CM followers: What does a CM education look like in your home?

[Sue G in PA]

I *think* this has been asked before, but I can't recall. Sorry if it has. I'm particularly interested in what CM looks like for middle school and beyond. I've been reading more books about CM's approach and it *almost* makes sense to me for elem. Short lessons, living books, nature study as opposed to a more "formal" curriculum, etc. What I can't seem to wrap my brain around is this "style" for middle and high. Just seems too much like unschooling to me. Doesn't a middle and high schooler need MORE? So for those of you who follow her methods for the upper grades, HOW do you do it? I'm thinking I'm more of an ecclectic hser...taking a little of this, a little of that and sort of making my own way (gotta love this board for that, right! :)). I was just curious b/c I keep coming back to CM's methods for some odd reason. :)

[LindaOz]

Hi Sue,

 

I am moving more and more towards CM style as my children are getting older. My oldest two are in 7th and 6th and I'm finding this method excellent for them. I want my children to be learners and to be able to relate directly to what authors of living books have written, not to just read what someone else has written about the authors book. KWIM? So they read, narrate, write narrations, discuss etc.

 

I have also learned that really there is nothing unschooly about the CM method. I read somewhere recently that the more 'unschooling' approach to CM methods is a modern application and her original programs were actually very structured. If you go to the Ambleside site and click on the Online Curriculum section, then scroll way down until you find Original Programs, you'll find that they were structured and covered A LOT of academic work. But they just did it in a different way.

 

I can give you more details about what we do if you like..... Just let me know :001_smile:

 

HTH

[Dayle in Guatemala]

Well, I've been CM-ing it for about 5 years now and it's been wonderful for our school. Currently, my dc are in 8th, 6th, and 4th grade and we follow her style of education in those grades as well.

 

We do use living books a lot. In history we use Truthquest, which is a great guide with good reading lists and in that we use a spine and good biographies and literature from the time period we are studying. Our lessons in history usually last about 30-40 minutes with reading, notebooking (with History Scribe), narration, and copywork (not every day).

 

For science we use Apologia and keep notebooks for vocabulary, labwork, and note taking. We also will stop from time to time to read biographies about different scientists or to really delve a little deeper into something interesting.

 

For Language Arts we have used Learning Language Arts Through Literature since the beginning and it works great for us. We don't start "formal" grammar until 4th grade and we use a straight forward grammar program with lots of practice, but, the lessons, again are about 30 minutes altogether for LA. We write from the very beginning by doing daily journaling, copywork, and, a little later, dictation. As they get older, we do a lot of writing and we still do copywork and dictation, only the passages are more difficult and require really good LA skills.

 

We do Plutarch by following the schedule on Ambleside Online, as well as Shakespeare, poetry, and artist and composer studies. These we do once or twice a week. We try to read as much as possible from the original works before we read another version. Usually I choose one thing a month. For example, if we are going to study Pericles in Plutarch, then we will study it for the whole month reading and discussing. Same with Shakespeare, the poets, artists, and composers. We study the same play, poet, artist, or composer for the month.

 

We do nature journaling and nature study a few times a week, but, that isn't necessarily classwork. For example, we will be researching composting, starting a compost pile, researching herbal medicine and planning our own herb garden as well as planting vegetables, fruits, and flowers. We nature journal at different sites each week on Friday afternoons. Actually, my dc now nature journal whenever they see something unique because it's just habit now.

 

Language study has been a little different. At first, I had them listening to other languages on the radio, in movies, etc. Then, I worked on vocabulary with them by labeling things around the house, keeping a notebook with different language tabs for vocab. they learned, and reading picture books from different countries. Then we moved to a Spanish-speaking country and language was easy! But, my dd, 8th grade, is studying at a language school 4 hours a week with teacher to get the grammar, structure, and writing down so she can be fluent. Up until now, though, it was just what I described above. My dc tell me that it was so easy to learn Spanish because they've heard it so much before and they are complemented by other Guatemalans as having no American accent because their ear is so good.

