MitchellMom Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I would love to find one book that best describes the CM ideas and how to implement them. Which book should I buy? I've looked at all of these but there seem to be positive and negative aspects for each: A Charlotte Mason Companion, For the Children's Sake, and A Charlotte Mason Education. I don't have enough time really to devote to several books, which is why I need to find just one. :) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I would love to find one book that best describes the CM ideas and how to implement them. Which book should I buy? I've looked at all of these but there seem to be positive and negative aspects for each: A Charlotte Mason Companion, For the Children's Sake, and A Charlotte Mason Education. I don't have enough time really to devote to several books, which is why I need to find just one. :) Thanks! Well, this is a difficult question, really. The different books about Charlotte Mason all fill different roles for me. Some of the books are great at giving you a warm fuzzy for CM and others are great at giving you tools to incorporate the philosophy into your actual school day. Karen Andreola's Charlotte Mason Companion was the first I ever read and I found it incredibly inspirational. Reading that book lit a fire. Since then, I've read everything. I own every Charlotte Mason book, including the original series. I love them all but for different reasons. If you can do interlibrary loan, I would recommend getting as many of them as you can. Different people have their favorites for different reasons and they're all valid. I would also go to amblesideonline.org and scour the pages for as much free info as possible. You could spend weeks there and not get to it all. There are also links to CM's own writing, which you can read for free. It is powerful stuff though. I like it in small doses so it can really soak in. If I absolutely must recommend one book to purchase, it would be When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today. I believe it is the most practical in terms of how to implement CM's ideas today. I wrote a pretty lengthy review of it on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/When-Children-Love-Learn-Application/dp/1581342594/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228766193&sr=1-1 However, if you get ten CM homeschoolers in a room, they'll probably each recommend a different book. Frankly, they're all pretty great because the people who wrote them really tend to be lovely and full of grace and appreciation for CM's philosophy. Good luck! Kristina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 The only one I've read so far is A Charlotte Mason Companion. It was really good, and I've added it to my wish list. I got it on interlibrary loan. I'm a fast reader, but this book took me a long time to read. I was afraid I wouldn't finish it by the due date (my library system doesn't let me renew an interlibrary loan), especially since I had another book on interlibrary loan, due the same day, that I hadn't started yet. Fortunately, it was a fiction book and I whizzed through that one. Anyway, I thought I'd mention that it does take a while to get through, so although you might want to get all the Charlotte Mason books, you might only want to do one at a time if you do it through your library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I was told A Charlotte Mason Education and More CM Education were excellent places to start. The first is more theory and the second more practical application - if I am remembering correctly. I have just ordered both and plan on reading them over the Christmas Break! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 (edited) Honestly, I think the books about CM don't adequately convey CM's methods and philosophy. When I started reading the AO website and CM's own writings, I realized that "gentle" in the late 1800's meant something very different than it means now. I started thinking that TWTM looks pretty light compared to CM the way CM herself taught it, but that is not at all the impression I had from reading other books and websites about CM. On the AO website, there are links to CM's books rewritten in modern English - that's where I'd start. Edited December 8, 2008 by LizzyBee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Ultimately I want to read all 6 volumes but just starting out I don't know much...Is is best to read them all in order? Is there one or two volumes that are more practical application if we are wanting to make a shift to CM soon and I can go back and read the other volumes as we are working through everything? I have loved TWTM approach but I feel that CM may be a better fit for my child. TWTM is perfect for me! ;) I want to make changes sooner rather than later! Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Indeed Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Charlotte Mason Companion has been the most helpful to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss is a good combination of inspiration and practical tips (plus a great booklist in the appendix). The possible downside is that it's written from a very Catholic perspective and might be annoying if you're not used to the language and cultural assumptions that go with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Ultimately I want to read all 6 volumes but just starting out I don't know much...Is is best to read them all in order? Is there one or two volumes that are more practical application if we are wanting to make a shift to CM soon and I can go back and read the other volumes as we are working through everything? I have loved TWTM approach but I feel that CM may be a better fit for my child. TWTM is perfect for me! ;) I want to make changes sooner rather than later! Thanks in advance! I have never made it through all of them, but I think somewhere on the AO website, it tells you which ones to read first depending on your kids' ages. If you can't find it on the website, you could join the AO yahoo group and ask there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennefer@SSA Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Thank you very much, LizzyBee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarathan Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'm in the middle of reading A Charlotte Mason Companion and I really like it. It has practical advice as well as inspirational. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Honestly, I think the books about CM don't adequately convey CM's methods and philosophy. When I started reading the AO website and CM's own writings, I realized that "gentle" in the late 1800's meant something very different than it means now. I started thinking that TWTM looks pretty light compared to CM the way CM herself taught it, but that is not at all the impression I had from reading other books and websites about CM. On the AO website, there are links to CM's books rewritten in modern English - that's where I'd start. :iagree: I get a very different feel from all the interpretative books I have read, when I read CM's books that she wrote herself. The interpretations all seem to soften and water down her teachings- though of course that might be what some people want. I have only read bits of most, but I have read the 6th volume (in modern English) and it wasn't so hard to read- it was written much later than the others, and she changed some of her earlier ideas. I think there is one of the others that covers the early childhood stuff- the 6th book covers older kids. The books are free online at Ambleside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellMom Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 :iagree: I get a very different feel from all the interpretative books I have read, when I read CM's books that she wrote herself. The interpretations all seem to soften and water down her teachings- though of course that might be what some people want. I have only read bits of most, but I have read the 6th volume (in modern English) and it wasn't so hard to read- it was written much later than the others, and she changed some of her earlier ideas. I think there is one of the others that covers the early childhood stuff- the 6th book covers older kids. The books are free online at Ambleside. Thank you so much. If there is anyone at all who could provide a link to Ambleside for this 6th volume, and for the volume covering early childhood, I would really, really appreciate it! :):):) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Thank you so much. If there is anyone at all who could provide a link to Ambleside for this 6th volume, and for the volume covering early childhood, I would really, really appreciate it! :):):) http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/ModernEnglish.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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