Charlotte Mason for Preschool?

[liamum]

I am a bit overwhelmed by all the various educational philosophies and HS methods. DS is about to turn three and I would like to begin more of a preschool approach to some of the things we do/teach/learn.

I am very drawn to the Charlotte Mason approach. Can her method be used with preschool-aged children?

I am thinking of doing homeschooling for the preschool years and then sending DS to school, but have certainly not made any final decisions. There is a large part of me that identifies with the needs and desires to HS, so I very well may change my mind.

[erinee]

For preschool, Charlotte Mason would advocate lots and lots of time outside and reading high-quality books. In fact, she emphasized outside time and lots of explorationg more than reading in the preschool years.

Have you seen Ambleside Online's year 0? That would actually be more the kindergarten year, but they have a wonderful list of books there. http://www.amblesideonline.org/00.shtml There's a link at the top of the page for a yahoo group for year 0, and there are both kindergarteners and preschoolers there.

You could work on some of CM's "Formidable List of Attainments for the Child of 6," but again, those are more goals for the kindergarten year. You could start some, though.

[liamum]

Thank you!!! I have to check out your links. They are so informative. I think I have been to that web site a very long time ago (because CM has always intrigued me), but DS was much too young so I kind of put it on the back burner.

[churchpunkmom]

Ambleside Online is great. I've just started CM with my kids. Honestly, with the CM philosophy, you really wouldn't be doing any "preschool" in our sense of the word. It would really just be lots of outside time spent exploring God's creation and learning about the world around us and ourselves by just living and playing and being outdoors. Aside from that, reading. Both of these thing you're probably already doing. ;) I'm doing year 0 with my boys as kindy for my 6yo and 'preschool' for my other two (4.5 and nearly 3). Basically, we read (I try to sit them down in the school room once a day for some reading time, mostly for my 6yo's benefit as a way of preparing him and developing a 'schooltime' habit for starting yr1 next year), we paint, we play with play-do, we go for nature walks and collect a few leaves/flowers and look them up (along with birds we see/take pictures of) in a book I have.. For us, year 0 is mostly for the purpose of getting us into the habit of setting a bit of time aside each day for school time. For my 6yo, I will probably add in some basic math stuff, some beginning reading and copywork toward the end of the year.

[liamum]

Thanks, Megan - that is a great overview.

[Leslie]

You might also read Charlotte Mason's first book, Home Education - it talks about what parents can do to prepare their very young children for school, and what to teach them up to age nine. You can read it online for free in her own Victorian English (http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html#1), or in a modern-language paraphrase (http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/ModernEnglish.html). Or, if you prefer to check it out before you decide to invest time into it, you can read a chapter-by-chapter summary (http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/Summary1.html) of the book. Or an ultra-condensed synopsis (http://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/Summary1x.html). One book, many options. ;)

[liamum]

Thanks, Leslie! I am wading through some of the reading choices on Ambleside's yahoo group - like those you linked to. They are reading her volumes a small amount each week for a year.

[LittleSweetPeas]

there is also a yahoo group for CM preschool.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CM4earlyyears/

[liamum]

Thank you LittleSweetPeas - I'll check that out too!

[DogwoodMama]

FYI- a lot of the ladies on the CMearlyyears list are pro-Pearl & Godly tomoatoes website.

[liamum]

Thank you for all your help. :grouphug I am still, very slowly making my way through the CM literature and also the recommended Children's books.

There is a great CM lot on ebay that makes me salivate, but bidding on it may go too high LOL.

[LittleSweetPeas]

FYI- a lot of the ladies on the CMearlyyears list are pro-Pearl & Godly tomoatoes website.


Yeah, true, but its full of a lot of helpful information that I know has come in handy for me. I can ignore the rest fairly easily, luckily. :phew

[Leslie]

Another CM yahoo group for preschool/K is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmbleSide_Year0/

The group mostly stays away from discipline issues and stays focused on CM resources and the CM method. Right now they're going through two of her books together. The moderator is great - knowledgeable, and good at keeping the group focused on CM. You don't have to be planning to do Ambleside Online to benefit from the group. I give it two thumbs up. :tu :tu :yes

[liamum]

Another CM yahoo group for preschool/K is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmbleSide_Year0/

The group mostly stays away from discipline issues and stays focused on CM resources and the CM method. Right now they're going through two of her books together. The moderator is great - knowledgeable, and good at keeping the group focused on CM. You don't have to be planning to do Ambleside Online to benefit from the group. I give it two thumbs up. :tu :tu :yes


Yes- this is the group Megan recommended and I am a member now - been reading and posting and trying not to feel a bit overwhelmed with figuring out a weekly schedule LOL.