Any Charlotte Mason users?

[Entropymama]

I posted this on the Ambleside forums 20 minutes ago and haven't gotten a response. That would never happen here!  :laugh: 

 

Anyway, I'm considering going all-out CM and have a couple concerns I was wondering if anyone could address. 

1 - It's possible, even likely, that they will go into public school for high school and maybe even middle school. My oldest just started at a charter school. Because of this I need to be sure they'll be prepared and I'm a little worried about the grammar progression. Obviously if you continue through high school it's all covered, but if you only go through 7th or 8th grade, will they be behind? 

2 - I've heard some criticism from other circles about the science books chosen by Ambleside. I have very little first hand knowledge but am interested to hear the thoughts of those here. I am a Christian but allow that an old earth is a possibility. I'd like to include modern scientific thought and I have heard that, for example, Madame How and Lady Why or the School of the Woods are older books and have some ideas in them that are now considered unscientific. We did purchase both books a few years ago but had a hard time getting into them because my kids found them wordy. They prefer a more clear, to the point, science book. But possibly we didn't give them enough time; we were in a co-op science class at the time and I didn't feel they needed both so we dropped the books after just a few weeks. 

Lastly, a question about how you do AO - there's so much reading assigned. Do you have your kids narrate everything they read? How do you gauge comprehension? What does the writing part of AO look like? 

Thanks for reading, I know this got long, and for any help you can give this newbie! 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I posted this on the Ambleside forums 20 minutes ago and haven't gotten a response. That would never happen here!  :laugh: 

 

Anyway, I'm considering going all-out CM and have a couple concerns I was wondering if anyone could address. 

 

1 - It's possible, even likely, that they will go into public school for high school and maybe even middle school. My oldest just started at a charter school. Because of this I need to be sure they'll be prepared and I'm a little worried about the grammar progression. Obviously if you continue through high school it's all covered, but if you only go through 7th or 8th grade, will they be behind? 

 

2 - I've heard some criticism from other circles about the science books chosen by Ambleside. I have very little first hand knowledge but am interested to hear the thoughts of those here. I am a Christian but allow that an old earth is a possibility. I'd like to include modern scientific thought and I have heard that, for example, Madame How and Lady Why or the School of the Woods are older books and have some ideas in them that are now considered unscientific. We did purchase both books a few years ago but had a hard time getting into them because my kids found them wordy. They prefer a more clear, to the point, science book. But possibly we didn't give them enough time; we were in a co-op science class at the time and I didn't feel they needed both so we dropped the books after just a few weeks. 

 

Lastly, a question about how you do AO - there's so much reading assigned. Do you have your kids narrate everything they read? How do you gauge comprehension? What does the writing part of AO look like? 

 

Thanks for reading, I know this got long, and for any help you can give this newbie! 

 

Ambleside Online =/= Charlotte Mason. If you want to follow her methods and philosophies, you can do that without ever even knowing that AO exists. :) I am not much of a fan of AO (or the book selections) but I love CM and used many of her ideas with my boys.

 

Have you read her Original Series?

 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Trying to post within the twenty minute timeframe... ;)

 

We are Charlotte Mason inspired homeschoolers. Are you wondering about AO specifically or CM in general?

 

Eta: AO wasn't a good fit for us.

 

Charlotte's original books have influenced our days in immeasurable ways...

[Coco_Clark]

I'm another CMer that doesn't use AO. Aren't we a helpful bunch ;)

 

The grammar thing is why I use LLTL. It's CM but with more explicit grammar instruction. That said, if you follow CM straight up I don't think you'd have issues quickly teaching the parts of speech a month before they start public. At middle or high school it wouldn't take more than a week or two.

 

Similarly I don't follow AOs science progression/recommendations, because I agree with you- science should be modern. A lot has changed! That being said, I wouldn't necessarily worry about science. I think CM plus basic curiosity covers elementary science, and you could pick and choose from the best of ambleside for middle grades...or go rouge ;)

 

My kids narrate from SOMETHING every day, often even two things. But no, not from everything every day.

[Holly]

We switched to ELTL  for language arts this year.  The grammar is beyond what public schools teach.  We cover light grammar for grades 1-3 and add more grammar starting with grade 4 or 5.  This also covers our writing, focusing on written narrations.  It's a wonderful program and could easily be used with AO.  You'd just have to eliminate any areas of overlap.  

 

We don't follow AO.  I use their website as a resource and we are using their Folksong studies this year.  I also go there when I need ideas for book substitutions.  One issue I have is that there is a large number of older books.  We use a combination of vintage and newer books.  I think if Charlotte Mason were alive, she'd be sifting through the newer books to find good selections too.   ;)  For science, we use some vintage books including the Handbook of Nature Study.  We often discuss how the readings aren't as applicable today, and it adds to our science lessons.  For general curriculum, we mostly use SCM's Free Curriculum Guide, with several substitutions.  My main reason for substituting books from SCM are to use what are already on our bookshelves.  

 

For daily narrations, we narrate Bible, science, history, and literature.  We don't narrate every subject, ever day.  Some of our narrations are done as a group with each child adding a few things to the narration.  My goal is for their narrations to improve over time.  Some readings lead to better narrations than others.  If they are struggling with a written narration, sometimes changing their reading can help.  Sometimes giving them a shorter portion to narrate helps as well.  ELTL really breaks down the written narrations and has been a huge help for us!  

 

I highly recommend A Charlotte Mason Education if you haven't already read it.  It's a much faster read than the CM Original Series and gives you a nice idea of what a CM education would look like.  

 

 

[FO4UR]

I'm a CM homeschooler.  AO is only one way to do CM.  Let AO go if it seems overwhelming or unfit.  It's OK.  It's an excellent resource, but it doesn't fit every family.

 

 

Grammar:  CM taught grammar and she taught it young. She just didn't teach it through drill & kill methods.  She depended upon the teachers knowing their grammar and teaching it through copywork and dictation. I've been using Kilgallon, and I think those are very much inline with CM's ideals on imitation of quality literature.

 

Even if they go into a PS later, a little CM is better than none.  That is my humble opinion.

 

As for the science, yes, some things on AO are outdated.  (I like Delta Science in a Nutshell kits with library books.)  That said, I like MHLW for the philosophical approach and the critical thinking it spurs on.  The nature story books are wonderful!

 

 

[BooksandBoys]

What they said.

 

We are CM homeschoolers, but being CM informs my educational decisions, it does not determine them.

 

What I mean, for example, is that I opt for a very literature-heavy education, but I teach explicit phonics rather than using CM's reading method. We spend lots of time outside and prioritize nature study, but we also teach physics and chemistry explicitly.

 

AO is a curriculum based on the ideas of Charlotte Mason, It is not the only one, nor is it perfect. I read CM's original series and, as a result, I believe that CM would do quite a few things differently than AO or SCM choose to do. For example, I believe that if CM were alive today, she would support much more thorough math and science education. AO is not particularly math and science oriented, though I noticed just now that they've improved their math recommendations page since I last looked at it.

