Preparation continues for the uncoming school year; however, our first official school day is still not set. Ambleside’s Online Yahoo! group is such a rich resource, I want to follow along with them for the school year, and Term I begins in September. That does not mean I can’t start a few days early, but for studies such as art, Plutarch, hymns, folksongs, etc., it’s nice to work as a group for information sharing purposes.
Meanwhile, the Year 5 books keep rolling in.
A few of these I had on hand already, like the “Little House” series which qualifies as free reading, but many I have been ordering at the best prices I can find on line.
One book in particular I had to think about was Bulfinch’s Age of Fable: whether or not to get this illustrated version, The Illustrated Age of Fable. The inside cover says this:
Since it was first published in 1855, Thomas Bulfinch’s masterly collection of the myths and legends of Greece and Rome has proved so popular that even today it makes essential reading for any newcomer to mythology.
Now for the first time, Bulfinch’s stores are published with the full-color honors they deserve. For this special edition, his ninetheenth-century literary references have been replaced by paintings — 100 of the most stunning and dramatic masterpieces ever inspired by myth. The array of artists includes Michelangelo, Botticelli, Titian, Poussin, Rubens, and Burne-Jones.
Some of the paintings are disturbing in the sense that they interrupt our comfortable existence and show us pictures of tragedy, suffering, revenge and conquest. Some pictures, such as An Allegory with Venus and Cupid, I wondered about. There’s nudity, as is not uncommon in art from the time period. There’s also seduction, envy, father time and more. I must admit it’s a good lesson even for me to have a visual of how tricked one can be in the face of beauty and temptation. But is Michaela old enough for this painting? Is anyone old enough for this painting? 
I won’t put it here because I don’t really want it on my blog in case some of my readers think it’s better done without.
Some of the paintings inspire me!
At any rate, I purchased the illustrated copy. I am a very visual person and I think Michaela is the same way. The art books we already have, she will sit and look at them for hours, carrying them with her from room to room.
I like that Ambleside is broken into Terms and that the group follows some subjects together. I noticed that in Term III we’ll be studying Monet and some specific paintings of his. (You can see the Art Schedule on this page.)
Over the weekend, Michaela and I drove over to Barnes and Noble. I was so excited to find a book of 14 large framable Monet prints, at least two of which are included in our Term III Ambleside art study.
I love that we’ll have a large version of Women in the Garden. This book was only $9.98 and they let me apply my teacher discount. They have new teacher discount cards, by the way, that can also be used online!
Reading in Charlotte Mason’s original series continues with the CM Series group. The feedback from reading with a group will be of great help I think.
I am still getting the hang of it. The group sent a notice that reading was in volume 6, pages 112-119, but then they sent an updated notice that reading continues in Volume I. It was, however, good for me to read what was assigned in Volume 6! I am finding that Charlotte Mason did not care for unit study where connections were made for the child ad nauseam. I must admit that there have been times when we’ve been on rabbit trails before and my children had stopped running long before I had. They were ready for a new idea. I’ll need to be careful of this! This is not to say that I don’t like Unit Study. I love that Ambleside offers room for free reading and biography, and we’ll be using Beyond Five In A Row for some of this. What I am saying is that I need to make the distinction between doing something because I’m enjoying it and doing something because it is benefitting Michaela.
Following along with the group reading is a good way to read the original CM series and not be overwhelmed. It was easy to join the group (if you’re using Ambleside, or plan to), then print the assigned pages, and read and discuss via e-mail throughout the week.
It’s Monday, a work day, so I must run. Happy planning!
Lynn
for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
Getting new books is so fun! Those book stacks are gorgeous!
I like unit studies, but I agree with CM that when the connections go on forever or are forced it’s lost its fun. Let the connections be natural and engaging to the child.
Hi Lynn,
I have been reading your blog, and enjoy so much! I too, am looking into Ambleside Online, but am finding a hard time figuring out which levels to put my children in.
Thanks, Jimmie. That’s totally how I feel!
Bea, that took some time for me too. I thought on it for several weeks before deciding on year 5 for my 6th grade daughter.
Thanks for your comments!
