chooseing a Classical Curr

[Momma Aimee]

HELP

There are so many options.

I have read the Well Trained Mind and own it, and i need to re-read it.ed.

I know i will modfy it, but i'd rather have something to CHANGE rather than have to build it myself. (at least that is how i feel now)

I would like something a bit more spelled out, at least to get me started.

I am reading a lot about CM and like the short lessons, the no push to "school" till older.

I know in the end our Classical curriculum will be a "combo" of stuff.

But i was wondering:

What full Classical Curr do poeple tend to think highly of?

what do you like, or dislike?

there is:

http://www.amblesideonline.org/ free and on-line

and

http://www.classical-homeschooling.org also on-line and free though you can buy all the boks from them if you want

also the more trditional curriculums for sale:

http://www.winterpromise.com --

http://www.veritaspress.com

http://www.tapestryofgrace.com

and I am sure there are others i have not found (be glad to see them if you know of them).

I have to admit i am "under water" here.

there are so many ....

I know we will likly not end up following any 100% -- and i know we have time before we need to worry about starting at all ... but i do not want to miss something, and find it isn 2 or 3 years and thing "gee if i had found that sooner i'd be better ready NOW".

just wanting to hear what other think.

Aimee

[AngelBee]

I use a mix of www.heartofwisdom.com , www.amblesideonline.org , and www.oldfashionededucation.com

Plus Ray's Arithmetic.

So a mix of CM, Heart of Wisdom, and Classical approaches.

[Citymomx3]

We use amblesideonline exclusively with very few tweaks. I don't find it's all that "classical" - definitely CM, but I can see some similarities. We pair it up with TT5 (math).

[jlpumkin]

Similar situation here =) Love WTM that we've settled into but am tired of writing lesson plans. Currently looking into Mother of Divine Grace because of the syllabi that we can buy w/o enrolling. We want the option of enrolling them in high school to receive a diploma at a later date. Sort of a just in case option.

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by jlpumkin

Similar situation here =) Love WTM that we've settled into but am tired of writing lesson plans. Currently looking into Mother of Divine Grace because of the syllabi that we can buy w/o enrolling. We want the option of enrolling them in high school to receive a diploma at a later date. Sort of a just in case option.

thanks for the new link, i had not seen that sight before.

[Harmony08]

Have you seen this one http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com/ ? I am an early researcher too. This is the site that made me realize I was going to homeschool. It seems to be a combo of CM and classical. I too love WTM. Thanks for starting this thread. I need all this info too.

[jlpumkin]

You're welcome. I haven't seen tanglewood before. Off to check it out...

[theretohere]

Originally Posted by jlpumkin

You're welcome. I haven't seen tanglewood before. Off to check it out...

The only thing I don't like about Tanglewood is that it's no longer being updated!

[elizawill]

a very popular classical path people choose in my area is "classical conversations". you may have groups in your area too? they come together weekly for classes and have specific assignments throughout the week at home. i'm not classical - but if i were, i'd probably go this route. it's kind of expensive, but seems very organized and good.

[jessicaSAR]

We use Ambleside, and much of the reading list is fantastic, but it is not a complete curriculum in the standard sense. You still need to add your own reading and math curricula. I actually much prefer subject specific curricula, to the complete sets.

[theretohere]

Originally Posted by jessicaSAR

We use Ambleside, and much of the reading list is fantastic, but it is not a complete curriculum in the standard sense. You still need to add your own reading and math curricula. I actually much prefer subject specific curricula, to the complete sets.

That's true for Tapestry of Grace, as well. Most of them listed aren't really "complete" curriculum options.

[ohiomommy1122]

subbing

[tbone]

Ambleside is definitely more of a CM approach vs WTM. A lot are similar, but there are also big differences. It would not be too difficult to incorporate both though.

I don't know how classical it is but Sonlight is a boxed curriculum that is supposed to be open and go. It's got a Christian slant, but there is a secular Sonlight yahoo group if that's what you prefer.

I believe you would still have to supplement some subjects with some of the curric's you posted. Putting together a few subjects and just following the schedule in the WTM book might be worth a try.

My suggestion would be to start small with just a couple of subjects until you find your groove and then add in the other subjects.

Some popular maths in the classical style are Saxon, Singapore, Rightstart, Abeka, Math-U-See, and Horizons.

Some popular history studies are Story of the World (obvious), History Odyssey, Mystery of History. (I'm just using Usbournes World History book and books from the library)

Language arts- McRuffy, First Language Lessons, Writing with ease, MCT, Writing Tales, Classical Writing, All About Spelling, Sequential Spelling, Spelling Power, Spelling Workout

Science-Apologia, R.E.A.L science, RSK4kids, . (We like Building Foundations for Scientific Understanding by Nebel)

Latin usually starts in 3rd grade- there are plenty of recs for that in the book.

