Help with history and more: No talking?

[Gretel Deem]

I am using the Artner's Reader's Guide to American History with my 2 4th graders and loving it. What a great guide. We are really enjoying history and all of us, including my husband and I, learning many things we'd not known before. HOWEVER, I am needing help.

Due to a health problem, I must limit the amount of talking I do in school. That is challenging in most subjects, particularly in a classical education as it seems there is such a focus on discussion. I have ordered the DVD for LCI which is the latin we are in now. That should help a bit with that instruction. I love doing it with them but must save my mouth. If anyone has used Artner's guide, they know that the focus is on reading mostly. I'm simplifying it a bit there, but it seems to me there is supposed to be some discussion as the main source of working through what the students read. Am I understanding that correctly? I have had them doing written reports, basic style as well as more creatively done, as their interests arise. Where do I draw the line? Do I have them write on everything? Is it okay to just read some and not "share" on all of them? It is hard to engage students without discussion and make sure they are still learning. But it seems that in writing it out we spend an enormous amount of time just getting our studies done and don't have time for other fun stuff that this simplified curriculum is supposed to give us time for. I want them to be able to process and better remember what they are reading/learning but I don't want to make school a drudgery again, as it has been in the past.

Can anyone help? How do you teach these subjects without talking?

Does anyone have some good tips on teaching science without talking, by the way? My children are not very "fluent" in science as it has not been a major focus or interest of mine. But I am concerned they don't know things they should.

Thank you. Sorry if this is hard to follow.

[tanya]

Gretel,

I have been thinking about your dilemma and you are certainly challenged - attempting to teach without using your voice. I admire your creativity while understanding your frustration. As far as American history goes, have you ever thought about having your children prepare a report on the material they are reading, using visual aids such as posters, dioramas, etc. and presenting it to you in some formal fashion? It would be good public speaking practice - using their voices instead of yours! I wouldn't worry about discussing everything. They are going to get American history. For one thing, there isn't that much of it since we are such a young country. I'd just have fun with it. They are going to get it.

I think that you could incorporate more oral review into your curriculum to break up the writing. To save your voice, you could even make yourself a set of flashcard questions on various subjects and let your children pick a question, read it aloud, and answer it. Students think that oral review is fun and it accomplishes the same thing as writing if done regularly. It may even accomplish more.

I have no science ideas because I'm not interested in it either. But I'll let you know if I come up with something. For 4th graders, I'd concentrate mostly on the trees, birds, and insects in your yard. But that is difficult in the winter.

If I think of any other ideas, I'll let you know. In the meantime, good luck!

Tanya Charlton