 

We use AO as a guide, but I am comfortable picking and choosing. We choose not to use the AO religious selections, we do use the science books, but I also add plenty of science (in these lower years, science is all animal science. I doubt we will use the science selections in upper years for the very reason you described). I edit and supplement and change history. I don't teach grammar yet (guess that makes me an AO grammar person right now), but when I do, I will teach it explicitly because my kiddo does better when told the rules. I believe that my kids will be well-prepared to enter a PS if necessary, but that is because I teach the child in front of me and do not follow any curriculum exactly as written.

 

I think I've addressed your first two questions. As to the last, I do require a narration of nearly every school reading I assign. Right now, that means my Year 2 student orally narrates about 10 selections a week. He also does two written narrations a week from a science series that I've added. (Now, he has a writing delay, so for him, "written" narration means he draws a picture and writes one sentence.) I do not require narration of any free reads, whether from the AO free read list, his easy chapter book reading for fun, or any other books I may encourage him to read.

[Mrs. A]

I love Charlotte Mason, but I'm another person who picks and chooses from AO. I love much of what they have to offer, but I make plenty of substitutions and omissions/additions. 

 

I found 8filltheheart's Treasured Conversations to be a perfect fit for grammar and writing because it taught me HOW to teach those things. And it's really a good fit with CM philosophy. 

 

We do one narration a day, sometimes two for my eldest. I'm transitioning him to written narration for him so we're working on one written narration per week.

 

I can't speak to the science question really because we're not in the upper years yet, so I don't have any kind of opinion on the books. We've just started MHLW and I'm withholding judgement till we get a little further in :D 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Another CMer who does not use AO.  Why is CM supposed to be against grammar?  We just did grammar using living books to identify parts of speech.  For science, we just chose living books that are more modern.  

 

I have transitioned to more textbooks in high school though in the maths and sciences.  

[Curlymom]

We are CM and I also pick and choose from AO. I'm not too bothered by the science selections, but I will not use something that is clearly out of date, and we do also use a very non-CM science program (RSO science).  For the younger grades, I've found the science selections such as the Burgess books or Pagoo to be a nice addition to our main science curriculum, but I personally won't use the outdated books recommended in some of the higher years.

 

As for the grammar, I think starting grammar later is fine.  AO recommends starting in Year 4, which is usually around age 9.  I can't remember Mason's actual recommendation, but I don't see a problem with starting grammar later.  WTM follows a very rigorous grammar schedule, but I'm more of the mentality that learning grammar doesn't need to be a long, drawn-out process.  

 

We are primarily CM when it comes to narrations.  My kids narrate several times a day from their literature, history or science readings.  They don't narrate free reads.  My 10 year old does a few written narrations a week, my 8 year old only does oral narrations.  We also do copy work, although I do combine this with spelling (I use Wheeler's Speller, a vintage speller).

 

My younger child has followed more of a strict AO schedule, and has gone through Year 1 and most of Year 2.   I've branched out and chosen more modern science and history readers for my older child, but she still narrates.  

 

So, as the others said, AO is not the only way to be a CM homeschooler.  There are a lot of great resources available through AO, but CM methods can be used with any quality books.  I highly recommend reading Mason's actual books.  

[Spy Car]

Ask AO why they choose patently racist history textbooks? And why their historical fiction is much the same???

 

Bill

[lea_lpz]

CM but not using Ambleside. Maybe more unit study'ish. (Is that a word?)

 

We do base our core curriculum on good literature, generally historical fiction and then go from there to incorporate history, science, character, art, music, handicrafts and cooking.

 

We use Language Lessons For Today for grammar.

 

We don't narrate every little thing but generally we do narration about 3x per week involving a science journal, history journal page, nature journaling and a writing assignment based on the chapter read aloud we're using.

 

We follow a 6 year history cycle.

 

We try to do a weekly nature walk and I encourage the kids to sketch outside or being something home to sketch.

 

We try to do a weekly handicraft and cooking day.

[lea_lpz]

Ask AO why they choose patently racist history textbooks? And why their historical fiction is much the same???

 

Bill

LMAO! Well said Bill! In fact my desire to do a 6 year cycle is largely to incorporate more US history, particularly the history of all people.

[pehp]

I do Charlotte Mason.  It's a philosophy of education. So I choose my own books (based on a variety of lists, factors, preferences, etc.) but apply the CM methodology to my homeschool.  AO can be a jumping-off point, but I would not follow it (or any other 'program') slavishly.  I have reviewed a few of their suggestions and have not liked them, so I've crafted my own...there are SO many great books out there!

 

Grammar should be fine, in my opinion.  How much grammar do they actually do in public high school?  I only recall one year of grammar, in 7th grade, and I guess there was some interspersed throughout high school (but I don't ever remember diagramming a sentence past 7th grade).   

 

I would be more concerned about science!  For science, we do nature study/walks (very useful in building observational powers), interest-led books and an outsourced science class one day a week at a local math and science school. Science is important to me. I am Christian and am affirmatively old earth.  Not sure how old your children are, but I think you'd do well to seek interesting science books and topics to pursue with them, and use documentaries.  My children (8 and 4) are enjoying the Burgess Bird Book and the Burgess Book of Nature Lore.  They are gentle introductions to natural history.  Oh! Also Mother West Wind.  Science is not my strongest subject, so I decided that outsourcing it to someone with expertise and passion was worth the money.  And we are so fortunate to have that school here!

 

As for the reading, I would just use your own judgment to decide how much to require each day.  My son DOES narrate everything we read for school.  Narration, to me, is the bread and butter of the CM education and I find it so helpful. You gauge comprehension by listening to their narration...at least I have found that this is a tool that works.   You may wish to look at the PNEU timetables (http://amblesideonline.org/PR/PR19p899Timetables.shtml). This is how I get my CM done in 2 hours per day...and we are doing the 3Rs, math, literature, picture study, singing, history, geography, recitation, Bible, natural world readings, spelling.....my son narrates 2 passages per day on average. He's 8 years old.  

 

Writing during the early years looks like copywork on paper, and oral narration (or picture narration or acting narration!).  Then you move into written narrations when the child is ready....

 

I highly recommend Charlotte Mason Help and reading CM's books (the original series), if you can manage it. Oh! And check out Sage Parnassus, Nancy Kelly's website.  

 

[Entropymama]

Thank you, thank you! 

 

You all have given me a lot to think about. I need to re-read this when I have more brain power than late at night. I'll be back with better questions. :) 

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

 

 It's a philosophy of education. 

I wanted to highlight this.  

[FO4UR]

I wanted to highlight this.  

