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CANNOT DECIDE!
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I know this subject has been exhausted on this forum, but I’m looking for a specific answer. Can anyone offer a comparison between the history and literature selections between Ambleside Online and SCM? I’ll admit, I just cannot decide. I’m very drawn to AO because of the book selections, but I’m QUITE SURE the reading selections are just as rich here in SCM, right? I think there’s always that fear of if you go with one curriculum over another you may just be “missing out” on SOMETHING! Does that feeling ever go away?!?!
Specifically, I’m looking at either AO Year 4 or 5, but I’m also unsure of my son even being able to handle it. He is a 6th grader with dyslexia, and would NOT be able to handle most of the silent reading on his own. So, I’m assuming most of his workload would be on me…
Also in regards to copywork and geography…I know it is such a simple thing, but does SCM incorporate that into their curriculum? Meaning, pre-done? I feel like with AO, there is zero hand-holding, and even though I’ve been homeschooling for 7 years, I still need it, especially since we are hoping to go FULL Charlotte Mason this year. Previously, we’ve only incorporated *some* aspects of her philosophy. Currently, I’m reading all the books (including her volumes) I can get my hands on so that I can stand on my own two feet!
Someone please just tell me which one to throw myself into so I can stop driving myself crazy! HAHAHAHAHA! I should also add that I’m already doing Laying Down the Rails, the Nature Notebooks, and the Burgess Bird Study from SCM and loving those resources! 🙂
I have not used AO, though I am familiar with it, so I can’t make an informed comparison of the two. But I would say in general, if you’re already using some SCM resources and you also have many questions about whether or not your son could handle AO, take a closer look at SCM. In my experience, it is always easier to add than to subtract when it comes to resources and just the day-to-day work in your homeschool. If your son is in 6th grade, using resources that will allow him *some* independence – versus his workload being on you, as you speculate – will be good for both of you.
Mostly I wanted to respond to your question about whether you ever stop wondering whether you’re missing out on something when you choose one resource over another. I have to say, IME, the answer is No, not without a great force of will. I say that with a smile, but also seriously.
This is our 17th year homeschooling. As you can imagine, I’ve seen a lot of curriculum come into the world since we began! My “struggle,” though, is less with actual curriculum than just with great books! It’s only recently that I have proactively been at peace with the idea that all three of my girls (ages 23, 19, 8) will not read all of the same books, nor have the same books read to them. All three will miss out on *something,* because there is not enough time in a lifetime to mine the riches of books! There just isn’t. At my worst, that can make me feel almost panicky. Not because I want them (or me) to read every single wonderful book in an *achieving* sort of way. Just because books are my riches. Words are my wonder. Ideas are delicious. But at some point, we all have to admit that for every book we/our children read, there is another one – or 100! – that will go unread. Once I get that simple fact through my head, I can relax and know that what *could* be an overwhelming process is actually one full of abundance. There are so many fabulous books, but we don’t have to – and can’t – read them all. But, also because there are so many fabulous books, we can choose a steady diet of them and never run out.
This got long, but I hope it helps. Go with what you’re most drawn to and what you will actually use. The wonder never ends!
My DD17 has dyslexia, so I often have her use audiobooks (online or cd’s from the library) for literature, and I mostly read history to her….for selfish reasons, since I love history. When her older siblings were homeschooled, I always read history to them together, so I’ve just continued it now that it’s just one student.
For science, she uses the Apologia audiobook for the course and follows along with the text so she can see the illustrations and diagrams referred to along the way. She reads her own quiz and test questions. Geography is also read on her own. Poetry and any art/music/poet biographies are brief, so we take turns reading those if we are doing that subject as a family, or she reads them on her own. Math-u-See is done pretty much on her own as are grammar and composition, then I just check things over as she goes along.
I don’t think it would be a problem to rely more on audiobooks at your son’s age. As we addressed the dyslexia issue more and more, I required more reading of my daughter. If the structure and planning provided by SCM suits you, you can always choose books from AO’s lists to add or substitute. Just don’t add too, too many books, or–you’re right–it will increase your workload as the mom/teacher.
Sometimes, a particular book just wasn’t a good fit for our family, so I was always grateful to have AO’s book lists (and other book list resources) available to choose from.
Maybe once you have read more of Charlotte’s writings and become more comfortable with her methods, you can customize your child’s education. This could be a mix of books from book lists like SCM and AO. It could be adding in something else, too. Take what you like from each. Teach the child, not the curriculum. Each child is unique. Pray about what is right for your family.
If you need some free audio book downloads, here is a list of AO books available from LibriVox:
https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Recordings_of_Books_on_the_Ambleside_List_2
@alphabetika……I LOVE LOVE LOVE your response! You are exactly right. I did actually mean *books* more than *curriculum.” Thank you for helping to set me at ease in many way! 🙂
@sue and @Wings2fly ……Thank you so much for responding! I am storing all of these suggestions away and you seem to know exactly what I’m needing to hear.
Thank you for reaffirming the audiobooks. I admit I have resisted them for SO LONG because I’m so old school! I know I need to adjust, more importantly, adjust for my son’s sake. 🙂
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