วีดีโอ

Thank you friend! ❤️

Don’t be discouraged! We all have those days when we feel we aren’t doing enough or not a good job! In my experience, when we intentionally teach our children one on one, with our heart in it, and wanting the best for them, we are doing just fine! Children learn and progress at different speeds! Don’t compare yourself to anyone else!

Also, the first few weeks can feel the hardest when trying something new, but you’ll find your rhythm! ❤️

@@littlebitsofbliss thanks

Thank you for the encouragement! ❤️

@@littlebitsofbliss absolutely! I’m a recent subscriber and I absolutely look forward to your curriculum review videos but it was really nice to get a sneak peek into a typical diyl. I also ordered the slow productivity book you talked about.

@@thereynoldstribe540 welcome! So glad to hear! ❤️

That sounds amazing too! ❤️

Yes, I agree that your voice is calming along with the music.

@@joycehampton4656 thank you to both of you! 😊

I love that idea! Thanks for the tip! 😃

Mythmatical Battles sounds fascinating! I’ll check it out! We also love Scientists in the Field! We’ve got several of those on our shelves! 😄

I actually think that the Charlotte Mason method more naturally transitions from one subject to the next for that very reason! But first (and you might already be aware), a CM subject follows this order: Recap (last lesson), Introduce (new lesson), Read, Narrate, and Discuss. I find that each subject is so thoroughly handled in this way, that they are not lost to the kids, or become a “blur” of subjects. Second, a CM schedule is suppose to alternate different subjects based on types of learning, so that you aren’t fatiguing a particular form of learning. You might think that it’s all reading & narrating, but you have a variety of types of skills being used and learning methods besides reading comprehension such as math, recitation, dictation and the “riches” like poetry, art study, music study, handicraft, physical education, and so on. I hope that helps! 😊

Thanks! I’ll check those out!

@@littlebitsofbliss great games!

I’m happy to share! 😃

Thank you! 😊

That’s great! Yes we love these math games! 😊

I agree that she mentions CM in this video… several times in fact. But it’s not mentioned even once on their website, and I think that would be a more important place to site that kind of information.

It’s my pleasure! 😊

The Alveary recommends Right Start Math and Harold Jacob’s Algebra for their math program. Their lesson plans and guides just schedule out and tell you what lessons to do (as the curriculum also suggests) They encourage you to use the math curriculum of preference but believe that Right Start Math adheres to Charlotte Mason’s principles. We are personally using Math U See and Beauty and Truth math in our homeschool, so I wouldn’t be able to speak to Right Start math. 😊

I believe the core books stay the same. So for grade 1 that means the Reading Primer. But the literature selections will be new, which means copywork and dictation will also be new! 😊

We also used grade 4. Yes they definitely show great writing in their copywork and dictation. I only found my daughter began to “slack off” when it came to written narration in comparison to what she used to write in previous years. I find Writing With Ease pairs nicely with Charlotte Mason. It’s still learning how to write narrations rather than traditional writing skills, but it strives to teach them how to write great narrations (including the major points) as early as grade 1 (although short narrations at that age 😁). I think if we started with CM, rather than Classical, I wouldn’t have had the same concerns 😊

@@littlebitsofbliss that's a super helpful recommendation. He has dysgraphia and is a very reluctant writer. Even copy work is a challenge most days. 😩 I will check that out. Thank you again!! I love seeing your Alveary content but also your other videos too 🎉❤️

I’m using First Language Lessons for grammar and Writing with Ease/Writing with Skill for writing for my grade 1 and Grade 5 students. And a few other things for spelling, and vocabulary. I have a video of our language arts picks for this year. I’ll link it below 😊

th-cam.com/video/ZoM4lLFyGeY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=65ZdbXsGYktznoTd

th-cam.com/video/slursAmyfCA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=bjG8OsK-13q7MNmZ

No I haven’t. I’ll check it out! Thanks for the recommendation! 😊

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.

Yes I love history too! It’s so fun getting to learn alongside my children!

You have to buy all the books separately. The Alveary writes the lesson plans and guides and doesn’t necessarily follow how Simply Charlotte Mason uses this book. It’s one of several resources they use throughout the program. But all the books are extra that you have to source out yourself. Although they provide links to all the books so that you purchase the right editions, etc.

