We’ve been homeschooling our four kids for over a decade now, and most of those years have included the books mentioned in the AmblesideOnline.com curriculum.  Ambleside Online is a free Charlotte Mason curriculum with full lesson plans for K-12. It was created by homeschooling mothers to offer a curriculum similar to what Charlotte Mason, the 18th century educator, used.

At Ambleside Online, you’ll access an entire curriculum for each grade level. There are resource pages with links to many of the free classic books online, and there is a school calendar with full daily schedules.

“The question is not, — how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education — but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”

Charlotte M. Mason, 19th Century educator

IF YOU USE THE CURRICULUM FULLY, YOUR CHILD WILL HAVE A RICH, LITERATURE-DEEP, BEAUTIFUL EDUCATION.

But if you use the curriculum loosely, you’ll also do well.  I’m teaching four grade levels, and am easily distracted by other fun things to learn, so I don’t use the curriculum exactly as it is laid out.  I use it loosely, taking from it with what we wish to study that term.

Our eldest is in college, and not only does he love to learn, but he knows what his professors are talking about when they refer to classic books and ancient works of art.  I believe his love of learning – and that of his three siblings – is due to the rich, beautiful education they received through the booklists, art study, composer study, and nature study at Ambleside Online.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK OUT AMBLESIDE ONLINE’S FREE CHARLOTTE MASON CURRICULUM.

It may be just the curriculum you’ve been looking for; and in any case, it will provide you with book lists that will give your child a love of reading. Ambleside Online is a free curriculum to use; there are even daily schedules for each grade.  Since many of the books are copyright-free classics, most of them are also free online.  You may find some of the books at your local library, but you’ll probably wish to own most of them