ADDING AMBLESIDE ONLINE to our 2024-2025 Homeschool Year || Charlotte Mason Curriculum

[@darlinglittlethree5860]

Another thing to look into, particularly for language arts, English Lessons Through Literature. We have loved it so much this year, it meshes Charlotte Mason and Classical Education together so beautifully!

[@MaryBarfield]

Ooo thank you for the recommendation! I will absolutely check them out!

[@peachy_reina]

What grades have you used it for? I've looked at it for years and finally ordered levels A and B plus Reading and Spelling Lessons Through Literature. We've been using Logic of English and we need something more simple.

[@darlinglittlethree5860]

@@peachy_reina @peachy_reina We did the recommended for my middle and used level A for 2nd grade. My oldest however was struggling in the previous curriculum we were using so I had her do level D for 6th grade. Next year I plan to use Build Your Library and keep ELTL but to beef it up for her, she will be doing some of the lessons from BYL as well. Just be aware that depending on your child, some of the classic fables, while very short, can be a little violent, mostly in the first 5-10 lessons but that's about it. We also use Logic of English and pair it along with Reading and Spelling Through Literature! We are not as far in RSTL as we are in LOE but I feel like they complement each other so well and really helps cement concepts he learned in LOE in RSTL. I wish there were more reviews on KZbin about it because it really is such a good program, I wish I found it sooner for my oldest!

[@ksbbengtson]

Your channel has become a fast favorite of mine! Can you please do a video of your Trello board again of this upcoming year? I’d love to see how you schedule your week with all this amazing curriculum. Thank you for all your content, it’s so helpful!!!

[@MaryBarfield]

Omg thank you! You don’t know how much that means to me! 🥰 I will absolutely be doing an updated Trello Plan with Me video in the next couple of weeks for our new school year - so stay tuned! 💕

[@LittleBlessings3]

I second that! I've just found your channel and I'm loving your content already. I think we might have similar teaching styles...we're starting AO next year too with my oldest and used MWC for Kindergarten. Thanks so much for all you're doing!

[@MaryBarfield]

@@LittleBlessings3 omg thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you are enjoying my videos! 💕

[@LittleBlessings3]

​@@MaryBarfieldalso wanted to comment that if you like a blend of classical and Charlotte Mason, you might enjoy Gentle + Classical.

[@angelachristensen4153]

This was so helpful! Thank you so much.

[@MaryBarfield]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

[@SydneyWooten]

Well just twist my arm 😂 We definitely already have enough curriculum, but I love everything that you mentioned! I believe we follow a more secular Charlotte Mason approach with a lot of other eclectic-ness thrown in. Can't wait to see your future videos!

[@MaryBarfield]

😂😂 love it! Sorry to give you more FOMO 🥴. I just couldn’t pass up on adding a little CM in this year and the following year I’ll add in even more! 🥰

[@MrsPerdueArt]

OMG, are we the same person?!??! 😂 I read SO many educational philosophy books before I started homeschooling… and I always just felt “eclectic” but then I just recently realized that I naturally really align with Charlotte Mason and Classical! So I just reread A Well Trained Mind and Modern Miss Mason for more inspiration!!!! So I clicked on this video so fast!! 😂 We already use and LOVE Build Your Library which makes sense because it is a cross between CM and classical, but this year I’m also adding in Paddle to the Sea(and more geography)- I’m actually looking at Beautiful Feet- they have a Holling C. Holling resource and big beautiful maps to go along with the books and they also have a US geography curriculum that I might try out… And then something else I’m very inspired by is doing more Shakespeare!! We started memorizing Shakespeare last year and my kids loved it so much!! So this year I want to read more of his works in story form to the kids! I was also going to mention Wildwood, but someone beat me to it!! 😂 That’s a great resource!! I also really enjoyed watching The Alveary’s book talks on KZbin- I already ordered a few of those!!! 🙈 Anyway, just excited that there’s other people as crazy obsessed with homeschooling as me!! 😂😍🥰

[@MaryBarfield]

It sounds like your Homeschool journey and mine have been VERY similar! And I agree - it is so comforting when you find others on the same path going through the ups and downs of homeschooling, trying finding our style! 🥰🥰 I’m so excited to start fully Integrating CM and Classical next year. I’m also excited to introduce Shakespeare next year (I think we are going to go with the Lamb version based on what other moms have told me)! There are so many great resources available to us now, it’s hard to pick only one curriculum to follow, so I guess we will take a little from all of them! 😂🥰

[@OurThaiLife]

We are doing all AO this year but adding in Beautiful Feet Around the World 1 for geography, and will mainly focus on Asia this year since we live in Thailand. Glad to hear others are considering something similar :)

[@MaryBarfield]

@@OurThaiLife How amazing to be able to be in the different country that you are learning about! What a treasure for your learners! 🥰 I would love to be able to do some world schooling in the future and travel more as my girls get older and tie it into our studies! I’m excited to incorporate much more from AO and CM the following school year (25-26). We had already committed to our curriculum financially and emotionally for this school year (24-25), so we weren’t able to implement as much this year, but at least we will be able to do the Riches and some free reads from AO yr 1! 🙌

[@OurThaiLife]

@@MaryBarfield My husband is Thai so we live here full time. I also hope to do some worldschooling to other countries next year, but we are building a house right now so all the $ goes there! I almost went with a different CM program, but switched to AO at the last minute and then went crazy on books during Prime Day, so I'm committed!