:iagree:

 

And, part of her philosophy was preparing each term fresh and new for the upcoming students.  You cannot buy a CM curriculum.  You must study CM philosophy and apply it to the living books, art, music, etc in your own home.

 

I'll be transparent here for a minute.  The more I try to stick to an externally planned reading list, the less CM our homeschool becomes...even though those reading lists are planned by CM scholars.  

 

Atmosphere. Discipline. Life.

 

 

 

 

Oh, and yes, have the kids narrate everything they read for school. Just, please, don't make the narrations too school-ish, especially for littles.  Ages 6-10 they are oral narrations, 1-3 readings a day.  At age 10, start with 1 or 2 written narrations per week.  Those first written narrations will seem sparse.  That's OK.  Just keep going, and every year add another weekly written narration until the kids have a deeply ingrained habit of reading, thinking, and processing it out with their pens.

 

For young children, ages 6-8yo, "What was your favorite part of that chapter?"  or "Do you think ______ is going to ______?"  and allow the narration to turn into conversation.  Offer pretend play props for play-acting the stories in their free time.  (Lincoln Logs are great while reading through Little House books, for example.)  

[ChocolateMomster]

AO user here, though I do add or skip things where I feel the need for it. One thing I've add from Y3 is Latin and Grammar, because I felt I don't want to wait any longer. You can do what YOU feel is right, AO is just one way of doing it :)

[Bluegoat]

We use a CM approach.  I like some of AOs things, but not others, and I  tend to think much of their approach is not CM.

 

I  don't see it as likely that you would have issues with grammar.  If you have things you know will be expected for middle school, you can plan to cover those in some way the year or two before.  You might also get some of it through language study in those last few years.

 

I like my kids to have at least one narration to do per day.  With dd7, I generally ask for one oral narration, often of the story she is reading independently.  With dd10 she will do one or two oral narrations a day, and about once a week a written one, and often we will take a second day to edit it and improve it.  Depending on the text she might instead walk me through the reading on the map (something we are reading more for geography) or it might be more of a discussion (our Bible reading with commentary.)

 

In general, I quite like the science books AO uses, though not the texts they were suggesting for highschool in the past.  I don't consider old science books "unscientific" really, even if there have been changes in how some things are thought of.  I don't expect any one book to provide a full science education, and it is IMO quite a good thing to see how ideas change - they will no doubt come upon conflicting information about science on many occasions.

 

When I was a girl, I loved a book which was called the Encyclopedia of Natural History, and I learned a lot from it - more from that one book than I ever did from all my elementary school science.  It was, however, a pre-moon landing book, so the information about the moon and many astronomy topics was out of date.  So was some of the information about early humans.  I found those things just as interesting though - I thought it was really cool to see what people thought the surface of the moon might be like.  I also remember reading about Oliver Sacks teaching himself chemistry by reading old books, starting with old ones and moving on in order to more recent ones, where more and more was known.  I think that is generally quite a good way to learn about science contextually - so many people seem to misunderstand science as a subject that is historical, in the sense that it is a kind of ongoing conversation.  Not a bunch of facts that happen to be up to date, but a way of thinking.

 

This year for science reading dd10 is reading Fabre's book of insects.  Most of it is still true, but what is more important is seeing how he was actually doing science, thinking about things, performing experiments to unveil things that seem mysterious, and his real love of the subject. 

 

And of course these kinds of books should be combined with nature study which is largely direct observation.

 

High school aged kids are ready to go on to a different kind of study in many cases, along with continued good science reading. But lots of math and reading of living books and nature study IMO will take them through middle school.

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

My take on the Charlotte Mason method as a philosophy doesn't distil it down to cookbook form - do xyz things, read xyz books and voila you are doing CM.  My take is that she was describing a way of approaching learning and information:

 

Treat kids as if they are full-blown persons.  Don't talk down to them.

 

Don't take over for them.  Use masterly inactivity to allow kids to safely interact with the world, making their own connections using their senses.

 

Connect with the idea, not just the details.  This is the whole point of living books, in my opinion.  You want books that make things come alive so that the details are put in context and grab the imagination of the reader.  There is no master list of living books for everyone.  This is my main problem with AO - that they have made some books that grab the imagination and fancy of some and have made it into a curriculum.  The list of living books for ds and dd were different and they were different in some extent to what I would have chosen as a child.  I want these books to be well written and to give the broad picture as well as the details.  I don't want them stuck in a certain age (another problem I have with AO).  I want them to be up-to-date so that the big picture and the details are accurate.  Charlotte Mason was actually quite adamant about being progressive in what you teach (read her thoughts esp. on Darwinism which is outdated now but was progressive in her time).  

 

Interact directly and directly observe phenomena.  Yes, this is a lot of nature study but it is also a lot of basic science experiments in my opinion.  CM didn't necessarily outline all the basic experiments we teach because they were not categorized as they are now.  I personally think she'd be big  on experiments because it goes along with the rest of her educational philosophy.  (I could be wrong but this is my take on it.)

 

Keep things short, because this way of interacting with things one-on-one with the actual material is kind of intense and requires time for it to percolate.  (Again, my take on the why behind what seems to be taught without any context.)

 

Keep things oral and then gradually transition to written because the process of taking information in and then reformatting it in order to teach/explain to someone else through speaking or writing is invaluable for the person doing the teaching/explaining.   (This isn't necessarily the best fit for all types of learners but I think the principle behind it can be adapted to different ways of processing information.)

 

I've probably forgotten some key detail - it's been a while since I outlined her books while reading them for myself.  

[Entropymama]

Again, thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. This has already helped immensely. 

 

I read one of CM's six volumes several years ago (I can't remember which one) and some blogs and was attracted to the method, but ultimately chose WTM. For context, this is our 9th year homeschooling, dc are 8th, 6th, 5th, 1st and kindergarten this year. Two years ago I decided to go for it and went with Ambleside, I think year 3. I think what I wanted was for it to be CM's SWB. I love the CM philosophy, but I'm not really sure how to DO the CM philosophy. I wanted book lists and schedules and AO provided that.

 

There were many things I liked about it. We had always done copy work, narrations and dictations so that was a good fit. We'd also done the Holling C. Holling books and continued with those. I liked the extra reading, Shakespeare and poetry. I like short lessons for the younger kids, and nature study. I liked the pace; I felt like we had more time to explore topics we liked, watch documentaries and go for walks. 

 

What didn't work: 

 

The science books were okay, but the kids got bored with them and I wanted to do more experiments. Since we had already done several years of WTM, they'd already done animals and biomes. 

 

Math Mammoth was a bust and we quickly went back to Saxon and Khan Academy. 

 

Many of the reading selections were so dense and full of archaic language that they had trouble getting through them on their own. They ended up being read-alouds and I didn't have time for it. The Little Duke I remember in particular. Great story but hard to get through. 

 

I was nervous about the lack of spelling and grammar. 

