I love the calendar sheet! Is there a way you could share it with me?❤

As a Surfer, I’ve seen real life often so I bought that into parenting and homeschooling!!! I try to improve myself all the time!!! I’ve had a messy bun in church as I’ve not been able to make it well!!! It’s good to not Show frustration!!! We need a “holy spirit” balance as my pastor says!!! I do media in the sports world and I present myself in a certain way!!!

I don’t always clean up all the way either for videos, but definitely show the best spot. 😂

I'm eclectic but lean CM the most. I'm using the CC history and science cards as a spine to hang events on, because we never stick to the CM book of centuries idea. We also lightly study logic and rhetoric in high school. That's just an example of some of the pieces we pick out. I like Queen Homeschool Language Lessons series for an easy way to incorporate some CM such as picture study and copywork, etc.

Great video. Were there any hits and misses with the read alouds?

I'd love to see a "How I plan" video. Thanks for sharing your updates. When you said "I don't know if she is learning a ton of Geography" that made me laugh. I feel the exact same way about our Evan Moor Geography workbooks. Apparently my definition of geography is not what they think it is. LOL I wanted more of learning the names, of countries and states and where they are located on a map, but that's not what it is. Also, I know exactly how you feel about patience. I only have 2 kids, but they are 13 and when they start bickering, it is just so hard to not to lose it. Hang in there momma!

What do you do if you don’t end getting around to finishing a few pages? Just roll them over into the next week?

I really like your binder of workbook pages. That’s a great way to do it! You don’t have to think about what to grab because its all there and ready!😊

I’ve never made a weekly student binder but this year I think we will use a binder for travel schooling!!! I’m looking at making them for older kids as well and I think we will do it together!!! We have to save work for records and I love that idea!!! We tend to keep all our work and we’ve been asked for a portfolio!!! We keep the MWC game boards in a different folder of black line masters so we have them!!!

How has this been working for you? We are debating doing this for German next year!

Writing out my plans is more to help me think about the week ahead and to create a checklist. I use the Sonlight Homeschool planner that came free with my order last year. 😊

I plan by curriculum then I have a rough weekly planner!!! I plan digitally and backwards plan on the weekly plan!!! I find we are a little ahead or behind in different subjects as well!!! I find I use a different weekly spread per kid with my older kids so I’m glad I can put them into a weekly area on my digital planner!!! We do guitar in our house and none of my kids will play our piano!!! I play it tho and I’m not forcing my kids to play it!!! My kids have no instrest in it!!! I love the idea of a personal timeline for little kids!!! We do Bible tea time with the readings from morning virtues!!! We take longer than a week on our memory work!!! I use a weekly checklist as well!!!

Do you have a video on how you’ve done your preplanning?

Do you use a planner in your homeschool? What are your best tips?

I love books made by this company but not heard of this book!!! I love pilgrims progress and my kids are now love pilgrims progress!!! We are yet to read the little pilgrims progress as we read the easy read version I bought as a young adult!!! This book sounds awesome!!! I find we get conversations later on after reading it but we do have conversations!!!

Thank you for sharing this! Totally on my wishlist now

Have you read any of the books from Lithos Kids? If so, which has been your favorite?

I’m in the same situation- CM and classical have been drawing me, but I also feel safe with a little traditional sprinkled in. I found My Fathers World and we will be using that for my 9th grader and kindergartener. They do a 4 year history cycle for the elementary years, starting with creation. Have you checked them out? They use Susan Wise Bauer’s history 4 year cycle as their spine😊

We are not at all CM homeschoolers, we are definitely more classical, but we do use AO. For now we use it all, just to try it out and because it takes a very short amount of time to read the history or science books. We love the Burgess books but we add in a ton of science books since my kid loves science. We occasionally do nature study but for us it’s not nearly enough. For history we are mainly using Story Of The World and it’s been just right for us. Like I said, we do use the AO science books but they take maybe 10 minutes total to read all of the things for the week, so I don’t mind to add it in. We do use the Bible but just for my kid to practice reading it herself. The poetry reading takes one or two minutes a day and is easy to just do so we do it as well. My kids don’t like sitting for a long time for “poetry tea time” so that’s just a no for us. My oldest kid is very very advanced so I use AO to help slow her down. The Shakespeare isn’t actually that hard or changing, at least for my kids, once you try to story version. I always recommend people trying it out and seeing how they like it before saying “no” to AO as written. If you join their Facebook group you can print a “reader” packet with all the public domain books so you can literally try it out for free and just print a few weeks out at once. I printed the first 4 weeks and the weekly schedule and we loved it so I printed the whole thing

We love the Holling Clancy Holling books, the Burgess books and the CM Geography book! 😊 I am so glad I am not the only one that likes to pick through Ambleside without doing everything. 😊

I use them as a booklist primarily. I love it as a resource, but not as a curriculum plan.

As Classical Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers, we also use AO as a book list. And I actually use Simply Charlotte Mason for our history cycle since it’s chronological starting from Creation. It’s a 6-year cycle, but we school year-round, so it ends up being 3-4 years for us. The beauty of homeschooling…making it what you want!

That thrift store box was an awesome find! I love those treasures when you come upon them; that works perfectly.

