Australian Homeschooling Scope & Sequence for Primary School.
Please use my scope and sequence (below) as a guide—a springboard for your own ideas and not as a strict curriculum.
A place to begin your journey and some curriculums to check out; and if you find my information helpful, that’s fantastic!
Use these suggestions and after a while you will work out what is best for your children and your family.
For more information on Australian homeschool curriculum click here.
English
Read Aloud.
Many good book lists are available. Here is a picture book list and some literature links.
Teach Reading
To teach reading is one of the first academic challenges that is encountered in the homeschool. Great debate surrounds how we should do this. We started with a strong phonics program that was very labour intensive. We switched to a more relaxed approach for the last two children.
Here are some reading resources you might like to try.
· Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.
· Phonics Readers -Try Fitzroy Readers (I wouldn't bother with the workbooks).
· LEM Phonics workbooks 1-3 are good.
· For a free phonics program see http://www.donpotter.net/ed.htm
· Here is a list of phonograms http://www.phonogrampage.com/
Teach Writing
We continue to teach phonics while teaching reading and writing.
Teaching writing goes hand in hand with reading.
Here is a free alphabet copybook resource we have put together to help you teach letter formation and recognition.
When you think they are ready you can move on to the next stage-- copywork.
Modeling good writing is your goal. Once you start your children writing, try to get them to write a small amount every day.
Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation
To teach spelling, comprehension, grammar, and punctuation we begin with copywork and progress towards dictation. We have several copywork resources to help you with this.
· Downunder Literature Master Pack
· Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl.( Grade 2-4)
· Language Lessons by Queens Homeschool * A US program available through CREDO TRUST
· Downunder Dictation (Grade 5-6)
· Spelling Wisdom-Simply Charlotte Mason-British Version (Grade 5)
· Emma Serl, Intermediate Language Lessons (Grade 5-6)
· Study Guides for various Novels for high school use. Try Currclick
Incorporate English into every subject!
Use other lessons, such as history, to inspire them in their writing activities. Questions are also asked to encourage thoughtfulness and establish comprehension. Written and oral narration (telling back in your own words) is an excellent skill that helps the children to articulate and show understanding of a large variety of different texts.
Mathematics
Textbooks are the framework of our math curriculum. Practical math is also encouraged with measurements in cooking recipes, following patterns, maps, building, games and money management. The following resources are recommended:
· Targeting Maths K
· Rod and Staff Year One book 1 and 2 Excellent beginning math book because it has no reading till about lesson 80. I found my kids could easily do this on their own. Year 2 got boring and we switched to something else. Available through LEM
· Miquon Maths Orange and Red Book. CurrClick sells it as an ebook.
· Singapore Maths 2A-6B. My personal favourite.Available from Chariot Press
· Saxon Math is also very popular. Available through Kingsley Education
· *Math-U-See- Many homeschoolers rave about this program. Expensive but reusable. Have a look!
I have just discovered THE LIFE OF FRED. It is a funny and a little silly math book that goes from about 5th grade. It is American so there are feet and inches BUT it is very good. We love it. Available at Adnil Press.
Science and Technology
Rather than sleeping through a science text book we choose ‘living books’as the basis for our science. That is books that are so well done, with a smooth flowing story, written by a person who is passionate about science. For this reason we have a fairly unstructured program until fourth grade then we add a more independent study of science using a general science program that has a literary focus.
Science in the infants and early primary years includes nature study, nature stories and unit study.
Nature Study is a great place to start teaching science in the homeschool and primary school. Teaching about nature gives science lessons on; observation, conservation, habitat, endangered species, landcare and more. We aim to do one nature journal entry per week and one nature walk per month. We record our findings in a notebook.
Nature Study & Science Resources
· The Wonderland of Nature (Children’s Book Council of Australia award) and The Wonderland of Nature Journal are a homeschool science resource set that covers one year Australian science curriculum for the homeschool or school.
· Australian Book Traveller. This is a unit study approach using living books.
· A Bush Calendar is an Australian nature diary classic written by Amy Mack over a year in the early 1900’s. Her enthusiasm is infectious and it draws you out into the bush.
· Crowns of Fire is a beautifully illustrated masterpiece that will delight as it teaches about bushfires.
· Nature Talks to New Zealanders written by Phillip Crosbie Morrison is an amusing scientific look at the flora and fauna of New Zealand. It makes comparisons with Australia. Recommended by New Zealand homeschoolers.
· Apologia-Exploring Creation Series -Available through Adnil Press.