 

The next year we did kind of half AO/half WTM. I did LLATL to fill the 'gap' I was worried about and we resumed Latin and Spelling Workout. But I kept hearing that if you want CM to work you can't do it halfway. So this year we went back to full WTM. Then, a few weeks ago my 8th grader got a spot in a classical charter school. The other kids are on waiting lists and will probably start there in middle school. Seeing the level of difficulty there I'm worried about preparing them for that. I want to trust the CM method to get them there and I don't want to do it 'wrong'. 

 

What I'm really looking for are people who do CM successfully, who can share their schedules and book lists, etc. I want TWTM for CM.  :laugh:

 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

For my 8th grader - some thoughts on what we do that I think is CM in philosophy:

 

We follow the WTM history/lit. suggestions but use narration as a big part of how we interact with the material.  Dd just got done reading some of the Sir Conan Doyle Sherlock stories and we compared and contrasted them to the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch.  Obviously CM did not talk about comparing books to movies or t.v. since that didn't exist then, but how it captured dd's imagination and allowed her to explore the themes and ideas in the stories was completely CM in my opinion.

 

We watched 1900 House to get a feel for Victorian life and times.  We also did some other reading but this is what especially caught dd's imagination and naturally led to a lot of "narrations" which were not coerced but bubbled out of her.  

 

We use Khan academy for math partly because it engages dd more thoroughly in her math education than other books and approaches have. 

 

We are going to start having a Friday Project day where we work on music, drawing, and other hands on electives.  Dd drives all of this.  We had a glorious time at the library the other day looking for ideas and projects.  

 

Science - we use Galore Park's So You Want to Learn Science book 2 but I supplement that with a lot of experiments.  

 

We are both studying Spanish using Duolingo.  We don't do Latin because dd is not interested in Latin.

 

Writing is covered both in a textbook (not CM at all) but also naturally through science and history/lit. (the CM approach)

 

Vocabulary - covered by a textbook (not CM at all) but also naturally through science and history/lit.  (the CM approach)

 

We are also doing two "subjects" totally because dd wants to explore them.  We are doing a science kit that is tied to the history of science.  And we are going through a book called "How to Think like Sherlock" which is equal parts cognitive psychology, regular psychology, game and puzzles and literary analysis.  That makes it sound a lot deepr than it is but it has led to a lot of interesting interactions with the ideas in the book - a very CM thing.  

 

 

[Bluegoat]

Again, thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. This has already helped immensely. 

 

I read one of CM's six volumes several years ago (I can't remember which one) and some blogs and was attracted to the method, but ultimately chose WTM. For context, this is our 9th year homeschooling, dc are 8th, 6th, 5th, 1st and kindergarten this year. Two years ago I decided to go for it and went with Ambleside, I think year 3. I think what I wanted was for it to be CM's SWB. I love the CM philosophy, but I'm not really sure how to DO the CM philosophy. I wanted book lists and schedules and AO provided that.

 

There were many things I liked about it. We had always done copy work, narrations and dictations so that was a good fit. We'd also done the Holling C. Holling books and continued with those. I liked the extra reading, Shakespeare and poetry. I like short lessons for the younger kids, and nature study. I liked the pace; I felt like we had more time to explore topics we liked, watch documentaries and go for walks. 

 

What didn't work: 

 

The science books were okay, but the kids got bored with them and I wanted to do more experiments. Since we had already done several years of WTM, they'd already done animals and biomes. 

 

Math Mammoth was a bust and we quickly went back to Saxon and Khan Academy. 

 

Many of the reading selections were so dense and full of archaic language that they had trouble getting through them on their own. They ended up being read-alouds and I didn't have time for it. The Little Duke I remember in particular. Great story but hard to get through. 

 

I was nervous about the lack of spelling and grammar. 

 

The next year we did kind of half AO/half WTM. I did LLATL to fill the 'gap' I was worried about and we resumed Latin and Spelling Workout. But I kept hearing that if you want CM to work you can't do it halfway. So this year we went back to full WTM. Then, a few weeks ago my 8th grader got a spot in a classical charter school. The other kids are on waiting lists and will probably start there in middle school. Seeing the level of difficulty there I'm worried about preparing them for that. I want to trust the CM method to get them there and I don't want to do it 'wrong'. 

 

What I'm really looking for are people who do CM successfully, who can share their schedules and book lists, etc. I want TWTM for CM.  :laugh:

 

With the AO texts - I haven't found that they are always well targeted to age groups.  A few I have tried have been failures, but worked better a few years later.  Others have worked and surprised me.  Others we've found ways to work though, because one of the things I think, and CM seemed to think, is that difficult books are required for becoming a better reader.  Reading is a skill as well as a means, and working on it means stretching.  I tend these days to try and do one difficult book at a time in our school work.  Right now that book is for geography - when that is finished, we will probably try a more difficult literature selection.  I sometimes look for books where I can find recordings for this - youtube has many.

 

But I think the main thing is to really think about the reasoning behind her recommendations, her first principles.  It becomes quite easy then to see a direction to go to meet your needs.  I also think that this is really the thing that differentiates CM most from classical or neoclassical methods - it begins from a view of the human soul and how it operates, and the educational methods or ways we select books, or even what we understand the goals of education to be, come out of that.

[Jean in Newcastle]

 

 

But I think the main thing is to really think about the reasoning behind her recommendations, her first principles.  It becomes quite easy then to see a direction to go to meet your needs.  I also think that this is really the thing that differentiates CM most from classical or neoclassical methods - it begins from a view of the human soul and how it operates, and the educational methods or ways we select books, or even what we understand the goals of education to be, come out of that.

Exactly.  Which is why I felt a bit funny writing down what I do with my 8th grader - because it is tailored to my 8th grader's soul and not anyone elses.  

[Holly]

SCM has a e-book called Planning Your CM Education that I recommend.  It's very helpful if you end up planning your own materials.  Another thing I've found helpful are the postings on this blog: http://www.sabbath-mood-homeschool.com/p/preparing-cm-schedule.html 

 

There are some samples of the schedules used at the CM schools...none of the "ready to go" curriculum include all the subjects CM covered...although I'd be pretty impressed with anyone who manages to cover them all in a homeschool setting (Can you imagine teaching 4 Languages! ).  I've been researching CM methods and subjects for several years now and we add a bit more each year...I think it'd be difficult to jump in all at once.  

 

Here is what we use if you are interested.  Keep in mind we don't get to all subjects every day or week.  I also stick to the short lesson times, so we can fit many subjects in each day:

 

Bible--we follow Bible readings from Penny Gardner's website, have a hymn study, and use SCM's scripture memory system

Language Arts--We use ELTL which covers several subejects including poetry and picture study.  I substitute the dictation selections with ones from Spelling Wisdom, because we prefer their selections.  Some of my DC are using Print to Cursive Proverbs from SCM in place of ELTL's copywork. 

