Ambleside

[Flowergirl159]

Anyone else want to do Ambleside Online, but can't fit it in? LOL

 

It looks fantastic! I have spent many hours looking at their website and reading. Trying to find a way to modify it to fit 'our homeschool'. I would love to do it all, but it just isn't possible. And I have to let that go.....

 

Just wondering if anyone else really, really liked it and tried it, but found it difficult to fit in.

 

I actually have found a way to fit in a couple of things, Artist/Composer, Drawing, Handicrafts, Outside time, and a couple of literature read alouds that we do all together. But to get around to doing individual lists, such as geography, history and literature; its practically impossible! Although, the books that I have started reading to them, they have loved and really enjoyed! There just isn't enough time...

[Hunter]

I'm using the methods more than the booklists right now.

 

The AO language arts scope and sequence

https://www.amblesideonline.org/LangArtsScopeSeq.shtml

 

A lot of the articles

https://www.amblesideonline.org/library.shtml#articles

 

AO Geography

https://www.amblesideonline.org/geographysch.shtml

 

Shakespeare, Plutrach, and Age of Fable suggestions to supplement my new fascination with the Michael Dirda list of "patterning works".

[My3girls]

We do some of it.  A lot of it is a bit too antiquated and religious for me, but there are a lot of the books that my girls are enjoying.  I guess I use it as more of a book list than a curriculum.

[roanna]

We used year 1 and are going into year 2.  My son loves the literature so we are using all that and the methods for LA.  I am using a task cards from creek edge press for science, SOTW 2, as for all the others I am going to do those as we can.   

[pollo_la]

Overall, I do like the looks of Ambleslide, and I do get book ideas from their book list, BUT, it's not a good fit for us. There is too much to it for us.

[FO4UR]

Charlotte Mason lived in a time when middle class families had nannies and cooks and housekeepers.  We don't have that.  Our time allocation is necessarily going to be different.

 

 

 

Take the basic ideas.  The Idea is what is central anyway.  I work to make the "extras"  (art, music, nature, handicrafts, etc...) part of our family culture, and not a lesson.  This eases the planning and scheduling, and it has the added benefit of making these things intrinsically valued.  My 7yo was asked to name his favorite musician.  The other kids were naming current pop/country starts.  Mine named Mozart. :coolgleamA:  

[Coco_Clark]

I use parts of it.  We spend 45 minutes to an hour and a half every morning in "morning time" which is CM based couch and cuddle time.  We pray, read a chapter of the bible, read a picture book picked by each kid, read a chapter or two from our read aloud (and our read aloud list is heavily ambleside influenced), read a poem, and then do 1 more thing.

 

The "one more thing" is a rotation of composer study, artist study, nature study, aesops's fables, and saints stories.  In future years I will also include geography, shakespeare, and perhaps even plutarch.   That may mean my rotation extends to a week and a half, or I might double up some days.  Next year I'm thinking about splitting things up a bit, so I'm doing composer study the first half of the year and artist study the second half, or maybe switching every month or...  There are a lot of possibilities.  But a lot can get done in an hour a day.  

[craftyerin]

I'm going to give it a go next year! Y1 with my will-be 1st graders. I've been looking through the list, the suggested schedule, the tweaks I want to make, and yeah, I'm going to have to drop some of it.  I'm going to have to make some priority decisions.  But I'm excited to give it a try!

[Kristie in Florida]

Charlotte Mason lived in a time when middle class families had nannies and cooks and housekeepers. We don't have that. Our time allocation is necessarily going to be different.

 

 

 

Take the basic ideas. The Idea is what is central anyway. I work to make the "extras" (art, music, nature, handicrafts, etc...) part of our family culture, and not a lesson. This eases the planning and scheduling, and it has the added benefit of making these things intrinsically valued. My 7yo was asked to name his favorite musician. The other kids were naming current pop/country starts. Mine named Mozart. :coolgleamA:

This! You pretty much said what I've been slowly realizing lately.

[Jane Elliot]

Charlotte Mason lived in a time when middle class families had nannies and cooks and housekeepers.  We don't have that.  Our time allocation is necessarily going to be different.

 

 

Yes, but I live in a time when middle class families have central heating, washing machines, slow cookers, vacuum cleaners, rice cookers, convenience food, internet shopping, audiobooks... 