Social Studies (HISE and SOSE)
We read lots of books that teach us about other cultures and we use maps to help us find where they are based.
Australian Book Traveller is perfect for teaching this subject in the infants and early primary years. The books chosen for these unit studies are all selected because they have something special to share that will enrich their experience of Australia and the world.
The following historical cycle is used and greater depth of study is required as the child develops. Up to grade three this is mostly taught using narrative style story books that have good illustrations.
History Teaching Cycle
Year One
Australian History is taught with our relationship to history.
Year Two
Ancient History: Adam to Abraham; Mesopotamia; Ancient Egypt; Ancient Israel; Ancient Greece; Ancient Rome
We Use Diana Waring's Ancient Civilizations and the Bible as our main resource text.
Year Three
Middle Ages;The fall of Rome; Missionaries and Barbarians; Byzantines and Muslims; The Holy Roman Empire and Vikings; The Crusades and the Mongols; Reformation & Late Middle Ages; Revivals and Revolutions
We Use Diana Waring's Romans, Reformers and Revolutionaries as our main resource text
Year Four
World Empires and World Wars; Napolean; Industrialization; Intellectual revolution; Franco Prussian War; The Turn of the Century 1900 & The Balkans; WWI and the Bolshevick Revolution; The Rise of Fascism, Nazism; WWII ; The Cold War, The Korean War, Vietnam War; The War in the Middle East; Modern times
We use Diana Waring's World Empires, World Missions, World Wars as our main resource text.
Resources for World History
· A Childs History of the World by Virgil M Hillyer.
· *The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer, CD’s Volume 1--4
· Diana Waring History Alive series.
· Large amount of living books for reading. As per reading lists.
Creative and Practical Arts
For art lessons we have used a unit study approach. We study the art as it arises in history or literature. Australian Book Traveller has an art appreciation and art lessons in every unit study.
Visual Arts: Art is taught in our homeshool by providing children with various opportunities to explore different art mediums. We are working towards less quantity and more quality but also giving opportunities for various style arts activities.
Our focus is on observational art (nature study), painting, drawing, print making, clay modelling, lino carving and computer generated art.
The children also express themselves artistically in their notebooks.
Art Appreciation: I am just an amateur at picture study but we have started doing it. What we are currently choosing an Australian Artist to cover for each term. You could choose any artist.
For example last year we studied Fredrick McCubbin. We have chose 6 of his works. The first picture was Lost. Each week we would just spend some time on this topic.
Week One: To start we looked at the picture 3-5mins then had a go at describing it. Next time I do it I will ask the older children to write out as a narration. Then I read the beginning of Dot and the Kangaroo. The first chapter about a little girl getting lost in the bush.
Week Two: We read a bit about Fredrick McCubbin.
Week Three: Then this week we studied the picture and they tried to do a pencil sketch of the work. It went well.
Week Four: They wrote their own story about the picture.The younger ones narrated the story to me.
I found Penny Gardner's book an inspiration on this method. She reassured me that I didn't need to worry about line texture bla bla bla. Apparently Charlotte Mason didn't start teaching the in's and out's of the arts until the child was about 14. Up until then she just wanted the kids to love the picture and appreciate it. I thought I can do that and all it involves is me getting my hands on the pictures plus 5-10 mins a week. Easy!
Here is a sample of some Australian artists you might like to study.The pictures are grainy but you can get an idea.
The library is a great place to get those lovely coffee table art books. Here are some good ones we have found for Australian artists. Golden Summers Heidelberg and Beyond. This gives short biographies of a few artists of that era plus the history behind each painting. Roberts, McCubbin, Streeton are all covered. And another book A Treasury of Australian Painting by William Splatt and Barbara Burton. Of course you do not need to limit yourself to Australian artists. There are many great art works!
Performing Arts: The performing arts are appreciated via plays, pantomimes and concerts. Opportunity for concert performance can be given but are not compulsory. The decision can be left up to the individual child. Expression in drama is encouraged when reading and some play acting is also required.
For two years we have organised a poetry recital and high tea with our local homeschooling group. This has been ver popular. We also got a some homeschool families together for a term and we did a play which they performed for the a small audience after about 8 weeks practice.
Music
Prior to the commencement of formal music lessons a 48 week interactive computer music theory course (Music Ace) was completed. Formal Music Lessons are commenced in forth grade (if they want them) and up until then music appreciation is our goal. One lesson per week plus five sessions of practice.
We study two composers per term. We listen to the music and read a short biography on a composer for example Bach and we make an entry in our notebooks.