Math: MUS along with ideas from SCM's Mathematics book & DVD set.  We're also using Paper Sloyd for Primary Grades and Compass Drawings, each once a week.  Both of these books cover "practical geometry".

Phonics: McGuffey readers, reading rods, and DD keeps a book of new words she's learned.  

Science: We're using a Burgess Bird study guide from SCM and some living books (2 chapters per week).  We also use the Handbook of Nature Study for a weekly object lesson.  DD will be using Apologia next year for high school.

History--SCM's Middle Ages guide along with Visits to Europe, The Geography Book for some hands-on geography lessons

Extras: listen to classical CDs, AO's Folksong study, Shakespeare (we're currently reading through the Poetry for Young People book on Shakespeare), piano lessons, Laying Down the Rails for Children (habit study), Memoria Press Latin, Rosetta Stone Spanish

PE: Homeschool Family Fitness when we can't get outside or have extra time

Handicrafts--Now that canning season is done, I can devote more time to this.  So far this year, we've made butter and sketched a couple of drawings.  My older DC helped a bit with canning tomatoes.  They also do lots of crafts on their own (with help from youtube videos).  

[pehp]

I think I do it successfully, but the success comes in making the philosophy my own and not sticking to book lists and other people's schedules!  And since we are living in 2015, I utilize all the lovely aspects of modern life that help me teach my children.  Understanding the principles is quite liberating because then you have the confidence to pick and choose what works best for your family!

 

One issue I have with AO's booklists (there are several issues) is that they do sometimes feel archaic.  If my child is disengaged from the material, it's not really a LIVING book for us.  Sometimes that's b/c a book is being implemented too early.  Sometimes that's because a book is simply not lighting the fire for my child.  My child doesn't have to love the book, but crying when we pull it out (that happened once) means I have veered sharply off the CM path, IMO.

 

It's a very happy and gentle way for us to move throughout my children's childhood.  It's also fascinating to see them grow and engage with the material...folksongs, the natural world, excellent biographies, picture studies.  

 

I tend to take homeschooling one year at a time, never discounting that at some point my children may go to "real" school.  But so far this approach has been so successful that I see no reason for school.  We are learning so much.  I am learning so much. 

 

And also remember that CM is just a philosophy. There are lots of ways to educate a child successfully.  I'm not a legalist with religion, food or homeschooling.....at some point it may be in a child's best interests to take a different path.  It's all about respecting the child as a person, and that always trumps the ideology. 

 

[Bluegoat]

Exactly.  Which is why I felt a bit funny writing down what I do with my 8th grader - because it is tailored to my 8th grader's soul and not anyone elses.  

 

I think though it is actually useful to people to get a sense of what a day or year would look like.  Maybe even more so of they can see a few ways different people do it.  Sometimes seeing how something works in practice gives a lot of insight into the theory.

[FO4UR]

 

 

What I'm really looking for are people who do CM successfully, who can share their schedules and book lists, etc. I want TWTM for CM.  :laugh:

 

 

That doesn't really exist, does it?  I have thought about making up a reading schedule using SOTW for history and using some more modern living literature selections.  tbh - I'm really stumped.  

 

I truly do best when I just pick some great books and use a sticky note.  Do as many readings a day as the child can reasonably do (regardless of age or grade), and just pick up in the book where we left off and rotate through the books.  No schedule.

 

 

 

Another note on grammar: If you look at her list of attainments for 12yo's, CM had her students learning several different foreign languages.  Her kids knew grammar.  It just wasn't done via a separate textbook....copywork, dictation, languages...  IOW - Do grammar in a way that YOU feel sticks with your own kids, guilt free.  Lively Latin is nice.

[Entropymama]

Oh my gosh, guys. I must be hormonal because this thread is making me weepy. Thank you so much for all your help, all the practical input is just what I needed to hear. Thank you so, so much! 

 

 

For my 8th grader - some thoughts on what we do that I think is CM in philosophy:

 

We follow the WTM history/lit. suggestions but use narration as a big part of how we interact with the material.  Dd just got done reading some of the Sir Conan Doyle Sherlock stories and we compared and contrasted them to the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch.  Obviously CM did not talk about comparing books to movies or t.v. since that didn't exist then, but how it captured dd's imagination and allowed her to explore the themes and ideas in the stories was completely CM in my opinion.

 

We watched 1900 House to get a feel for Victorian life and times.  We also did some other reading but this is what especially caught dd's imagination and naturally led to a lot of "narrations" which were not coerced but bubbled out of her.  

 

We use Khan academy for math partly because it engages dd more thoroughly in her math education than other books and approaches have. 

 

We are going to start having a Friday Project day where we work on music, drawing, and other hands on electives.  Dd drives all of this.  We had a glorious time at the library the other day looking for ideas and projects.  

 

Science - we use Galore Park's So You Want to Learn Science book 2 but I supplement that with a lot of experiments.  

 

We are both studying Spanish using Duolingo.  We don't do Latin because dd is not interested in Latin.

 

Writing is covered both in a textbook (not CM at all) but also naturally through science and history/lit. (the CM approach)

 

Vocabulary - covered by a textbook (not CM at all) but also naturally through science and history/lit.  (the CM approach)

 

We are also doing two "subjects" totally because dd wants to explore them.  We are doing a science kit that is tied to the history of science.  And we are going through a book called "How to Think like Sherlock" which is equal parts cognitive psychology, regular psychology, game and puzzles and literary analysis.  That makes it sound a lot deepr than it is but it has led to a lot of interesting interactions with the ideas in the book - a very CM thing.  

 

Jean, I could kiss you. I know it feels weird, as you said, since this schedule is tailored to your child, but this is so helpful. Reading this makes me think we can really do CM successfully. 

 

 

One issue I have with AO's booklists (there are several issues) is that they do sometimes feel archaic.  If my child is disengaged from the material, it's not really a LIVING book for us.  Sometimes that's b/c a book is being implemented too early.  Sometimes that's because a book is simply not lighting the fire for my child.  My child doesn't have to love the book, but crying when we pull it out (that happened once) means I have veered sharply off the CM path, IMO.

 

 

This is how we felt about at least half the selections. Thank you so much for your perspective. I felt like if I didn't use these wonderful living books we were missing out on something and it never occurred to me that it could not not-living for us. 

 

 

Two last questions: 

 

Now that dd13 is in school, they are doing A LOT of expository writing. Much of it is trying to pull from them their own thoughts and conclusions about the literature (logic stage). When you narrate with older kids, do you prompt them that way or does it come naturally? How do you push them into higher level thinking? 

 

What about creative writing? 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Writing:  Dd hates writing so getting her to do it CM or any other style has been pretty much hopeless and I'm still spinning my wheels on this.

