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Posted

You would think that by now I would have learned all this. However, when I started to homeschool everyone around me was doing either BJU or Abeka. So we were basically doing school at home. :tongue_smilie:

 

Just last year I found out about WTM and loved it. Now I'm just learning about CM and am liking it alot. I was just curious how everyone is handling these different approaches and if anyone combines them.

 

Also if you could please share latin ideas with me. They will be going into 7th and 5th and we have never done latin. I appreciate you all in advance.:bigear:

Posted

Here's a few links for you to check out, each showing a CM/classical blend with slightly different flavors:

 

www.amblesideonline.org

 

http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/2006/01/our-curriculum.html

 

www.mfwbooks.com

 

And these two are links to articles on this website discussion comparing and contrasting CM and classical:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/charlottemason.php

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/morecharlotte.php

Posted

First I should say we were very classical, rote memorization in all subjects, following the trivium, everything but Latin because we've been doing French instead.

 

And then I changed history programs from SOTW to TOG, then it was not being able to find a grammar that we were happy with...this and more led me to realize that CM isn't as "light" as I originally thought and that I don't have to follow Ambleside to have a CM homeschool. CM is my heart, it is what I want for my children from me and WTM/Classical is what I want for my children's minds. Meshing the two to fit both heart and mind was a very individual endeavor and still is.

 

I've dropped all memorization other than poetry, we are no longer droning on with lists of facts to memorize. Even math is being memorized through copywork and by doing it. I learned why we were learning concepts at dd's age and what would be most beneficial to her at this time and I made changes accordingly, mostly without changing curricula but in some areas I did and it has been a huge blessing. Most of all, I changed MY approach with my children. We have much more snuggle time on the couch than we have sitting at a table bent over a workbook. Narrations that used to be forced and difficult have become easy and fluid, we have heart now where before we were just going through the motions to get done.

 

Basically the only ideas from classical education I've kept are:

- worthwhile, classical books in all areas

- we still use the trivium as our guide for depth and sequence (3 cycles of chronological history, each cycle deeper)

- Great Books study starting around 8th grade

- concentrated study of grammar and Latin (later)

 

Everything else is CM or I should say- from my heart. It is just coincidence that CM speaks my heart, I feel blessed to no end to have a "philosophy" that is as old as dirt that speaks to my heart and my children's. I had the ideas that CM lays out before I read CM but I was more driven by WTM/Classical philosophy to make sure I was "training" my children right from the start. I laugh about that now.

 

I was laughably so caught up in the WTM and its standards that I cast away everything else for a season, even Christine Miller's thoughts at Classical-homeschooling.org which is a good blend of classical, CM and Ruth Beechick. Even though I couldn't stand how Teaching the Trivium was written, I cast it off b/c it didn't hold a candle to what the WTM says. Now I see that each have their place, Teaching the Trivium isn't as unschooling as I originally thought- my heart just wasn't meshing with my head when I read it. Now I can see the wisdom within the pages, it's still not my favorite homeschool book but I reference it when I'm thinking about something.

 

Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss speaks my heart the most, More Charlotte Mason by Catherine Levison provides the practical application and the Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte Mason contains numerous treasures of thoughts, ideas, and applications.

 

Our LA and Science are the most changed subjects from CM influence, all the books we read and invest our time with are now worthwhile instead of just reading a title b/c it's on a list of a curriculum. TOG takes care of the history selections pretty well for me thankfully so I can really focus on the other areas. Our lives and relationships have been changed by CM in a way WTM never provided. It's more of a heart change than it is curricula or nitty-gritty academic ideas.

 

Hope this helps. I have to finish uploading pictures from today's adventure, :)

Posted

Thank you all. Jessica I almost teared up when I read your post. I have just borrowed a copy of More Charlotte Mason and it just touched me. I was like "This is it, this is what I have been looking for!" I am finding my choices changing and getting the older two's input have been great. They are liking the change thus far. I believe I have finally decided to go with TOG. I am curious though, you said you follow a 3 year rotation for history, I thought TOG was a 4 year plan? I have never read the trivium but poured over WTM.

 

Anyhow, I love this board and I thank you all for your insights. I really feel more at peace now. Jessica you have a beautiful blog and will visit many times more I am sure.

 

Blessings all. :)

Posted

http://home.att.net/~bandcparker/methods.html

 

Here is one of my favorite websites on CE and CM and combining the two.

 

I'm a little too mentally fuzzy (my favorite 1st trimester symptom :tongue_smilie:) to offer much of my own thoughts tonight. But I reject a definition of classical education which defines the trivium as learning stages, and find that Original CM (not necessarily all of the "takes" on her) is quite classical. What else would CM have considered a true education? Sure, she brought some of her own insights to education in her time. But all true education at the turn of the century would have been a classical one--heavily based on classical languages, literatures, history.

 

Jami through the pregnancy fog....

Posted
First I should say we were very classical, rote memorization in all subjects, following the trivium, everything but Latin because we've been doing French instead.

 

And then I changed history programs from SOTW to TOG.....

 

 

:hurray:Wow, Jessica. I'm new to this board also and I occasionally come across one of your posts when I'm searching through threads. You are always knowledgable, helpful and eloquent in your responses. I'm reminded that I need to also listen to my heart (not just my mind) when making these decisions. Thank you for sharing your journey!

Posted

Thank you Jami, I bookmarked it so I can go back to the site. It looks very interesting. Congratulations also on the newest blessing.:hurray:

 

Jessica, I will check that book out next, thanks.

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