[Hunter]

When you say fit it all in, do you mean JUST the AO, or do you mean fit in AO as a SUPPLEMENT to everything ELSE you are using?

[Jane Elliot]

Charlotte Mason lived in a time when middle class families had nannies and cooks and housekeepers.  We don't have that.  Our time allocation is necessarily going to be different.

 

 

Thinking about this some more...I agree that our time allocation is going to be different, but I think it's more because of what we *do* have than what we *don't* have. For me, hindrances to a CM education would be things like outside lessons, co-ops, play dates, appointments, phone calls, online message boards ;) , and chesskids.com (I have one who's addicted to this). I have to control or avoid those things if I want to have the kind of homeschool I desire.

 

And, as Hunter indicated above, there's no way to do all of AO if it's a supplement. I'm not sure I can give up early grammar, structured writing, early Latin grammar (although I'm really close after reading Amy Barr's most recent article in The Old Schoolhouse), etc. These take time out of my day making it impossible to fit in all of AO.

[Hunter]

Luann, when I read the oral lessons part of the Journeys through Bookland guide, my appreciation for AO language arts increased significantly.

Journeys through Bookland Vol. 10 ORAL LESSONS pg. 352-360

http://www.gutenberg...tm#Oral_Lessons

 

One problem I've had with AO and CM is trying to use it without understanding the context it was written in. CM assumed the reader knew things we don't. Studying vintage language arts in GENERAL, especially OUTSIDE the CM world has been very helpful to me.

 

Cursive first was the norm 100 years ago. Much of the delay in writing is due to the realities if young children writing in cursive. The only modern cursive-first curriculum that talks about the realities of cursive-first is Handwriting Lessons through Literature. You can NOT paste cursive-first on a modern scope and sequence!!

 

I also prefer to finish phonics before starting Latin, and I have never successfully taught English grammar before Latin grammar. Henle is my favorite text, so waiting till 4th grade for grammar and Latin makes sense to me. Some things are SO much more efficient if you just WAIT.

[JaneEyre]

I've used Ambleside on and off for years.  I love it and I keep coming back to it,  but when I try to follow it exactly I always end my week feeling guilty, because I NEVER get everything done! 

 

Here's how I've made AO work for us:

 

- I don't use the schedules anymore

 

- I combine my kids on most things ( which is considered a big No-No on the Ambleside forums )

 

- I put the 'extras' in groups and rotate them week by week.  I just simply couldn't do them all every week!

 

I now also do a regular, simple grammar and a spelling program,  because I am not that great with grammar and I think you really need to be in order to be good at teaching it CM style.  We also do R&S for science simply because my boys like it better;  You should  see their eyes glaze over when I try to read Burgess Bird Book :)

[lifesadream83]

We already use A Child's History of the World. 

 

 

I have picked books from Ambleside online that I love and bought them.  Some I keep in my diaper bag for when we are out I read them in the car.  Both hubby and my dd's love when I read aloud to them.  A Child's Geography of the World & The Storybook of Science are in there right now.  Both have led to some great discussions especially ACHOG since some of the information is dated in comparison to modern technology.  I love this method and I am pretty sure I am going to keep going with it.  

 

We are going to start the Nature Study on Fridays in the fall.

 

We also purchased A Childs History of England to read over the summer per dd's request.  

 

 

[FO4UR]

Thinking about this some more...I agree that our time allocation is going to be different, but I think it's more because of what we *do* have than what we *don't* have. For me, hindrances to a CM education would be things like outside lessons, co-ops, play dates, appointments, phone calls, online message boards ;) , and chesskids.com (I have one who's addicted to this). I have to control or avoid those things if I want to have the kind of homeschool I desire.

 

And, as Hunter indicated above, there's no way to do all of AO if it's a supplement. I'm not sure I can give up early grammar, structured writing, early Latin grammar (although I'm really close after reading Amy Barr's most recent article in The Old Schoolhouse), etc. These take time out of my day making it impossible to fit in all of AO.

 

 

Agree.  I value excellent outside lessons.  It's worth giving up some structured CM lessons in order to create room in the day/week for piano lessons from a great teacher...or karate...or gymnastics.  

