As someone who started off using a Traditional style of homeschool, when I wanted to switch to Charlotte Mason's style I had to ease into it and doing Language Arts this way was probably the last thing on that list of things to do like Miss Mason. It's funny how I used to think that the more daunting the lesson the more effective it was, not true! It almost seems too easy to teach like this! And it is! And, why not!?! Lessons should be enjoyable for both the student and the teacher.
The Why's and How's of Spelling and Dictation:
Ambleside Online has been an invaluable resource to our homeschool journey and all of these links are to their website!
Spelling and Dictation excerpt from Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschool Series Volume 1: Home Education written in Modern English HERE.
Ambleside Online's Language Arts Scope and Sequence, where they give an overview of what Charlotte Mason would have taught for Language Arts at every grade level.
The Parents' Review article on how to do a dictation lesson Step-by-Step. (There are four steps, and that's how we like it!)
Okay, now that you know the importance of dictation and are equipped with the knowledge of how to run a dictation lesson, let's get to the resources already!
Dictation Day By Day is a series of books by Kate Van Wagenen. They are now in the Public Domain and were published from 1909-1916. She was a teacher in New York City, so the words are spelled in American English.
There are quotes, poems, and living book excerpts to copy and dictate. Although, Miss Mason didn't suggest dictation until 10 or 11 years of age, the 2nd grade in these books are really easy enough to have the kids get used to dictation. Dictation is something my son has done with his dyslexia therapy since he was 5, so I feel comfortable with starting at 2nd grade with short passages like the ones found in these books.
Here is a breakdown of the books from Archive.Org
Now, you can download all of these as a PDF and, as I have just discovered, print and bind them on your own. Say what!?! This information is changing my LIFE and you can find the how-to HERE and it's cheap or I wouldn't be sharing it with you! :-)
In this post she uses a ginormous stapler to bind the pages, but I read on a forum where someone had just sewed down the middle with regular thread and a regular sewing machine. I have not done this yet, but I think it could be a great handicraft to do with the kids. Although, not sure how fun they would think printing and binding books we had to use for schoolwork would be.
Blessings,
Ann
Blessings,
Ann
