The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home

by Susan Wise Bauer

You can study history either Monday/Wednesday/Friday, or Tuesday/Thursday for a longer time. A good Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule might look like this: Monday Read selected pages from your selected history spine. Look up locations on a globe and map. Ask the student questions about the reading; help him to answer in complete sentences. Wednesday Help the student to make a narration page about the material covered in the spine (first and second graders narrate to you, third and fourth graders can begin to write their own narrations). Younger students may also choose to draw a picture and then narrate a sentence to you about the picture. Friday Read additional chapters or library books about the subject, or do a history project/activity. Go over memory work. A Tuesday/Thursday schedule might look like this: Tuesday Read selected pages from your selected history spine. Look up locations on a globe and map. Ask the student questions about the reading; help her to answer in complete sentences. Read one additional chapter or library book. Thursday Read at least one more chapter or library book. Ask the student to make another narration page covering one of the additional resources. Or do a history activity or project. Go over memory work. You could also choose to alternate weeks: Week One Read from your history spine MWF or T/Th; make at least one narration page about a topic covered. Week Two Read additional library books, or do history projects/activities based on at least ...