Jotting down ideas for a Charlotte Mason homeschool...

I still don't know if both girls will be in school in September, or if they will be back at school, or rather Annie will be back at school. So I need to prepare something. I really like Charlotte Mason's ideas,








 see more about her HERE on wiki. 


 More info can be found at CharlotteMason Help Simply Charlotte Mason and the excellent curriculum Ambelside Online 
 Everyone has their own take on it, for the moment I'm going to adapt the ideas as I go along.
A Charlotte Mason Education in a Nutshell 


 So I need to cover Maths, Language Arts (reading, writing, spelling, and grammar which is basically Literacy!) and Science, these are the core subjects. I'd like History, Geography and Bible Study, to be integrated. This would include Nature Study. I like the idea of Artist and Composer Study, but will probably include them in the history, unless I can find a simple schedule. Then there's learning another language, we've chosen French, as a recent trip there has instilled enthusiasm, and Tom is doing GCSE French as one of his options. I have plenty of source material, I just need to make or find lesson plans to tie it together. I've ordered a couple of books on Latin and Greek root words, to help with Vocabulary, will review when received and used.
Pyhsical Education, will take the form of swimming, walks, cycling (must dust off bike!)and exercise dvds. We have proper hula hoops, they are good fun too. Art, will include artists materials, and mediums, I may tie in history and studying an artist in this. Ideally I'd like music to be learning the keyboard.It will be watch this space as I personally have no musical ability what so ever.


That leaves handicraft, which in Charlotte mason's terms was sewing, baking, woodwork, all things I think are important but I'm going to encompass  more into it and call it house-keeping with diy thrown in, that's a bit of a mouthful need to come up with a better name...


Looking back on what I've written, it doesn't look too bad, but it's the scheduling, finding out how much needs to be done, I need to keep it simple and light, to allow for free time and to be able to concentrate more on the things we enjoy, as in Annie's case that would be baking.


This is my starting point, off to do more research.


The above websites are brilliant resources to learn about Charlotte Mason, but I also own many books about her, I do own the Original 6 volume series, but it's rather pricey, if you click on the picture, you will see that

. 


  You can instead read her writings for free HERE

A gentler introduction to CM is the books by Catherine Levison ,

                    


or this book by Karen Andreola

  

Very pleased

I think I've about sussed the basics now for Tom, this September, ( I may start him in July...shh don't tell him)
He will be in yr7, so age appropriate between 10-12

I've already posted about getting Maths and English sorted. Click on highlighted links to see what I've put.

Now for Science and History

I've just sorted Science



I wanted something that backed up God as Creator, rather than pushing evolution as fact, when it is only a theory. I also didn't want anything preachy! Something that was going to have good grounding for future exams, possibly IGCSE or GCSE.

I came across various curriculum's mainly US based, and finally plumped for Apologia Science you can find sample chapters there.

I bought mine from Conquest Books, they posted the same day as I ordered and I received the books the next day, excellent service!

Apologia is pricey, but I worked out the cost over the year, then divided it between 3 kids , and it seems reasonable then. Although we haven't started it I looked thoroughly through it, just some tiny points that I may adapt or leave out, but that's to do with personal preference nothing more.

It is very good, and covers quite a lot, I'm very pleased with it, I just hope it reaches my expectations, when Tom starts this.

I will use along side where appropriate with Galore Parks, So You really Want To Learn Science Bk 1 found here
It seems quite tame in comparison with Apologia, but it is in it's own right a very good book for yr7 ish Key stage 3, and one of the best I've seen from the UK.

Now for History, I wanted something to follow chronologically with World history and British history.

For World History I'm going to use the Story of The World books.
Book1,
Book2,
Book3,
Book4

There are 4 years worth of books there, I shall start with Book 1, when appropriate I shall use Galore Park History books I have all the junior and the two SYRWTL books here is junior book3
The Galore park books will be my spine for British History along with Our Island Story
With both World History and British History I shall use Encyclopedias to help with research along with any biographies and fiction books along the way.

Just got to get Geography sorted(nearly there with that) plus the very hard job of scheduling lessons plans , making workable schedules...that is what's going to take the time.

Sketch Tuesday - spring leaves

I nearly forgot Sketch Tuesday this week, and only remembered late yesterday afternoon.



That being the case, it caught Tom in a grumpy mood, so he didn't want to do it then, but Annie was quite happy to.

Here is her picture




I'm not sure whether it will be included, as I had computer problems last night, so couldn't send it across, I've sent it this morning, so hoping the time difference between us and the US will make it all right.

It's been a strange few days, mainly as I'm still 'resting' (even though I feel fine), I know the kids have done work, but for the life of me really can't remember what.