 

We also have more history, more science, and more math to cover b/c the world has made significant discoveries since CM's life.  Math has a more integral role in the overall curriculum of today simply b/c it has a more integral role in the world.  If we take CM's Ideas....Children are born persons, Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life...and apply these things to the world of today, we'll see that we cannot blindly imitate what the PNUE did b/c it doesn't *fit* today.  The entire point of CM's writings, imho, was to create a curriculum that is a perfect fit for the developmental stage of the child, a perfect fit for the culture of the child, something that satisfies the child intellectually, building academic skills as naturally as a child builds physical skills.  We *can* take those Ideas and apply them to modern life.  It takes the wisdom to know what is core and what is antiquated, and creativity to apply that wisdom in a changing world.  "How would CM teach Computer Programming?" ( :lol: )   Let's ask these questions that seem ridiculous...and we'll pull out the wheat from the chaff.  

 

 

That, and CM was a wise woman, but she was human and fallible.  We don't have to follow her 6 Books as if they were our Bible.  I think ambleside tries too hard to be "pure" CM, rendering it unfit for modern kids, especially those who are destined for STEM fields.  That said, I use it as a template for finding balance.  Shakespeare and Plutarch are timeless...but we can use our own history spine, find biographies that delight *our specific* child, and - for the LOVE!!! - we can use a bonafide science program that cuts to the chase and provides pictures and diagrams and uses modern vocabulary.

[My3girls]

We already use A Child's History of the World. 

 

 

I have picked books from Ambleside online that I love and bought them.  Some I keep in my diaper bag for when we are out I read them in the car.  Both hubby and my dd's love when I read aloud to them.  A Child's Geography of the World & The Storybook of Science are in there right now.  Both have led to some great discussions especially ACHOG since some of the information is dated in comparison to modern technology.  I love this method and I am pretty sure I am going to keep going with it.  

 

We are going to start the Nature Study on Fridays in the fall.

 

We also purchased A Childs History of England to read over the summer per dd's request.  

 

dd12 is reading and outlining The Storybook of Science.  I was reading it with her, but I am way behind. :blushing:

[My3girls]

Agree.  I value excellent outside lessons.  It's worth giving up some structured CM lessons in order to create room in the day/week for piano lessons from a great teacher...or karate...or gymnastics.  

 

We also have more history, more science, and more math to cover b/c the world has made significant discoveries since CM's life.  Math has a more integral role in the overall curriculum of today simply b/c it has a more integral role in the world.  If we take CM's Ideas....Children are born persons, Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life...and apply these things to the world of today, we'll see that we cannot blindly imitate what the PNUE did b/c it doesn't *fit* today.  The entire point of CM's writings, imho, was to create a curriculum that is a perfect fit for the developmental stage of the child, a perfect fit for the culture of the child, something that satisfies the child intellectually, building academic skills as naturally as a child builds physical skills.  We *can* take those Ideas and apply them to modern life.  It takes the wisdom to know what is core and what is antiquated, and creativity to apply that wisdom in a changing world.  "How would CM teach Computer Programming?" ( :lol: )   Let's ask these questions that seem ridiculous...and we'll pull out the wheat from the chaff.  

 

 

That, and CM was a wise woman, but she was human and fallible.  We don't have to follow her 6 Books as if they were our Bible.  I think ambleside tries too hard to be "pure" CM, rendering it unfit for modern kids, especially those who are destined for STEM fields.  That said, I use it as a template for finding balance.  Shakespeare and Plutarch are timeless...but we can use our own history spine, find biographies that delight *our specific* child, and - for the LOVE!!! - we can use a bonafide science program that cuts to the chase and provides pictures and diagrams and uses modern vocabulary.

Wish I could like this more than once... like,like, like, like, like, infinity! lol

[Jane Elliot]

Agree.  I value excellent outside lessons.  It's worth giving up some structured CM lessons in order to create room in the day/week for piano lessons from a great teacher...or karate...or gymnastics.  

