Cycle 1 Week 7 Tutor Ideas for Classical Homeschooling

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Are you new to the Classical model and want to know more about it? Keep reading below about how it’s organized, the different cycles, our community time, and MORE!
If you already know about the Classical homeschooling model and you are ready to jump to the actual tutor ideas, click here.
A Classical model of homeschooling
We are part of a Christ-centered homeschool program that follows the Classical model. The younger children, ages 4-12, focus on a memorization-based curriculum which acts as the groundwork of learning that is built upon in later years.
Children and their parents learn key facts across the core subject areas including history, science, English, mathematics, geography, and Latin. Tutors use fun activities, games, songs, and lots of energy to introduce the new material. The parents can then expand on that material at home throughout the week.
Cycle rotation
The material is divided into three cycles, which each last one year. The cycles continue to rotate every three years, so most children who start when they are kindergarten age, complete each cycle at least twice. This allows them to develop a deeper comprehension and grasp of the material through repetition.
Cycle 1 material
This year, in Cycle 1, we are learning about ancient world history, biology, earth science, Latin noun endings, and English prepositions and verbs.
The following ideas are what I’m planning to do with the group of kids I am tutoring this year (ages 4-6). You may use these ideas if you are also tutoring in a Classical homeschooling community, or if you’re a parent who is looking for memory work ideas to use at home.
Also, you don’t have to be part of any particular Classical homeschooling group to use these ideas! These are ideas to help children learn key concepts in the core subject areas. If you are a homeschooling parent, or just a parent who wants to supplement what your kids are currently learning in school, these ideas will be helpful for you.
Community group time
Our homeschooling community has been meeting on Tuesdays. Our leader starts off the morning with everyone together in a big group setting. She typically begins that time with a devotional reading and prayer, and then continues with some announcements, celebrating birthdays, the pledge of allegiance, and anything else she wants to cover with everyone.
After this time, we split off into our different groups based on age. The tutors lead their groups into different classrooms and begin the New Grammar part of the day. This is when the tutor introduces the memory work for each core subject. Check out my post and video about how to make your own tutor board!

Cycle 1 Week 7 Tutor and Memory Work Ideas
New Grammar
English
I like to start with English each week. I have purchased a lined notebook for each child in my class to use and I lay these out on the table before our class time begins. When the kids walk into the room, they find their notebook which shows them where to sit.

I love using these notebooks because I think it’s great for the kids to get some writing practice. During the summer, I decorate the front of each notebook with each child’s name and a fun biology design related to Cycle 1 (see below for picture). You can download a template of this biology themed notebook cover here and customize for your kids.
In these notebooks, I write each week’s English memory work on a blank page as large and neatly as I can. I use a light colored marker, so that the kids can trace my writing and easily see their own writing with their pencil.
I lay the notebooks out on the table before our class time begins. After English, I collect them and bring them back the following week. At the end of the school year, they will have all 24 weeks filled out and they can take their notebooks home with them.


Cycle 1 Week 7 Prepositions
In Cycle 1 Week 7, we learn the next five prepositions. I prep the notebooks with some of the prepositions already written, a few dotted prepositions that the children can trace, and a horizontal line where I will have the children write the third preposition. See picture above. Depending on the ages of the kids in your class, you could adjust this to meet their level:
- Write five of the prepositions and have the kids write the last one.
- Write some of the prepositions normally and then write one or a few very lightly or with dots so the kids can trace.
- Have the kids write all five prepositions on their own.
- Write the prepositions but with missing letters and have the kids fill the correct letters in.
As the children are writing, I start singing the Preposition song that we have learned so far. See my video below:
I love making little jingles to the memory work we are learning. Children memorize much quicker if it is to a song, and it’s more fun too! It’s also a great way to review the material throughout the week at home. It is so easy to play the week’s songs while you’re at home or in the car. I also like playing previous week’s songs at the end of our new grammar class time to help review previous material.
I also have a video of a slowed down version of the entire Preposition song (weeks 2-12) and the hand motions here:
I encourage the children to sing the tune with me several times as they finish up writing in their notebooks. After we sing the song several times, I hand out a sticker for each child to stick to the front of their notebook. I often try to find stickers that relate to some of the material we are learning about that week.
Once the kids are finished writing, I have them stand up and show them the hand motions to this week’s prepositions:
- In: ASL “in” place right hand fingers into left hand cup
- Inside: while in “in” motion, crouch down
- Into: Stand up, hold up “2”
- Like: Finger on cheek, tilt head
- Near: Lean like you would lean into a person





