CM Works!

I have used a lot of resources over time–Truthquest, Sonlight, Ambleside—I just finally ended up finding out how to find the good books, and then we just read them.  When SCM published the basic plan, we took it and added in all the good books we’d discovered along the way.  Science we did nature study by “winging it” and then when they got a bit older added in the God’s Plan series, then moved up to Apologia.  Writing and language arts . . . .  LOL.  Well.  Did it mostly myself interspersed with periodic spasms of panic in which I bought just about every known writing program . . . none of which worked.  We did supplement with some additional things in high school, using with this child both an essay-writing program from Apologia (Jump In) and a few Total Language Plus guides.  I also taught a sentence-diagramming course in 6th-7th grades and  a simple grammar course (Our Mother Tongue) in 7th to 8th grades, plus Latin. IMO the Latin helped a LOT. 

I also want to add–not every child will end up going to college or getting scholarships, but THAT IS OK.  Every one of our children can be well prepared to go where God wants them, to learn what they need to know whether that is college, learning a trade, keeping a home, serving as a missionary–the tools, the experiences, provided by a CM education can be the basis for it all.  PLUS, despite all our mistakes in parenting, all our failures, when we manage to put our children in touch with God and with the best that humanity has produced, when we give them the powerful tool of habit, our children can be good, fascinating, respectful, talented, service-oriented, and kind.  God can take what we do offer and take our beautiful but oh so imperfect children and work wonders. My son was,  growing up, JUST LIKE the children all around you today–sometimes goofed off, fought with siblings, fought with US, hated some of his subjects, —just a normal kid.  Love, discipline, atmosphere and ideas–plus a lot of God–are MIRACULOUS.  I chose that word deliberately!