Hi, I have a nine and four year old. I have been trying to find a curriculum that works for us, but have failed miserably and gotten discouraged. As I researched online I am finding more and more possiblities but this morning I found Charlotte Mason and I really like what I am reading but I don't have a clue how to get started. Can I teach basically from living books I check out at the library or do I have to purchase books, like for example I see recommendations for different grammar books, recommendations for Math U See. Do I really need these or can I use the books from the library and perhaps some other crafts or neat ideas I can come up with that are based on the CM philosophy? Money is very tight, especially since I just found what my kids like to do in extra curricular activities. My son will start Karate at 100 per month and my daughter will start gymnastics. I believe this will be great for them as well but a little costly. So, I am trying to get a stable foundation ready for homeschooling and then be able to stick to it. So, I want to really understand the CM method and know what I have to purchase if anything or if I can do it with resources from online and library. I would greatly appreciate any help I could get on this matter. I don't know if this is allowed but I would even give my number out so someone could call me and we could talk on the phone more about it or a blessing would be to find someone in my area that I could meet with and really see first hand some techniques. I am a visual person and I really need details to get the full view of things. I live in Rutherford NC if anyone is near here. I am very close to Spartanburg SC if anyone lives there. HELP ME PLEASE!!!
Just start needs lots of help!!!
(9 posts) (8 voices)-
lovingmom
MemberPosted 1 year ago # Report Post -
mj
MemberThese are two resources that have helped me tremendously--I'm a visual learner as well and seeing Sonya on the DVD explaining, made me feel like I had my own personal tutor! Also, the curriculum guide on this site will give you some ideas of what books you may want to start with.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
RobinP
MemberI'll be happy to call you if you'd like. PM me your number. I have unlimited long distance so that's not an issue. (As long as the cows get milked on time.)
I live in East TN, so a little out of range. And I second the DVD's. Outstanding!Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Kalle
MemberYoud do not have to purchase anything. Everything is a suggestion. That is what I love most about both AO and SCM. You are encouraged to find and use what works best for you. The forum on this site is the most friendly helpful I have ever seen. Ambleside online has many free living books that you can use -> [Moderator's note: Links to Ambleside Online have been removed in order to honor their wishes. The license agreement on their Web site states that linking to their Web site requires permission and even then linking is only allowed to their home page.] As far as I can tell most people that prefer these suggestions as opposed to Amblesides are because they want to combine history/geography/and bible history of all of their children. Probably most of us use resources from these CM friendly websites along with others. One of my personal favorite resources is here: http://www.mainlesson.com/ There are many free history/ science/ geography... living books to read and then purchase as funds are available. The Gutenberg website has over 3,000 books. I don't believe that all of them would fall in the "living book" catergory, but a good place to find more books.
The best present I have recieved for my birthday was Charlotte Masons original writings. You can read them for free online at ambleside.
MEP math is a free math curriculum that some of us have used and are using: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm It is very teacher intensive and not a fit for everyone.
For most any subject you can use the library (if you have a great one) and internet to find living books for the subjects. Here are some lists and there are many others out there: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/LITmenu.htm
http://www.pennygardner.com/mathclassics.html
http://www.squidoo.com/earlymath
a math resource i use to reinforce early addition: http://www.theschoolbell.com/Links/math/number_families/main/index.html
Pray through it all. God has been showing me what resources to use for the different subjects. Amazingly, I have found that the more I do the Charlotte mason way (particularly interesting SHORT) lessons the more smoothly our days go.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
For a fantastic FREE (except your printing costs...) math program, take a look at this. Note there is a Yahoo group for homeschoolers using it.
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm
And yes, you can do a lot with library books!
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Rebekahy
MemberDefintitely take up Robin on her offer to call you! I agree with MJ about the Planning Book - I have seen the DVD and while it IS excellent, you can do the book without the DVD. I haven't seen the books and things one yet, but I'm sure it's great.
The other must have resource is the All Day CM Seminar on DVD - it's fabulous and worth every penny, but if you can find a few others that would like to see it with you, you can all split the cost to make it even more afforadable.