Pick and choose to fit your child's needs and then just follow the schedule in the book. Keep in mind, that even the author says she doesn't do *everything*, so only do so much that works for your family and tweak the hours/days etc, to fit your needs.

I like a lot of the WTM methods, but after much analyzing decided not everything is right for us, but I use it as a foundation to work upon.

It does leave your head spinning though the first time you read it! I needed a strong drink halfway through! LOL

[craft_media_hero]

We are using what I call "Fambleslide" lol

I secularized and the Ambleside sequence, focusing on classic fairy tales and house tales (we are using Grimm's, Mother Stories, In Story Land, and Among the Forest People) for first grade. I don't feel like she's ready for the Greek/Roman and Aesop's yet---we're saving that for next year (trying to follow the Waldorf sequence of subjects, too, ha ha).

We do poetry every day, primarily Mother Goose and Journey Through Time in Verse and Rhyme, although I like The Home Book of Verse and Shel Silverstein is for Fridays. We read several a day, and choose one poem a week for recitation/memorization.

Instead of the church history and US biographies that they suggest, we are using "Cartoon History of the World" and a huge pile of children around the world books. As a substitution for the US biographies, we will be doing Gandhi, Mother Theresa and other carefully selected biographies from the "Faith in Action" series, "Earth Heroes" and one other that I found about youth activists. So we have a world cultures/environmentalist slant on the social studies/biographies.

So we follow their sequence, but I am subbing out the texts that don't line up with what I want for her first grade year.

[craft_media_hero]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero

We are using what I call "Fambleslide" lol

I secularized and the Ambleside sequence, focusing on classic fairy tales and house tales (we are using Grimm's, Mother Stories, In Story Land, and Among the Forest People) for first grade. I don't feel like she's ready for the Greek/Roman and Aesop's yet---we're saving that for next year (trying to follow the Waldorf sequence of subjects, too, ha ha).

We do poetry every day, primarily Mother Goose and Journey Through Time in Verse and Rhyme, although I like The Home Book of Verse and Shel Silverstein is for Fridays. We read several a day, and choose one poem a week for recitation/memorization.

Instead of the church history and US biographies that they suggest, we are using "Cartoon History of the World" and a huge pile of children around the world books. As a substitution for the US biographies, we will be doing Gandhi, Mother Theresa and other carefully selected biographies from the "Faith in Action" series, "Earth Heroes" and one other that I found about youth activists. So we have a world cultures/environmentalist slant on the social studies/biographies.

So we follow their sequence, but I am subbing out the texts that don't line up with what I want for her first grade year.

ETA we use the Harriet Treadwell readers for reading practice: primer and first reader. We love them! I love that she is reading classic literature all by herself.

oops, sorry I messed up the quote thing have to run, now!

[Momma Aimee]

thanks everyone

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by elizawill

a very popular classical path people choose in my area is "classical conversations". you may have groups in your area too? they come together weekly for classes and have specific assignments throughout the week at home. i'm not classical - but if i were, i'd probably go this route. it's kind of expensive, but seems very organized and good.

we do not have them

jlpumkin -- how are you r liking Mother of Devine Grace?

Still weighing what i want to do.

definatly want to focus on classical ed .. but a little (a lot) unsure of my ablity to creat a day to day week to week schdule for myself (for us) and get everything and do it all well .... but i don't want to be too locked in either .. Theo is so young (even as i am looking at K in 2011) and has SN to boot.

thanks for helping me with all this ladies.

Aimee

[ReadyMom]

My oldest child is 8. We follow The Well-Trained Mind, and we love it. I think that it is a well-structured yet highly flexible program. I feel free to make substitutions whenever I want, but I feel TWTM gives me an idea of where I am going, and why.

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by ReadyMom

My oldest child is 8. We follow The Well-Trained Mind, and we love it. I think that it is a well-structured yet highly flexible program. I feel free to make substitutions whenever I want, but I feel TWTM gives me an idea of where I am going, and why.

I have WTM and I have read it, i need to reread it -- i like it for teh WHY but did not get a real feel of it giving me "anything to follow" on a pratical day to day level.

i will have to look at it again

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

I have WTM and I have read it, i need to reread it -- i like it for teh WHY but did not get a real feel of it giving me "anything to follow" on a pratical day to day level.

the WTM website has resources for sale, as well as a forum that should be very helpful in finding substitutions or additional curricula that follows the classical model. hth.