 

Ds loved to write.  He did a lot of creative written narrations where he would tell me the story from Bolivar's perspective or would write an interview with Martin Luther etc.  But he was also the child who gave me a 27 page narration when he was 9 years old on one of the explorers - Hudson?  Lawrence?  Someone in Canada anyway.  He did this orally and I typed and typed and typed and whenever I tried to say "ok, can we stop" he would say "No!"  and because he really was interacting with the material, and I was curious how long he could go on, I let him go to the end.  

[Bluegoat]

My dd7 has a short day at the moment for grade 2.  She can focus - her focus is actually amazing - but she is very stubborn.  So for her we have a page or so of math (math mammoth.) 

Some copywork - she has a hard time with this, so we are still doing mostly letter formation, about 7 min daily. 

She reads silently, we are alternating between Naughty Little Sister stories and The Twits.  i don't plan these books ahead, I just pick whatever I think will be at the right level that she will enjoy.

I read something to her.  Now we are reading Tree In the Trail and OUtdoor Secrets.  We also will do some longer books, and history stories and things, myths, Bible stories, and so on. I try and make sure there are a variety of different types of things.

 

I plan after Christmas to do some things from English for the Thoughtful Child.  Next year will be more structured for her, so we will start A Child's History of the World for example and look at the ancient world.

 

She also is learning piano and guitar, and sings in a choir.  For art, music, and nature study, we do it as a family.  For Shakespeare, we go to plays.

 

Dd10 is in grade 5 and has a much more serious school day.

 

Math mammoth. 

Writing - this year we are starting written narrations, about one a week.  We edit them for grammar, spelling, and so on afterwards.  On other days she does some copywork or dictation, either things I pick from our work or sometimes things from online that someone else compiled.  Last year we actually used W&R, and Growing with Grammar, which dd enjoyed and the things we learned have been useful this year.  i may do an overview of grammar next year as she will probably do public school for grade 7.

 

For the rest - we have four normal school days, and one that is for piano lessons, a documentary or field trip, and any extras we have to catch up on.  Of the normal days, for two we read history and Bible, and for two literature and geography.  History now is SOTW, Early Modern period, and after Christmas will be Canadian history covering largely the same period.  For Bible we are studying the book of Luke using Luke for Everyone by N.T. Wright - that may take us most of the way through the year.  For geography we are reading and mapping sailing Alone Around the World - that is very challenging for dd and so we read together and her lit reading is not too heavy since it is on the same day.  When we are done with it, we will read some biographies.  Lit is The Curse of the Viking Grave by Farley Mowat - we are doing a fair bit of Canadian lit this year. 

 

We do French every day, because she will be in immersion for grade 7, so we have to get her to the same place, at least. that the public school kids will be.

 

We also have some things we do once a week - a poem (we've been reading Blake) science reading (Fabre's Book of Insects) and a church history reading (an older online history I can't remember the name of.)  We read and saw A Midsummer Night's Dream this summer, and acted out some scenes, at vacation Bible school.  We will read Puck of Pook's Hill later this year to go with it. 

 

She's doing nature study with the Young Naturalists Society, and also piano, choir, and violin.  She'll probably do a lvl 2 sewing course after CHristmas.

 

TBH, a lot of the structure of this is for me - I am busy enough that it really help to know what is supposed to be going on day to day, otherwise I tend to let things go.

[Jane Elliot]

Just a quick thought for the OP. Over at the Circe website there's a series of podcasts about Charlotte Mason called The Mason Jar by Cindy Rollins. She put her youngest in high school this year after following CM for her children. He went into the honors program. In one of the podcasts, she interviews Anne White, an AO advisory member, who put her kids in high school. I've really enjoyed listening. They're helpful, informative, and inspiring. They might answer your first question.

[FO4UR]

 

Two last questions: 

 

Now that dd13 is in school, they are doing A LOT of expository writing. Much of it is trying to pull from them their own thoughts and conclusions about the literature (logic stage). When you narrate with older kids, do you prompt them that way or does it come naturally? How do you push them into higher level thinking? 

 

What about creative writing? 

 

 

My oldest is only 12, so take that into account with my answer.  If he's into a book, he gives adult level narrations/discussions naturally...orally.  He's dyslexic, so his written output is sparse.

 

My 10yo also gives the same sort of oral narrations.  Maybe days later, she'll bring up a reading again..."Why would _______ do _______? You know that was very foolish.  If _____ would have known _______........."  and so on.  She's not writing expository papers yet, but she's only 10 and thinking way beyond the surface, connecting ideas all over the place, and arguing with the author orally.  Her written narrations are "safe" and clean, sticking to retellings and summaries.

 

I think the push into higher level thinking comes from discussing on a peer level.  

 

Creative writing?  I don't require it of my dyslexic.  My 10yo does it in her free time.  I have SWB's Creative Writer on the shelf, and I plan on going through that with her in the near future.

[birchbark]

 Understanding the principles is quite liberating because then you have the confidence to pick and choose what works best for your family!

 

I did not consider myself a CM hs'er for a long time because I just didn't like those old dusty books. (Never got very far with AO.) And we didn't do nature journals. Or picture studies. Or a passel of short lessons. But then I heard the book Consider This recommended at a Circe conference. I got a copy and read it, and lo and behold, I WAS a CM hs'er. Consider This educated me in the philosophy of CM more than anything I had yet come across. I really got a handle on the overarching principles for the first time (as opposed to just mimicking a method or two) which gives me the confidence to apply them to whatever books or subjects I like. Consider This presents CM learning as very whole-to-parts (rather than analytical) up to puberty. It is a not a long read.

 

Here is the schedule I use for my 3rd-grader:

 

Copywork (10 min?) while listening to music. I will be adding dictation sometime this year.

Circle Time/Read-Aloud Time: Bible story, Bible memory, a few poems, reading aloud (by him) in an Elson Reader, a chapter or two of children's lit (currently Pinnochio). He will narrate one of these items for me.

Math (we use a vintage text here)

Journaling (usually a labeled drawing from something we read)

A chapter of a history overview read on his own (Complete Book of US History). This will switch to a science book for the 2nd semester (Behold and See)

Spanish (La Clase Divertida)

An hour of free reading.

 

We also do recorder, with occasional knitting or art project.

 

Dictation could easily be used to teach grammar. I recommend Bonnie Landry's booklet Dictation.

 

Have you seen the schedules at Simply Charlotte Mason? 

[Soror]

I did not consider myself a CM hs'er for a long time because I just didn't like those old dusty books. (Never got very far with AO.) And we didn't do nature journals. Or picture studies. Or a passel of short lessons. But then I heard the book Consider This recommended at a Circe conference. I got a copy and read it, and lo and behold, I WAS a CM hs'er. Consider This educated me more in the philosophy of CM more than anything I had yet come across. I really got a handle on the overarching principles for the first time (as opposed to just mimicking a method or two) which gives me the confidence to apply them to whatever books or subjects I like. Consider This presents CM learning as very whole-to-parts (rather than analytical) up to puberty. It is a not a long read.

