I have tried to follow closely Charlotte Mason’s suggestions about choosing examination questions. The most important principle she stressed was that the children were to retell the events and stories learned, not parrot back one sentence answers to narrow questions. It is also important to ask questions from previous narrations. We are trying to find out what they know, not what they don’t know. My children speak into a tape recorder. I label it and file it in an examination box after listening to it over a cup of tea with headphones. I really enjoy doing this and I do NOT transcribe. I stay near at hand with my younger children to make sure they aren’t having any recorder problems. My older ones take the recorder in a private room and chat away. I find that they will say much more if they are alone. The older ones also gradually write out their answers so that by seventh grade they are no longer using the recorder.
1ST YEAR EXAMINATION QUESTIONS (for a child 6 to 8 yrs old)
TERM 1
HISTORY/GEOG
Child’s History of the World
1. Show me where Mesopotamia was on the map of the world. Where is Egypt?
2. You may tell me what you remember about Sumer, OR an Egyptian Pharaoh OR Hammurabi.
3. Tell me about the Jewish Passover holiday OR about one of the judges of Israel.
4. Can you put the timeline cards in order?
This Country of Ours
5. You may tell me what you can remember about Leif the Lucky, Christopher Columbus OR Amerigo Vespucci.
Paddle To the Sea
6. Show me the route that Paddle to the Sea took and tell me about one of his adventures. Make sure you name all the great lakes.
TALES
Grimm’s Fairytales/Book of Virtues/Aesop’s Fables
7. Tell a short fairy story OR one of Aesop’s fables
Just So Stories
8. How did the Camel get its hump?
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
9. Which story from Shakespeare was your favorite? What was it about? Why did you like it?
MUSIC/ART APPRECIATION
10. Listen to this piece of music and tell me about it. Who composed it?
11. Can you name some of the paintings we studied this term. Who painted them? Which one was your favorite? Why?
WRITING
12. Copy ‘Fern loved Wilbur more than anything.’ in your best handwriting.
MATH
13. If I have ten guests coming for dinner but only six clean forks, how many more will I need to wash?
14. Show me three ways to use coins to count out your allowance of $1.00
POETRY
A Child’s Garden of Verse
15.What is the name of the poet we studied this term? What are his poems about? Which one was your favorite? Why?
SCIENCE/NATURE
16. You may tell me how a tree is made OR how a coin is made.
17. What can you tell me about a cicada?
18. How can I know that an animal is a mammal?
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
18. Tell me about this picture in _______________.
RECITATION/READING
20. Recite a poem and a Scripture passage.
TERM 2
HISTORY/GEOG
Child’s History of the World
What do you know about the Phoenicians?
What can you tell me about the Spartans?
How did Rome get started?
Tell the story of Naaman
This Country of Ours
Tell me what you know about Sir Walter Raleigh.
Using this map of the world, draw the routes that 3 explorers took to the New World from the Old World and write their names on their routes.
Tree in the Trail
Using this map of the United States, draw the Santa Fe Trail and any names you remember along the way.
Describe a travois
Describe a buffalo hunt
TALES
Grimm’s Fairytales/Child’s Book of Virtues
Tell a short fairy story
Aesop’s Fables
Tell one of Aesop’s fables.
Just So Stories
Tell me about the Beginning of Armadillos OR The Elephant’s Child
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Tell the story of The Tempest or Twelfth Night.
MUSIC/ART APPRECIATION
Listen to this piece of music and tell me the name of it and who composed it.
Can you name some of the paintings we studied this term and who painted them? Which one was your favorite? Why?
WRITING
Copy ‘But Laura was happiest of all. Laura had a rag doll.’ in your best handwriting.
MATH
Solve these problems in your head:
If I planted 10 flower seeds and only 6 came up how many seeds were bad.
Count to 100 by 1’s and by 5’s.
Are these problems equal? 2+5 and 7-0
Complete a timed addition test
RECITATION/READING
Recite a poem, a Psalm, and a Scripture passage.
Read a passage I will show you from your McGuffy reader. Use your best reading voice.
POETRY
When We Were Very Young/ Now We are Six
Which poem from A.A. Milne was your favorite? Why?
SCIENCE/NATURE
Please name six kinds of flowers and describe them and their leaves to me
What can you tell me about ants?
Everyday Things
Describe the water cycle?
SINGING
Sing a folksong and a hymn that you learned this term.
MUSIC
Play two songs you learned on your musical instrument.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Tell about a picture I will show you in___________.
DRAWING
How to Draw Dinosaurs/How to draw Horses
You may draw a dinosaur or a horse from memory.
TERM 3
HISTORY/GEOG
Child’s History of the World
I’m going to give you a map of the world and I would like you to label all the continents.
Please tell me about the Battle of Marathon.
Tell me what you know about Esther or Nehemiah
This Country of Ours
What do you know about the Puritans and Separatists?
Compare Governor William Bradford of Plymouth with Governor William Berkeley of Virginia. How were the Pilgrims different from the adventurers who came to Jamestown?
Seabird
Seabird mentions various kinds of ships that have been invented. What can you tell me about them?
You may draw some of them.
TALES
Just So Stories
Choose one of these tales from Kipling and tell me about it: The Crab, The Cat
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
Which of these two tales from Shakespeare did you like the best? Cymbeline or Romeo and Juliet. Tell me all that you can remember about your favorite one.
Does it have a moral like Aesop’s Fables? What is it?
MUSIC/ART
Can you name some of the paintings we studied this term and who painted them? Describe your favorite? Why?
INSTRUMENT
Play a song from your recorder
SINGING
Sing a folksong and a hymn.
SCIENCE/NATURE
Tell a story from James Herriot’s Treasury.
RECITATION/READING
Choose a passage for child to read aloud.
POETRY
What poet did we study this term? Tell me about one of his poems.
MATH
Addition speed test and workbook test
WRITING
Choose a passage for child to write.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Read ___________ (in foreign language being studied) and narrate to mom in English.
Practical ways to apply the Charlotte Mason's educational ideas in your home and school.
