Best Charlotte Mason Homeschool Curriculum Options in 2024-2025

There are a LOT of homeschool curriculum out there claiming to be “Charlotte Mason” curriculum, or at least inspired by her. If you’re looking for the REAL thing, here are my top picks and why! Thanks for watching!
Reach out to me in the comments, or by email:
[e-mail]

[@de5889]

The spine book from SCM is very, very brief and is really the jumping off point for the living books. I love it as a mother with kids from kindergarten to high school. We start together and then branch off into our separate living books. That’s why I picked SCM; it has proven to be a great way to have my wide range of kids as much on the same page as possible. The geography portion with SCM (and I suppose the Bible too) are really optional. You could do them apart from each other or choose to do only one or two of the three subjects. There is nothing I have ever bought from SCM that left me disappointed. I also find SCM to be affordable. I get the pdfs for the guides and buy any other books used, as I prefer a hard copy, but she links to free versions of books when they are available and extols the virtues of the library. I know everybody is different, and I’m not trying to persuade you or in any way indicate that your opinion is wrong. It can’t be, as it’s yours. 😊 I just wanted to offer my perspective with SCM since it has been so beneficial to our homeschool.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Thank you for sharing! It’s great to hear different perspectives. I think all of the CM curriculum choices I mentioned are great options that follow Mason’s methods and philosophies well! I love the resources SCM offers, like their KZbin channel for teaching homeschooling mom the CM method!

[@amandalynch9567]

And a lot of the spines are actually quite old and not written by her team. In fact, most of what we have done by SCM is reading books from the book lists.

[@Ahomeontheprairies]

Thank you for sharing this information! We have used AGF and alveary. AGF is simpler with a large family because it's written per form rather than grade based as the alveary has gone to. Combining is simpler. That said, combining students in alveary is doable also and I appreciate their book choices (more up to date) as well as the assurance I find knowing it's researched thoroughly by an entire team, and the support offered is amazing.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

I know many people who choose options from several Charlotte Mason curriculum, and that’s the great thing about Charlotte Mason’s feast… great books can be found in lots of places! Yes, the Alveary does define courses by grade, but they often assign the same books and lesson plans by groups of grades 2-3, 4-6, etc. (like geography and science and parts of history) so that they operate more like forms. And they also suggest how the subjects can be combined for different grades too. 😊. Thanks for sharing! There are definitely more and more amazing Charlotte Mason resources being made available!

[@Ahomeontheprairies]

@littlebitsofbliss yes, Alveary is very doable for combining and there are certain selections that overlap. AGF is simply 100% done by form sk with many ages and kids it's more open and go that way. I still am choosing to continue with Alveary though, despite (I feel) a little more prep than AGF. The quality is worth it.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

@@Ahomeontheprairies good to know! Thank you!

[@krismcginty8847]

We just started using Under The Home cirriculum which is similar to ambleside online. However lesson plans are laid out lesson by lesson - very open and go, which I appreciate! ❤️ It's all free including all the resources that she has linked - books/music/art, etc....everything! There are a lot of older books that she uses, which I've recently come to fall in love with, because they are so much richer than what is produced today. The only thing I'm sad about is that the cirriculum only goes to 5th grade. I hope she launches further grades in the future . ❤️

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Oh I’ve never heard of this one! It seems there are so many new CM curriculum popping up these last few of years. I’ll have to check it out!

[@lindsaypotter3694]

Is there a book list for this?

[@littlebitsofbliss]

@@lindsaypotter3694 I have no experience with Under the Home Curriculum, but I did check out their site. It seems like everything they teach from and recommend are in the public domain and they include links to all the e-books or online versions.

[@Falalalalalalala]

Thanks for sharing this!! My plan has been to use AO but it feels a little overwhelming. Going to check this out.

[@Caitlynfriesen]

This was so very very helpful, thank you!

[@bgqueens6635]

Thank you for this video! Super informative. I learned a lot!

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Glad to hear!