So funny, Mary Barfield got me into AO too😆 and I totally thought it was not for us…until I did

Unpopular opinion, but I dislike Charlotte Mason. I have read her first book and I don't get what people are so obsessed with. She is definitely a product of her time, but she talks about things that contradict things that people claim about her. Such as, she mentions street urchins with distaste but people claim that she loves all children. Or how she says that moms need to take their children to the country to run around as often as possible, but it just isn't an option for a lot of moms. As far as AO goes, I don't understand it, either. I think it is a little overrated. It really annoys me that there is nothing for kindergarten. Of course a kindergartener doesn't need anything formal, but my current kindergartener (my eldest) would kill me if I didn't have some school for her to do. Like I said, unpopular opinion. I am definitely Classical and that works for our family. Also, I follow Mary Barfield, too!

We love Ambleside Online. The books are incredible and my kids are really enjoying them. We adjust the schedule somewhat, which is really easy to do the way it is laid it.

The ambleside master book list lives on my computer and I reference it every year to find what readers or read alouds I want to use that line up with the other curriculum we’re using. It’s an incredibly valuable resource!

I can’t work it out but feel it’s a good book list!!! I use booklists at times!!!

We are one of the families that love AO. I have used it since the beginning of our homeschool journey, but I have always modified it to fit our schedule and needs better. Their book selection is one of the best, I have found.❤

I've always used Ambleside as a reading list for my kids without actually following everything. Some years I've done years 4-5 with some of my upper elementary ages but I always start my middle schoolers about 3/4 through year 6 and go through year 8. I develop the majority of the kids' lessons myself but, like you said, AO has some great book recommendations! 😊I'm actually planning to start going through the years myself here very soon. I'm coming to the end of my very very very long homeschooling era and now I think it'd be fun to go through it myself!

Have you used Ambleside Online? I'd love to know any thoughts you have on it!

I like the rigor of classical but the engaging style of Charlotte Mason. My kids prefer a hands on approach an really like Montessori/waldorf in style. So, we are just a hybrid mutt over here ❤

Check out The Children's Tradition.... A new Classical Charlotte Mason based embodied education. I think it lends well to what you are looking for.

Thanks for sharing your update! We didn’t start in co op until my oldest was in 5th grade and my youngest was almost kindergarten age. Hopefully that will fit in better down the road for you😊

I would love to hear more about your books and thoughts and hear your journey melding these two methods. I feel like that’s where I am although I’d say I lean more CM and then classical as secondary. If you are looking for a CM history… I HIGHLY recommend Simply Charlotte Masons history. We are doing our first one Genesis through Deuteronomy & Ancient Egypt this year and it’s phenomenal. Like I can not say enough good things about it. I’ve looked at Ambleside a ton, but I wanted family style history. I don’t want all my kids in a different history timeline, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with all the readings for that many different years. But I know it’s kinda the be all and end all of the Charlotte Mason world. I feel like you aren’t quite up to par in the CM world unless you use Ambleside. 😂

You may find, as you go on your own journey of reading about Charlotte Mason and classical education, that there is not a "one curriculum out there" that will check all the boxes for you. You may find that you, as the mom/teacher, will be curating your family's own resources/books to accomplish what you desire. That journey is SUPER exciting! Don't get intimidated or frustrated that you can't find "what you're looking for" in a company/curriculum. ❤ It sounds like you're at the beginning of a journey I started 10 years ago. ❤ Enjoy it!

And this is why I call myself eclectic! I really don't stick to one type of curriculum or philosophy 😅 Which sometimes is a pain, but it is also exciting to not feel held to anything too hard.

I would love a video on all of the books that you’re reading/have read/are planning to read.

In the last year I have been having similar thoughts about homeschool pedagogy and educational philosophy. It is such a process to think about. I lean more Charlotte Mason in that I want to have my children thinking about ideas rather than just the facts and later forming ideas from them. I just want to incorporate truth, goodness and beauty which both Classical and CM seem to embody. 😊

I lean classical!!! We leave mythology till my kids are old enough to understand!!! My teens forget to discuss and give one word answers and come back to me to discuss!!! We’ve switched Latin to Hebrew and Greek so my kids can understand the Original languages of the Bible!!! The well trained mind is awesome!!! Charlotte Mason was a classical educator!!! I use stuff from Charlotte Mason and neo classical methods!!! You need goals for ur kids at 18ish!!! I want a whole kid at the end with enough knowledge!!! Doing ur own thinking is needed but it’s easier wen ur kids are younger!!! I think I’m going to read that book after the 8 great smarts!!! I don’t buy curriculum too early as things change!!!

Also, 😉 this is the beauty of homeschooling; we dont have to fit into one particular "type"! Incorporate the components of each style you believe are worthwhile, and ignore the rest. ❤

One resource/curriculum company you might want to explore is Gentle and Classical Press. While your kiddos might not fit into the age range of their curriculum (it's geared to Preschool/Early Elementary), it might be an example on how to combine the Classical and Charlotte Mason approaches. Their curriculum is written with Classical education elements, while also being very literature-rich.

What are your thoughts on your homeschool style & philosophy?

Asking your child to narrate back like you hadn't heard it before is such a great idea! I will have to try that.

I love that we get so many choices! And you can adjust things as needed. 🙃

We love those nature readers! 😊Thanks for sharing how it’s going!

I also love logic of English! It’s such a great curriculum 😊

I feel you on the fighting. My girls have been pushing my buttons more often than not lately

This was so helpful! Thank you! The first language leasons are being used with the Kindergartner? With math with confidence are you doing more than one lesson a day? Are the girls enthusiastic about it? I have a kindergartener next year and am gearing up now and ur videos are helpful.