What i am doing here.
So… i’m branching out. I want to create a Curriculum, sort of 
But also, not really.
What i want is something like the Ambleside Online reading lists, but…
*with one reading per day.
*using easy to get books.
*with a modern feel to it with nicely illustrated books.
*with low costs and freedom to be otherwise autonomous while indulging in interesting stories.
*with a strictly world view - look at all religions, not just basing it around Christianity and (worse in my opinion) certainly not discounting other world religions.
*relevant to the UK.
*with cohesion between what is in the weekly reading and with ideas for exploring those through the week or month. Also with some relevance to festivals.
I’m hoping that a few people will join me and help me out with that last bit, as well as helping me find new material as we go through the year.
So - here i go. I’ve trialed Ambleside last year and what i liked, i’m bringing. What i didn’t like (volume, old fashioned books, American feel to it) i’m leaving behind.
These are my first 7 books, mainly based on what is on my shelf and i know will be a strong start. It starts with the Old Testament, in simple form, mainly because i have it and i know my girls will enjoy narrating it back and illustrating it. I’m using it as a base to explore other religions through the year but it could be easily substituted with a child’s Qur’an or just left out.
These links below take you to Amazon - buying the books through them will net me a few pence but you can buy the books just as easily in a shop and to be honest, i’m hoping anyone who joins me will already have some of them. I think these 7 books would cost about £48 if you had to buy them all. Look on Red House and thebookpeople for bargains though.
Usborne Stories from Around the World.
Britannia 100 Great Stories from British History
I’ve chosen the above British History because it comes so nicely illustrated, but Our island Story
So - above i will detail how we are going to read these, on a week by week basis; i very much hope anyone who fancies trialing this alongside me, will get in touch via the comments box and help me make this work.
Hi, this is a comment.
To delete a comment, just log in, and view the posts’ comments, there you will have the option to edit or delete them.
Comment by Mr Blogsome — December 31, 2005 @ 8:22 pm
Can I play? Although I don’t know much about Ambleside I’m afraid. Can you detail a bit more what you have planned from that point of view (ie for someone who *hasn’t* used a curriculum before)?
Comment by Jax — December 31, 2005 @ 9:50 pm
Brilliant idea Merry. We have done a version of Ambleside last year to an extent but found a lot of it irrelevant or heavy going and had a major rebelllion so I would love something more upbeat and interesting. Can’t buy the books through your link cos we have them all. lol Got a lot but not sure what you want to use yet so will have a think.
Comment by Ruth — December 31, 2005 @ 10:00 pm
Great idea Merry
Comment by Jules — December 31, 2005 @ 10:13 pm
Ok so Im going to be brave and tentatively say that I will join you with this new curriculum. I was originally considering Sonlight but it is beyond my means. This sounds like a gentler, more modern and more relevant plan. Dont know if its of interest but I purchased Our Island Story from Amazon last month for £9.00. When do we start?
Comment by Carol — December 31, 2005 @ 10:27 pm
Just So Stories are free online too. I’ll be watching to see what you are reading and we might join in, but I’m terrible at getting into routines and it depends on M alot obviously. We do have access to most of the books above, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Comment by Kath — December 31, 2005 @ 10:29 pm
Ok so I am going to be brave and tentatively join you on your curriculum, in fact it couldnt have come at a better time for us. Dont know how available Our Island Story is but I purchased it on Amazon for £9.50.Will it be one chapter/verse from one book a day, or a chapter each from a few books? Will you be putting up project ideas or are you taking ideas? And most of all when do we start?
Comment by Carol — December 31, 2005 @ 10:33 pm
Well, certainly interested in having a go at this
Comment by chris F — December 31, 2005 @ 10:50 pm
Can I try this out with my youngest (6 1/2)? I’ve been rubbish at finding the time to sit and read with him recently so this could be just what we need. What a great idea, Merry - but can I start next week since we’re still doing Christmas this week LOL!
Comment by Steph — January 1, 2006 @ 10:06 am
Oh count us in - I’ve been trying to forumlate some plan based on Ambleside but there’s so much in there that I don’t like that it was looking a bit thin. Look forward to hearing more.