 

We also have more history, more science, and more math to cover b/c the world has made significant discoveries since CM's life.  Math has a more integral role in the overall curriculum of today simply b/c it has a more integral role in the world.  If we take CM's Ideas....Children are born persons, Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life...and apply these things to the world of today, we'll see that we cannot blindly imitate what the PNUE did b/c it doesn't *fit* today.  The entire point of CM's writings, imho, was to create a curriculum that is a perfect fit for the developmental stage of the child, a perfect fit for the culture of the child, something that satisfies the child intellectually, building academic skills as naturally as a child builds physical skills.  We *can* take those Ideas and apply them to modern life.  It takes the wisdom to know what is core and what is antiquated, and creativity to apply that wisdom in a changing world.  "How would CM teach Computer Programming?" ( :lol: )   Let's ask these questions that seem ridiculous...and we'll pull out the wheat from the chaff.  

 

 

That, and CM was a wise woman, but she was human and fallible.  We don't have to follow her 6 Books as if they were our Bible.  I think ambleside tries too hard to be "pure" CM, rendering it unfit for modern kids, especially those who are destined for STEM fields.  That said, I use it as a template for finding balance.  Shakespeare and Plutarch are timeless...but we can use our own history spine, find biographies that delight *our specific* child, and - for the LOVE!!! - we can use a bonafide science program that cuts to the chase and provides pictures and diagrams and uses modern vocabulary.

 

 

I agreed with everything you said until I got to the bolded. I actually believe AO as written would be excellent for kids destined for STEM fields. Hopefully I'll be able to say more later (I'm typing with 2yo grandson on my lap), but for now I'll just throw it out there.

[musicianmom]

I use parts of it. We spend 45 minutes to an hour and a half every morning in "morning time" which is CM based couch and cuddle time. We pray, read a chapter of the bible, read a picture book picked by each kid, read a chapter or two from our read aloud (and our read aloud list is heavily ambleside influenced), read a poem, and then do 1 more thing.

 

 

I am either the worst mother in the world, or my children all have some sort of undiagnosed disorder. This is so far beyond my reality, I can't even fathom it.

 

Total CM/Ambleside failure here.

[quietchapel]

I agreed with everything you said until I got to the bolded. I actually believe AO as written would be excellent for kids destined for STEM fields. Hopefully I'll be able to say more later (I'm typing with 2yo grandson on my lap), but for now I'll just throw it out there.

 

I hope you will say more later! I have never, ever understood the benefits of AO or most of CM. I know I am weird, though!

[Flowergirl159]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies :) I have really enjoyed reading your responses.

 

I spent hours and hours reading AO website and forum and putting together my own sort of plan and schedule. It is so hard to fit it in with what we already do.

 

We do these together and these are working:

History - SOTW1

Science - Apologia Astronomy

Bible - our own family devotions

Literature - Each morning we have a read aloud block where I read a section from each girls 'would be AO literature reading list' so at the moment its one Aesops Fable, one story of Beatrix Potter and one chap of Little Pilgrims Progress.

Poetry - one section or page each day, from each girls book, at lunch

Literature - one chap read at lunch time (currently In Grandmas Attic)

Bedtime literature - Stuart Little; picture books mostly recommended by AO/CM

 

AO recommend to not do subjects together, but these work really well for us. I was trying to add in their own history from AO lists. And their own science. And their own literature. To fit these in, I had scheduled a slot each day, for each girl, where I read from one of their books and they narrated. Now most times, they love this one on one with mummy, reading a book that is just for them. Even doing one reading a day will not get us through their AO year, in a year. But most days it is not even getting done. With everything else that we are doing,(above, and maths and LA) the AO readings seem lowest priority. However, I do see the value of the good books.

 

Maybe I just need to see AO curriculum as a guide for putting together my own booklist.

 

One other thing too, didn't CM teach many grades in the one room, all from the same history cycle, same science etc.?

[FO4UR]

I am either the worst mother in the world, or my children all have some sort of undiagnosed disorder. This is so far beyond my reality, I can't even fathom it.

 

Total CM/Ambleside failure here.

 

 

Oh, no!

 

This is my point.

 

Reach YOUR kids!  Your kids will probably play on the floor with lego or blocks or drawing while you read.  They will probably paint or color while listening to some good music.  Don't worry about how long they will sit.  That sort of thing won't matter a hill of beans when they are 35.

