The Curriculum Choice

Making Charlotte Mason Simple

Charlotte Mason, Elementary, High School, New to Homeschooling, Philosophies, Preschool, Uncategorized 3 Responses »

Jun 142010

What a wonderful experience I have had the last few months! I received the All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar on DVD, seminar workbook, and the Laying Down the Rails book and Workshop on DVD from Simply Charlotte Mason to review. If you have never been over to visit Simply Charlotte Mason, I highly recommend you take a look. They offer free curriculum guides, free ebooks, and many materials for purchase as well. They truly help make Charlotte Mason’s homeschool ideas simple. Their blog is one that always inspires me.

I began by watching the 3 DVDs for the All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar and taking notes through the accompanying workbook. I did this over the course of several evenings while my children were falling asleep in their beds, which allowed me some quiet to focus.

Session 1 (34 minutes) introduced me to Charlotte Mason, who she was, when she lived, and her ideas about education. It was neat to get to know her this way. I had tried to read her books in the past, but just could not get through them. It took too much brain power at a time when I was trying to just keep up with my young children and get sleep.

Session 2 (78 minutes) and 3 (71 minutes)held my hand as we went through each subject applying Charlotte Mason’s methods. Here is where I had many, many ah-ha moments. Short lessons, living books, and narration – these things made sense and could easily be integrated in our unit study family. I appreciated that I was not expected to add everything in at once. The appendix explained a doable plan for making the transition to a Charlotte Mason approach a step at a time. Here is a short clip from the workshop about using narration.

Are we now becoming a Charlotte Mason family? Yes and no. (grin) I think narrowly defining any homeschooling family by one method is usually inaccurate. We prefer to pick and choose the pieces that work for our family. I have discovered that many of the Charlotte Mason pieces fit our family! We have already begun to incorporate the following:

living books
narration
scripture memorization

We have plans to incorporate these ideas over the next year:

map drill
picture study
music study

Now let me tell you a little bit about the Laying Down the Rails book and DVD Workshop that came as part of this set. I watched the DVD first (45 minutes), using the workbook section for it from the All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar as I went. I love Charlotte’s idea that good habits are like railroad tracks, they smooth life out because a child is not having to make the same decisions over and over and over. I know that is true, even in my own life. Habits help me to accomplish many of the routine things in my day without the extra effort of decision-making.

Sonya, the workshop presenter, is funny and helpful as she leads you through many of the habits a child can learn. While there is an extensive list, she emphasizes to start with one habit, and not to add another until the first is truly habit. It was really helpful to watch the DVD with my husband. He was not up for reading the book, all 230+ pages, but the workshop got us both on the same mental page easily. He was as excited about habit training as I was. You can watch a short clip from the DVD right here.

I next spent nearly a month reading and pondering the Laying Down the Rails book. What a treasure! It contains Charlotte’s words on each habit gathered into one place, prefaced by a concise definition of the habit and a story that shows how the habit is important. There are entire chapters on ‘repairing the rails’ – breaking the bad habits we already have, including chapters on some specific problems like dawdling, temper tantrums, and lying. See a sample from the book HERE.

Where are we now? Well, habit training is a process, and I will be honest that the first person who has to acquire the new habit is me. However, we are working on our habits slowly and steadily, and I find a lot of support and encouragement when I read through Laying Down the Rails.

Would I buy these products? Yes! That is an unequivocal yes. The entire set can be purchased HERE for $54.95. That includes 3 All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar DVDs, the Session workbook, 1 Laying Down the Rails workshop DVD, and a print copy of the Laying Down the Rails book. I love having the All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar on DVD, a shot of motivation that I can turn on whenever I need a boost. Homeschooling is a process, and the experience is different with each child. Having Charlotte Mason’s ideas broken down into manageable tasks gives me easy action plans to try when we need something adjusted. Laying Down the Rails is a treasure trove of ideas for habit training. Time will pass and our children will acquire habits. The question is what habits will they develop – ones we have carefully helped them build or contrary habits that we lazily let develop?

