Managing the Feast
→ Don’t “Double Dip”
- If you're in piano lessons, you may be covering Sol-fa, or team sports may cover physical education. No need to add more to your schedule.
→ Time Table Focus
- Focus on the allotted time, not completing every lesson. It’s reassuring to know that Charlotte Mason sometimes left work unfinished at a term's end.
“Mothers work wonders once they are convinced that wonders are demanded of them.“
~ Charlotte Mason, Home Education p.44
→ Rotate Terms or Years
- Alternate courses over terms or years to get a taste of each when your schedule is tight—Shakespeare one term, Plutarch another; one handicraft this year, others next. Some is better than none.
Combining
→ Check Shared Courses
- In the Course List look for the ↔ symbol to find courses or topics that are shared with other grade levels. You will also see the ↔ in the Book List pages and the scheduling tiles.
→ Combine Grades
- Charlotte Mason used forms instead of grade levels. Students in the same form or adjacent forms are easiest to combine for a group lesson.
- Form 1: Grades 1-3
- Form 2: Grades 4-6
- Form 3 & 4: Grades 7-9
- Form 5 & 6: Grades 10-12
→ Fluid Groupings
- You can change which students you combine throughout the day. For example:
- Ava + Noah→Geography | Noah + Ben→History | Ava + Ben→Music
→ Stagger Independent Work
- Plan for students to work independently while you focus on another. Younger students can build independence with chores or reading and playing with siblings.
If we would do our best for our children, GROW WE MUST; and on our power of growth surely depends, not only our future happiness, but our future usefulness.
~ Charlotte Mason
→ Further Scheduling Resources:
- Relational Education (which subjects are intertwined)
- Balancing the Feast (often overlooked subjects)
- Tips for Combining Students
- Scope and Sequence (subject progressions across grades)
Budgeting
→ Free & Library Resources
- Some resources are free online, as noted in the Book List. Also check for Alveary books at local libraries to save costs, especially those used for one term or less.
→ Purchase By Term
- Many members spread costs by purchasing books and supplies one term at a time. This also prevents buying items you might not use if your schedule changes during the year.
→ Gifts
- Include books or supplies on gift lists—family might enjoy giving items like a microscope.
Organizing
→ Color Coding
- Some members use stickers or washi tape on book spines to quickly identify which book is for which child.
→ Containers
- Rolling carts or a bookshelf with baskets or magazine files can be used to keep a student’s books together.
→ Printed Lesson Plans
- Members often organize printed lesson plans by term in these ways:
- Binders: Use tabbed dividers to keep things tidy.
- Spirals: Bind with a spiral or disc system for easy flipping.
- Folders: Use 3-prong folders, one per subject, and label them.
- Staple: Staple lesson plan pages and store in the corresponding book.
→ Daily Prep
- A little prep can make a big difference: Set out books and materials the night or morning before to save time and stay focused.
- Use a cart, basket, or bookcase near your workspace to save steps.
- Group materials together that are used in the same block of time.
It is pleasant to know that, even in mature life, it is possible by a little persistent effort to acquire a desirable habit.
~Charlotte Mason
