faiths13 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I am trying to decide on curric for next year (and hopefully the path we will follow in the years to come ) with my ds who will be in 1st. I love the idea of Ambleside Online. I have looked at the book lists and I love CM methods. Part of me feels like its "not enough" (I know that is not necessarily true) and part of me worries the reading levels will be over my ds's head. We are doing gentle K this year, focusing on the 3 R's. And of course I love TWTM way. I have been reading the book and it makes perfect sense to me. I have looked at the curric and used some of it with my older boys (SOTW, WWS, Encyclopedia spine science). I feel pretty set that I want to just use it all - SOTW, WWE, TGS, etc, but then I do feel that draw to a more CM style. I know I could prob do a cross between both, but Im not really sure how I would make that work and I dont want to end up confused and then end up switching. Anyway my question is, how can I best make the decision on what will be right and work best for my ds? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 For the younger grades(k-3) I chose a more relaxed approach and went with Five in a Row. It is based on classic children's picture books and teaches valuable literary analysis skills. I added to that the CDs of SOTW. we listened to them in the car and talked about them conversationally, which was enough for my older son. With my littles, the history is way too much for them, so I am adding AO read alouds to their lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 And, you will probably switch at some point as you learn more what style works best for you. I spent two years away from FIAR, trying to keep everyone on the same subject (at different levels), but it just doesn't work. So, we have gone back to FIAR for the littles and we are loving it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeganW Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I had the same dilemma. I ended up going the WTM / classical way for skills (reading, writing, & math), and AO / CM for the other subjects. I'm happy with this choice thus far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faiths13 Posted February 27, 2013 Author Share Posted February 27, 2013 that is an interesting idea - to use TWTM for reading and writing and then history for AO. Im not even sure my ds will be ready for Year 1 in the fall. He will be in "first grade" and 6, but from what I hear Year 1 is better for age 7... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 WTM language arts is CM in workbook form, execpt for the drilling of grammar in fll. WWE is copywork and narration. Fll is grammar and poetry memorization. I require a lot more copywork and narration than what is required in WWE and much more poetry memoriation than FLL. I think CM LA requires more than WTM, more developmentally appropriate, and more enjoyable than using workbooks. IMO of course. The only thing I don't agree with CM is reading methods. I'm all about phonics. Concerning AO, you don't have to read it as written. History doesn't start until Y2. You could split up the books from Y1 into two years if you think he needs extra time. You could read aloud A Childs History of the World to give him a history overview, and read Eggleston's Great Americans for Little Americans for US history, before starting AO's history rotation. Some of the Y1 books went over my children's head as well, but they understood a lot more than I thought they would be able to, and it got them used to hearing/reading books with excellent literary language. It has really paid off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 We have done AO with WTM. I have always used SOTW....still do with TOG program. We also use FLL and WWE with AO readings before. Science can easily be combined too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 You don't have to pick one or the other right now...or ever! I take ideas from both methods as they fit our family. There are some differences between the two styles, but I don't think they are completely incompatible methods. We lean toward the CM side, but I have gained many ideas from WTM too. When I'm planning the year, I like to look at recommendations from WTM and from SCM (and other CM curricula) to choose the best resources for my child. I take it one subject at a time. For first grade, the programs would be very similar anyway...aside from maybe the lesson length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claluck Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 Yep just mix and mash. I do a combo of a few different things, I use AO, Milestones academy, and SCM and TWTM stuff and come up with it all. I like Charlotte Mason stuff but I do feel kids are capable of learning some grammmar and writing stuff in the younger grades. I feel it should be more laxed and get more serious as they get older. And I teak stuff even in the middle of the year. Actually the last two years has resulted in a major shift in a few things in January. I think January may be to us what February is to everyone else. Something for me to remember for next year lol. Christina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 I had the same dilemma. I ended up going the WTM / classical way for skills (reading, writing, & math), and AO / CM for the other subjects. I'm happy with this choice thus far... This is kind of what I'm planning to do. Except I have my own ideas on science--I don't love the WTM way, but I want to do more than just nature study. I also might prefer the four-year history rotation to CM's six-year one. I haven't decided on that one yet. But I really like AO's art, music, literature, Shakespeare, poetry, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faiths13 Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 Thanks for all the great input! Another thing I think I need to consider is that I will be adding in another child in another year or two... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bttrflyvld Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Thanks for all the great input! Another thing I think I need to consider is that I will be adding in another child in another year or two... Is it possible to combine graded wtih AO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhappyjoyjoy Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I did more with my oldest in first grade than I'm doing with my next child now. The reason is that he soaks up a great deal from what his older brother is learning. When I was in your stage, I also wanted to find something to use over the long haul. I'm using almost nothing now that I did two years ago. I'd vote for the combination of the two and continuing to revisit it and tweak it as you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I am very eclectic as you can see from my siggy. But doing FIAR and waiting till my dd was 7 to start AO Y1 was a good decision for me. My dd could not handle much of the lit in Y1 when she was 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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