We have really benefited from Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education. Living books, including the Bible, are our main sources for learning, and our reader devours them. Narrations occur daily, not just orally, but in other creative ways, mostly through notebook pages.
We start the day with prayer and praise time. I read a chapter from the Bible, then we usually have a short discussion afterward. The little ones often listen in, but I also read to them from the Children’s Bible, while the older one works on the memory verses. Once in a while the five year old illustrates from our reading, which she keeps in her binder.
Math-U-See has helped our oldest daughter be comfortable with Math. Using a timer helps a lot in developing good habits. The Apologia Elementary books help make science a fun subject in our home. We also take rabbit trails, using library and activity books about other topics, but so far this is our fifth year using Apologia Elementary.
The children always look forward to those read-aloud times with daddy, though they have been few and far in between lately. Winnie the Pooh remains a favorite for years now, but Beatrix Potter’s characters and Paddington Bear capture the children’s hearts, too.
Music appreciation easily gets incorporated with other activities, and Art studies only take a few minutes each week, unless we decide to draw or copy from the artwork. For Poetry, we loosely follow Ambleside Online’s, or stay with a certain theme or poet for a season. Hymn is also on the list, though we couldn’t seem to do it on a regular basis yet.
We have spurts of Nature Studies part of the year, then it freezes with the temperature in the winter. My favorite resource is the Handbook of Nature Study.
I should also mention (italic) handwriting, because my oldest could forget about everything else, but not her copywork. She picks her own pieces to copy on a pretty notebook, while I assign something really short for the five-year old. Only best handwriting is allowed.
Our goal is to get done by lunchtime, but it doesn’t always happen. We try to keep the afternoons open for other activities: baking, nature walks, handicrafts, play and lots of free time.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. I must say after reading your posts, especially how you homeschool, we have so many things in common. I’ll be back regularly.
Look forward to getting to know you.
amanda
You have a beautiful family.
I am a big Charlotte Mason fan too.
Blessings on your homeschooling year. Don’t you just love the freedom we have to let our kids just explore their world!
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I love Charlotte Mason/classical approach to homeschool, too. I have been interested in TOG, but the projects(hand-on) scared me. Happy Homeschooling!
Funny…I know what you are saying about Bible. We changed how we do it, too. We still do it daily, but now it is more practical. We are doing a rather intensive study of Proverbs 31, but what it involves is focusing on a single verse, talking about it and then applying it. We just looked at how she clothed herself in purple and now my daughter is learning to sew. The morning starts with her working on her sewing project and that is “Bible.”
I started it because I did not want our bible studies to be the most dreaded part of the day. And then I realized that is exactly how I wanted to teach the subject anyway. It isn’t about knowing things, it is about applying the principles. So we are practicing being godly as much as learning about it.
Hi there. I discovered your website when I was looking up a recipe for cassave suman–I saw your daughter’s blog and thought it was the coolest thing to find another filipina out there homeschooling! I have been greatly blessed in all that you have shared about your homeschooling experience and methods. I have 3 children, ages 6,7, and 8. We used to go to a church where almost all the children were homeschooled and so I had a lot of other moms to relate to…we’ve moved to a different church, where I am the only one that homeschools. So, I have a lot of questions and I’d ask them all now,but I’m afraid I may use up all your comment space–he he! Thank you and may the Lord bless you and your family!
Valerie, ask away! My heart in this blog is to be a blessing and encouragement to other moms, so to read comments like yours is a big deal. Thank you for the kind words.
Hope to hear from you again, and hopefully, about your homeschooling family!
Well, since you said I can ask away, here I am again! Looking through your website has been an answer to prayer! I have been homeschooling for 5 years and I’ve been using the traditional method with workbooks, upon workbooks, and more workbooks times 3 children. That’s the only method I was accustomed to. It was easier when it was just my eldest homeschooling because I had the time to devote solely to him. And now, with one in 2nd, another in 3rd, and my eldest in 4th–you can call it a good day if I can get to teaching him his math lesson before he takes off and learns on his own. I love what I’ve read so far about the Charlotte Mason approach. I would like to transition to that method, but I have spent a lot on books for this year already. Do you have any suggestions how I can incorporate the CM approach using materials I have already? I am using the Abeka and Bob Jones curriculum. I combine History, Science, and Bible using the 4th grade books for all 3 children. Any help you have to offer would be greatly appreciated! Bless you again and Thank you!
Valerie, the only suggestion I have for now for incorporating the materials you have and the CM approach is using them as your guides in what to focus on. For example, if for this week your science textbook is covering bugs and slugs, and history- the coming of the Pilgrims to America, then you could read books about those, (the library is our homeschool’s friend!) and use the textbooks for review and the chapter questions for comprehension, or to help them with narrations.
How about trying notebooking instead of answering the questions at the end of the chapters? That might me a nice and gentle way to transition:)
That could be somewhat vague. But first, I want to turn you to Ambleside Online. Have you checked it out? Some families use that as their main curriculum and what more, it’s FREE. It is such a wealth of resources and inspiration! Bask on that for a while and then we’ll talk.
Also, I know you’ve invested a lot of money on those textbooks, and I understand that of course, you don’t want to waste them… but the last thing your kids need is an overworked, not-so-happy, stressed out mom!
Could you afford to take a couple of weeks break from your textbooks?
If you can, pick a few books from the reading selection (let’s say, YEAR 3) of Ambleside Online, and read them aloud to the children, while you are all snuggled in the couch. Maybe with hot cocoa or apple cider?
Listen to Bach or Mozart, and call that MUSIC! Look at a Monet or Renoir painting, have the children retell what they’ve observed, and call that ART!
And I promise you’ll like it:)
Hello again…I checked out Ambleside online as you suggested. I already had the book Pilgrim’s Progress, so I began reading it to the children. They have been looking forward to it every day. It is a little difficult to keep my youngest one’s attention when I’m reading…but the other two seem to really enjoy it. I stop every few paragraphs just to make sure they understand the story, and most of the time they do:) I do have another question…I’m not sure how they make the schedule for reading on Ambleside. Do they incorporate History, Bible, Science in all the books listed for each week? Does that mean all those books have to be read to the children? Are those books text books or books that are mostly available at the library. Not independent reading? There does seem to be a lot of different books to read at once, rather than beginning and finishing with one. How do you do Spelling? To they memorize copywork and go from there with being able to copy it from memory. I hope you understand all my ??? It’s late, so I may lack sense at this point. Thanks again.
Wow. Thank you for this blog. I am looking at homeschooling, beginning in Jan. I have sons in 2nd and K. I also have a 4 year old and 10 month old. I am so excited about the possibilities and change. I’m looking at Tapestry of Grace because I love how it incorporates literature, history, art, etc.
You seem to really enjoy homeschooling. It makes me nervous when I hear people talk about how overwhelmed they are. I don’t want to be an overwhelmed homeschool mom. I want my children flourish with a mom who loves teaching them.
It was just refreshing to look at what you have to say. Thank you.