I'm not understanding Charlotte Mason Method??

[Hunter's Moon]

I was looking at Ambleside Online. I will be in 11th grade next year, so I was glad to finally find a free homeschool resource for high school. I came on the K-8 boards because I think CM might be used more in the younger grades.

 

Anyways, I just don't understand it. I went to Year 11 and looked at the book list and it says the 20th century is studied in History, great, that's right in line with me!

 

But, are the History books also considered the Literature books or are those separate? Do I make up my own study questions/essays, or is that completely against what CM believed?

 

Would History and Literature basically be combined???

 

Any insight, explanation, overview, etc would be greatly appreciated!

[Rosie_0801]

If that's the sort of thing you're after, I'd suggest you look at the Well Educated Mind. It provides book lists, which you can ignore if you want to read something else, and study questions for each genre.

 

Rosie

[Hunter's Moon]

If that's the sort of thing you're after, I'd suggest you look at the Well Educated Mind. It provides book lists, which you can ignore if you want to read something else, and study questions for each genre.

 

Rosie

 

Thanks.

 

I'm kind of looking to tie History with American Literature since I'll be doing 20th century American History.

[Amy Jo]

Instead of study questions and exams, you narrate. So read the selection, then orally (or in writing) summarize it, expand on what you thought, what happened, etc. I usually imagine I am telling the story to someone else (I write my narrations when I have time).

 

Narration is very effective at slowing you down and making you remember, but it takes time to learn. You might like this yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/charlottemasonselfed/?yguid=217554105) for more information on narration. The official AO (or HEO for highschool) yahoo group is also a good CM resource, as is the forum at http://simplycharlottemason.com

 

HTH!

Amy

[TKDmom]

I haven't used AO, but I have looked at their site and read some of Charlotte Mason's books. History and literature are separate studies. Looking at the list for year 11, I see Shakespeare and short stories under the literature heading. I also saw that they recommend keeping a commonplace book for your reading. If you can get your hands on a copy of The Well-Educated Mind, it's a great resource. One of the things that it talks about are commonplace books and their role in self-education.

 

As far as making up essay questions, I have no advice to offer. Are you educating yourself? Do you have someone to discuss the books with? Really, it would be ideal to read the books along with someone else and be able to discuss them together.

[Guest poly34]

I don't know if this helps, but here's a link for it:

 

http://www.letshomeschool.com/articles61.html

 

I haven't tried it myself, though.

[Rosie_0801]

Thanks.

 

I'm kind of looking to tie History with American Literature since I'll be doing 20th century American History.

 

The Well Educated Mind would provide study questions, and you can plug in whatever books you wanted. The questions are specific to the genre, not the individual books.

 

This is the WEM reading list: http://www.listsofbests.com/list/18321-the-well-educated-mind-full-list There are a whole bunch of American Literature reading lists online, if you don't already have an idea on what you want to study. Here's one for 20th century American: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4fP6WvEh__0J:sites.uni-sofia.bg/english/20cAmLitReading.doc+20th+century+American+reading+list&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk

 

Rosie

[3lilreds in NC]

You can join the Yahoo group and ask lots of questions: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmblesideOnline/

 

History and literature are not combined in that they are not the same books. They are correlated in the same time period. There are separate links there for history and literature under Year 11.

 

Ideally you wouldn't make up your own exam questions; however, the pages for Year 11 exam questions aren't up yet. Do you not have anyone helping you with this at all? I would recommend joining the Yahoo group and see if you can get some suggestions from there.

 

I don't have a lot of info for you, as my girls are only in 3rd & 4th grade this year, but I know you will get help from the wonderful ladies on the Yahoo group.

[Hunter's Moon]

Thank you for all the help and links.

 

Just one more question, would it be too hard for me to start using this method now, at the age of 16?

 

I'd be using an American textbook along with the History books she suggests, but other than that, would it be too hard for me to start this?

[pageta]

I've been reading through many of the AO year 11 selections myself and they are quite good. You can follow the CM method and narrate, or you can make up your own questions and do whatever you want. Those books are not just CM books.

 

CM uses a lot of primary material rather than textbooks, but a good history text fills out the background for the books studied.

 

Again, I highly recommend the selections. I went all the way through college with a liberal arts degree but missed out on some really good books now that I've been going through their list.

 

I say, go for it!

[Mommyfaithe]

Thank you for all the help and links.

 

Just one more question, would it be too hard for me to start using this method now, at the age of 16?

 

I'd be using an American textbook along with the History books she suggests, but other than that, would it be too hard for me to start this?