 

We are structured in our home. I have schedules, books, curriculum to follow. I, with my personality, couldn't unschool. I like the idea of it, but, I wouldn't get anything done. I'm just a little too scattered for that!:D CM works well, because it's the best of both worlds for me--structured interest-led learning. We do deviate, but, we always come back to the core of what we're studying.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

A really great blog is Linda Fay's blog for understanding CM especially in the upper grades. Here is her addy!

 

http://www.higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com

[Mommyfaithe]

I find a CM education as VERY rigorous. If you read Vol. 6 of the Home School series, you would find a 6 day schedule with students studying 3 languages, 2 courses of history, literature, art, music, handicrafts etc. Many were studying 16 subjects over the course of a term. Short lessons were considered 45 minutes. Algebra and geometry were studied simultaneously. The idea of a gentle unschooly high school is just not apparent to me. CM expected her students to produce narrations (compositions or essays or poetic compositions) after a single pass through the section to be learned. Passages of Scripture, Shakespeare and famous speeches were memorized and recited or used as a memorized dictation.

Students trained in CM methods had aquired the skills of reading well...the first time through ...by knowing they would be called upon to narrate after every reading. They were taught to pay attention to details by nature study and picture study. Their brains were trained to observe and remember what they observed.

 

I wish I could pull off such an education for my children, but alas, I am also a Mom and a cook and chauffer...I do not have a household staff and there are no Ambleside or House of Education schools where we live, so my kids are going to have to be ok with the best i can do for them.

 

I use House of Education as a guideline for setting up my high school course of study. I do add in some more modern books and SAT practice. We do not study 3 languages ...we are lucky that we do latin and maybe Spanish at that level...

 

Some of my children have done tons of art appreciation and history...others more music or math.

 

I always remind myself that CM's priciples are what worked to educate children...not the specific schedule. I also know I have limitations. Most CM households had Nannies who were in charge of the children's educations so the Moms could attend to "more important matters."

 

So, what does CM look like in my home? Well...we try to incorpaorate as many living books into our curriculum subjects as possible. I steer clear of twaddle, I try to incorporate nature study, art appreciation, music, hymns, folksongs, literature history etc in a natural way as a lifestyle of learning. I try to provide a liberal education...exposing my children to the beauty of God's world and the creativity of His people.

 

I have checklists and planners and all those other things, but I think a solid understanding of CM's principles and HOW she implemented them in a school setting have helped me to incorporate them into a home setting where life happens and we are not scheduled by a bell and whistle.

 

We are likely to be found here doing Algebra a 10 PM because the house is quiet once littlies are in bed.

 

I would suggest you head over to the Ambleside Online website and read...read...read. There is also a House of Education yahoo group with lots of great advice from very experienced CM homeschool Mom's.

 

As far as a day's schedule....

We do Bible, Devotions/ Worldview, Math, Grammar, Literature, Writing Instruction, copywork/dictation, Latin & Logic, science daily. (Only math & lit are 45 min. the other subjects take about 15 minutes each.)

 

Once per week we do Hymns, Folksongs, Classical Composer, Picture study, artist biography, nature study (we do these in the afternoons....sometimes we don't...sigh...)

 

2 or 3x per week: History, written narrations on books read during the week, poetry,

 

We don't ever do everything on our schedule...my scheduling is always a lofty goal....BUT I try to do the next thing on my list and just keep going.

 

HTH....

Faithe

[JennyL]

I could have asked this question myself. :) We are moving more and more towards the CM style ourselves. I love seeing a peek of what your days are like.

[Linda in NM]

Me, too...my son's CM/classical education looks like this...we usually start with a read-aloud book (currently, Robinson Crusoe). He's in 8th grade; we use Trisms' HistoryMakers, which really uses a CM approach, I think. He reads from his silent-reading book (currently, Roll of Thunder...); we read a living book together, or watch a video (World War I, currently)...he does some research (using Trisms' questionnaires)...he does health or geography for about 20 minutes; we finish the morning with language arts (depends on the day; daily Language Lessons for the Secondary Child and keyboarding practice; Mondays--Word Roots <independently on computer>, Spelling Works! <together>; Tues/Wed/Th--LLSC, IEW <Unit VI>; Friday--LLSC, Editor-in-Chief, Cozy Punctuation...)

