Fitting in all Charlotte Mason's curriculum?

2138 Views 20 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Momma Aimee, Dec 13, 2009

robin4kids

Discussion Starter · Sep 12, 2009

I have not yet read one of her books, (one is coming soon.) but I have read a lot on the web. Last year we kinda unschooled. This year I am finally starting to get a feel for the kind of homeschool philosophy I want to work towards. I love Charlotte Mason's ideas. I love the idea of my ds narrating a story back to me to type up and then he can illustrate it. I like all the copy work and books that they suggest. I like the idea of studying poetry, art and learning the recorder. I like how they want us to read aloud in a chapter book and fables, fairy tales and tall tales. Oh and I am happy when I read about studying geography.

So what I can't figure out is how to arrange all this into my week. I have scored the internet for samples of schedules and have found nothing that fits it all in. My son is 6 years old. I really want to make the day fun. How do i get it all in and make it enjoyable?

I am not strict CM. I use some Oak Meadow stuff as well. I need a clear schedule that tells me what is taught.
Thanks ,
Robin

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

shoefairy3

· #2 · Sep 12, 2009

I've been using some parts of the AmblesideOnline curriculum. It is free and all set out week by week

emilys_mom1

· #3 · Sep 12, 2009

For me, and I'm new to homeschooling, you need to remember to combine areas where you can. Think of it like the Five in a Row series. You take one book that you are reading and include your art, geography, copyrigh, and ect. The nature journeling is our art sometimes.

AngelBee

· #4 · Sep 12, 2009

I will look around. I thought there were examples on www.amblesideonline.org Also maybe on CM yahoo groups.

MyLittleWonders

· #5 · Sep 12, 2009

Something that helped me while I was trying to figure out our daily schedule/weekly schedule (we are classical with a CM bend) was the weekly schedule plan and daily schedule plan from Simply Charlotte Mason. I didn't end up necessarily planning our days and weeks to match their samples, but they definitely gave me some good ideas for how to try and fit things together and also ideas of family subjects (for us, that includes Latin, history, grammar, etc.) and individual subjects.

Dillpicklechip

· #6 · Sep 12, 2009

Hello Robin,
I use a Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling with my 10 year old daughter. We use, with a few substitutions, the year-by-year booklists at Ambleside Online. We don't necessarily follow their week-by-week schedule though.

What I do is, before a school year begins I make up a master list of all the books and curriculums we'll be using for every subject. I collect the books and curriculum. Then, I divide the year into three terms and figure out which books we'll be reading each term (some will continue all year). Then for each term I make up a table for a weekly schedule, with days of the week on the side and subjects at the top. Then I just fill in the boxes with whatever I want to do in that subject each day. You definitely don't have to do every subject each day--picture study for example we just do once per week.

We start lessons in the morning whenever we happen to be done breakfast. Usually we start with a poem, and then work our way through the subjects for the day, not necessarily in order, and taking breaks whenever we want.

As I'm sure you know, one of CM's ideas was short lessons, so even if we have many subjects to cover in one day it doesn't mean we'll be doing school all day. Usually lessons in a single subject are about 10-15 minutes. Most days we're done by lunch, and then the afternoon is used for crafts, chores, and sometimes for nature walks.

I hope that helps!

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KathleenSLP

· #7 · Sep 12, 2009

:

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dotnetdiva

· #8 · Sep 12, 2009

Also

:...

I just got 3 Charlotte Mason books yesterday, started reading them last night. Also got a terrible book called Trivium Mastery, ugh, what a waste of money.

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KathleenSLP

· #9 · Sep 12, 2009

Angela, what CM books did you get? I have the Charlotte Mason Companion and would like to get another at some point.

Citymomx3

· #10 · Sep 12, 2009

We love CM and try to implement as many of her methods as we can. Ds(8) is in Yr2 of AmblesideOnline. The layout includes all the great CM stuff in a weekly format, so you can break it up any way you want. Don't forget that CM advocated short lessons, so 10 minutes or so is plenty for each subject in the younger years. We do math, copywork, poetry, and 2 or 3 readalouds with narrations every day (in history, science, geography, and literature). Then from 1 to 3 times a week we also do some history timeline, mapwork, Spanish, nature study, artist/picture study, composer study, a little grammar workbook, and maybe a dictation exercise. Music, art, science experiments, and handicrafts are things we also try to do regularly. It takes us about 2 hrs/day to do it all - unless the kids choose to take it further.

The best way to really get a feel for CM is to read her original works. You can find them online for free.

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AngelBee

· #11 · Sep 12, 2009

3

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotnetdiva

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Also

:...

I just got 3 Charlotte Mason books yesterday, started reading them last night. Also got a terrible book called Trivium Mastery, ugh, what a waste of money.

Hate when I get a book that doesn't work for me.

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dotnetdiva

· #12 · Sep 13, 2009

Here's the books I got yesterday that I think I'm going to love:

Is this where you find Charlotte Mason original works online?
http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html

KathleenSLP

· #13 · Sep 13, 2009

Oh, I think that practical guide will be my next CM purchase.

AO has CM's original works plus a re-writing in modern English. I really like the AO site and see us using that as a backbone when we start with CM (not for 2 years).

AngelBee

· #14 · Sep 13, 2009

2

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Originally Posted by dotnetdiva

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Is this where you find Charlotte Mason original works online?[/COLOR]
http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html

I ended up purchasing them though. Much easier for me to read. I am on book 1 and LOVING it!

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dotnetdiva

· #15 · Sep 13, 2009

Yeah, but isn't it $40? That's too much for even me, a book buying addict for one book... Or can I find it for less somewhere?

jplain

· #16 · Sep 13, 2009

Angela, given your daughter's age, you'll probably want to start with book 1, so you might buy that one first and go from there. If you had a much older child, you'd start with book 6 instead.

A lot of Charlotte Mason fans read books 1 and 6, and then rely on the online summaries and more modern reinterpretations (some of which you already have) for everything else.

jplain

· #17 · Sep 13, 2009

For anyone new to CM, the Simply Charlotte Mason website/company is a fantastic resource. Poke around; there's a lot of really great free stuff there.

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AngelBee

· #18 · Sep 14, 2009

2

Quote:

Originally Posted by dotnetdiva

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Yeah, but isn't it $40? That's too much for even me, a book buying addict for one book... Or can I find it for less somewhere?

I got all 6 off of www.paperbackswap.com

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Momma Aimee

· #19 · Dec 12, 2009

bumping to come back and read more

PJsmomma

· #20 · Dec 12, 2009

I really enjoyed When Children Love To Learn.

I enjoyed A Pocket Full of Pinecones and just ordered her new book. They are written as a story about a homeschool mom figuring out how to do nature study.
Very charming and great info!

I need to reread the Charlotte Mason companion!

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