 

I am planning on using Year 11 with my 16 y/o this fall and I have used AO with highschoolers before.

 

CM does not give you specific questions but expects the reader and learner to be engaged with the material at hand and respond to it. I will have ds write "narrations" in the form of forming an opinion and using the literature or history to back up his opinion (persuasive essays.) I will assaign a timeline, which will basically turn out to be a decade book, where he will add dates and events to a list in his notebook. I amy have him find pictures on Google to jazz it up a bit and write a one sentence explanation of each entry.

 

He will keep a commonplace book where he will copy passages that move him or make him think and also the commonplace book will be a place where he can record his thoughts on the passages he reads.

 

We will slowly go through How to Read a Book and use some of the methods for deeper reading .

 

At this stage of the game, we may try to write with the same voice as some of the authors...such as writing as if he WERE Theodore Roosevelt or GK Chesterton or a radio announcer....He may try his hand at writing some poetry...maybe....

 

You may want to use a Trthquest guide if you are a Christian to give you some commentary on the history portion.

 

For the Short Stories: Short Stories lend themselves well to studying literary devices and techniques. Who is the protagonist, who is the antagonist, What is the plot? Where is the rising action, climax, falling action? How does the author draw you into the story? What metaphors or similes does he use? etc...etc...etc...

 

For essays we will read, outline and try to rewrite in our own words either for or against the authors premises or thesis....

 

Ambleside may be really difficult to use on your own because it is probably unlike the way you are used to learning in a Public School. There are no ready made plans or questions. There is a schedule, but that is arbitrary. However, you may enjoy the freedom to read great books, explore your own thoughts and learn to respond to the authors by taking part in the "great conversation."

The crux of CM is in a method not so much as the booklist..IOW you really can use the method to learn from your choices of books.

 

If you do go this route, I would do as much reading on the AO site and try to read the CM volume on High School Education which is available the the AO site.

 

I also wanted to say how totally impressed with how you are taking possession of your own education. It is very admirable and I wish my kids had your drive to learn and take their educations on by themselves.

 

Faithe

 

ETA: Sorry I ended so abruptly, I need to go to work now....

Edited June 4, 2010 by Mommyfaithe

[Peela]

I used Ambleside year 7 last year- medieval- we loved it.

There are a lot of warnings about using the later years too early. They are advanced. You don't read all the books- you pick and choose. The earlier highschool AO years are often used for later highschool years because of the level of the books to be read.

The information on how to use the method is all on the Ambleside website. It is used similarly all the way through. It involves a lot of reading- and yes, literature and history make up a large part of it.

[Spock]

I was looking at Ambleside Online. I will be in 11th grade next year, so I was glad to finally find a free homeschool resource for high school.

 

But, are the History books also considered the Literature books or are those separate? Do I make up my own study questions/essays, or is that completely against what CM believed?

 

Would History and Literature basically be combined???

 

Any insight, explanation, overview, etc would be greatly appreciated!

 

I use AO for all my children, and follow it more closely for 7th-12th grade. (In fact, my sons just finished year 11.)

 

If you look at the entire booklist for year 11, there are literature books listed as well as history books. For years 1-11 (12 is not yet out, though I have made my own year 12 for my son for next year), the literature books are books written during the time frame of history that is being studied. (For years 1-6, some of the literature books were written during or about the time frame of the history being studied, and some are just good books.)

 

As for what to do with the books, beyond reading them:

 

1. As far as possible, the student narrates every reading. (Sometimes this is not possible, since most of us have other children in other levels, and the students also have science and math classes and sometimes other outside commitments. So, the student narrates as many readings each day as is practical within the home setting.

2. Narration in CM is not the same thing as narration in WTM. Also, CM narration in 7th-12th grades is a little different than CM narration for grades 1-6.

CM narration for secondary students:

 

• Normally narrations are done strictly from memory, without looking back at the reading.

• Sometimes, the student simply retells everything he read, just as in elementary school. At this level, however, the student will often spontaneously add commentary about how something connects to something else read in history or another literature book or something in current events.

• Sometimes the teacher/parent asks for a specific kind of narration: describing the setting, comparing/contrasting characters or books or settings or whatever is relvant to the book, discussing the theme of a literature book, tracing the cause(s) of a historical event, focusing on motivation (in history or literature), etc. [The student can also choose voluntarily to do a narration of this type, if it seems the most appropriate for the reading selection.]

