Dear Emily,
Recently at the conference I asked a question about reading some books to the students all the way up to their tenth year. I wanted to apologize for my misunderstanding. I had heard this podcast and you quote Mason as saying that the children had some things read to them until well into their tenth year. But you were referring to age while I was thinking about grade. I work primarily with highschoolers so I was focused on that. It caught my attention for a number of reasons. First, because I still enjoy listening, as we do at the conference, and the great value there is in listening, which seems to be a forgotten skill in the world today. Second, because I am wondering about how the work in a class with a teacher might still include the introduction to new texts and the one time hearing of the text followed by oral naration as a class for the purpose of enjoying a dialogue together of a book that might be challenging to even a high school student. Together our 8 high school students have found a great love for some ancients such as Boethius, Anselm, Athanasius, Plato and they enjoy the dialogue that these books afford them when they gather weekly to discuss them. Finally, I am trying to encourage my college professor husband to attempt to use this reading and narration in his classroom where he is frustrated with the ability of his students to engage with the text on there own and are waiting for him just to give them the %10 that they are supposed to get out of it. It seems that this is what happens for grownups in immersions at the conferences and it is so hopeful to me that we are never too old to start learning when we are introduced to this natural way.
We are so glad you were inspired and nourished at the conference. Oral reading and narrating can still occur in older grades. However, the majority of their work is read independently. Oral narration does not necessarily have to immediately follow reading, so could be encouraged any time. After a student is comfortable narrating aloud, written narrations are sometimes even more personally productive for them and older students can also narrate to themselves. Remember that the more dense or ornate the writing style and content, the shorter the passage should be between narrations and a student can read a small portion, narrate, continue on for another small passage, narrate that, in a single lesson time.
Whether young or old, oral narration comes first and must become natural before entering into written narration.
-Liz