Alternate inspirational and disciplinary subjects.
When scheduling your child’s day, Charlotte Mason advocated alternating inspirational subjects with disciplinary subjects. This makes a lot of sense to me and is something I try to consider when scheduling my kiddos.
What is the difference?
Disciplinary subjects are those that are skill-based, while inspirational subjects are those that are content-based. Subjects often are not exclusively in one category or the other. Â They may fit in both categories depending on how the subject is taught. However, typically a subject will lean more in one direction than the other.
What are some examples of disciplinary subjects?
Disciplinary subjects will often be subjects like mathematics, phonics, reading instruction, geography, handwriting, dictation, English/grammar, composition, copywork, research, timeline, drawing, and foreign language.
What are some examples of inspirational subjects?
Inspirational subjects often include history, poetry, Bible, read alouds, literature, science, picture study, composer study, and art appreciation.
What are the benefits of alternating different types of subjects?
Alternating differing subject types keeps learning fresh. Â This is because disciplinary and inspirational subject matter calls on different parts of the brain. Try alternating the disciplinary and inspirational subjects found within your HOD guide. Â See if you notice a difference in your child’s focus and concentration!
Blessings,
Carrie
PS: Want to dive deeper into how alternating these two kinds of subjects works? Then, check out this blog post by Julie!
This Post Has 4 Comments
This is a very helpful tip. We have been homeschooling our children for over 17 years. Oldest in college, youngest in 2nd grade. I love the reminder to alternate to keep their attention and keep it fresh. We also like to incorporate wiggle breaks and do music or outside. Thanks!
That’s exactly how long I’ve been homeschooling, but while my oldest is in college, my youngest is in 6th grade! I’m so glad you enjoyed Carrie’s tip to alternate inspirational and disciplinary subjects. Wiggle breaks, music time, and outdoor breaks are all wonderful ideas to keep kiddos moving and motivated. Thanks for sharing, Steff!!!
This was a helpful tip. Thank you! I had my oldest alternate today between left side and right side and it seemed to make a big difference. Thanks! I’m going to try it with the other 3 as well.
So glad you are seeing a positive change from alternating the left and right sides! Hope you have a wonderful homeschool day with HOD!