direct me to blogs (or tell me here) how you combine Ambleside & WTM

[snickelfritz]

I'm pondering doing this next year for first grade. I have SOTW 1 and I like it.

 

I'm tinkering with doing mostly Ambleside year 1, but substituting SOTW 1 for the world history titles. I know they aren't truly interchangeable (time period wise), but I can't think of a reason not to do it. I'm looking at just doing a straight trade, no tweaking. Week 1 would be chapter 1 of SOTW and so on.

 

Maybe also using WWE, but doing everything else Ambleside-ish.

 

To top that off, we might do Classical Conversations. But, it all seems like it would work together.

 

Any problems with this? Any other suggestions?

[Medieval Mom]

I have no advice, alas, but I'm very interested in this thread. I *still* haven't quite decided which direction to take with 1st grade. Thanks for posting!:)

[Amber in AUS]

I am keen to see responses too. I am looking to incorporate some Ambleside when the kids are a little older and would love to know what works well and doesn't. We are just reading a few from the 0 list this year.

[Titus.Two.Five]

Ambleside Selections in a 4 Year Rotation might be helpful?

 

 

:001_smile:

Edited October 24, 2008 by Titus.Two.Five

[snickelfritz]

Ambleside Selections in a 4 Year History Rotation, for 4 Cycles might be helpful?

 

That is what I wanted! Thank You!

[Titus.Two.Five]

Your welcome!

 

 

:001_smile:

[Medieval Mom]

Ambleside Selections in a 4 Year History Rotation, for 4 Cycles might be helpful?

 

Fantastic! I've been looking and LOOKING for something like this! Thank you!:iagree:

[Titus.Two.Five]

Fantastic! I've been looking and LOOKING for something like this! Thank you!:iagree:

 

Glad it's helpful!

 

:D

[Medieval Mom]

Have you looked at this? What do you think? Hmm...

 

http://oldfashionededucation.com/index.html

 

From the author:

I prefer to teach with a balanced combination of textbooks and so-called living-books. The term living-books was coined by the great educator Charlotte Mason. It refers to books that are fun and interesting to read, books that draw the reader into the plot and educate while entertaining. I learned this at a wonderful site called Ambleside Online. They have a high quality, free curriculum that follows Charlotte Mason's principles of education, essentially producing a thorough and well-rounded liberal arts course of study. This curriculum is built largely, but not completely, on public domain texts. I considered using Ambleside Online exclusively, but soon realized that it isn't structured enough for my boys, who came out of a public school setting.

 

So instead, I went in search of educational resources that would allow me to customize a program that would suit the needs of my children and still accomodate my pocketbook.

[Another Lynn]

I would urge caution trying to do CC and AO. AO is rich. You certainly can speed it up and do the history in 4 years instead of 6. But if you lose one day a week on top of that and add in so much memory work (much that will be add-on rather than tying in to your core subjects directly), I think you could burn out. My oldest ds likes CC (and is doing it again this year). My 2nd ds did not like it and he is not doing it this year. CC nearly did him in last year. My goal for him this year is to read great stories with him (from AO or not) and capture his heart and mind with great stories and great ideas.

 

eta: you might also look at this blog: http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/2006/01/our-curriculum.html

 

and you might look at CCH's first and second grade years since some of its lit. suggestions are similar to AOs, but it starts ancients in first grade (though on a 6 year cycle). http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/v2/index.php?page=1209

 

I think that there is more correlation between some of AOs resources than appears on the surface that you might lose by substituting, but I don't think that's the end of the world.

 

(btw, cc's cycle 1 history is really more "civilizations" oriented than ancient history oriented.)

 

 

I think WWE is definely in line with AO - just makes teaching the skill of narrating a little more coached - which can be a good thing!

nursing at keyboard - may add more thoughts later.

Edited October 23, 2008 by Another Lynn

[hsm]

There is so many really great books out there...

but here are some other websites that might give you ideas/inspiration you haven't seen them yet, some are more unit studish

tanglewoodeducation.com;

oldfashioneducation.com;

materambilis.org;

simplycharlottemason.com

http://elizabethfoss.com/elizabethfoss/serendipity/; the blogs of

http://amblesideclassical.blogspot.com/ and http://triviumacademy.blogspot.com/

 

some people like the way my father's world combines ideas....

hth

[Medieval Mom]

I'm tinkering with doing mostly Ambleside year 1, but substituting SOTW 1 for the world history titles.

What are your plans after year one? I'm also considering doing this very same thing (also using WWE, etc.), and am trying to decide whether to spread out the remaining SOTWs over the next five years to correlate with AO's 6-year history schedule, or to do the four year rotations of SOTW (one per year) and just use the AO for lit. and other subjects. Hmmm... Condense AO to 4 years? OR stretch SOTW to 6.... Decisions, decisions...

