Thanks for sharing this!

This is interesting to me and will explore! Thank you! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELPFUL INSIGHT AND SUGGESTIONS!!! LOVE HEARING YOUR EXPERIENCE!!

Thank you so much for your thoughts and these suggestions!! I so appreciate your help. It caught my attention, and something sparked, when you suggested Wild Math. I actually purchased Wild Math's Kindergarten, but haven't used it and have just kind of moved on and discounted it as a viable option. I had a thought today - what about combining the Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic with Wild Math? Wild Math seems to teach the same content as good math programs, just unconventionally. (Anyone have experience with Wild Math?) We would have much more opportunity for manipulatives, and to play with and see math. Combined with the Charlotte Mason principles and language of math I love, this combination together could potentially achieve the same goals that other good math programs do, particularly for the early grades..?

Wow, fantastic thoughts. Thank you so much! This resonates for sure. And up until a month ago I have been all-in on Waldorf education, so I get where you're coming from and appreciate your perspective!

Thanks, yes, it's more just the type of manipulatives, and feeling like I'm empowered to know the why behind them - what the goal is, and why do I need this one or that, etc. So all of this discussion is SUPER helpful along that line!

Thank you!! And thanks, yes that is relevant for us about Australia! For my clarification, by US 3rd edition do you mean the Primary Common Core edition? And in using Singapore Math, their specific manipulatives are not required? I could source all of my own elsewhere? I'm thinking about how in RightStart a lot of their specific manipulatives are necessary for using their program.

Wow! Thank you so much!!! What would your recommendations be for educating myself in math? Also - I read you are teaching in French/English, I have been scouting out a French language program for our family in an immersion approach. My kids are six and under. I would love to know your thoughts on learning French, and any specific resources you recommend.

Thank you all for your input! From what I've read I love the way Math is talked about in Charlotte Mason. Beauty, awe-inspiring, discovering God in his created order... The way a child is led to discover answers for himself, treated as capable to be able to grasp concepts, not to have things dulled down or to give him prodding, hints, leading, or telling him the correct answer. I love that the SCM program is simply a non-consumable hardcover book with a gridded notebook for my daughter. Manipulatives can be buttons or sticks, and I picture myself reading from the book while we sit outside on the picnic rug and use nature as ways of discovering math concepts, ie. bundling sticks in 10's, finding symmetry in leaves... it seems so beautiful and poetic! I love the idea of that. I really do not like plastic, prepared manipulatives, such as the massive plastic RightStart kit, and really, I love the idea of not relying on manipulatives too much at all. It seems the only other options are programs that use workbooks, which, though visual, can be very unappealing aesthetically with corny cartoons and an overload of busy pictures. To use a CM term, the "twaddle" of illustrations for me! I like the idea of how teaching math may have looked before we had all these plastic manipulatives, cheesy workbooks (my opinion!), and online resources and options... So, my picture of using the SCM program is beautiful, but, does it teach my daughter mathematics WELL!? I don't know if I'll know ahead of time and may just need to give it a go! I have three children younger than my first grade daughter, and it feels overwhelming to spend a long time with math, so I love the idea of the short lessons in CM. It's just when I compare the program to others, it seems like, surely it must be lacking something?! But, maybe it isn't!

Hi friends! My daughter is in First Grade and I've been researching all the math programs and reading The Well-Trained Mind for recommendations. Honestly, I haven't liked ANY of the programs!!! I've loved hearing and reading about Charlotte Mason's philosophy of Mathematics, and have purchased the first book in the Elementary Arithmetic Series published by Simply Charlotte Mason, because it seems a beautiful way to begin and a way that makes sense to me! However, I want to use a math program because it is beneficial for my daughter's math education, and I'm going back and forth wondering if it would be comprehensive enough. Perhaps I'm skeptical about the method because it's so different from others, and want to know ahead of time if my trust is well placed! As math isn't my strong suit I'm growing to discern why a program would be beneficial and why it wouldn't, and would love help in that. What are your thoughts on this program? Have you tried it? Does this program stand alone or would you recommend supplementing? Why? Thank you so much!

Hey friends! I'm an Australian living in the US with four kids, ages six and under. I'm looking for some excellent Aboriginal Dreamtime story books, both in content and illustrations. I'd love to know if anyone has a resource they use for finding quality Aboriginal literature, and quality Australian literature resources in general, for that matter too. My Google searches aren't really taking me anywhere. Thanks! Kate