[@chelseyummali]

I thought this was so well presented and you were nicely spoken. Thank you. I am a huge CM fan but have only implemented some of the methodology verses using a curriculum, but I am curious to look into some this year.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful! 😊

[@jennifermartin4314]

This is so helpful, thank you 🙏🏻

[@jessafarrisfraser1880]

I really appreciate your comprehensive guidance here.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

So glad you found it helpful!

[@daisy346]

Wow this was such a great and informative video. I'm new to Charlotte Mason, and this helped me so much. Thank you!

[@littlebitsofbliss]

That great! I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@jjv1930]

Same here!!!! Thanks a million!!!!

[@pixie_4204]

Thank you for this!

[@IndiBex86]

Thank you so much for this video!! It was so helpful to understand what to expect from specific CM curriculums. You've got me interested in the Alveary now. I'm a very hands-on learner, and I feel I'd be quicker to learn CM's approach living it on the daily. Little side note, I'm a beekeeper, and I didn't know that the Alveary meant a beehive!

[@littlebitsofbliss]

I’m so glad you found it helpful! I find a lot of CM’s method are easy to follow because they make so much sense! That’s so interesting that you’re a beekeeper!

[@ErstwhileEducation]

This was such a well presented video. We love SCM’s Using Language Well/Spelling Wisdom. For our core, we started the year with AGF, but made the switch to AO for term 2. AGF was a great jump-start to the CM method, and gave me confidence to adjust where needed. AGF has a lovely booklist, that leans “gentle,” sharing many books that AO and the Alveary have (although scheduled in later forms). A few things I love from AGF are the morning time resources, the fact that you purchase the cycle once and have access for life to both the American and Canadian curriculum, and that the Canadian curriculum is complete on its own (as opposed to a couple title suggestions to add to the main US curriculum). We felt the need for change because my children are well-read and were ready for more. I also realized I wanted to “see” the booklist for each year, which will make acquiring books easier, as well as being able to pre-read. My students will have a share language of books, and while we are only 6 weeks into our first term with AO, we are certainly loving the book selection. Yes, the language can be flowery, wordy, or otherwise archaic at times with some books, but overall I believe my students are being stretched and are growing as was intended by the founders. That being said, if we ever decide to return to a family based history cycle, the Alveary would probably be it. I love that they have such a user friendly delivery of the lessons, materials, and additional resources. I also enjoy adding in some more modern resources, especially where science is concerned. It’s worth pointing out the grant/funding they received to enhance their science program. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more about your experience (and hopefully behind the scenes peeks) with the Alveary. As always, I enjoyed your video. ✨

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Thank you so much for sharing! It’s great to hear from the perspective of someone who has used so many of the different curriculum! I didn’t know about the lifetime access to AGF. That is definitely a great benefit! Had it not been for the incredible lesson plans and extra helpings/resources from the Alveary, I would have definitely gone with AO too! Awesome feedback! 😊

[@liliane.morais]

What's AO?

[@littlebitsofbliss]

@@liliane.morais AO is Ambleside Online

[@ErstwhileEducation]

@@liliane.morais Ambleside Online :)

[@seasonsofwonder]

This is definitely great to know! 🙌☺️

[@littlebitsofbliss]

I’m so glad it is helpful! ❤️

[@jinaschilling5441]

SCM definitely uses the spines of living books with their written guides to accompany those works with helpful lessons. They have extensive booklists that go along with every subject as well.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Yes I agree and I do believe that SCM is true to Charlotte Mason philosophy, which is why I recommend them as part of my top 5 CM curriculum. Any of these 5 options are great choices!