@@littlebitsofbliss hm, I’m a little unsure of the usefulness if you buy one curriculum and it tells you to buy another one. I understand sending you to purchase literature as all the programs do that, but IDK, this feels like a 300$ lesson plan, sort of.

@@Mamaisawake A Castle with Many Rooms is not a curriculum. It’s only a history book. It does not come with a lesson plan or guide. You could just read it on your own, but both Simply Charlotte Mason and the Alveary write the lesson plans and guides incorporating other living books and biographies to give a better historical picture. Purchasing lesson plans and guides add value if you struggle with planning or would prefer someone else do it for you. The $300 is for the lessons plans and books lists for every single subject.

Glad to hear!

Thanks for sharing!

You’re welcome!

Sounds interesting! I love how many Charlotte Mason resources there are now!

I will make a video on that!

That’s great! Yes, I’m so glad I found out about it!

Hmm… good to know! Yes it does appear to be a secular curriculum. I’m not sure if I mentioned that or not in the video! Thanks for the heads up! 😊

Great question! Yes I do! They have so many excellent resources and books lists with guides that it definitely feels worth the cost! But I’m only not using their history because we’ve done this time period so many times! Once their history cycle is in line with where we are, then I will most likely use the Alveary again. I’m also using their Canadian history this year. I also plan to use some of their science to supplement for my grade 1 student! And the labs might also still be fun to do as summer learning or during other school breaks! We never stop learning over here! 🤪

@@littlebitsofbliss Okay, this is helpful. I had the same thought about doing some other science over the summer. We are always learning, too! There is just so much fun learning to be had! Thanks again for sharing.

​@littlebitsofbliss Does the Alveary post their scope and sequence schedule?

@@audwan4 every lesson plan for each grade/subject has a description of what level of student that lesson plan is meant for, including any required background knowledge. They also include how long each lesson should take and how many days a week it should be done. They are in the first few pages of each lesson plan.

I plan to make a video about their history next! I will be teaching from Berean Builders: Science in the Beginning, because that is what the other co-op members chose (although personally Apologia is my preference 😊)… and Bearean Builders looks great too! Lol

Yes we should!! 😂

No, not to my knowledge! Ambleside online offers free guides and cycles, but you still have to do some planning and get all the books.

Yes this is an amazing resource!

You’re welcome! Unfortunately it only has American and World History.

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.

Good to know. Thank you!

Yes I agree!

Yes it’s definitely a great supplementary resource as well!

I’ll check it out!

Yes me too! Hopefully they add more grades in the future!

@@littlebitsofbliss I don't know if she will, since it's been several years, but we can always hope!! It's also a great format for moms who have olders to implement the orderliness fairly simply with older kiddos.

You’re welcome! 😊

We are using FLL 4 in 5th grade because in Grade 3 we switched to The Good and the Beautiful (which was a total waste of time) but you can’t skip FLL 3, so we did it for Grade 4. The Well Trained Mind has a language arts curriculum called Grammar for the Well Trained Mind that is meant to follow FLL.

No the Alveary is not using Story of the World as their spine, although some have asked them to. They choose new books each year for each new history cycle.

Writing and Rhetoric is great! We have used it and loved it! It teaches writing skills like summarizing a passage concisely as well as creative writing techniques like amplification. I also really like Writing with Ease from the Well Trained mind that teaches how to write a well summarized narration.

@@littlebitsofbliss awesome thank you for that! If you had to pick Writing with Ease or Writing & Rhetoric would you choose one or they both serve different purposes?

@@TheJonesClan6182011 I would say they are different but both will develop their writing skills. I like to use Writing with Ease for grade 1-4 and I added Writing and Rhetoric in grade 4 for added writing skills.

@@littlebitsofbliss Thank you so so much! This was very helpful!

There isn’t really a scope and sequence when it comes to geography. The living books will follow the current history cycle and you will learn about the places and peoples in that time period. The mapwork will increase in challenge by grade (for example in grade 4 they might only have to memorize countries, but in grade 6-7 you might add the challenge of learning the capitals as well). The only way to see a specific scope and sequence would be to look at each guide and compare the differences. But they do speak to placement and combining students in the about section of each subject guide.

I’m so glad you found it helpful!