Check out this handout for stick figure drawings of each of the hand motions for the ENTIRE Preposition song.
Timeline
I like to follow English with Timeline. Each week, I use these Timeline Cards: Set 1 (Ancient World), Set 2 (Medieval World), Set 3 (New World), and Set 4 (Modern World) I highly recommend investing in them (you should get all four sets) whether you are a tutor or a parent. I consistently use them as a tutor and also at home with my kids.

Since I have the younger children, I like to tape the paper letter that the timeline event starts with at the top of the card. I have found these letters at my local Dollar Tree. Some of the children in my class can’t read yet, so this helps them identify the event I’m referring to.

Cycle 1 Week 7 Timeline
Before our class time begins, I put seven pieces of painters tape on the wall and I hide the cards around the room. I try to pick spots that aren’t too difficult to find, but also not too easy. Then when it’s time to start Timeline, I tell the children to look around the room and see if they can find 1 or 2 cards (depending on how many children are in my group), and to bring them back to their seats.
I sing this week’s part of the timeline song as the children are looking for the cards. I sing it myself instead of playing the music so I can control the speed of the song. See my tutor video for the tune of this week’s timeline song.
When the cards have all been found and all the children are back in their seats, I go through each timeline event in the correct order and see which child has each card.
For example, I will say, “The first card is Jesus the Messiah. What letter does “Jesus” start with?”
A child answers, “It starts with the letter “J.”
I say, “Correct! Who has a card with a letter J on it?”
I instruct whoever has the correct card to walk up to where I have put the painters tape on the wall, and to stick the card to the correct spot on the wall. We repeat this for each timeline event until all the cards are on the wall in the correct order.


Then I give each child a light up stick. I have one child at a time go up to the timeline cards on the wall and tap each one as we all sing the timeline song together. I encourage all the children to sing along and try the hand motions. Each child gets a turn to tap the cards as we sing. See my video below which includes the hand motions for this week in the timeline section:
Geography
Now for geography! The children are now sitting at the table which follows the timeline part well where the kids were standing. I like to try to alternate active parts with sitting to mix things up and keep the kids engaged.


I prepare these trivium table maps ahead of time. You could always print a map too and laminate it. This is the laminator I have and use all the time. I outline the features we are discussing this week in dry erase marker, each in a different color.
During class I hand out a prepared map to each child. I also give them a rainbow or cloud eraser to use to point to the different places on their map. I get little erasers like this from the dollar section at target whenever I see them.
Cycle 1 Week 7 Geography: Roman Empire
This week we are learning about the Roman Empire. I give each child a package of gummy snacks and tell them not to eat them yet. First, I tell them to put a gummy on Hispania which is outlined in blue. Next, they put a gummy on Gaul (pink), then Germania (orange), Alexandria (green) and Carthage (purple).
Before they can eat the gummies, I teach them a song to help them remember these places. This song is to the tune of Father Abraham. See my video below:
We sing the song together several times. Then I say to the kids, “Who remembers what the location outlined in blue is called?” Whoever can remember gets to eat the gummy on that spot. Or you can have everyone eat the gummy on that spot. Then I ask who remembers which location is outlined in pink, etc.
Depending on time, I give each child a few different colored dry erase markers and let them color in all the places we talked about. Or if you need to move on to the next subject because of time, you definitely don’t have to do this.
I have also found that it works best to review geography WHILE we are doing geography. The kids have their maps in front of them and it’s really easy to talk about places we have learned about previous weeks.
Math
This week in math we are skip counting the 13’s. I first sing a song to the tune Jolly Old Saint Nicholas to them while pointing to the 13’s on my board. See my tutor video to hear this tune. Then I tell the kids we are going to do some Mathercize. I ask for a volunteer who can tell me a “mathercize” (exercise) we can do together while singing the 13’s. Here are some examples of mathercize:
- high knees
- wall sits
- jog in place
- push-ups
- sit-ups
- squats
The kids each get to choose a mathercize that we all do while singing the 13’s.
You could also give each child one of these movement cards (get these for FREE below), and have the kids switch off doing these different movements as they sing the 13’s.
Free Silly Voice and Movement Cards
History
We learn about Hinduism and Buddhism in India this week. I say the history sentence once NORMALLY to the kids and tell them to listen very carefully. Then I say the history sentence again but with some “silly words” added in. I tell the kids that if they hear a silly word, to raise their hand and try to tell me what the correct word should be. Here is the correct version of the history sentence:
Hinduism developed around 1500 BC and is known for karma, reincarnation, and the caste system. Founded in the sixth century BC, Buddhism teaches self-denial as the path to enlightenment.
Here is the history sentence with silly words:
Hippoism developed around 1500 BC and is known for carmel, reincarnation, and the cat system. Founded in the sixth century BC, cubism teaches wining as the path to lion hunt.
Each time I say a silly word and the kids catch it, I ask them to correct it. Then I say the history sentence from the beginning, correctly, until I get to the next silly word. This way the kids are hearing the history sentence correctly several times. I repeat this until I have said all the silly words and the whole history sentence correctly.
Latin
In Latin this week we learn the 3rd Declension Noun Endings. See my tutor video for the tune we sing these to.
First, I sing these normally for the children. Then I hand out a silly voice stick to each child and we sing the song in different silly voices. These are large popsicle sticks that I painted and wrote some silly voices on.

