New to CM

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  • January 16, 2011 at 3:25 am
    mom4knights
    Member

    Hello!  My name is Jenny and I have 4 boys (ages 7, 5, 4 & 2).  I am somewhat new to homeschooling in general and new to CM.  I found this website (and Ambleside Online) through the Well Trained Mind forums and I purchased at a used book sale a Charlotte Mason Companion by K. Andreola that I am reading to learn more about CM.  We are currently using a mix of things from CLE for language arts, RightStart for Math, Story of the World for history, etc. and just trying to read as many books as we can (and that the boys will stay “somewhat” still for! LOL!)

    I have loved the book lists that I found on both AO and SCM but am a little scared about having 4 so close together and trying to fit all the readings from the various years.  In addition, some days are better than others based on how well the “younger” boys are behaving.  I am feeling like I need some general guidance and am very interested in the guides offered by SCM.  I would love to order all the book/DVD’s but know that I shouldn’t right now.  I am looking at the Laying Down the Rails series, the All Day Charlotte Mason series and the Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education series.

    I would love some advice as to which ones I should get first and then save for the rest.  I noticed that their is a bundle deal on the All-Day seminar and Laying Down the Rails and am leaning towards that but I’ve recently read soooooo many posts about how wonderful is the Planning series . . . any suggestions??? 🙂

    God Bless,

    Jenny 🙂

    January 16, 2011 at 12:20 pm
    knechtslodge
    Participant

    All of the seminars are great and so hard to choose from. I guess if I was starting over again and knew very little about the CM ways and was planning on implementing all the subjects into my week of teaching then I would purchase The Planning Seminar and The Books and Things. Books and Things gives you alot of nuts and bolts of how to implement and use the books on the lists. The 7, 5, and 4 year old are so close in age that you could do composer study, picture study, Bible, History and Science together. That way they are all hearing and learning from the same books, etc. Good look on the new road for you and your family.

    Blessings

    Diane

    January 16, 2011 at 7:25 pm
    Sue
    Participant

    Hi, Jenny.  I remembered reading some comments recently about which dvd sets to purchase and in which order to view them.  I just realized that the comments are on the bottom of the page where you can purchase the All-Day CM series, and if you scroll down, you can read them along with a reply or two from Sonya.

    Here is the link to that page:  http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/all-day-charlotte-mason-seminar-on-dvd/

    I hope these comments help you decide where you might start with all of this.

    Sue

    January 17, 2011 at 1:20 am
    Richele Baburina
    Participant

    Hi Jenny –

    Welcome to the forum.  How great to find Karen Andreola’s CM Companion – can’t imagine anyone giving their’s up 🙂

    A great thing about the SCM Handbooks is they combine all ages – this really relieves the load for mom and it is really so fun to study together as a family.  If you haven’t yet, be sure to download some free samples to see just what they are like.

    Jenny, I’ve really loved everything I’ve gotten from the SCM Bookstore from the “Teaching & Parenting” section.  The “All-Day Seminar” and “Laying Down the Rails” DVD workshops are where I started.  Without a doubt, the most impact on my heart and homeschooling came from the audio-cd’s or MP3s “Reaching Your Child’s Heart” and “Looking Past the Fear.”  Sonya has the gift of encouragement for which I am so thankful.  “Planning Your Charlotte Mason Education” starts with the big picture of your goals for your children and how to reach them while meeting your state’s regulations and planning each day.

    Please be sure to read through the SCM blog posts (when you have time) and the free eBooks as there is such a wealth of information available here.  

    Much peace to you on your journey!

    Richele

    January 17, 2011 at 8:26 pm
    mom4knights
    Member

    Thank you all so much for the welcome, advice and encouragement!  I am going to talk to dh and hopefully place an order tonight!! 🙂  I am very excited to learn all I can!

    Thank you again!

    JennySmile

    January 18, 2011 at 2:18 am
    my3boys
    Participant

    I just wanted to add that the ‘Discussion Forum’ was my only resource for quite a while and I can’t tell you how instrumental it has been for me.  I have purchased the All Day Seminar,  Planning Your CM Education and Laying Down the Rails and they’re definitely worth every penny and I use them. But, in the meantime, or throughout your journey, the forum can be a place of support, encouragement, academic ‘ironing out’, etc., as well.  I have searched the old posts or the ‘tags’ and have found a wealth of information.

    I still recommend the DVD’s, I’m just giving a plug for all the ladies and gent. that post here.

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