[@alexandranelms144]

I have six children and have tried all the curriculums mentioned over the last 8 years. A Gentle Feast has been the easiest for my family. I find there are not as many moving parts and it is easy to substitute a book . Her science, history, and geography, and Bible are separate.; it is not a unit study. Her science uses updated books and there are experiments and an experiment supply list. I wanted to share a few thoughts about the books being light. Because the curriculum has four cycles and four forms, you could move your child up and down a form depending on their reading level. For example, your 9the grader could read the form 4 books even though they are in form 3. I have had my sixth graders move up a form as well. The nice thing is, by fourth grade the school books can be read independently by the children, which is what Charlotte Mason wanted. I also require a half hour of free reading a day per child and I make this stack. I also read aloud at night classics hat may not have made it to the booklist. Because the curriculum is manageable and covers all the core subjects plus more, it is easy to add some books you find important to evening leisure reading. I do follow Charlotte Masons advice on a daily written narration once they hit fourth grade, she does not require this. To make our homeschool complete, my kids also do Hoffman Academy, Scouts, and play sports for the local Catholic School.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

That’s sounds great! I’m happy to hear that you found something that works so well for your family. I think it definitely helps that you understand Charlotte Mason’s methods. Thank you for sharing!

[@homeschoolingsisters538]

Karen Andreola and her husband were pivitol in bringing Charlotte Mason back into homeschool arena. Her books are amazing.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Yes!! Great recommendations! Thank you for sharing about them! ❤️

[@terpcsmith]

Thank you for this. It is helpful. I have heard that AO is more rigorous and the books are more advanced for the grade level (this is not a negative for me). How does the Alveary compare? I liked your breakdown of the CMEC using older books, AO being older with a few newer, and Alveary using a good mix. That was helpful. But how does Alveary compare to AO in terms of the level and book comparison? Is it similar to AO or more gentle like AGF? Thanks so much.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

I wouldn’t say it’s gentle. The amount of required reading is the same, however the leaning towards more modern book selections does lead to better comprehension I think. There are still the great classics assigned and writers like Plutarch and Shakespeare are still read in the same grade levels as AO and CMEC.

[@terpcsmith]

Good to know. Thank you!

[@michaelashortle4946]

We like - Theatre of Science (for science. However, she has just started Shakespeare lessons too 🤷🏻‍♀️So Good!!)

[@littlebitsofbliss]

That’s great! What Shakespeare play is she starting with?

[@danahall1282]

Could you do a video on the Alvairy? I am very curious

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Yes I will definitely be talking about the Alveary and sharing about our homeschooling journey with them in upcoming videos. In the meantime, you could check out their KZbin channel where they might be able to answer some of your curiosities 😊. The channel is called Alveary by CMI (Charlotte Mason Institute)

[@UlyGooly]

Joined CMEC for the 24-25 year. It is as good as it gets.

[@littlebitsofbliss]

That’s great! They have an amazing program!

[@jaekalange2088]

Can you do a review on the Living Heritage Homeschool please compared to these others?

[@littlebitsofbliss]

I’ve never heard of it, but I’ll check it out!

[@hclarkbarr]

I have a going into 7th grade girl and I am going to HS her. Do they do placement testing??

[@littlebitsofbliss]

The Alveary doesn’t do placement testing but they are very helpful in thinking through where to place her. They have office hours where you can call or email them. Also, the great thing about them is that you have access to all grade levels and you can easily pick and choose from different grade levels. Each guide/subject also has placement tips for who each level is meant for.

[@yasemeenelson6495]

Actually Karen adreola and her husband found masons writings and brought them back to the US in a suitcase. It’s thanks to her that we have Charlotte Mason as a massive homeschooling movement today. Not saying ambleside hasn’t been a part of that but they definitely weren’t the initiators!

[@littlebitsofbliss]

Yes, that is true, however what I meant was Ambleside developed the online curriculum that made it accessible and popularized.

[@lindsaypotter3694]

What are you currently using?

[@littlebitsofbliss]

At the time of this video, I was mostly using the Alveary (accept for math and language arts - which we are using Beauty & Truth Math and The Well Trained Minds Language Arts Program: First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease. However we have since picked up Apologia for science and are using Story of the World for parts of our history. My plan is to blend some of the Alveary, and some of the classical curriculum we have used and loved. I will be making a video of all our curriculum picks in the near future!

[@Homeschool.in.Paradise]

Great info on charlotte mason!!! Thank you

[@littlebitsofbliss]

I’m so glad you found it helpful! 😃