Lynn
Greetings Lynn,
My daughter and I love Monet, too. The painting “Women in the Garden” is a lovely delight!
Here is a link to a dress that reminds us of the dress worn by the lady sitting down in the painting:
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/the_costume_institute/dress_promenade/objectview.aspx?page=2&sort=0&sortdir=asc&keyword=1862&fp=1&dd1=8&dd2=0&vw=1&collID=8&OID=80004406&vT=1
Here is a link to a photograph of my daughter in my garden:
http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html
Your photographs of the dragonfly in your garden were great. We enjoy the pictures of old books that you feature on your blog, the photographs in your garden, and your 4th of July post.
Take care,
Diane
Diane, I loved visiting your blog and website. So beautiful!! Do you mean that’s your daughter in the long, beautiful, colonial-looking dress? My, what a beautiful picture! They are all lovely.
I noticed your loom. My mother would love to spin and weave. I wish she could learn how. Also, Michaela has been researching a stack of books from the library on puppies and I think she has settled on getting a Welsh corgi. One particular book rates breeds on behavior, affection, protection, etc. and the corgi is hard to beat!
Thank you for your comment.
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
I really enjoy your insightful writing. The books you have chosen for this next year make me want to curl up and read, read, read! Some of my childhood favorites are in that stack–I haven’t seen “Wild Animals I Have Known” in AGES! I remember WELL reading that one during summer vacation my fifth grade year. It was one of the most interesting animal “story” books I remember reading, challenging and quite engaging. I hope y’all have a great school year!
“Charlotte Mason did not care for unit study where connections were made for the child ad nauseam.” Can you tell me what this means? Or is that too much to explain in this format.
The unit study comment was very interesting indeed. We never did unit studies per se, but the kinds of projects we do could well fall into that category of things where my interest level remains long after that of the kids starts to wane. Still, we LOVE to do projects and I have learned that, when the kids start getting saturated, I need to just put the project away for a period of weeks or even months so we can return to it again with vigor rather than frustration.
April, thank you for your comment. I’m looking forward to reading “Wild Animals I Have Known.” I’ve read that the book contains some sad parts, and I have not had time to preread any of the book yet, though I do plan to skim through it. Still, it sounds like a great book and I’m glad to get your perspective on it!
Becky, bear in mind that I have NOT read the entire CM original series, and these thoughts came from pages 112-119 in Volume 6 where she spoke of a Herbartian education and mentioned a school where an entire year’s worth of lessons were taken from Robinson Crusoe, for every subject including math. There was just no end to it, and the teacher had put the lessons together so that it seems like the children were directed to continue on and on and on taking hundreds of leads from Robinson Crusoe, making connection after connection after connection that had surely become boring and tedious to them by the end of it all. So much so that they would develop a loathing “not only ‘Robinson Crusoe’ but for every one of the subjects lugged in to illustrate his adventures.”
You know we have enjoyed unit studies here and will continue to do so. I love Five In A Row, and the more I read CM’s original works, the more I appreciate Jane Lambert’s wisdom in the way she put Five In A Row together. I think her approach to unit study is ideal: a variety of lessons to choose from, closing the unit study on a particular book within a reasonable time frame — unless the child wants to continue, her choice of books, interacting with the child one-on-one so that their ideas are voiced in a way that they make their own connections and the book becomes theirs, so to speak.
Does that make any sense at all?
We plan to do some FIAR Volume 4 with a co-op this year and also to do Beyond for the biography reading. Term 3 of Year 5 calls for a biography of George Washington Carver and should take 3 months to cover, so that will be perfect.
Ken, we love projects, as you can see from my blog. I think you hit the nail on the head with the word “saturated.” I have even taken Five In A Row too far before — my doing, not Mrs. Lambert’s — by adding in thing after thing that *I* thought must be covered right at that moment, and muddied up something that was simple and clear.
Greetings Lynn,
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, that is my daughter in the garden.
We hope that your mother learns to spin and weave… and you and your daughter, too!!! It would be great for Prairie Tuesday! We so enjoyed your post on visiting your mother’s home with the lovely sewing room and gardens.
Tell Michaela that Corgis are wonderful little dogs. We have had six Corgyn.
Take care,
Diane