Comment by Tracy W — January 1, 2006 @ 10:26 am
argh - and I passed up a 75p Usborne Kids Bible in WHSmith the other day!! Am interested, but will have to have a think about it. Can’t afford to buy any more books, even though I’d like to
Although, luckily I have most of them! (btw, forgot to say I did pick up that book from Barbara, thanks a lot - they’ve gone down really well. Surprisingly, since they are books!!)
Comment by Kirsty — January 1, 2006 @ 10:39 am
Merry, if I were to get the books, how long using the reading scheme would they last?
Comment by Louise — January 1, 2006 @ 12:06 pm
Merry do you want book ideas to?
Comment by Ruth — January 1, 2006 @ 1:07 pm
What a brilliant idea Merry, I love Charlotte Mason and was looking for something like this. I have just purchsed some of the books off your list. Dh rolled his eyes a bit, but I told him it was cheaper than a private school education. Really excited about this!
Comment by Amanda — January 1, 2006 @ 6:16 pm
O.K book ideas - erm …Celtic Memories Caitlin Matthews
A Childs Treasury of Irish Rhymes by Alic Taylor
Atticus The Storyeller’s 100 Greek Myths Lucy Coats
Art up Close From Ancient to Modern Claire De Harcourt
The World Came to My Place Today Jo Readman
Walking Through the Jungle Debbie Harter
Henry VIII Richard Brassey
St George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges
The Story of London Richard Brassey
The Story of Scotland Ditto
The Story of Ireland
The Barefoot Book of Pirates Richard Walker
The Spirit of Maasia Man by Laura Berkley
Ancient Celtic Festivals and how we celebrate them today by
Clare Walker
Usborne bugs and insects
Katie Morag Island Adventures series Mairi Hedderwick
Usborne World Religions
Sunday Moonday Cherry Gilchrist
The Story of King Arthur
A Street, farm throgh time series
Oxford Famous People
Fabric of Fairlytales Tanya Robyn Barr
A Childs Book of Faeries ditto
The Seeds of Paece Laura Berkley
The Barefoot Book of Heroic Children
Celebrating Irish Festivals Ruth Marshall
Usborne Story’s from Shakespeare
Usborne book of peoples of the World
Comment by Ruth — January 1, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
Oooh this sounds very interesting to me
)
Not sure i will be able to offer much in the way of ideas though as my knowledge of CM is somewhat limited!
Comment by Nicki — January 1, 2006 @ 10:31 pm
Cor Ruth - you went some there! vThank you
Comment by Administrator — January 3, 2006 @ 8:30 am
Nah just went along the shelf lol hence all the typos.
Comment by Ruth — January 3, 2006 @ 5:17 pm
Can’t post the link cos security won’t let me but Tales from Old Ireland is on a bin on e bay. Anyone want it?
Comment by Ruth — January 3, 2006 @ 8:30 pm
aargh, I’m going to have to stop reading this if ppl keep posting books to buy! lol
Comment by Jax — January 3, 2006 @ 8:51 pm
although, not sure how well this would work if we’re all reading the same thing at the same time, but is there any mileage in a kind of library scheme for the books? A mybookyourbook curriculum lending system type thing?
Comment by Jax — January 3, 2006 @ 9:28 pm
Ooh - like the idea of this - and Jax’s too. How about, read the book and pass it on to the next person on the list?
Comment by Kris — January 3, 2006 @ 10:27 pm
I kind of think we’d lose a lot of the benefit in not working together to find interesting things to do with the readings. If a book is going to last 22 weeks thewn it isn’t going to be very passable. I think it would be a shame to bash through a book and lose the chance to explore it for the sake of saving a fiver really.
Comment by Administrator — January 3, 2006 @ 10:50 pm
While I agree with you partially Merry, I also think that making up a library of the books for ppl who find this later on, or want to try it later with younger kids or want to form a local group and work through it together, or or or…. I’m thinking big! And I’m trying to justify a way of getting my hands on a couple more books without spending too much money that I don’t have
Comment by Jax — January 3, 2006 @ 11:00 pm
Well, feel free. I’m busy decluttering at the moment so i don’t want to hoard books here (plus i hate getting rid of books.) But if this gets past a first quarter, still with people interested, then we could work on getting a community hub going, definitely
Comment by Administrator — January 4, 2006 @ 10:03 am