Written by Tristan, mom to 5 going on 6 children, homeschooling through unit studies with a side of lapbooks. You can visit her at her blog, Our Busy Homeschool.

{Disclaimer: I received these products free from Simply Charlotte Mason to enable this review. I received no other compensation and all opinions presented herein are my own.}

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Masterpiece of the Month

Uncategorized 2 Responses »

Jun 112010

Masterpiece of the Month is an art curriculum for grades K through 5. Each lesson features a famous masterpiece that students will reproduce while learning a new skill or technique. Some of the masterpieces include “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, “Mona Lisa” by daVinci, and “Artist’s Mother” by James Whistler. This book is very user-friendly, even to someone a bit intimidated by teaching art. I’ve used this curriculum for two years, choosing artists to study based on these lessons.

Pros:

Masterpiece if the Month is easy for a non-artist to teach and use. There are clear objectives and directions for each art lesson.
In general, the lessons don’t require too many complicated art supplies. Paint, crayons, markers, and paper, along with some common household items are pretty all you’ll need. A few lessons do call for more specialized items such as oil pastels and printing ink.
A scope and sequence chart in the front of the book clearly shows what concepts and skills are being taught.
Since each lesson is based on a well-known artist’s work of art, it is a natural step to extend the lesson into an artist study, looking at other works by the same artist.
This book is comprehensive. It could be the only art curriculum you need to teach art in the elementary years, since it begins with kindergarten and goes through 5th grade.

Cons:

There are no pictures of the original art in the book. There are examples of what each reproduction might look like, but often there are creative liberties taken (as well there should be) making it difficult to identify the original masterpiece. It’s not difficult to find the image online, but it would be much more convenient to see the masterpiece in the book.
There is some repetition of artists, so if you used these lessons as a basis for an artist study, you would find yourself studying some artists repeatedly. Although looking at Van Gogh’s work repeatedly can’t really be a bad thing, can it?
Vocabulary is given for each lesson, but as someone without an art background I find it difficult to explain mood or value to a first grader. A glossary would be a helpful resource in this book.

Using Masterpiece of the Month is a great way to include both art appreciation and hands-on art experiences in your day.

Written by Beth Belinder. You can find her blogging at Apples and Jammies.

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Proverbs People

Bible, Elementary 3 Responses »

Jun 092010

I like to use a variety of Bible curriculum throughout the year. Those of you who know me will say, “No! Really? You, use several different resources?” Yes, it’s true. When it comes to curriculum, I’m sort of like a hungry bee that likes to flit from flower to flower enjoying all the tasty flavors of nectar. And as a positive, my children and I get to experience wonderful variety in learning!

So, for about four weeks this past semester during Bible time, we dove deep into the character qualities described in Proverbs with the help of a wonderful curriculum called Proverbs People.

Proverbs People by Rick and Marilyn Boyer of The Learning Parent have put together a fantastic resource for your Bible time. Each chapter takes your child (or your family in our case) through the Proverbs relating to a specific character quality. Topics include:

The Slothful vs. the Diligent
The Righteous vs. Wicked
The Five Types of Fools
The Prudent Man
The Wise Man
The Liar vs the Faithful Witness

In very simple manner, you look up the verses as they appear in the workbook and answer the questions provided after each Bible reference. There are no bells and whistles, but the Bible itself becomes the excitement as your eyes are opened to just how much God has to say about each character quality.

For each chapter, the Boyer’s have included a coloring page with a key Bible verse, an original short story that drives home the particular characteristic, application questions, and a true or false quiz to see how well you understand each character quality.

The book is suggested for children who are 8-12 years old. I used it with a 9 and 13 year old, but have to admit that I enjoyed it myself. The workbook is meant to be written in. There is no note about whether or not you have permission to copy the pages for use within your family. I copied the pages since most publishers will allow you to do so.