 

I'm driving myself (and my dh) crazy with trying to decide next year's curriculum. It must be because I'm due any day now and I'm trying to distract myself as well as get as much done now while I can! (Who knows? I may decide on something COMPLETELY different, or just go with straight WTM...) I'd love to know what you decide!

[snickelfritz]

:D

 

Can you sense my indecision?

 

What are your plans after year one?

 

I think I'm going to try this 1st year and see how it goes, without really trying to correlate them. Just let it go and see what works. I'm going to leave it open to see if SOTW takes us 1 year or if it takes us longer.

 

IF I like both, I guess there are a few options. I figure there is room to play with the schedule in the earlier years. We could:

 

1. Spend a year on a more in-depth overview of US/state history and geography.

 

2. Spend a year on overview of world geography and missionary studies. (like a sonlight core 5/ MFW ECC/ or Winter Promice Children Around the World)

 

3. OR do both of the above, more in-depth, AS we go through SOTW. Which could easily stretch the volumes out over multiple years.

[momee]

Can I jump in?

 

We're doing TOG and Ambleside 1 readings. My ds 7 is eating up the stories with AO. It's not a big deal really to do SOTW and the AO history readings. They don't correlate timewise which in my ordered head is insane :), but it's working for her.

 

She's able to narrate easily and loves to be read to anytime of the day (and night). We use Aesop for our copywork.

 

I really wouldn't think it would be too difficult history wise.

 

In terms of science we are only reading the nature stories. They take just a few minutes and because she narrates with history, I don't worry with it for science. We aren't however, getting to our Apologia experiments much so I don't know how realistic it is to do AO and WTM in all subjects (or that you'd need to).

 

btw, we listen to sotw in the car but don't do any other work for it - and not by my choice, we live 30 mins from "town" so we just pop it in and they listen

hth

[TxMama]

I think this is kinda what I have started doing with my 6yo.

 

I started doing AO but have tweaked it now that I have dropped the AO world history readings and substituted SOTW book 1. Instead of following the AO Language arts I have substituted in FLL/WWE/AAS.

 

Next year I'll probably just continue in the same path because it is just working out so well for us right now.

[snickelfritz]

I think this is kinda what I have started doing with my 6yo.

 

I started doing AO but have tweaked it now that I have dropped the AO world history readings and substituted SOTW book 1. Instead of following the AO Language arts I have substituted in FLL/WWE/AAS.

 

I looked at moving things around and putting them in different order so that the time periods would match up, but I'm not sure it's necessary.

[TxMama]

I looked at moving things around and putting them in different order so that the time periods would match up, but I'm not sure it's necessary.

 

 

I'm just doing a complete switch with SOTW and the AO history options. For me SOTW is just easier to use.....1 book instead of several.....the AG is a valuable resource with the maps, etc already available.... I will add in the AO biography reading in years 2-4 when we reach the point that it would seem logical to do so with SOTW and do them at the pace in the AO schedule. I tend to do my detailed planning quarter by quarter instead of pre-planning for future years..... in the past I have wasted too much time pre-planning and not being able or willing to follow through with the plan due to change of circumstances/resources, etc.

 

The year 1 biography selections don't match up with either the AO readings or SOTW. BUT they are just great readings for year 1 children and I like having some American History thrown in there for them at this stage.

 

I personally don't think it is tremendously important for everything to be completely matched up time period wise. My kids at least at this stage really only had 3 time periods. Now, the past and the future. :lol:

 

My older kids were able to catagorize time periods.....using a timeline helped during the 4-8th grade range....so I didn't worry too much about having a complete match with everything we read and did during those years.

[Medieval Mom]

We're doing TOG and Ambleside 1 readings. My ds 7 is eating up the stories with AO. It's not a big deal really to do SOTW and the AO history readings. They don't correlate timewise which in my ordered head is insane , but it's working for her.

 

So, are you following TOG's 4 year history cycle AND Ambleside's 6 year history cycle readings, unaltered? Wow! I must admit that THIS possibility never occurred to me! Hah! Yet another choice!

 

I just LOVE the idea of being able to take more time in each era of history (thus leaning toward the 6 year cycle, at least for 1st-6th grade), but I also think the idea of repeating the history cycles 3 times seems like a great learning tool. Is doing BOTH possible?!

 

My, my... Off to put on my thinking cap again...;)

[Medieval Mom]

I think this is kinda what I have started doing with my 6yo.

 

I started doing AO but have tweaked it now that I have dropped the AO world history readings and substituted SOTW book 1. Instead of following the AO Language arts I have substituted in FLL/WWE/AAS.

