My two boys are 9 and 5, so I would probably aim for a range up to 6th grade. Eventually I'd like to do something in the local junior high/high school, so I'll be in the same boat for older children. I find there is such a wealth of materials -- besides the Ward books, To God through Music is a good program, some of the books reprinted at CMAA, and Dr. Marier's Gregorian Chant Master Class would be a great resource.

I think my problem is trying to really narrow down to important elements.

As a mom who homeschools and belongs to a group which meets a couple of times a month, this is difficult. The problem is that you have to have moms on board. Generally, they are so caught up in their daily routines, that they "forget" to do anything extra (especially if they have not paid for it and it is important to them). You could try taping daily exercises that the kids could do on their own and load on the computer somehow, like on Youtube. Still, don't expect the moms or dads to sit down and do it with them. They may, just don't expect it.

I tried teaching Ward once per week. My goal was to present one chapter per week at the group class and then have the children practice each day at home, or ideally with a partner. That was not realistic and it didn't work. I still like the Ward method, but it needs to be adapted to the situation. With my school children, I begin each class by singing "good morning students" on a descending minor third. I then do a few echo solfege drills, but most of the time is spend singing through the music for that week's Mass.

Interestingly enough, even though neither of our priests ever sing the dialogues of the Mass, when the bishop visited and sang the greeting, the children were all spot on with the sung response.

I'm taking a group of 6-9 yr olds once a week, using what I can put together from ward. I've no training but the initial material is simple. I found words with wings too complicated for me so I can't see myself teaching from it successfully.

we are into week 5, having started with 4 weeks to see what it was like, and then after a break for a week we have started a new 6 week term. (I needed the break not them.) The group is growing. Some are home schoolers others are not.

I do 40 minutes class in parish room, 5 mins racing up and down in the church yard on the way to the church (needed by the boys, when we missed it because of rain they were fidgety) followed by 15 - 20 minutes Eucharistic adoration in the church.

At adoration we sing 'O sacrament most holy' untaught, the children just pick it up.

We chant some of the divine praises to St Meinrad psalm tone eight, which the children have prepared, using Ward numbers for notes and learning how to point the lines according to syllables from the end.

We chant the Fatima prayer My god I believe, I adore... recto tono. I lead the copy.

We have a petition sheet the children prepare, chanting their own petitions, followed with we pray to the Lord, Lord hear our prayer response. (Try to keep a straight face when a serious boy soprano sings' For my grandfather who hurt his leg and has to come down the sairs backwards, we pray to the Lord'.) I sing out the name of the child to go next, to give them a starting note.

we intersperse these with times of silent prayer, and silent adoration face to the floor. They are a lot bendier than me.

We end with the our father currently recto tono, but starting on the Ward three tone Our Father soon.

Numbers at the class are growing, and there is a request for a senior schola for 10-16 year olds.

Things I want to try - although a good proportion of the group sing in tune very well there are some who struggle to get started, though they can sing along fairly well.

I've thought about using an online tuner gadget, you sing and it tells you what note it is, and try to get them to practise it as a game at home, to hit the right note.

Also considered making some mp3's for daily practise, I do think it is problematic to try using ward only once a week.

Mums report that kids are chanting at one another during play.

Something must be sticking.

Its not Ave verum yet, but its already better than circle of friends.

I love the beginning schola idea, as I'm already challenged with how to integrate new members. Also catholic choirbook, nice link and other useful ideas.

Please keep posting, its inspiring.

I'd love them, Bonnie. This sounds so fabulous. Could you post them to me in email, please? My email is in my profile.

If any homeschoolers who are taking Latin are interested in a chant translation course, this is an excellent resource:

http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/latin/lingua-angelica

The tuner is at http://www.seventhstring.com/tuner/tuner.html

I know there are cheap and attractive phone apps that do the same thing, if the kids have smart phones.

with the above link, thought probably used to tune a guitar it works fine if you sing a note into it. Easy on a laptop with a built in mike, otherwise make sure there is a mike plugged in and selected for use.

it works best if you can sing a somewhat sustained note, it will tell you what it is, but if you jump around, so will the note flicker around.

I haven't used it with the kids yet. I think it could be used to encourage practise singing a longer, more continuous note, so you can get the tuner to stay on the same note. Secondly, finding a pitch and moving up or down like steps of stairs watching the tuner change. Lastly finding A and the notes above singing Nooo ala ward.

My budding schola has a couple of singers who have trouble finding the right tone on their own, thought when singing with everyone else they manage well enough, so I would not call them monotones. but daily practise would certainly help.

Can't guarantee any result, its just an experiment, but when my brother got a similar app on the phone we played with it like that for quite some time, so hopping the kids will be able to make it a game and learn while enjoying the fun.