 

CM's Idea is to choose *The Best* literature, music, art, etc... to expose the kiddos to in order to foster a taste for the things that are of value.  If you know you've got 20min tops to read aloud, make those 20min count.  Skip the twaddle, and go for the good stuff.  Your kids are 8, 6, and 4yo.  Try Fairy Tales, unabridged by Lang, HC Anderson, Grimm.  Let them play with the Lincoln Logs & Little House paper dolls while reading through the first few Little House on the Prairie books.  If all else fails, read while they are eating and listen to audiobooks in the van.

 

 

Don't set yourself up for make-believe failure by expecting yourself (and your kids) to follow someone else's expectations.  Long read aloud sessions are something that have been built into the day over a long period of time.  Start small.  Enjoy the process.  Put the books away when attention wanes.  Search for books and music and art that will *delight* the kids...not entertain, but delight.  Whatever their minds have grown to find delight in will matter when they are 35, and by then they will be thankful to sit for 45min.  (ha)

[musicianmom]

The younger ones would find something to fight about and make noise on purpose just to get a reaction, the 8yo would cry in frustration and escape to her room with her Kindle to read Lord of the Rings.

 

It's really more like having a 10yo and 4yo twins as far as trying to do anything as a group goes.

[Another Lynn]

The younger ones would find something to fight about and make noise on purpose just to get a reaction, the 8yo would cry in frustration and escape to her room with her Kindle to read Lord of the Rings.

 

It's really more like having a 10yo and 4yo twins as far as trying to do anything as a group goes.

 

Couple thoughts.  You can keep it short and tell the 6 and 4yo that they are allowed to do specific quiet activity (legos, painting, whatever), but that you won't tolerate fighting or talking.  Consequence will be XYZ.  repeat. repeat. repeat.  OR, look at it this way - it is usually recommended to begin AO around age 7.  It's okay to acknowledge that they are still young and not ready for it yet.  Wait 6 months.  Try again this fall.  In the mean time, whet their appetites by reading really good picture books to the 4yo and 6yo - even if you need to do it one on one and even if you don't have time to read to both of them every day.  You will still be making strides toward your goal.  When you try again this fall, talk with your 8yo about grace and patience towards younger siblings.  There's plenty of time for her to feast on LOTR and other works, and still join the others for a short read aloud time - if that's what you decide you want to do.  (Or you could put her in an older year and have her read the books for herself - depends on how much AO you want to do).  Either way, you are not an AO or CM failure!  Your kids are still on the young side for it.  My oldest would listen to anything from a young age.  Another of my dc, though very bright, didn't enjoy listening to read alouds until he was a little older.  Additionally, some mornings I was so frustrated with one or all of them, *I* didn't feel like being in the same room with them, much less read to them, lol.  It will get better!

 

[KeriJ]

Thanks so much everyone for your replies :) I have really enjoyed reading your responses.

 

I spent hours and hours reading AO website and forum and putting together my own sort of plan and schedule. It is so hard to fit it in with what we already do.

 

We do these together and these are working:

History - SOTW1

Science - Apologia Astronomy

Bible - our own family devotions

Literature - Each morning we have a read aloud block where I read a section from each girls 'would be AO literature reading list' so at the moment its one Aesops Fable, one story of Beatrix Potter and one chap of Little Pilgrims Progress.

Poetry - one section or page each day, from each girls book, at lunch

Literature - one chap read at lunch time (currently In Grandmas Attic)

Bedtime literature - Stuart Little; picture books mostly recommended by AO/CM

 

AO recommend to not do subjects together, but these work really well for us. I was trying to add in their own history from AO lists. And their own science. And their own literature. To fit these in, I had scheduled a slot each day, for each girl, where I read from one of their books and they narrated. Now most times, they love this one on one with mummy, reading a book that is just for them. Even doing one reading a day will not get us through their AO year, in a year. But most days it is not even getting done. With everything else that we are doing,(above, and maths and LA) the AO readings seem lowest priority. However, I do see the value of the good books.

 

Maybe I just need to see AO curriculum as a guide for putting together my own booklist.

 

One other thing too, didn't CM teach many grades in the one room, all from the same history cycle, same science etc.?

 

This is how I use it as well.  "as a guide for putting together my own booklist".  I tend to look over the choices from HOD first though, but I do check with AO as well.  But we do a lot together.

[vaquitita]

Nm

Edited December 13, 2015 by vaquitita