• Usually 3 or more narrations per week are in writing. Written narrations can be simple retellings, or focused as mentioned above for oral narrations. The parent can also require the written narration to be in a specific format, such as a persuasive essay or a descriptive essay or a report. Research papers could also be assigned. CM also sometimes required written narrations to be in the form of a poem, letter, or journal entry.

• Written narrations can sometimes be done in the format of a list (listing all important names/events in a chapter or passage, for example) or an outline of the chapter--ideally done from memory, but can be done while reading. Sometimes the student can be asked to make a sketch or diagram of the reading. Most written narrations are done in essay format, however.

The main purpose of a narration is for the student to set his/her own questions mentally, and answer them, organizing the material mentally in the process. I have done this for myself, and have found that CM was correct in saying that material that has been narrated is rarely forgotten afterward.

[Testimony]

I am impressed with the fact that you are doing your own education and using Ambleside Online (AO) as your spine. It is a great curriculum and it is what I am using.

 

My children narrate everything they read, but I only have two children. Also, I have them narrate different ways. They will do an oral, but they also have to do a written narration. In the older grades you can do a comparison of different texts. My older son started doing that from last year. He compared the characters in Kim, Tom Sawyer, and Jungle Book. His reason was they all were orphans or had lost parents. He wanted to compare how they reacted to situation and how it effected them at the end of the book.

 

My younger son also did a cross comparison of the Island of the Blue Dolphins and Robinson Crusoe. Both characters were stranded on an island and had to survive and found a friend to keep them company.

 

I mentioned all of this to say that you can do the same only on a higher level. My sons are in the beginning stages of what I would call literary analysis. Narration is something that you should always do, but adding depth to it like can you identify with a character in the book? You can write 5 paragraph essay on a theme how does the work ethics in on book reflex the society at the time? Have your parents and other read it for you and honestly critic it.

 

Other things to consider is: 1.habit training: when you are older it is life skills such as how to shop, how to balance a checkbook. 2. citizenship & government: I have my sons reading Plutarch, but when you are older, you should probably read a newspaper. 3. ministry training: my sons play the violin at a nursing home. I don't know about for older children, maybe volunteering at a food bank. 4. Hymn study: you could do an analysis of the work. Study the author of the hymn and time frame of the piece. 5. Art: AO is pretty self explanatory. 6. Shakespeare: that's pretty clear too.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Blessings,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Hunter's Moon]

I am planning on using Year 11 with my 16 y/o this fall and I have used AO with highschoolers before.

 

CM does not give you specific questions but expects the reader and learner to be engaged with the material at hand and respond to it. I will have ds write "narrations" in the form of forming an opinion and using the literature or history to back up his opinion (persuasive essays.) I will assaign a timeline, which will basically turn out to be a decade book, where he will add dates and events to a list in his notebook. I amy have him find pictures on Google to jazz it up a bit and write a one sentence explanation of each entry.

 

He will keep a commonplace book where he will copy passages that move him or make him think and also the commonplace book will be a place where he can record his thoughts on the passages he reads.

 

We will slowly go through How to Read a Book and use some of the methods for deeper reading .

 

At this stage of the game, we may try to write with the same voice as some of the authors...such as writing as if he WERE Theodore Roosevelt or GK Chesterton or a radio announcer....He may try his hand at writing some poetry...maybe....

 

You may want to use a Trthquest guide if you are a Christian to give you some commentary on the history portion.

 

For the Short Stories: Short Stories lend themselves well to studying literary devices and techniques. Who is the protagonist, who is the antagonist, What is the plot? Where is the rising action, climax, falling action? How does the author draw you into the story? What metaphors or similes does he use? etc...etc...etc...

 

For essays we will read, outline and try to rewrite in our own words either for or against the authors premises or thesis....

 

Ambleside may be really difficult to use on your own because it is probably unlike the way you are used to learning in a Public School. There are no ready made plans or questions. There is a schedule, but that is arbitrary. However, you may enjoy the freedom to read great books, explore your own thoughts and learn to respond to the authors by taking part in the "great conversation."

The crux of CM is in a method not so much as the booklist..IOW you really can use the method to learn from your choices of books.

 

If you do go this route, I would do as much reading on the AO site and try to read the CM volume on High School Education which is available the the AO site.

 

I also wanted to say how totally impressed with how you are taking possession of your own education. It is very admirable and I wish my kids had your drive to learn and take their educations on by themselves.

 

Faithe

 

ETA: Sorry I ended so abruptly, I need to go to work now....

 

Thank you very much :)

 

And thank you every one for your very detailed and helpful responses :)