Is this available from any vendor where you can purchase online?

Do you need the IEW dvds to do this program? or does it teach it step by step so you do not need them?

IMHO: Latin and the "pick out three words you do not know and look them up in the dictionary" method.:)

We just started First Form (they sent me the first two units to start while they wait on the printers). So far I think it is going to be the best thing since sliced bread. Now I'm wondering how I can drop or cut down on my English load. FF is going to be a good 40 minutes to an hour each day.

The Pathway readers take the whole word approach. They are the only readers my kids have used when learning to read. The first reader has the new words on the bottom of each page and subsequent books have them listed in the back.

Do you have the DVD's? I found them to be essential for me as they cover more than the text and Mrs. Leigh really adds quite a bit of explanation to all the concepts in LC1. I couldn't have taught it without them. Also she does the drill with the kids which takes the pressure off the parent. I appreciated having all the bases covered without my brain having to be fully engaged--i.e. I could be helping another child and still follow along with the dvd lessons.

Yeah!!! I'll see you in SCM land. :001_smile:

I have similar items in my line-up and I would spread the grammar out if you want to get all the other items in without burn out. For a third grader I would spread R&S 3 out over two years. My third grader is doing R&S 2 right now and will probably begin the 3rd level by Christmas. Also, it is not mandatory to do all of the R&S. Quite a bit is review. Most schools skip things quite liberally.

I love the Simply Charlotte Mason things. I really have warm feelings for this site/company. The products are very "road tested" and stress free for me. Plus, the organizer is the best thing since sliced bread for new or long term CMers. :)

my 2 cents: Are these narrations written after one careful reading or listening? If so, then I would recommend they write (or you taking down from their dictation) what they naturally produce after the reading. My sixth grader sometimes has that many paragraphs, but a natural narration will rarely have the 5 paragraph essay format--even if they have been trained in it. If it is a free-flowing narration then writing it down could be done everyday or every other day without being too overwhelming. Now if they are taking notes and the narration is not a CM-style one, but more of a formal report format, then I would have the writing for the 3rd to 6th graders be required only once or twice a week--especially if they are expected to edit and polish their writing.

My husband and I found out we were claustrophobic in Ruby Falls :lol:. Something about having 1200 feet of rock above our heads. There is the Discovery Museum near the aquarium too.

I am so allergic to grass. We live on an army post and they mow MILES of grass every Tuesday. It's my "I hate grass" day. I take a Claritin D, Mucinex, and use homemade pepper spray up my nose to survive. I feel your pain. My eyes swell shut if I don't do anything.

I didn't tackle the 6 volumes until I had been CMing for 5 years! I should have read them sooner, but I think they can be a bit, um, overwhelming unless you are really motivated. I got tired of different interpretations of the method and finally decided to read them all and get the big picture. I am so glad I did. If you want to start with something a little more modern, I really like the paraphrase version that an Ambleside lady put together. You can buy it on Amazon or read it for free here. I started with Karen Andreola's book and it is great. What I learned is that there are many, many, interpretations of the method and once you get your own version distilled out of it all, it is really fun! :)

:iagree:or Bar Keeper's Friend.

I have not been to the actual seminar, BUT I have the All Day on DVD and have watched it through many times for a refresher/inspiration. HIGHLY recommend it.:001_smile:

www.oxygenzoo.com or www.oxygenlift.net My oldest has been doing this program (and the adult program with me) for 8 years. I have been doing it 11. Stress relief and it kicks butt for losing weight. :)

My all time favorite is MECS, www.mecssoftware.com. It taught my first three to read very well and spell, and now my daughter is using it.

We skip around quite a bit. My rising 5th grader is doing level 3 (skipping lots of easy lessons) and then will use the 5th level after that. My rising 6th grader is using level 5 and is having no trouble up to this point, but he had done Shurley in the past. So much of each book is review that skipping levels has not been hard for us. I prefer to work under my kids' level and move faster than get bogged down in unknown material.

Amazon, Simply Charlotte Mason, local homeschool store,-- Timberdoodle for Christmas and birthdays.:)

That is wonderful! Have they seen it over at the SCM board? I have the card box, but this would be great for each child to have (and doesn't spill all over when little hands get a hold of it :)).

We do it a little differently, with more of a pure CM approach. When my kids do written narrations they are allowed one reading and then they must write as detailed a narration as possible. They understand that any important names or places need to be locked away in their memory and any difficult spelling studied as they would for prepared dictation. I gleaned this method from the written narrations I studied in Charlotte's volume (6, I believe) for end-of-term evaluations. Doing it this way shows me how much they remember and I can see progress in both their memory and writing styles. It also prevents copying verbatim. I should mention that most selections they write on are rather short at first. My son did one today on the battle of Bull Run. It was about one page written, concise, and with enough detail to let me know he both read and understood the chapter. And no, I do not require writing from every reading. I wouln't require more than two per week, with more in high school.

I can't recommend the Simply Charlotte Mason site enough. The thing that stands out for me is how the owner of the site has taken vast knowledge of the orginal books and distilled it down for real life, modern moms. I call SCM, CM purist-lite. I read the books and started with Ambleside, but did not love all the book choices and having to keep kids apart. Her guides are for grades 1-12, easy to implement with just a few necessary books, inexpensive in book or ebook, and very flexible. I also use the CM organizer and love it! I can drop or add resources at will and still keep a running tally for records. The reports feature is worth it alone. :)

Another thing I love about them is that the author traveled all over the world collecting info and stories. It is a very nice narrative.

Picturesque Tales are out of print, but still can be found rather inexpensively occasionally. I wouldn't say they are religious or secular--kind of in between. The eras that have bible stories cover bible, but it also covers everything from Egyptian gods to Islam and Hinduism, so it isn't from a strictly Christian standpoint either. I would say it has a very balanced approach that would appear to most educators. I love the books because they so detailed and make timelining through history a breeze. I just skip sections that are too detailed for my taste. They also have beautiful pictures and maps.

Maybe you are a more do-it-yourself person? I loved HOD, but I like to have great freedom of what I do when. I get to feel strangled with any very detailed curriculum. First I get the guilt complex going and then I constantly feel behind... I use the SCM organizer because I can change, drop, or add things at will. It has so much freedom. I put the HOD books into the organizer and other SCM book choices and go through them at my pace--whatever that turns out to be. :001_smile: My kids ended up with 240 days last year using the organizer. I doubt I would have done that much if we had 34 weeks laid out in advance. It was fun and stress-free.