Using SCM curriculum guides

So far my experience has been great.  Once I understood that it was a “guide” and not a “you must follow what we’ve put in the boxes or you can’t use this guide” then our home school, became “our” home school. 

You’re probably looking for a more practical explanation of exactly what I did and continue to do, so here goes:

I went subject by subject down the curriculum guide for each of my boys.  I made decisions for them based on the guide, but not we’re necessarily using everything listed for the resources.  I made decisions based on what we already had available, what I could find at the library and what I thought we could handle for our first year completely CM. I have added weekly to our schedule the subjects listed that I thought should/could wait until we became more comfortable with this style of schooling.

It has all been a blessing.

I’m certain that we do not do everything the same as everyone else on this forum (nor would we want to) but this forum has been an invaluable source to me for our home school.  Based on the Curriculum Guide’s suggestions I clicked on each tag for the subjects that I may have not been clear on and by just reading the discussions I could figure out what it would look like CM style:) 

I will admit that I was highly intimidated by the guide at first, but then figured out it was simply a guide and my friend and that I am not a slave to it.  Now that we are moving into our 5th week tomorrow of nothing but CM style approaches I am ever so grateful for the guide. It is incredibly flexible and doable. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is: It’s a guide that you can lean on for a while then venture off when you gain confidence. What’s so wonderful about this site is that the guide is free and you don’t have to sign your life away just to be able to reap the benefits.  You don’t have to purchase their products (although I do) just to utilize the guide either, and that’s a blessings all in itself.

Okay, I think I’m rambling.  HTH

We followed Year 1 very closely last year with great success! The only thing we did not do was History/Geography because it overwhelmed me to think about it with all the other stuff I was doing for our first year. So, this year, we’re following Year 2, but using Module 1 for History/Geography/Bible. My favorite thing about the curriculum guide is that it saves me so much work in planning. That’s more than half the battle, in my opinion! All I have to do is find and buy or borrow the recommended resources. Also, like most, I had a public school education, and I don’t have experience enough with good, living books from my own education to find the right resources for our homeschool. I love having SCM’s wisdom and experience to guide me through it, and literally, hold my hand it seems.

Some other ways we differed in our use of the curriculum (only because of our family’s personal preferences, not because the recommendations were faulty):

• We actually did some very, very light grammar during Year 1, and my ds really enjoyed it.
• We used some different artists and composers last year because I had already planned those subjects before I found the curriculum guide. We are going back and studying the artists and composers we missed out on last year.
• We used a few different hymns, some from other modules, some of our own selections, only because I didn’t already know “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”, and my piano playing isn’t good enough to teach myself and my children at the same time. Ha!
• We tried reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but I think all the gibberish was too much for my kids to handle, and it was very difficult to keep their attention for something they (or I) couldn’t understand. 

My kids’ favorite part about the modules would have to be literature. The only book we haven’t liked so far has been the one I mentioned above. They look so forward to our family read aloud times each evening, and act out the stories during play time for weeks and months after we finish a book. 

I will say (and I think the SCM team would agree) that the Curriculum Guide is just that: a guide. The CM police aren’t going to knock down your door if you don’t follow it to the letter, and the people on this forum aren’t going to think badly of you for choosing something different. 

I hope, between the three of us who’ve answered so far, that we’ve been helpful!

Lindsey

I haven’t used them yet – but I sure wish the Module 5 one was available so I could;-)  I’m using the free guide…Maybe next time around…

Julie