How did you choose CM?

Congratulations on choosing to homeschool!

Background info.:  I’ve homeschooled our five kiddos from birth and our oldest is 27+.  There have been years that we’ve used CM almost exclusively (we used some Montessori methods in the early years, too).  Other years, due to co-op type learning situations, we’ve had non-CM style resources added into our mix.  (Usually, that would mean an IEW resource for a class co-op class.)  We stick with oral/written narrations for everything else.

I actually heard about CM during my university studies before having children.  Seemed ideal to me.  Later, after struggling with boxed stuff I used when I stopped teaching public school to be home with our children, I read the pink volumes by the Andreola’s….they were hot off the press at the time.  A Charlotte Mason Companion sealed the deal.

Years ago, I directed and tutored Foundations and Essentials for a small CC Community that was held in my home.  The youngest two (11 & 5 at the time) of our children were in it.  It was very stressful to do all of that at once (I wouldn’t recommend it) and still be able to get things done with my kids during the week.  I always felt like I was preparing for the other families to have an awesome year while my family suffered the consequences of me having too much on my plate.  CC is a great program for families who are able to enroll their children and just be parents.  It’s work for those who are contracted to direct, or tutor.  Some do a fine job of juggling hats.  I didn’t.  My then 11 year old resented the memory work because his younger sister could master it almost immediately.  She was at a great age for the sing song style of learning.

I will say that I still refer to both the Foundations and Essentials guides as reference tools.  But, that was our only year to be involved with CC.  I ran back to CM as fast as I could!  The atmosphere that CM methods provide is beautiful and peaceful.  CC, for us, was stressful and sporadic.  I know other families that feel the same way, but then there are families that love CC, too.  It’s a personal choice.

I feel CM methods are superior to CC methods even though they have some classical commonality.  With CM, you stay with books and things much longer than the frenetic pace CC requires.  I think that allows for the ideas to sink into each person at their own pace.  CC just made us always feel in a hurry to check things off to say that we covered them.  CM allows us to enjoy learning, to enjoy beauty as it unfolds.

I’m not sure this is super helpful.  I do know families that combine CM & CC with great success.  I hope one of them posts answers that will help you in your decision process.

I agree with all of the advice Tristan gave you. Your child is only turning four. Don’t worry so much about it! The curriculum you choose is not so critical that it’s worth panicking over and probably won’t be that important until high school. Try to relax and just have fun together, which is really what is most important at that age.

To answer your questions, I only use aspects of CM, like narration, short lessons, and nature walks as part of science. I picked out the things that make sense to me and work well for me, and leave the rest. Some things, like continuing written narration through high school, I chose because that’s the way my child learned best.

No homeschool style or method is meant to be followed religiously. Just take from each one what you like, leave the rest, and adjust as you go, depending on what’s right for you and your family. 🙂

Welcome!  You have asked some great questions and I have enjoyed reading everyone’s responses.  We have taken different paths here.

We use mostly CM methods, but not exclusively.  I have never been a CM purist.  We sometimes use unit studies with narrations and copywork in CM style.  We have used some workbooks and other programs.  We have never used Plutarch and I don’t intend to.  We use what we like and CM methods seem like a natural way of learning, using engaging stories and living books instead of dull, dry textbooks.  We enjoy studying one artist or composer or poet and their works at a time, going deep versus wide.  We like to linger in some time periods of history we take particular interest in.

I started with a free curriculum at age five at letteroftheweek.com where I printed coloring pages and booklists I took to the library each week.  The next year, we used Sonlight because of the CM inspired living books approach.  Math was not working for us with Saxon, then MUS.  So I researched online for math and that is how I found Rightstart math and this wonderful SCM website.  I began studying the free curriculum guide.  I liked most of the resources used, but substituted some because of availability or personal choice.  So we gradually switched components of Sonlight for SCM.  Through the years we have tried other components like Five in a Row, Queens Language Lessons, Bravewriter, and Writing Tales.  But we mainly use SCM and CM methods.  I like Cindy West’s blog, Ourjourneywestward.  She combines unit studies, living books, and textbooks with CM methods.  Really, if you learn the methods, you can use any books you want to use.  I like the freedom of choosing our own books.

The spring before my oldest was to start first grade, I attended my first homeschool convention.  I was overwhelmed with the many options and methods.  I attended a session where Jeanne Fullbright, author of Apologia elementary science books Exploring Creation series, was speaking about CM methods.  I really liked how interesting and enjoyable learning sounded versus my ps experience using mostly textbooks and worksheets.  I have learned so much history alongside my children with living books that I did not learn in school with textbooks.  Yes, they taught it to me but it didn’t mean anything to me so I didn’t retain much of it.

For age four, I recommend lots of outdoor time exploring and playing, reading aloud good picture books, listening to hymns and classical music, and creating through paper crafts, blocks, etc.  The Early Years guide is a great resource for this age.  You can teach the alphabet informally through play with letters they can hold, in both upper and lowercase.  Read aloud alphabet books along with picure books.  Enjoy this time together.  If you think you need something more, I think Before Five in a Row and Rod and Staff ABCDEF series are good resources that won’t take much time.  You don’t need to schedule them, but use them on days your child is interested in them.

We have no experience with CC.  I like to choose our own books, and rote memorization of facts never appealed to me.

Feel free to ask more questions anytime!

The unit studies we used were with Five in a Row.  Maybe it worked well for us because the units are literary-based using good picture books (living books).  Because I had already used CM methods, I knew how to incorporate them.  So we added CM elements of narration and copywork.  Then we added in extras through the week of poet, composer, artist, hymns, and nature study (one of each per day).  It is not CM purist, but it worked well for us.

Currently, I have a high school student who has continued on with CM methods so far.  I am seeing the benefits of CM methods now, especially in his written narrations.  I enjoy reading them.  The CM extras of poet, artist, hymns, etc. are a refreshing break from the heavier academic high school studies.  Why would I change methods now?