Confused! This is all mostly recommended living books and lesson plans?

Take a deep breath and relax! 😉 It’s not as confusing as it looks to you right now, I promise.

For ex: the “living science curriculum” its not curriculum, it “follows a classic living science book and gives you guided lessons” then there is no “living science book” listed, just Outdoor Secrets, pond n stream book, bird book and few others. What am I missing here, where is the living science book, where is the science material? 

In the curriculum guide, it tells you to use living books and then gives you the list of suggest SCM materials – the guides are called after each book. So for example, you decide to start with Outdoor Secrets. You would purchase the book, then the guide. Inside the guide is a lesson for all the stories, plus additional books and experiences as well as nature study suggestions. We have done Outdoor Secrets and really enjoyed it. There are sample downloads for every single thing that SCM sells. You can download them for free and see everything you need to know: books to buy, supplies needed, term plans, individual lessons for every day, and more. 106 Days of Science is another of their guides, and I have done it twice with my different set of kids and like it very much.

Here are links to the samples of each:

Outdoor Secrets book:

https://simplycharlottemason.com/store/outdoor-secrets/

Outdoor Secrets Companion (this has all the lesson plans):

https://simplycharlottemason.com/store/the-outdoor-secrets-companion/

106 Days of Creation:

https://simplycharlottemason.com/store/106-days-creation-studies/

Then how am I gonna teach my kid to read…is that all contained in the Delightful Reading Kits?  Does Delightful Handwriting have instructions for me to know how to teach that or? 

Everything you need is in the kit, except a pencil, I think. It’s been a while since I’ve used it. The handwriting books do give you instructions.

I see that you pick your own math, right? 

Yes, you pick your own math. I use Math U See which comes with DVD’s showing me how to teach the concept. My older kids watch the lessons themselves without me and do their math. I then check their work.

Then, for History Geography, and Bible, you  pick one study per year….which I have no clue how I would pick one and all the plethora of books listed or how for a 6yo, let alone older kid, how to teach and execute this; I mean a lesson plan for it just is a rec for what section to read in what sequence?

Either start at the beginning and choose to study the Old Testament and Ancient Egypt together, or start with American history. It truly doesn’t matter. I chose to start at the beginning because that made sense to me when I started. You will get the guide for whichever time period you choose and you will have daily lesson plans for a year – you will rotate days of Bible history, secular history, and a day of geography. The free sample will show exactly how to do it. It also comes with a list of books needed for each group and you will need to have the books for the family and the additional books for the grades 1-3. Those books are all scheduled in the guide.

There are 6 time periods to choose from. Pick the one that sounds most interesting to you.

 I will be lost. So is everything else I need gonna be available here or listed here (to buy elsewhere off ebay/amazon etc.). 

You will be fine if you look at the samples and only get what is necessary for the family and grades 1-3. Those are all scheduled with lesson plans in all the guides.

There are also guides called Individual Studies that help you plan out all the lessons for each child. These are in addition to the other subjects, but it helps you schedule reading, writing, and math each day.

The Enrichment Studies books are guides for adding in the cool CM riches: poet study, hymn study, picture study, art, music study, and more. Again, each guide has a list of what you need in the free sample download.

And everything you need is available from SCM, Walmart, Amazon, etc.

CM is doable. It is stretching. It is rich and wonderful. It can be hard work at first. But as you grow in your understanding of the methods and philosophy, it becomes easier and easier. Don’t give up. Start small, ask questions – you can do this!