 

We vary our schedules in the afternoon, but he does algebra four days a week, has a music lesson on Mondays, studies art and composers, studies Latin, German, Logic <each no more than 20 minutes/day> on different days, and science (using Rainbow Science, with readings that spark interest <like Chemical Building Blocks from PH and the Fairyland of Science>...) We don't do much formal nature study, but I do encourage him to go out (yesterday, he walked the dogs twice in our rural neighborhood...) We live on five acres of woods, so he enjoys roaming.

 

He's usually done by 3:00 p.m., giving him time to "hang" until he goes into town for sports activities (works with trainer twice/week; baseball and hockey practice and games). He likes YouTube (oh, well) and Age of Empires on the computer; he plays hockey constantly on the deck.

 

Hope that helps!

[Angel]

We didn't begin homeschooling till my oldest dd was in 5th grade. I found CM at the end of 6th. Dd has AS and I was looking for a way of teaching her that would fit her needs and personality. I do not use CM exclusively, but I am definitely geared more that way.

 

The two big draws for me, and those I incorporate most, were shortened lesson times (great for a girl who gets overwhelmed easily) and free time to pursue handicrafts and encourage "on your own" learning. I also wanted to add Shakespeare, composers and artists so my dd's would be exposed early, but I haven't quite succeeded there. We did do some composers and some Shakespeare last year but haven't added them back in this year.

 

Here's how our day goes in 8th grade: math first and we spend no longer than 40 min (usually), that's about all she can take in, then English which we do orally for about 15-20 min, she then does vocabulary, writing, and Latin on her own (she's working through LfCA) for 10-20 min, history is longer, anywhere from 20-60 min depending on what we are reading aloud and mapping and notebooking, she does Apologia for science and that takes about 30-45 min depending on experiments and lab work, then LL for lit again working only 30 min. We are done around 1:30 usually and then I encourage handicraft work or reading. Dd has taken to beading, weaving, and knitting. She also uses this time to read, play the piano, do devotions and sometimes even clean her room.:glare: I am hoping to get myself motivated to begin more life skills work with her such as cooking, laundry, etc. The short time spans for work allow her to feel good about her schoolwork and allow her time to explore interests that will be useful to her later. Dd has expressed an interest in gardening and so we will use that for our nature study this summer, which I hope will then last through the fall and early winter.

 

I plan on continuing this kind of plan next year in high school. I am not worried about hours, in fact what are lots of hours of cramming in material that is not going to be retained. I am more pleased with a lighter load (time wise) and more retention and a broader base of interest.

 

So I guess I'm not "true" CM, but this is what I've been able to take from it and hope to take even more as I bring up my younger dd7 and expose her to many of these ideas.

 

Angel

[Peela]

Like some others I am heading more toward CM. Having just looked at HEO again, I am thinking of doing year 7 next year, because it would match our medievel year. I personally like the 4 year history cycle, and many of the books we are doing for this year's ancients are from the Ambleside year 6 list (as well as Sonlight).

 

Maths is the only long lesson we do, and we just take however long a lesson takes. This morning that was just a few minutes for my son, but its normally around 45 minutes for both kids, and has been known to take 2 hours occasionally.

Latin takes 10 minutes most days, French similar, Spelling's with an online program- 10 minutes.

I just bought Language Lessons for the Secondary/Highschool child for my two kids, and while the older will continue with Analytical Grammar for a part of the year, the younger will probably just do this program. This will cover copywork, dictation, creative writing, some art narrations, some grammar.

Both do a Science class, and only the older does Science at home as well...about 15 minutes a day. Nature Study is intermittant.

We do history reading together, and we are covering a Shakespeare play, poetry and memorisation, economics, spirituality, and anything else I feel like reading to them, together.