 

Here is the schedule I use for my 3rd-grader:

 

Copywork (10 min?) while listening to music. I will be adding dictation sometime this year.

Circle Time/Read-Aloud Time: Bible story, Bible memory, a few poems, reading aloud (by him) in an Elson Reader, a chapter or two of children's lit (currently Pinnochio). He will narrate one of these items for me.

Math (we use a vintage text here)

Journaling (usually a labeled drawing from something we read)

A chapter of a history overview read on his own (Complete Book of US History). This will switch to a science book for the 2nd semester (Behold and See)

Spanish (La Clase Divertida)

An hour of free reading.

 

We also do recorder, with occasional knitting or art project.

 

Dictation could easily be used to teach grammar. I recommend Bonnie Landry's booklet Dictation.

 

Have you seen the schedules at Simply Charlotte Mason? 

I've not considered myself a CM schooler but we intersect a lot with the practices listed here. It is funny but I checked out Consider This but I never made it all the way through reading it, I certainly agreed with the first section about children being whole persons, now I wish I had finished it(it was ILL). We generally don't do short lessons here either, we are more likely to binge learn something. We do nature study and journals, we do poetry, we do copywork, dictation and narrations, love read-alouds and handi-crafts. We do have separate spelling programs- just because ds has great difficulty with spelling and I just don't want to take the chance. We read old and new books, but the majority are more likely newer, although we enjoy classic lit and some non-fic that are older(I think Fabre is fabulous).

[Entropymama]

I did not consider myself a CM hs'er for a long time because I just didn't like those old dusty books. (Never got very far with AO.) And we didn't do nature journals. Or picture studies. Or a passel of short lessons. But then I heard the book Consider This recommended at a Circe conference. I got a copy and read it, and lo and behold, I WAS a CM hs'er. Consider This educated me more in the philosophy of CM more than anything I had yet come across. I really got a handle on the overarching principles for the first time (as opposed to just mimicking a method or two) which gives me the confidence to apply them to whatever books or subjects I like. Consider This presents CM learning as very whole-to-parts (rather than analytical) up to puberty. It is a not a long read.

 

 

Have you seen the schedules at Simply Charlotte Mason? 

 

I'm going to try to find a copy of this, thank you! I signed up for the SCM email for beginners back in August but had a hard time with them. They were just so.. precious. I remember the first one starting out painting this amazing picture of kids waking up early and bounding out of bed to get their chores done because they just couldn't wait to get to their schoolwork. It made everything sound so rosy and glorious, and while I'd love for that to happen in my home, I'm also aware that there are kids who aren't going to bound out of bed for anything, especially school, and that there will always be challenges. She made it sound like CM would solve all your problems. So I had a bit of trouble with that and kind of discounted SCM, but I was hasty and will go back and look at their website more. 

 

Just a quick thought for the OP. Over at the Circe website there's a series of podcasts about Charlotte Mason called The Mason Jar by Cindy Rollins. She put her youngest in high school this year after following CM for her children. He went into the honors program. In one of the podcasts, she interviews Anne White, an AO advisory member, who put her kids in high school. I've really enjoyed listening. They're helpful, informative, and inspiring. They might answer your first question.

 

Thank you! I'll be looking for these. 

 

I think I may have been too hard on myself. We do many of the things you all are describing - we have a morning meeting time (since my kids are older we are not allowed to call it 'circle time' anymore!) where we do memory work, Bible reading, Shakespeare, poetry, artist and composer study, geography and math drills. The geography and math drills are pretty drill and kill, so I don't think they qualify, but the other subjects do. We read and narrate a lot. But we don't do folksongs and nature study is a challenge, in large part because we live in Minnesota and despite CM's saying you can still do nature study in winter, it gets tough when winter lasts six months and nothing is changing outside. 

 

I want to say again how much I appreciate everyone taking time to answer with such detail. I'm bookmarking this thread and will be looking into the resources you've suggested. Thank you!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Re. nature study.  Can you go to nature centers where they have an indoor facility?  Some of the ones around here have neat displays and materials inside.  We just went to one that had different animal skulls on display as well as some nests, pinecones from different evergreen species etc.  And they have free movies about nature topics.  (I don't think that everything needs to be hands on).  

[Soror]

My plans for this winter's nature study for us are Birds and Astronomy, they're the perfect topics, with birds there is of course the Backyard Bird Count, which is a great citizen science project to participate in. I know locally there is an annual event with eagles in February and I recently found out about another night time event for owls that is a winter even as well. Last year we did astronomy too but the girls are older now and can get more out of it and there is of course so much more to learn. A couple of years back we did weather, we've never done much with birds so I'm excited to really dive in this year. 

 

A quick search found this list from Simply Charlotte Mason, loads of good ideas there, 

https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/nature-study-ideas-winter/

 

There are several things as well that are good to keep track of seasonally, trees, weather, flowers, animals etc. You can get into phenology as well, which is the science of watching various natural signs that occur at the changing of the seasons- there are citizen science sites for this as well. We signed up for Nature's Notebook but I haven't delved into it much yet. 

 

I think the best thing is to really look for what is available locally, the more I get connected with the various groups around here I'm astonished at the availability, even in my rural area. We went to a Wild Edibles presentation a few weeks back put on by the State Dept of Conservation and Master Gardeners that was incredible, we went to a program that taught us about Monarchs and we also got to plant milkweed to build habitats and catch and tag butterflies as well. The state Mycological Society has several events open to families and whomever wants to partcipate, our local swamplands have monthly events. The state park has a naturalist that does weekly programs. We found an astronomy group about 1hr away that is actually run by a homeschooler which made an awesome field trip last year(and we'll be visiting again this year), in the city they have at least monthly events at the planetarium. Rocks are a topic we've done here lots of times and can be done any time of year.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Dd has chosen edible landscapes as a study she wants to pursue on our Friday project days.  This totally counts for nature study in my book.  Gardening is nature up close and personal.  What makes us classify something as a weed?  What are these different plants?  And the bugs we unearth?  (Even if you do it indoors on a window sill.)  Anyway, yesterday I asked her to help me with some weeding.  She balked and I asked her . . . "How do you expect us to get any of the beautiful gardens in the books you got from the library without putting in any work?"  She actually laughed and weeded a bit more willingly.  

[Lang Syne Boardie]

 

There are several things as well that are good to keep track of seasonally, trees, weather, flowers, animals etc. You can get into phrenology as well, which is the science of watching various natural signs that occur at the changing of the seasons- there are citizen science sites for this as well. We signed up for Nature's Notebook but I haven't delved into it much yet. 

 

 

 

I don't think you meant phrenology -- that's the Victorian era pseudo-science thingy about evaluating the bumps on people's heads. I would like to know what you meant to say! :)

[....]

What about creative writing? 