[@MaryBarfield]

@@OurThaiLife Congratulations on building your new house! I’m sure y’all are going to have a wonderful year with AO! 🥰

[@simplyjen334]

We are also adding Ambleside online on top of what I have planned. I'm super excited!!!❤

[@MaryBarfield]

I am too! 🥰 I love how it blends so well with what we already have chosen for this 24-25 school year, but I really can’t wait until the next year where we bring in ASO a lot more! 🙌

[@allisonsmith7360]

I would love to hear how you like SCM Brush drawing class. I’ve had my eye on it as well.

[@MaryBarfield]

I will absolutely do a review if we decide to use the SCM brush drawing class next year! 🥰

[@ashleymurphy4813]

Awesome pics, Mary! I hope it’s a wonderful year for you guys.

[@MaryBarfield]

Thank you! I think it’s going to be a very full and amazing year! 🥰

[@pa1attention]

I love your channel!! How did you choose your folk songs?

[@MaryBarfield]

Thank you! 🥰 we are following the Ambleside Online schedule this year!

[@StephanieMT]

chopin and monet are my favorite. there is a seurat painting and an edward hopper painting that are my favorites over all though.

[@MaryBarfield]

Yes! Such wonderful art and music! And I can’t wait to start studying it this year with my girls! 🥰

[@Mamato12_blessings-md8xw]

Would you share your canva link for the riches? I would love to incorporate that this coming year. I enjoy seeing what you’re adding.

[@MaryBarfield]

Absolutely! Let me know if this works: www.canva.com/design/DAGKduXd00Q/UrEvfU8mWcHAYIgajkbJsw/edit?DAGKduXd00Q&

[@Mamato12_blessings-md8xw]

@@MaryBarfield yes! Thank you it worked!

[@jaimewolf9036]

What is the AO FB group you recommended?

[@MaryBarfield]

The group is called “AmblesideOnline” - they are on a temporary hold at the time of me writing this for the day. Im not sure if that affects it’s search-ability? But by tomorrow you should be able to gain access!

[@StephanieMT]

i like wildwood curriculum because its secular

[@MaryBarfield]

I will definitely be pulling from Wildwood as well starting next year! I think I might use their recommendation for Form 1A’s American History, America First. I also like that they offer a secular version of Charlotte Masons Living Geography for the Primary Grades! 🙌

[@suzannekoochack7621]

like

[@hannahhensley8497]

I hate to show you one more thing - Wildwood is similar to AO but secular.

[@hannahhensley8497]

I’m an “in-betweener” too. Don’t necessarily want my own spiritual beliefs to influence our curriculum, but I won’t turn down something that works (with the maybe exception of science re: evolution)

[@MaryBarfield]

😂😂 I actually found them during my dive into all things Charlotte Mason, so don’t worry you aren’t too much to my plate lol. I actually plan to incorporate their books as well starting the following year as a replacement for ones that don’t fit our family from ASO! 🥰

[@MaryBarfield]

Exactly how I feel!

[@emilieelizabeth3831]

I was actually going to suggest this as well. It is what I use.

[@MaryBarfield]

@@emilieelizabeth3831 I also like that Wildwood is similarly set up to ASO because I like how they organize their levels and books so I can flip back and forth between the two websites! 🥰

[@amandasegur]

Oh, so interesting that you're from Buffalo -- my mom's family is from Buffalo, and you've always reminded me of some of our relatives, haha! We're secular homeschoolers who also don't eschew religion in our home. We appreciate good people in our home, and good people can come from any background, and, too, as you said, it's important that we teach our children to be able to get along -- and work well (at the very least) -- with/alongside people whose viewpoints may be different. As for AO specifically, some of the literature selections are just good, wholesome books, books that, even though the author was Christian, I wouldn't really consider as being Christian books. Understood Betsy is such a beautiful book, and I haven't seen it on any secular booklists, even Wildwood, which aims to blend classic and contemporary literature in a secular curriculum, and which we also pull from. 💚

[@MaryBarfield]

😂😂 I hope that’s a good thing that I remind you of your relatives lol! Just kidding - everyone I grew up with or have ever met from Buffalo have always been wonderful and just good hearted people! 🥰 I’m glad I’m not the only secular Homeschooler who approaches religion this way! You said it so well in your comment - took the words right out of my mouth! And actually, Understood Betsy is one of the books I’m most excepted about for the following school year! 😊