Here are the silly voices I wrote on these sticks:
- Loud to soft
- Slow like a sloth
- Close eyes
- Squeaky voice
- Super smiley
- Excited
- Whisper
- Crying
- Fish/pucker face
- Pouty
- Scared
- No teeth
- Quiet to loud
- Mad
- Hold your nose
- Tongue out
- Mouth closed
You can also hand out a silly voice card (get these here) to each child. I just use silly voice sticks this week to change it up. The kids love doing this! It’s a fun way to make them laugh and keep them engaged, especially when they are getting tired.
Free Silly Voice and Movement Cards
Science
This week in science we learn about some ways animals reproduce. I teach the kids some hand motions and we sing the song to the tune of The More We Get Together.
- Live Birth: Act like you’re rocking a baby
- Fragmentation: Put fists together and then break them apart
- Eggs: Make an egg shape with both hands
- Budding: Act like a flower budding with hands
Then I have the children rotate showing everyone one of these hand motions but not saying out loud what they are doing. The other children try to guess which hand motion the child is doing. We rotate so each child gets a turn.
See my video of tune below:
For review time this week, we play this BINGO game. Here is an editable template of the game if you want to customize it a bit. I include eight different Bingo cards with four different action set options so you can choose which one to use for your group.




The kids switch off rolling two dice (one with the subjects and one with fun actions). I ask a review question about the subject rolled and the child tries to answer while doing the fun action rolled. For example, if a child rolls “hop like a bunny” and “science”, they answer a science review question while hopping like a bunny.
I prefer to ask review questions on the fly instead of preparing them ahead of time. Here are some example questions I ask (remember I have the youngest children in my group)
- Tell me some of the prepositions we have learned so far.
- Do you remember any parts of an animal cell or plant cell?
- What was one of the names of a Greek or Roman god we learned about?
- Do you remember the Fertile Crescent song? “The Fertile Crescent, Mediterranean Sea…”
When a child answers a question correctly, they put a marker (pieces of paper or candy) on the corresponding square on their Bingo board. The first one to get five in a row wins! The children can each have their own Bingo board or you can divide your group into teams.

Printable and Editable Cycle 1 Week 7 Tutor Plans
Here is a printable EDITABLE template of these Cycle 1 Week 7 Tutor Plans. Here is a blank template too!
Also, be sure to check out my post about teaching the Tin Whistle these next few weeks! I have a FREE Tin Whistle Plans and Activity set that you can download with lesson plans and activities for each week!
Cycle 1 Week 7 Memory Work Activities
Also check out the FREE activities and games that you can use at home to help your kids practice the memory work this week. Here is the Cycle 1 Week 7 science game we played at home this week about the different ways animals reproduce! Sign up below to receive FREE access to activities and games for ALL the other subjects each week of Cycle 1.
Blessings to you on this homeschooling journey!
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