 

SWB talks about creative writing in one of her videos on Youtube - and I can't remember which one...I think it's the one where she's introducing Writing with Skill.  She says most people don't go to work and their boss asks them to write a short story about a summer vacation.  Most real-life writing in the workplace is expository writing.

 

I don't require or even request creative writing from my older two kids.  Only expository writing.  Kids #3 and #4 do creative writing, but they enjoy it.  The older kids see no point in it.

[Soror]

I don't think you meant phrenology -- that's the Victorian era pseudo-science thingy about evaluating the bumps on people's heads. I would like to know what you meant to say! :)

LOL, One letter changes things immensely it is PHENOLOGY! I should have re-read it :) I'll fix it now.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

LOL, One letter changes things immensely it is PHENOLOGY! I should have re-read it :) I'll fix it now.

Thank you! I didn't know the word phenology! LOL

[....]

 

What I'm really looking for are people who do CM successfully, who can share their schedules and book lists, etc. I want TWTM for CM.  :laugh:

 

:iagree:   There are some really good blogs out there.  I'll try to post some of the ones I've read...

 

​http://wildflowersandmarbles.com  (if you dig around on this one, she actually has booklists and her high school schedule on the blog somewhere)

 

​http://harmonyfinearts.org/blog/  (she's got a great blog with high school stuff on there, too - there's a link to her nature study blog somewhere on there)

 

http://www.sabbath-mood-homeschool.com/p/preparing-cm-schedule.html  (I don't follow this one, but just accidentally found it - it looked interesting)

 

​http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cheps/schedules.html  (I think this lady follows AO, but she has some other helpful stuff in the blog)

 

https://practicalpages.wordpress.com/homeschool/charlotte-mason/

 

http://jimmiescollage.com/charlotte-mason/charlotte-mason-q-a/

 

http://jimmielanley.hubpages.com/hub/CMbasics

 

​http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/search/label/Curriculum

 

I forgot this one (very nice website):  http://classicalmusicnartcharlottemasonstyle.blogspot.com  

[Bluegoat]

I used to worry that I was not organized enough about nature study all through the year.  I've come to the conclusion this is ok.  THat is not to say I don't make an effort, but I am satisfied that some seasons will have more opportunities than others.  We do nature study through summer vacation, sometimes with other kids.  In winter when it can be hard to get out, we may spend more time on things like handicrafts.

 

But I also think that the most important thing is actually to make an effort to get out into nature, even if you don't journal or have a theme or anything.  Find some walks or locations that are nice places through the year, and get there regularly.  The kids will, even with little or no prompting, interact and notice things and the changes that happen.  The more you go over the years, the more they will take those things in.  It may even be that seeing the same places time after time is better than new and different outings that take forever to plan.

[KeriJ]

For us, nature study meant a year with memberships to the zoo, the aquarium and a nature park in our area.  along with gardening, bird feeders, raising chickens and being outside whenever possible.  In addition, I have my kids go out once a week and sketch something of their choice.  It's just on their schedule, I don't make a big deal of it except to ask them to show it to me when done.  

 

I really think it can be that simple.  

[Holly]

I think I may have been too hard on myself. We do many of the things you all are describing - we have a morning meeting time (since my kids are older we are not allowed to call it 'circle time' anymore!) where we do memory work, Bible reading, Shakespeare, poetry, artist and composer study, geography and math drills. The geography and math drills are pretty drill and kill, so I don't think they qualify, but the other subjects do. We read and narrate a lot. But we don't do folksongs and nature study is a challenge, in large part because we live in Minnesota and despite CM's saying you can still do nature study in winter, it gets tough when winter lasts six months and nothing is changing outside. 

 

We are in WI, so I understand nature study in winter!  I also think it's okay to focus on some areas more than others...we often focus more on handicrafts or art in the winter since our outdoor time is more limited.  We also find things indoors to observe...pets, houseplants, the bag of pine cones on our bookshelf, etc.  

 

We also don't get to every subject, every year.  This is our first year covering Shakespeare, practical geometry/paper sloyd, and folksongs.  For several years, our nature study has been light or non-existent.  My hope is that it will even out over the years and they'll be knowledgeable on a variety of subjects.

 

My DC have never rushed through chores to get to their schoolwork, in spite of using SCM for years. ;) My goal is for them not to complain about school, but many days we don't even reach that goal.  However, I still think CM is the best method for our family, and they seem to enjoy many of our lessons (even if they aren't in a hurry to get started).  

[Entropymama]

What do you do for handicrafts? My dc took crochet lessons for a while, loved it, then dropped it like a hot potato. I have enrolled them in an excellent art class for several semesters so they've had experience with charcoals, pastels, acrylics, sculpting, nail art and even silk dying. That's been great. Apart from that, though, I'm at a loss. I'm not crafty or artistic. 

 

They did do rainbow loom for a long time, and I suppose that counts. :)

 

I can't do folksongs. I tried, but none of us enjoyed it and I just didn't see the purpose. Maybe as part of American history? We don't do many hymns either, although I'll play them during breakfast if I can handle the grumbling. 

[Bluegoat]

What do you do for handicrafts? My dc took crochet lessons for a while, loved it, then dropped it like a hot potato. I have enrolled them in an excellent art class for several semesters so they've had experience with charcoals, pastels, acrylics, sculpting, nail art and even silk dying. That's been great. Apart from that, though, I'm at a loss. I'm not crafty or artistic. 

 

They did do rainbow loom for a long time, and I suppose that counts. :)

 

I can't do folksongs. I tried, but none of us enjoyed it and I just didn't see the purpose. Maybe as part of American history? We don't do many hymns either, although I'll play them during breakfast if I can handle the grumbling. 

 

I am probably the world's least crafty person.  I've tried to respond to my kids interests with regards to this sort of thing.  Luckily my husband is a little more hands on.

 

I do know how to do traditional rug hooking, and that is a good skill to do with kids as it is fairly simple.  My dd10 also did a sewing class at the fabric store last year, and really enjoyed it.  I've made sure she has the materials to carry on with that at her leisure and she will do level 2 this year I think.  The class is about three week-end, so not all the time. 

 

We also do some cooking and baking.  And I think gardening counts as handwork as well as nature study.

 

My husband's interests are more traditionally male.  They have built computers, or helped build a patio, changed tires, that sort of thing.

 

I don't think there is a real need to make sure they learn these things thoroughly, unless that actually is a need in your life.  But trying out things is important.

 

Other thoughts - I did some basket making as a teen that was enlightening.  Also things like hom repair, or making youghurt or preserves, all might be things that would work.

[Mrs. A]

I don't do handicrafts as a part of our official school day. I feel like handicrafts are just a part of life and I make it a point to involve my kids in those handicrafts they are ready for as they grow. Cooking, baking, knitting, sewing, woodworking, etc are all things that they are exposed to in the course of our family life. I'll expose them to what I can and allow them to decide what to pursue further.