Other than the few incorrect Bible references that were given, the book was a complete delight. In fact, I also own the second in the series Proverbs People, Book 2 and my children begged to go right on into that book once we finished the first. This curriculum bumble bee moved on to something else, but I have plans to use the second book in the upcoming school year!

In case you’re interested, the Boyer’s have several other Proverbs related resources that look just as helpful as Proverbs People.

Proverbs for Preschoolers: Through the Proverbs from A to Z – This is a coloring and handwriting book that introduces each letter of the alphabet alongside one or more proverbs that go along with the same letter.
Proverbs Flash Cards – These flashcards include simple black and white illustrations alongside proverbs to help your children older than kindergarten memorize the verses.
Pictures from Proverbs Set 1 and Set 2 – These are over-sized cards with a colored illustration and a question on the front. On the back is teaching information that answers the question, gives you Bible verses, provides a short story from the Bible and offers additional questions you might discuss with your younger children.
Pictures from Proverbs Coloring Book – This coloring book gives you the black and white masters of the cards mentioned above for your children to color as you discuss each card. The coloring book includes pages for both set one and two.
Uncle Rick Reads the Proverbs CD’s – Rick Boyer goes through the entire text of Proverbs with explanations and commentary for children. It’s five hours worth of teaching!

As far as I know, all references are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. I had no trouble using a different version when we went through Proverbs People.

As always, I’d love to hear YOUR favorite Bible curriculum choices!

-Written by Cindy, eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of 3. You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and find her NaturExplorers curriculum at Shining Dawn Books.

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Senior High: A Home Designed Form+U+La

Uncategorized 9 Responses »

Jun 082010

It was the year before my oldest began high school at home and I was in severe panic mode. Was it possible to continue with our relaxed, teach-our-children-how-to-learn philosophy, or were we stuck with creating a school like atmosphere for the next four years?

Enter Senior High: A Home Designed Form+U+La. Ignoring the many (many!) forms and trying not be intimidated at the 428 pages, I dug in to the meat of the book, the heart-to-heart chat between Barb and her reader. Her informal, sometimes scattered, presentation was refreshing to me. I truly felt as though I were sitting over coffee with the author, as she shared her passion for Spirit-led, joyful home schooling. Highlighting madly, and stopping frequently to pray, I knew I had found a kindred spirit who understood both the why’s and the how’s of home schooling high school.

We now have two home school graduates (with five more to go) and I have read this book twice. It’s the book I recommend most to fellow homeschoolers and so I knew it had to be my first review for The Curriculum Choice.

Barb Shelton’s first priority is that we seek the Lord for what He wants for our children. This book is not just a How-To manual, but a devotional that speaks to your soul. She challenges us to not stress and strive after the world’s standards but to seek God’s. I re-read this book, and plan to read it again soon, as I find I frequently need this reminder.

Once we decide what is best for our family and our individual students, she shows us how to transfer this into courses, creating credits and transcripts, documenting both traditional and non-traditional classes. This was exactly what I needed! While we do have several more traditional courses, this gave me the confidence and know how to put together my own courses, to document independent learning, to complete transcripts and issue diplomas. The book is jam packed with forms she has created and permission is granted to copy what you need for your household. I didn’t find that I used a lot of the forms but I did learn a lot from simply reading how she had structured and documented her student’s learning.

The philosophy, encouragement and documentation how-to were the highlights for me, but this is a jam-packed book, containing more than I can cover in one review. Sections include:

Jumpstart Plan
Out of Fear and Into Freedom
Requirements, College, Promotion and Graduation
Record Keeping System
Potpourri of Curriculum Supplements
Grading Guidelines and Portfolios
Personalizing All This Stuff
Formulating Your Framework
Designing Your Classes
Organizing Your Materials
Completed Class Plans
Lifestyle of Learning Applications
Resources, Reviews, and Glossary

If you get that panicky feeling whenever the thought of home schooling high school strikes you, I’d highly recommend this book. The author’s website, Homeschool Oasis , also contains many helpful articles to encourage you in your home school high school adventure.