They do writing assignments. One of the reasons I am moving toward CM is because I have tried several writing programs, and my kids just cannot stand being told to write in that canned way....I was really hopeful for Wordsmith for them both this year and it was such a flunk...so I am going back to plain old narrations and then expanding on that. It just works. I will have my older write some essays, but she writes easily and well so if I left that for another year it wouldn't be a problem. I think this year is gong to be a year of nourishing her creative writing.

They do music lessons, gym, drama.

 

I am considering what we do more and more CM because I am covering many subjects and using mainly living books, they are getting a really broad education, we are finishing around 1pm, they get lots of leisure time, they have plenty of time to follow their passions (Scouts and art for dd, skateboarding at present for ds, gym for both). I wrote a term report for both a few days ago, and even though we took a week off to go to Bali, and have had Easter and two other long weekends, we have covered a lot in this 10 week term. Yet, it hasn't felt stressed or pushed.

 

The character building side of CM is ongoing and I guess I just consider that part of being a parent.

There are probably other essential parts of CM I haven't touched on....I dont consider myself completely CM at this stage but I seem to be heading in that direction.

[at the beach]

I *think* this has been asked before, but I can't recall. Sorry if it has. I'm particularly interested in what CM looks like for middle school and beyond. I've been reading more books about CM's approach and it *almost* makes sense to me for elem. Short lessons, living books, nature study as opposed to a more "formal" curriculum, etc. What I can't seem to wrap my brain around is this "style" for middle and high. Just seems too much like unschooling to me. Doesn't a middle and high schooler need MORE? So for those of you who follow her methods for the upper grades, HOW do you do it? I'm thinking I'm more of an ecclectic hser...taking a little of this, a little of that and sort of making my own way (gotta love this board for that, right! :)). I was just curious b/c I keep coming back to CM's methods for some odd reason. :)

 

Hi Sue,

 

We are CM-ers, specifically using Ambleside. DD 11 would be in 5th grade now if in school, so that's not quite middle school I don't think, but I have very closely looked at all of the AO years--and AO is intended to closely resemble the type of curriculum CM used in her schools. It is VERY rigorous IMHO. Even in the lower years, it is rigorous. My dd 11 is doing Year 3 and we substitute grammar for phonics. If you look at AO year 7 (amblesideonline.org), science texts are recommended--it's not limited to nature study. So, for example, if I were using a lower year with a 7th grader or up, I'd then add in the appropriate science text. AO years can be so challenging that kids who aren't used to reading these types of books often need to start lower than grade level. Formal grammar instruction resources/texts are suggested in Year 7 (as well as Year 4). There are suggestions on formally teaching essay writing. There is logic. Latin. Children start formal Shakespeare study (the actual plays) in Year 4 at the rate of one per term. For me, I could not even begin to put something like this together on my own. The only way to give my kids this kind of education is to use AO--the planning work has been done for me. It's a true blessing and an incredible opportunity for my kids.

 

And finally, if you read Vol. 6, which is available online at AO, you'll be able to get a first-hand view of how CM approached educating her students at this level. I would really recommend that if you haven't already, take a look at the AO website and take a look at Vol. 6.

 

Best,

Anita

[TeaTotaler]

Sue, I'm still pondering the direction of our schooling but I wanted to share a link to this thread about CM from the old WTM boards that I had saved. Hope you find it helpful.

http://wtmboards.com/K8genAug272006/messages/2709.html

 

VH

 

I *think* this has been asked before, but I can't recall. Sorry if it has. I'm particularly interested in what CM looks like for middle school and beyond. I've been reading more books about CM's approach and it *almost* makes sense to me for elem. Short lessons, living books, nature study as opposed to a more "formal" curriculum, etc. What I can't seem to wrap my brain around is this "style" for middle and high. Just seems too much like unschooling to me. Doesn't a middle and high schooler need MORE? So for those of you who follow her methods for the upper grades, HOW do you do it? I'm thinking I'm more of an ecclectic hser...taking a little of this, a little of that and sort of making my own way (gotta love this board for that, right! :)). I was just curious b/c I keep coming back to CM's methods for some odd reason. :)