They are like having a librarian best friend who knows just the right book to recommend, at the right time to develop just the right character quality, or discuss just the right topic with your child. In my opinion, the best part of the entire Ambleside Online community/curriculum is the book lists. Instead of using AO as a full curriculum, I cherry-pick two basic categories of things – Books and Riches. AO’s detailed schedules, time-tested methods, and extensive teacher resources allow parents to focus effectively on the unique needs of each child. Ambleside Online states on their homepage:ĪmblesideOnline is a free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: God, humanity, and the natural world. I happened upon Charlotte Mason when I heard someone mention Ambleside Online. Someday I hope to get around to diving into her books. Instead, I have researched and read many books and articles which discuss her various methods for homeschooling. I have never read the works of Charlotte Mason. How Charlotte Mason Has Worked in our HomeschoolĬharlotte Mason in our Homeschool What we Use from Charlotte Mason.You can just read through the post as usual, or jump to the sections which grab your attention, by clicking the links. I get a bit long winded, so I created a Table of Contents for this post. I will define terms as I go, especially in places where many different interpretations abound. I have done a fair amount of research in these areas and have practiced some of what I know to be Classical and Charlotte Mason methods in my homeschool.Īs long as you know who I am and where I am coming from, I feel like I can share with you. First, I am not an expert in any of the categories of knowledge discussed here – neither Charlotte Mason nor Classical neither homeschooling nor life. This post is laid out to disabuse you of that notion. My biggest struggle in sharing my bridge with you is you may get the idea that we have got it all figured out. I only recommend things I use and believe to be a blessing. If you click and make a purchase based on my recommendation, I get a small remuneration at no extra expense to you. Charlotte Mason has never offered to teach my homeschoolers (and likely never would). We take the tools which feel good in our hands and set them to work at the task for which they are intended. I have shared many times on this blog this important sentiment: we are not slavish to any one curriculum or approach. I kind of like the idea of Charlotte Mason being a treasured guest at our homeschooling feast. You will notice by the title of this post, I consider our homeschool approach to be solidly Classical. Emails have poured in, comments even (a rare thing in the blogging world)! And I wanted to take a minute to lay out how we have been approaching Charlotte Mason in our Classical Homeschool for the past four or five years. The older children may trace the countries with a dry erase marker, and the advanced students may trace or draw the countries on paper.Since I shared the news of our upcoming bridge for the upper elementary years, combining Charlotte Mason and Classical Conversations, I have received quite the outpouring of interest. The youngest classes might place candies on each country as the tutor says them aloud. For example, in geography all the classes practice the same five European countries on one week. Tutors of different age groups all cover the same memory work, but they may choose different ways to present the material based on the ages of the students. From 9:30 to noon, the tutor leads the class in five thirty-minute segments that cover new memory work, a science project, a fine arts activity, public speaking, and memory work review time. Students and parents attend this class together. Directors lead scripture memory work recitation and make announcements.Įach class is made up of eight students in approximately the same age group and is led by a trained parent tutor. They are excited to learn something new with their friends.įamilies take turns opening with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a family presentation. They hide presentations in their backpacks. Once a week at 9:15 in the morning, children stream eagerly into the church building with their siblings and one or both of their parents.
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