Do you tend to follow CM completely or do you vary for each subject?

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  • AFthfulJrney
    Participant

    So after much reading on this site regarding the curriculum they offer, i’m just curious as to how many of you follow it completely for every subject and if you do not, what do you use for the subjects that differ? I’m mainly looking for advice/info on science and ALL the LA! Oh…and for the elmentary age. Very curious! Thanks! 🙂

    missceegee
    Participant

    Here’s the thing – copied from my previous post.

    Charlotte Mason was an educator in Britain who wrote extensively on the education of children. She did have a curriculum in use in the PNEU schools, but when one refers to a CM education, it should be to using the philosophy of Charlotte in both choosing and implementing a curriculum. SCM is a company who has strived to make the CM philosophy easily understood and attainable by creating a variety of wonderful resources for both parents and kids. SCM offers some great curriculum suggestions, some of which are what Charlotte used in her schools and some of which are wonderful, newer resources. There are several programs that have curriculum guides to help implement a CM style of education – SCM, AO, HUFI are all examples. Use one, or pieces from each or blaze your own trail. However, you must understand the philosophy or they are all just great book lists.

    CM homeschooling is so much more than a book list or just certain hallmarks like picture study, nature journaling, etc. It is truly a paradigm shift in what education is.

    Charlotte Mason wrote in Volume 6 page 19: “The reader will say with truth,–‘I knew all this before and have always acted more or less on these principles’; and I can only point to the unusual results we obtain through adhering, not ‘more or less,’ but strictly to the principles and practices I have indicated. I suppose the difficulties are of the sort that Lister had to contend with; every surgeon knew that his instruments and appurtenances should be kept clean, but the saving of millions of lives has resulted from the adoption of the great surgeon’s antiseptic treatment; that is, from the substitution of exact principles scrupulously applied, for the rather casual ‘more or less’ methods of earlier days.”

    I highly recommend the SCM All Day Seminar or the soon to be released Living and Learning Seminar recorded at the CM conference I hosted last year in Jacksonville. It is the best place to begin IMO. Begin incorporating things slowly as you keep learning, but don’t expect the result Miss Mason achieved if you adhere more or less to her principles.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Blessings,

    Christie

    Sara B.
    Participant

    Totally agree with Christie.  I try to adhere to her principles pretty strictly because I want her same results.  Am I perfect?  Not hardly!  I learn a little more every year and implement a little more as we go along.  But it’s not a matter of following this or that booklist – it’s the whole philosophy overall that gives a family a CM education.

    That said, I use resources from SCM & AO mainly, plus some of my own resources mixed in.  But again, it’s the overarching philosophy that gives us a CM education, not which site/booklist we follow.

    AFthfulJrney
    Participant

    thank you so very much missceegee! Your reply has been very helpful! I thought I had a good understanding of her philosophy, but maybe I was wrong. I was always under the impression that her idea of “schooling” was to be full of great literature, learning from it in every way possible, letting learning be fun, with a gentle approach. Have I got it the least bit right at all? 🙂 I think I will order that DVD! Any literature you could recommend I read? I am currently reading Real Learning in the Heart of the Home and Educating the Whole Hearted Child, both which have been extremely helpful!

    I guess I worded this post as well as my other post wrong. I guess what I was really wanting to know is other than the curriculum offered on this site for LA and science, what else is out there for me to look into? I am stumped when it comes to LA!

    Thanks again for all your help!

    AFthfulJrney
    Participant

    Thank you Sara B! I’m hoping to learn more of her philosophy and how to incorporate it more and more into our homeschool at a natural pace!

    missceegee
    Participant

    I suggest reading Charlotte’s own words and starting with either Home Education or Towards a Philosophy of Education. You can read online in modern or original English at AO. There is no substitute for hearing from the horse’s mouth so to speak. I like Sally Clarkson’s books, but honestly other than CM’s own writings, I prefer everything published by SCM. I highly suggest Hearing & Reading, Telling & Writing to learn about CM style language arts. 

    Your kids are 7, 4, and 20 months? You have only 1 school age child, the 7 year old. Charlotte recommended formal academics not start until age 6. For the 7 year old for LA, she needs:

    • continued reading practice based on where she is. We liked the Pathway Readers. If still working on Phonics, there are many options and AAR is good, but if you want basic, look into Alpha-Phonics. It doesn’t get any easier. 
    • copywork – choose from the books you read to her or a prepared resource like those from Light Home Publications. Do a little every day. Aim is best effort and perfect execution. One perfect letter is better than a page that gets progressively sloppier
    • oral narration – She tells back what you’ve read. 
    • Literature – read her good, quality literature – see the lists here and on my master list

    That’s it, she needs nothing more. 

    For science, there are curriculums, but I find that living science books, time to explore, and nature study are best for this age. Consider Outdoor Secrets and the Companion Guide for next year. I’m using it for the 2nd time and it is fabulous.

    You said:

    I thought I had a good understanding of her philosophy, but maybe I was wrong. I was always under the impression that her idea of “schooling” was to be full of great literature, learning from it in every way possible, letting learning be fun, with a gentle approach. Have I got it the least bit right at all? 🙂

    Great literautre and narration is right. Let her form her own connections and do the work of thinking. Don’t try to tie it all together for her unit study style. It’s not necessary. Give her Handwork to learn – quality things like crocheting, things that are lovely and useful AND life skills. This is fun. If you want some quality craft type things, check Hands N Heart history kits. However, I think “fun” hands on projects can be overrated because learning is fun for its own sake and isn’t always necessary for learning. If you personally love things like salt dough maps, making paper macheé pyramids, etc. Go for it, but know it isn’t necessary for quality education to happen.

    Claire
    Participant

    You’ll see I don’t use a lot of the same curriculum choices others on here use, BUT I use everything with the CM philosophy as my guide and framework.  It works.  We all question it from time to time and we all struggle to keep faithful to it from time to time.  I re-read CM’s own words almost weekly – like popping in to see a friend who keeps me on track.  When I have a doubt or question or even just a curiosity … I come here and ask.  Understand the philosophy and there is very little in the way of “curriculum” that can’t be used to some degree.  You will quickly toss what doesn’t work in a CM philosophy – it will be that obvious.  In fact, I use spines that I consider living in addition to other literature and living books for several subjects quite successfully.  It’s an understanding of CM as an atmopshere, a discipline and a life.

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