Seminars? Which Ones & Other Help

Cyndi, the All-day Seminar includes the Laying Down the Rails DVD and if you choose the right option it gives you the printed LDTR book too.  It was very helpful to see Sonya DO it all while we are right there.  I’m telling you, I get up so ready to get going because it isn’t as hard as I make it in my mind!  =)   She also has the Books and Things Seminar which was also very helpful.    

Gentle word of advice: Don’t get too bogged down in getting tons of books to read yet.  I would get the seminars and watch them.  After you have a good “visual” of what you want to do and accomplish, then get the others to add to your “arsenal”.  I have found that adding too much too fast causes burnout in me before I can get going well; when, if I get a good basic grasp of the plan, then I can read others and really know how to apply them to our schooling.   =)

If you want a quick, easier understood version of the Original series, they have been put into “modern” English so people can read them.  They are free online here: http://home.comcast.net/~leslienoelani/toc.html  it is available on Ambleside Online also.

Cyndi,

Here’s what Blue J just told you on the other post about the seminars:

“The All Day Seminar talks about what a Charlotte Mason approach is.

Laying Down the Rails is **totally** focused on habit training, maintaining.

Books and Things gets into the nitty gritty of what a true, living Charlotte Mason book is, resources, etc.”

I would add that the All-Day Seminar shows you how to implement each (and all) subject(s) using CM methods.  It is helpful to “see” it the way Sonya does.  The audience participates along with Sonya.  She answers their questions, does a picture study with you, etc.  Then on the Laying Down the Rails DVD, you go over habit training and its importance in the CM methods and discuss the tops three in more detail.  All the sections are accompanied by a notebook with the topic headings already in it so you can make notes for yourself in it.  However, the Laying Down the Rails handbook has compiled all 60 of the habits that Charlotte mentioned in her writings and the book is not part of the All Day Seminar unless you order it together (the $55 option).  I would get that one if I were you.

Books and Things help you focus on just that – how to tell what a living book is, how to use the things around you in life as a curriculum and helps you understand that you don’t have to spend $1,000’s to get a true, quality education.  I felt like this helped me to focus on my motto: “Education is an atmosphere, a disipline, a life.” When I can easily see how to implement this in my life, I enable my children to use their motto “I am, I can, I ought, I will”.

Now about books: 

I personally do not know your budget, so am not sure what to tell you to get as far as the first selections.  I thought that Catherine Levison’s book was good, but have never read the other.

For the SCM books:  The All-Day Seminar, Books & Things, Looking Past the Fear (AWESOME!), Hearing & Reading, Telling & Writing LA Handbook, and the Hours in the Out-of-Door are all parent resources designed by SCM to help you understand and implement the CM methods.  What I LOVE about these books is the design – they have compiled all of Charlotte’s thoughts and words on the subject (LA, Nature Study) in one easy to read and understand place.  Then have given you space to write notes, and questions and suggestions for you to DO it.  Maybe if you read the LA one, you would have a clearer picture of which grammar prgram you would like.  

If you are doing the Module 1 (Ancient Egypt), then you will need the Genesis – Duet Book, Letters from Eygpt, and the Jashub Journal is an Old Testament Bible study and is already included in the Module Schedule.  You may not need another Bible study.

Your girls will probably enjoy the business math one, I have it, my kids are younger than yours, so we haven’t used it yet.

I want to mention that Outdoor Secrets and the Companion are really written for younger kids.  Your children would probably respond to the 106 Days and Considering God’s Creation better.  I know that you have said that they haven’t had a lot of science, but the Outdoor Secrets is “too babyish” for them.   See this post for the topics:

http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/outdoor-secrets-revised-schedule-for-midwest-seasons

106 Days is full of experiments and fun things to do (putting a “scientific name” to things they already have observed from life), and the Considering God’s Creation is some hands on cutting, pasting, simple experiments with data recording forms, and the lessons are quite detailed.  Or, I really think that they could handle a 1-6 grade recommendation of the Apologia series.  It is CM friendly, and comes with a notebook already to go with science copywork, puzzles, etc about the subject.  I think that you would be pleasantly suprised to be able to introduce a living “textbook” into their day.

For us, we really like the Spelling Wisdom used as copywork/dictation.  My girls much prefered that to a spelling list.  (I have never seen All About Spelling so can’t say anything about it).  Since my girls are younger than yours, we are using Grammarland this year to teach about parts of speech. There are free worksheets online.  Then I have to look into the next level…so I can’t help you with that. JAG and Middle School Grammar sounds like it would be helpful to you, though.  Maybe someone else can help with that. 

Please feel free to PM if you need to.  Hope this helps.

Sheila