There has been feeble attempts at 'basics'. There has been lots of TV, now I don't mind TV in small doses, as treats, but I can tell they are TV'd out, they would argue they are not...but it does seem to change their moods, they get more irritable etc.

If anything, this has showed me, that to go completely autonomous is just not for us now. My children don't jump up and say they want to do something crafty, then proceed to make a replica boat out of matchsticks, as much as I would love them too...lol.

Some children are self motivating, others are not, mine unfortunately are the latter. That being said, when they get on with their work, after the odd grumble, they get on with it happily, they seem more inspired, more creative and then the ideas and self motivation starts to flow.

That's why mainly 'school' work is in the mornings and afternoons are left free to get on with what they want.

But TV hampers all that, as well as time on the PC. I'm seriously thinking of having a TV/PC free week, to see what happens.

The trouble is my own selfish side, I get things done when they zombie in front of which ever box they are looking at. Little Ruth keeps especially quiet for half an hour, other wise she is pestering the older two.

I do know the answer, it's being super organised, having activities/projects in place for them to do. But it means a lot of organising on my part, organisation is not my forte! That's why I started to put all my resources or anything I found of use in one place!

It's also the reason why I've started planning out their curriculum for September, if they know what they are doing, and I know what's to be done, everyone is a lot happier. By starting this early I'm hoping it will help me be more organised and motivated.

I don't like rigid schedules, and I like flexibility, I don't want it to be 'school' at home. So hoping to work something out that will make us all happy. Of course I'm not expecting it to be perfect, the best laid plans and all that!

Change of subject now and onto our caterpillars 13 days ago they looked like this


yesterday they looked like this


and now they are starting to turning into chrysalises




Unfortunately one of them has fallen to the bottom, so we shall have to wait and see, when they have all turned into chrysalises, we have to transfer them into the mesh pop up garden that was provided for them.

I read one book with Annie, and she learnt a lot from it. She was fascinated by caterpillars looking like twigs, and butterflies looking like leaves. It was an usborne beginner book


I wanted this week to go back to normal after the plasterers last week, but just had a phone call and we are having some new windows tomorrow!!! It's wonderful they are fitting us in, but of course workmen disrupt the routine, if only the constant cups of tea they want.

Oh well there is an extension to be built sometime in the early summer hopefully, I'd just better get used to the chaos around me...lol!

Mixed bag of a rambling post

As I've been in hospital for a minor op, I've spent the last 3 days resting in my bed.

Mostly I've read, I've had my trusty laptop in bed with me too.

So the children have had an extended holiday which has continued into this week, (I'm not supposed to do anything strenuous - lol no danger from that then)

So they have done some Education City (EC) I've just upped Tom to level 5 in Literacy.

They done their 'Basics' but more of a slimmed down version.

I've yet to start their caterpillar/butterfly projects with them but Tom has wrote a couple of simple posts on his butterfly diary

He has done this willingly and we have enjoyed watching the caterpillars, although a song and dance routine they are not.

They eat and sleep and they are getting fat so quickly, you look at them in the morning, then look again in the afternoon and they have grown!

Tom is posting a picture of them every 2 days, as we feel it will show their progress better than everyday.

While resting, I've realised I have to be more organised with regard to their work, especially starting September, so I've set myself up yet another blog to start planning out a curriculum for them. Now Ruth is getting very independant and demanding although quite gorgeous still(terrible twos, )I need to have more things she can do quietly, a good post by Cherie has given me some ideas.

I'm hoping to get lots of ideas and advice and although I'm sure it wont be fool proof, having it all set in place will give me peace of mind. I've felt as the kids get older, especially Tom he needs more structure, Annie still 'plays' a lot all the time learning of course.

I'm supposed to have an LEA visit sometime in July, I've always enjoyed having them, our chap is great, but with moving into a house that's a renovation project, plus we are hoping to start an extension some time soon (for family - we have had our plans passed at last)
I'm even less organised than normal..so wondering whether to just to type all we've done and send it off, then have him the following year..I'll think on it as the kids like him visiting, and 'showing' off what they've done.


One of my main priority's is to keep their physical fitness up, so in the mornings, it's a 5-10 minute strecth and warmup, even Tom is now joining in with a bit of spirit now.

Theu are getting out and about on their new rollerblades, and we've just bought a trampoline from here it's yet to be put up as we have had the snow, but will be put up soon.
In our last garden it slopped so we couldn't have one, but I used to Trampoline and it's great excercise.

Annie is continuing with her swimming lessons, but as Tom isn't, we shall make more of an effort to go swimmimg, again more good excercise.