 

Next year I'll probably just continue in the same path because it is just working out so well for us right now.

 

Like you, I would plan on using FFL and WWE for Lang. Arts. :)

Do you think, Wendy, that if continue with SOTW 2 next year, you will do the whole book, or just the medieval portion (chapters 1-27)?

 

I came up with this approx. schedule for fitting SOTW into AO history years (but doing Ancients in Year One):

 

Year One: entire SOTW 1

Year Two: SOTW 2 ch. 1-27

Year Three: SOTW 2 ch. 28-42

Year Four: SOTW 3 ch. 1-26

Year Five: SOTW 3 ch. 27-42, SOTW 4 ch. 1-19 or 22...

Year Six: SOTW 4 ch. 20 or 23-42

 

If I follow this 6 year schedule, I think I'd hold off on An Island Story until Year 2, reading the first several chapters before beginning SOTW 2.

 

If I decide to do history the WTM way, I guess I'll use SOTW for four years (as designed) and pick and choose what to use from the AO readings. I just love having the reading planned out for the year...

 

Hmm.. More thinking:001_rolleyes:

[Peela]

I'm pondering doing this next year for first grade. I have SOTW 1 and I like it.

 

I'm tinkering with doing mostly Ambleside year 1, but substituting SOTW 1 for the world history titles. I know they aren't truly interchangeable (time period wise), but I can't think of a reason not to do it. I'm looking at just doing a straight trade, no tweaking. Week 1 would be chapter 1 of SOTW and so on.

 

Maybe also using WWE, but doing everything else Ambleside-ish.

 

To top that off, we might do Classical Conversations. But, it all seems like it would work together.

 

Any problems with this? Any other suggestions?

 

I would just be careful you are not trying to do too much, because Ambleside is not as "light" as it looks, and the biggest mistake people make with it is to try to add things. I always end up cutting back.

However, almost everyone tweaks it to fit themselves, and if I was to start over I would tweak it to fit the 4 year cycle (actually, that is what I am doing but I am using Year 7 now.) I would use SOTW too, and many people do.

[prairiegirl]

I made the same mistake that Peela cautions against. I tried to mix in SOTW with Ambleside and I ended up driving myself crazy. What we do now is SOTW for history, (if an AO book fits in, we read it) and we do our own LA. We use the book suggestions for all of the rest of the subjects, though. This is working out much better.

[momee]

No, we're doing AO year 1 with my 7 yr old and she's also doing TOG yr 1, lower grammar level with our family. (edited to say we're not planning on continuing this process, just seeing how it goes at this point, but for now, at this stage, she's hungry for more literature and not o/whelmed by the amount of read alouds we're doing.)

 

I was trying to say (not very well, sorry) that you could add AO readings in to either SOTW with WTM by cutting some of the activities or extra books, or add AO readings to whatever curriculum you're using.

 

The AO readings are interesting and the schedule, in my opinion, is easy to do on top of something else. Just trying to encourage you to give it a try. Sorry for the confusing post.

 

One thing I've figured out from homeschooling almost six years now is to not plan specifics too far ahead. Things change~

 

(see, after reading Peela's post looks like this may all get to be too much and I'll prove myself a numskull by adding anything to either of them. But, again, for now, dd is desiring some "stories" with me reading to her and AO is fitting the bill. I'm too workbook oriented to trust AO all the way. Seems kinda unschoolish and that's not my nature, at all. Ok enough thinking out loud, back to teaching.)

Edited November 12, 2008 by momee
Peela's post

[FO4UR]

I'm another trying to figure out how I want to incorporate WTM and AO.

 

As of today (subject to change at a moments notice:tongue_smilie:), I am going to keep to the 4 yr history rotation - using AO selections (and maybe some from OFE as well) when possible. (read utilizing FREE resources;)) I am absolutely in LOVE with the AO literature selections so we will do those. I am tempted to use AO alone, but I can't get over not starting with ancients. I thought about doing a year of ancients and then diving into AO ...but....then I've got 3 dc ages 2, 3, and 5 now and when they are 5, 6, and 8 I will go CRAZY trying to do it all at 3 different levels. SO, 4yr rotation it is!

 

In short, I plan on doing WTM history and AO literature; WTM 4yr rotation and AO reading selections.

 

I have been clicking on all of the great links in this thread - :thumbup:

[Amber in AUS]

I think i have the same plan for the future. WTM history and AO literature.

[FriedClams]

We're doing SOTW and lots of literature from AO and other places (1000 Great Books list from Classical Christian Home Educators). I agree with an earlier poster - sometimes more is not better, it's just more. I think ideas need breathing space and if we pack them into the little people's heads too tightly they squish and die instead of grow into bigger ideas. Not too poetic, eh?!? LOL!