Charlotte Mason Support Thread - Page 3

[mama2annabelle]

I forgot to add...I.m starting up a local Charlotte Mason support group in the Tampa Bay, FL area. If any of you are in the area and would like to join, please PM me.

Thanks!

[Kleine Hexe]

Originally Posted by mama2annabelle

I forgot to add...I.m starting up a local Charlotte Mason support group in the Tampa Bay, FL area. If any of you are in the area and would like to join, please PM me.

Thanks!

I think frogguruami already sent me the link. I need to join.


Ok, I'm pending membership.

[Kleine Hexe]

I keep finding new things to add to our reading list. : I need a really good weekly/monthly planner.

[*jeanine*]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

I keep finding new things to add to our reading list. : I need a really good weekly/monthly planner.

Let me know what you find. I keep thinking I need something, too, but I can't figure what I want, since I've never done this before.
We will be using Tanglewood's old schedule (for the most part), and the math and science curriculum both have schedules, so sometimes I think that will be enough. Then I think maybe I need a planner to keep track of what we've done, in case we're ahead (ha ha) or behind (most likely due to the babe coming) of their schedule. I just dont know. I agree with the :

[frogguruami]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

I keep finding new things to add to our reading list. : I need a really good weekly/monthly planner.

I have an Excel planner on my website. You can edit it to fit your needs. I use one planner sheet per week/per child and one lined sheet to write notes, resources, reading lists, supply lists etc.

I further separate that into blocks of 4 weeks. Each block is assigned 1 literature selection, 1 artist and 1 musician/composer. I only plan for three of the four weeks. The fourth week is our over flow week. It is time for us to get caught up if we fall behind, do extra projects, follow any rabbit trails, finish up art projects, finish up lapbooks, or just goof off if we have nothing else to do. I also try to schedule a field trip that relates to the upcoming block during that week.

[frogguruami]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

I keep finding new things to add to our reading list. :

I know! I had my reading list all planned out for the whole year and then 4 chapters into Charlotte's Web DS decided he wanted to read the Harry Potter series. Since it is SOOOO unlike him to take on a book of that size I can't very well tell him no. So I have compromised and he will read one HP and one of my books! I will probably get some of them on audio book as well.

[Kleine Hexe]

Yes, we love audio books for the car. Weird thing is that at home they will not pay attention to audio books. It seems they have to be strapped down in car seats with no hope for any other activity and then they will listen to the audio book. We have listened to the whole Little House series. We have the last book to go and I'm waiting for that to arrive at my library.

Speaking of library...you know how you can place a request for books and such and then pick up the item at the branch of your choice? Well, does anyones library give you the option of having the item(s) sent directly to your house? My mom's library does! I'm jealous! Geesh, I would so take advantage of that.

Frogg, I've been eyeing your planners.

I'm just trying to figure out how I'm supposed to fit everything in. I mean after the basics like phonics, math, writing, history, and reading how do I fit in art appreciation, composers, shakespeare, nature study...?

[frogguruami]

Originally Posted by Kleine Hexe

I'm just trying to figure out how I'm supposed to fit everything in. I mean after the basics like phonics, math, writing, history, and reading how do I fit in art appreciation, composers, Shakespeare, nature study...?

Art we do twice a week. We only study one artist during a block. I get the artist's coloring book from Dover and do projects out of "Discovering Great Artists" book.

I don't schedule music, we just listen to a lot of CDs of the selection of the month! I will look up info on the composer/musician/genre so I can make comments on things in the car as we are listening to them.

Shakespeare is one of our literature selection. We do one common work every other year. This year it is Midsummer's Night Dream. I just put it in with the other literature we are studying. For Shakespeare we will listen to the original version in audio book, a kid friendly version and a video (or live show if I am lucky enough!). I will not try to read it myself because I personally DO NOT have an appreciation for Shakespeare and it will likely show. Who knows, maybe I will develop one!

[zeldamomma]

I'll join too. We aren't even close to purists, but I'm adding more structure in a CM kind of way, I think.

Does anyone else live in a Northern climate? How do you do nature study when the world is frozen?

ZM

[Kleine Hexe]

AM, I *love* Shakespeare. I'm such a literature geek. I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up majoring in Environmental Policy.

Since ds is taking art at co-op I'm thinking of matching our focus on the artist the art teacher will be doing for that lesson. She sends out a list of artists for the month that she will be doing.

I like your idea of just listening to the music of a composer while driving and such. I guess I'll fit in talking about the person's life a little somewhere. Speaking of has anyone seen the movie "Copying Beethoven"? I really liked that movie. I would say a good movie for older kids (ie not my 6 and 3 yr old they don't have the attention span ) when learning about Beethoven.

Zelda, as for nature study when it's frozen...I don't have that problem. My problem is nature study when it's too darn hot to even walk to the car in my driveway.