To quickly answer your question - is it possible to do it all for free? Yes, but it probably won't be easy, especially when you're just getting started with the cm method and especially if the free math program mentioned above doesn't work out for you. While I think gymnastics and karate are excellent outside ventures for your children, I wouldn't let paying for them take priority over buying certain materials that you'll be using all year long and just cannot keep on perpetual check out from the library. $100 a month for karate especially sounds like a lot for a beginning program, depending on how many days a week he would be doing it - a lot of times you can find greatly reduced rates for homeschool programs that make some of these activities much more affordable. If you haven't written the check already you might want to research homeschool co-ops/classes in your area - if you live in a remote area these things may not be available, but you might be able to make a deal with private studios by having your son recieve lessons in what are normally "school" hours or their slow time. And if you can't find affordable lessons for your kids AND have enough money to purchase educational materials, I'd say not to make the outside activities the priority - I think it's society that puts the emphasis on these things and makes us feel guilty if our children don't participate in such things, but you'll find LOTS of well-rounded, active, smart kids that have never taken part in such activities - many of their mothers are on this forum and their families are just too large to afford to pay for classes for everyone and/or the logistics of everyone attending these classes would take too much away from the family's time together, but they make it work!
Hope that's helpful and doesn't sound to "preachy", my girls do participate in outside activities, but I would definitely drop these if it were a financial hardship and we'll likely do less as the little ones get bigger. Two kids in swim lesssons at the same time for a month - not a problem. Shuttling four kids around to ballet, t-ball and whatever else the toddler and baby decide they want to do, is definitely more than I want to take on!
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
I do have to agree with the outside activities.... that said, my kids take swim lessons at the Y (a smaller monthly cost to the family, their lessons are at the same time.... oh and you can apply for assistance with the membership fees to. If our nearby Y had Karate or TaeKwanDo, I'd look at doing it - but would depend on the time it would end up taking from the family. Our nearby one doesn't have that though - just across town.
The other outside activity we do is Suzuki Violin - which the program in our area does have bursaries available - but I must say this is still very expensive. The only reason we started it was my son when he was 3 was ASKING for violin lessons. Of course, my younger daughter wanted to do them... and now our next younger daughter is showing signs of being interested, although she is only 2 at this point... So we have 2 in violin, and a third interested. Again a nice point is that my 2 have their lessons together for this too.
I do a LOT of things inexpensively, because we don't have much money either. (like most homeschoolers... lol)
I have found free resources for math (above) - and it is excellent.
I have found free resources for foreign Language (French, Spanish, or German) http://www.knowitall.org/instantreplay/content/LanguageIndex.cfm?offset=0
I have gotten homeschool books for free from Book Samaritan
I use books that are on the internet (older books) if I can't get them elsewhere... For instance, right now we read Viking Tales on the computer, or from my palm-pilot.
I use the library if I don't own the book and the library has it. Where I am, I can take a book out for 3 weeks - but I can renew it up to 6 times if no one else requested it. There are a couple of books that I used all year.... I would renew it until I couldn't, then take it back to the library, and a couple of days later go and take it out again and renew it until I couldn't. I did have a book or two that other people requested it, so I had to change to reading it online.
Basically, I don't buy a lot... although my husband might say otherwise, as there have been a few things I have chosen to buy because I couldn't get it anywhere, and I wanted to use it.
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Tanya
MemberDear lovingmom,
Yes, you can homeschool using library books. I do. However, as you go, you will find things that you will want to purchase.
My suggestion would be to not buy anything right now if you are feeling discouraged and confused. Just start by learning about Charlotte Mason's methods. This site is awesome! The forum is fantastic, and although I don't post regularly, I read regularly! There have been many posts about getting started with CM, incorporating small amounts as you go.
I also have a 9 year old and a 4 year old, with a 7 year old in between. I like CM because freedom and flexibility is given to each individual family. There are wonderful curriculums available in the homeschooling world, but sometimes too much is overwhelming (like when I go to the store to buy toothpaste and am amazed that so many different kinds exist!!) It sounds like you just need to take a breather. Relax, enjoy the summer. Be with your children outdoors, do crafts (or whatever you all enjoy), laugh and read books. Throughout the summer, read more about CM and think about what that would look like with your family. Charlotte wasn't as interested about a specific book as she was about a style of education.
Anyway, I hope my rambling helped.
-Tanya
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post -
Esby
MemberA quick comment about using the library: it is possible to homeschool using only library books if you have a library that is convenient to your home. I have found that the books we check out for CM are not the most popular books in the library and we can renew them several times. If you still need the book after maxing out your renewal options, you may return the book and check it out again. It's doubtful that anyone else is waiting for the book. Or, the library may have more than one copy. It takes more work to use only the library for your books, but it can be done with some extra planning. Then, keep a look out at thrift sales for good books and put the word out to relatives what book titles you would like to receive as gifts. I would hate to give anyone the impression that you need a big budget to homeschool or that you need to set up an at-home library if a family's budget is very tight. There are many books I prefer to purchase and keep because of convenience or because a love of the book, but this is a luxury and not a necessity.
Be encouraged! (And make friends with your local children's librarian...that is a relationship worth cultivating.)
Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
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