Sixth Grade Plan – So Far – Change is Inevitable!

Below is my plan for Sixth Grade -- mostly Waldorf-inspired, but also informed by Charlotte Mason and Classical Education (via Climbing Parnassus and The Latin-Centered Curriculum).

I have a modified/alternate plan for those weeks when we will go more in-depth in our Science curriculum (a la Waldorf). During those weeks (3-week blocks), the Composition lessons will mostly be replaced with a longer Science Main Lesson (other items will shift so Science all comes at the same time). For the ongoing schedule (as shown below), the Science text I plan to use is one recently recommended by Catherine Levison when I heard her speak at the HSC Conference: The Sciences, by Edward Holden. I have also ordered Physics is Fun! from Rudolf Steiner College bookstore.

This year, I plan to keep the history narrative running throughout the entire semester (more of a CM approach). It is so rich and full that I find it hard to limit it to the block rotation. We are beginning with Charles Kovacs' Ancient Rome for the first semester. By the second semester, we will most likely move into Medieval History.

For Composition, we are using IEW's
Teaching Writing with Style and Structure. This approach is very similar to Waldorf and makes it simple to use your own content material from History, Literature or Science, so I am anticipating a well-integrated writing program, immersed in our rich content.

We are also using IEW's spelling program and poetry memorization program. I heard Mr. Pudewa (from IEW) speak last summer and was inspired!

For Latin, we are using Lively Latin! This is a great program -- integrating language, grammar and history. We are taking it slow, just a few minutes a day. I think the grammar portion is so strong that I am not using any separate program for grammar. I am anticipating a much deeper relationship with language, overall, increasing vocabulary and knowledge of roots, word history, etc. Also, the author mixes in lots of Roman History, re-enforcing our studies.

For Math, I have ordered Making Math Meaningful from Rudolf Steiner College bookstore. It seems to be an integrated, comprehensive program that will help bring together all that we have been studying the last few years, while laying the foundation for pre-/Algebra.

My husband and I are students of A Course in Miracles. While I don't really think a direct study of this material is appropriate for a child of this age, I DO think there are many, many excerpts from ACIM that are appropriate. I have copied and pasted numerous such excerpts (from an online version) into a Word document and have made a booklet from which my son can do his Copywork 2 x per week. This is a short, practice period for handwriting advocated by CM. Catherine Levison suggested just 5 minutes a day will do it!

An interesting side note is that Andrew Pudewa (of IEW) made a point about handwriting, spelling and composition all coming from three separate places in the brain. Until the child is able to do the handwriting and the spelling with fluidity, it is helpful to keep them as separate "lessons," and not worrying about the spelling or handwriting when they are working on the composition. Sure, in the final draft, I think asking for their "neatest" writing is appropriate, and by then all spelling errors should have been corrected.

Spanish is via Rosetta Stone (once I get the program working again). Picture Study will be very short (a la CM). Geometric drawing will be in the Waldorf vein.

Not shown is cello practice (afternoons) and lessons (2x per week), "Fall" ball (baseball), 4-H activities and watercolor painting (1x per week) time yet to be determined with instructor.

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9:00	Copywork	Mental Math	Chores	Copywork	Mental Math
9:05	History (& narrate)	History (& narrate)	Geometric Drawing	History (& narrate)	History (& narrate)
9:30	Latin	Latin	Picture Study	Latin	Latin
9:45	Poetry	Poetry		Poetry	Poetry
10:00	Math	Math		Math	Math
10:15	Break/ Snack	Break/Snack		Break/Snack	Break/Snack
10:30	Composition	Composition	Nature Walk/ Notebook	Composition	Composition
11:00	Literature	Literature		Literature	Literature
11:20	Handwork	Spelling		Handwork	Spelling
11:35	Science	Spanish		Science	Spanish
12:00	Lunch	Lunch	Park with WISH	Lunch	Lunch
12:30	Chores	Chores		Chores	Chores
1:00	Free time	Free time		Free time	Free time