[Mom4tot]

I also love nature study in the winter

We make snowflakes, read Snowflake Bentley, read lots of snowy books , play outside, feed the birds, feed the sqirrels, look at seed catalogues and plan the garden, take walks, draw the naked trees.....

zelda, where do you live?

[zeldamomma]

Originally Posted by Mom4tot

I also love nature study in the winter

We make snowflakes, read Snowflake Bentley, read lots of snowy books , play outside, feed the birds, feed the sqirrels, look at seed catalogues and plan the garden, take walks, draw the naked trees.....

zelda, where do you live?

We're in Wisconsin. Winter up here starts in October and lasts till May. Once it gets below about 10F, I don't really want to go outside. I'm kind of a winter wuss. : Besides, at some point the novelty just wears off.

Mom4tot, where do you live?

ZM

[Kleine Hexe]

Originally Posted by zeldamomma

We're in Wisconsin. Winter up here starts in October and lasts till May. Once it gets below about 10F, I don't really want to go outside. I'm kind of a winter wuss. : Besides, at some point the novelty just wears off.

Mom4tot, where do you live?

ZM

Well, come spend the winter with us in FL. Where I live it gets cold in Jan/Feb like all the way down to 30F! Brrrrr. I sometimes have to actually cover my plants in the garden to keep them from the freeze for a night or two.

[Mom4tot]

I didn't get an email reminder about this thread until now... hmmm. I live in WNY... a suburb of Buffalo. There's usually lots of snow to study Winter is so looooong here, sounds like yours. Dh's brother and family live in Marshall WI.

I'd love to winter in Florida

[zeldamomma]

Originally Posted by Mom4tot

I didn't get an email reminder about this thread until now... hmmm. I live in WNY... a suburb of Buffalo. There's usually lots of snow to study Winter is so looooong here, sounds like yours. Dh's brother and family live in Marshall WI.

I'd love to winter in Florida

Oh, my Mom's from Batavia (home of Oliver's Candies...mmmmm....) Our winter is pretty different from yours, less snow, more COLD. I don't which I'd prefer, LOL! Florida definitely sounds better!

ZM

[Brisen]

Originally Posted by funnyfeet

Actually to start I've been reading some unabridged classics and narrating to myself. I'm amazed at how much more I remember by doing this.

This is me, too -- I'm into CM because that's how I would like to have been schooled, and so far I mostly do the stuff myself and the kids join in.

I'm yet another one of the non-purists -- I don't schedule 15-min lessons and such, but I keep CM's philosophies in mind as we go about our learning.

Can anyone give me a description of how they do nature notebooks/study? I'm just finding it a bit difficult to get started... do you make it an event, bringing a big bag of your books and materials and chairs/blanket and stake out a spot and draw, or do you do it less formally? We do informal nature walks -- I just point out the things that I know or things that interest me that I want to research later. Unfortunately, I rarely follow up once we get home if we do it that way. Also, if anyone using the Comstock Handbook of Nature Study would like to share some ways that they have put it to use, I would appreciate it. I really like the book, but I haven't really done much with it, other than look through it for myself.

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by zeldamomma

Does anyone else live in a Northern climate? How do you do nature study when the world is frozen?

ZM

I am in MN.......great question. :

[Kleine Hexe]

I haven't actually purchased that book. I'm trying to keep my budget down a bit.

As of now we take an informal approach to nature study. That may change later. Right now after we go out I'll just have them draw a picture of what they remember. I bought a clipboard and drawing paper. I think that when we go on walks and such I'll bring the clipboard and a pack of crayons and they can draw things while we are out.

We have a scheduled science class every Friday that is outdoors at a park. I think we'll show up for class early and spend that time exploring and drawing what they see then.

[AngelBee]

There is a free science curriculum at www.msnucleus.org I am trying to figure out exactly how I am going to set things up net year for hsing. I really love CM but the kids do not tend to sit still for oral reading :

Anyone else have that issue? I have 4 children 7, 5, 2, and 8 months.

[Brisen]

Kleine Hexe, that sounds similar to what we do, except I drop the ball when we get home and no drawing happens

About nature study in a northern climate -- the CM series does kind of address this. England isn't really a southern country, although I guess with all of that ocean around them, it tends to be a bit temperate for its latitude, which google tells me is the 54th parallel -- the Canada/US border largely runs along the 49th. Mason said to have kids out of doors year round; she recommended all wool clothing for wet/cold weather. There is still a lot to see in the winter, although drawing outdoors with mittens on might be a bit difficult I also remember reading the suggestion (can't recall where) to do most of your astronomy study in the winter, since stars are more clear and visible earlier in the evening. (That reminds me -- isn't there a meteor shower coming up? The Pleades, or Pleides, or something? ETA: Perseids, and the peak viewing window is this Sunday night) Studying animal tracks is probably easier in the winter, too. It also might be a good time for some indoor nature study -- grow some hothouse plants, or start a worm composting bin, or grow some sprouts to eat.