-Lori is a highly caffeinated home schooling mom of seven. She can be found rambling and reviewing at Hearthside Homeschool Reviews…and More.

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Take-Along Nature Guides

Charlotte Mason, Uncategorized 2 Responses »

Jun 072010

Although we are not a homeschool family that schools through the whole year, nature study is something we do as a family no matter what time of year it is. As I type, I’m looking at a whole basket of pinecones collected by my sweet, little, pre-pre-schooler, Sophia; my boys are carefully observing a little frog they caught; and to my left is a tiny tadpole we’re attempting to raise.

No, nature study is not something we take a break from during the summer. So naturally, I’m always looking for appealing books to help us out in our nature study to help spark my kids’ interest in all things outdoors. When I found my first “Take-Along Guide” at a used book store, I was interested so I purchased it. But it was later when I began really reading it that I became really interested.

These books are so perfect for any part of nature you are studying. They are available in almost any subject you can think of.

Such as:

Birds, Nests, and Eggs
Berries, Nuts and Seeds
Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies
Frogs, Toads, and Turtles
Rabbits, Squirrels and Chipmunks
Tracks, Scats and Signs
and More!

Although each book is a little different, here’s why I love them so much:

Series available in pretty much every subject you’d want
Each page is laid out very nicely with great illustrations and just enough text to keep an elementary student’s attention
Very informative facts on all subject matter
Each book includes several fun and simple projects
Small enough to take with you on nature walks
Great tips for nature walks throughout the books

I would recommend reading through your Take-Along Guide before taking off on your nature walk. Then you can put it in your bag and bring with you on your walk and use it to identify things as you go.
I highly recommend these books for all elementary students. They are terrific for inspiring you in your nature study!

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Calvary Chapel Bible Curriculum

Bible 4 Responses »

Jun 012010

As a follower of the Charlotte Mason method, we learn a lot from living books. Even though the Bible is the most living book there is, it isn’t very realistic to read it straight through with young children. I wanted my children to directly study the Bible in a chronological and comprehensive way, but I didn’t want to overburden them by tackling passages that were way over their heads.

Then I came across the Bible curriculum from Calvary Chapel that is free and available online. It consists of 325 lessons from both the Old and New Testament. I love having the Bible readings mapped out for me to use as a road map and the questions to guide narration.

Pros:

It is extensive. There are 325 lessons on both the Old and New Testament. If used daily, this curriculum will last almost two school years.
It is accessible for young students. It covers much more than just the well-known stories such as Noah and David and Goliath but doesn’t dwell on difficult passages of law, prophecies, and genealogies.
The Bible readings generally follow the order they are found in the Bible, so children become familiar with the chronology of Biblical history.
There is not a lot of commentary or interpretation. Children can learn to go directly to God’s Word without being told what it means. As Charlotte Mason wrote: “A word about the reading of the Bible. I think we make a mistake in burying the text under our endless comments and applications.”
It can be used with a broad age range of students. My daughter is in first grade, and we do the readings together, but much older children could do this as independent work.
Each lesson includes a memory verse, two levels of question pages, coloring page, and two levels of word puzzle pages.
You can’t beat the price!

Cons:

The lessons use the New King James Version, so filling in the blanks can sometimes be tricky if you’re using a different version.
The lessons covering the four gospels follow Jesus’ life chronologically, so there is quite a bit of jumping around from one gospel to another.
Some of the lessons have fairly long Bible readings (up to 3 chapters long) which are difficult for younger students to finish in one sitting.
There’s not a huge difference in the levels of question pages.

This curriculum is very flexible and can be used with all kinds of styles. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, straight-forward Bible curriculum, you might consider this resource for your family.

Come visit Beth, our newest writer, at her blog Apples and Jammies.

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