I have heard the name bandied about but never really known what was involved, until a bit more reading tonight.
There is something about this curriculum that deeply appeals to the British in me...
The frustrating part is that there is very little one can do at the JK level. Read good books, but not too many: little kids need to get outdoors, they need to play, they need to acquire the basic skills for learning and life. Isn't it SO tempting to want to cram your child's entire education in when you're just starting out?
To me, the beauty of this curriculum is that it says (to me, at least), "pace yourself... they have decades of learning ahead."
It also says "don't blow the bank!" This site and several others offer very good - if bare-bones - resources that can definitely help any parents teach any children. Some of the bits are weird; classical stuff like art, music and nature "appreciation" and the hymn-o-the-month... I don't think I'd take very naturally to those. BUT maybe, maybe, it's wholesome enough to come together as an entire, well-rounded curriculum. If an old-fashioned one.
We shall see.
It's a wonderful method. In the end, everyone creates their own curriculum based upon the method. I suggest reading Catherine Levison's books on Charlotte Mason and most certainly read Charlotte's own writings.
ReplyDeleteI've homeschooled 5 children. Two are still schooling as they are 6 and 11. I've done it traditional, relaxed, unschool and any combo of them. Finally, I found the one that truly is enjoyable and practical. And school only takes a couple of hours per day yet we cover 21 subjects per week. It's wonderful!
You're a "primal" mom it seems. And nothing is more natural than this method.