Blogging took a bit of a back seat last month. Since I'd been officially homeschooling for 6 months, I decided it was time to take stock and consider settling down to an actual curriculum/system/philosophy/approach. My research time is pretty limited owing to the fact that simply keeping the small, but not inconsequential, matters of keeping food and laundry requirements ticking over
could, by themselves keep me pretty fully occupied and out of mischief for, well, ever. In addition, since there's only so long I can stay online before my eyeballs bleed,
My blog had to take a bit of a back seat.
Having trawled through, printed out, pored over and otherwise bored myself to death running hither and thither, allowing myself to be wooed by every homeschool philosophy that I trip over, I have learned a little more about me. Namely that I am shallow, and find it hard to pick a path and stick to it ( incase I miss out on something else that's really, really great, and simple and perfect and....aargh! You get the picture?)
This lesson learned (ish) I think I am finally zeroing in on an "approach". Classical cum Charlotte Mason seems to fit my bill. I really like Ambleside Online. Not least because its free, but also, because, unwittingly,I seem to have been doing something similar, partly by instict, already ( Clever old me!
). We have just finished reading Children of the New Forest, we are memorising little poems, doing ancient history and reading " Our Island Story" ( well daddy reads that at night with Gabriel) So it shouldn't be too big a shift to get into the CM groove.
It does bug me a little, however, that most of the books need to be ordered online from the good 'ol US of A, I can't even get them at the library. It's great that alot of material is reproduced free online, but I'm guessing that its still probably cheaper, or at least equivalent, to buy it than to spend the money on ink cartridges. In fact, it might be cheaper to book a flight and take the lot back home in a suitcase. You Yankee doodle dandies don't know you're born, boy, the stuff I could buy on Amazon for peanuts ( before I factor in the postage). Oh well, I did get to take Gabriel on a hands on tour round The Golden Hinde ( Sir Francis Drakes funny little boat) today, and I guess that might cost a sight more than the tube fare for some of you. Can't have it all I guess.
Comments
Jul. 12, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by barbieheart
How wonderful that you found that you were already "doing it!"
Just remember that there are always those other methods. books. games that will try to "woo" you. We homeschoolers want our children to have "every opportunity!" What we need to remember that what is important is teaching them to Love Learning--which you are already doing.
Sorry about the shipping from the USA. I know when I see something wonderful on ebay from GBR, I usually just sigh and pass it by--shipping would be prohibitive. But getting the books you want is a "necessity," not a desire.
I'm so glad you are back to blogging. We missed you.
Jul. 13, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by ihopeyoudance
I love the Charlotte Mason method. My dd2 has really enjoyed it too!
Jul. 15, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by jayfromcleveland
Eau Clare, so nice to see you back again! Thanks for the remarks, you always crack me up with that Hiberno-Brit wit of yours!
--- You Yankee doodle dandies don't know you're born, boy, the stuff I could buy on Amazon for peanuts ( before I factor in the postage). ---
Maybe so, but we Yanks can't just dash off anytime we like and take in Buckingum Palace or Stonehenge or Hadrian's Wall. I can't wait til UK homeschooling comes into its own for at least two reasons -- 1) an end to all the whinging of "Yank-centric" curriculum, and 2) getting an English swing to some of these trite homeschool treatments.
Welcome back, hope you can breathe some life back into HSB! -j
Jul. 16, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by callmekate
O.k., I'm envious! We would love to go aboard The Golden Hinde! We love history and learned quite a bit about Sir Francis Drake from a book I bought a few years back. There is a pirate movie from the 1970's called "Swashbuckler" (my husband loves it) that used The Golden Hinde, although it was given a silly moniker for the movie (no respect, I say). By the way, does the CM method teach children how to fold laundry without flinging it at each other? Take care!
Kate
Jul. 17, 2006 - Us too!
Posted by Garrisongang
We too have been virtually "blog free" lately. I choose to blame the weather (a great British excuse in any circumstance), World Cup, and Wimbledon (or WW3 as I prefer to call it). Anyway, we too are a mixture of Charlotte Mason/Classical curriculum. When we started a few years ago, we read through about 8 possible philosophies, and Charlotte came out at the top of the list (Britain's greatest homeschool export), but we like the classical aspect too. It develops serious thinking skills. Regarding books, ebay.co.uk and amazon.co.uk carry a lot of the stuff you will find on Ambleside. Another resource we are starting to use quite a lot is a similar thing in the USA called www.greatbooksacademy.org Check it out. Their reading lists are wonderful. I also tend to lurk in dark corners of Oxfam bookshops. I found a great "Bulfinches Mythology" for £3 in one recently. The America resource companies would ask much more than that.
Regarding the dreaded postage issue, the new organisation we are starting, "Living Heritage," is looking into ways to beat that. We're hoping to set up some kind of cooperative, or something where we in the UK can benefit from good postage rates together. Watch this space at: www.homeschoolblogger/homeschooluk
Bruce