Hello! Thanks for stopping by!
My name is Natacha and I’m a homeschool mom of 2. On this channel I share how I plan our homeschool year, our curriculum choices, what works and what doesn't, and curriculum reviews. We have always followed a Classical approach to homeschooling, but have recently begun adding in Charlotte Mason's philosophies to our homeschooling style. If you're interested in all things homeschool, follow along!
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Oh i have a question!!! Do the books for year one also change every year? I have an older K. She will turn 6 before K is over and in my state we have to start school by 6. I was considering doing SOME of the y1 books that won't be repeated when she actually starts 1st grade.
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! 😊
I am curious what grade you did. We did level 4 of the Alveary and I feel like if you're using their copy work and dictation they do show and copy good writing. As far as composition goes, written narration doesn't start until 4th grade so maybe its just introduced later than in classical. We are using the Alveary again this school year but I definitely will be keeping an eye on the writing. He is my oldest and I definitely want him to be a strong writer but I worry about programs like IEW killing his natural voice and creativity 😩
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 🎉❤️
What language arts do you use with your daughter?
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 😊
kzread.info/dash/bejne/jKOBls6Fdtytlbw.htmlsi=65ZdbXsGYktznoTd
kzread.info/dash/bejne/paCp1NV6ndzMc6Q.htmlsi=bjG8OsK-13q7MNmZ
Have you heard of The Children’s Tradition? It’s new and it’s like a classical education with a CM spin.
No I haven’t. I’ll check it out! Thanks for the recommendation! 😊
I have a going into 7th grade girl and I am going to HS her. Do they do placement testing??
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.
We love The Story of Civilization. Ancient History was our spine last year, and this year we're going into Medieval History. History is probably my favorite subject!
Yes I love history too! It’s so fun getting to learn alongside my children!
For materials from other curriculum publishers like simply charlotte mason’s a castle with many rooms, do you get that digital access to the material included or do you need to buy it?
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.
Thank you for this video! Super informative. I learned a lot!
Glad to hear!
I’m planning on using this from art history, music, literature, poetry, history/geography I will also use the library for some extra resources.
I have a free Pre-K complete curriculum with video lessons for a full year on my channel. Look under the Playlist A to Z. It’s not Charlotte Mason, but I hope it’s a blessing!
Thanks for sharing!
I'm so happy to finally see Alveary samples! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
This looks a lot like the Rabbit Trails Homeschool curriculum. The only differences I see are that RTH keeps history and LA separate (they don't tie into each other), and the booklist is considerably cheaper than WD's BUT its teacher's guide is slightly more expensive. Oh and it's much harder to find RTH's Amazon link with all the living books on the RTH website, though the booklist is in the curriculum.
Sounds interesting! I love how many Charlotte Mason resources there are now!
I love this series. It is hard to find good samples on the Alveary. I would love to see more of how they do language arts. I can't find much on it.
I will make a video on that!
It's great! I have used this with my kids; this is also something I plan to use with my 4-year-old. we used it for poetry specifically
That’s great! Yes, I’m so glad I found out about it!
We use it for some subjects. I think the lady wrote it so her husband could HS their kids. My only hang up for it was that the history was from an evolution POV instead of Christian
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! 😊
Also, it seems that you will not be using Alveary's history since you already studied that time period; and will not be doing their science, so do you still feel comfortable paying the membership fee and feel the cost is justifiable?
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.
Thank you for doing the flip-throughs of the Alveary subjects. Can you do one for their History? I am almost sold on their curriculum. Will you be using Apologia for science or what will you be using? Thank you again!
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
This is so good. My frame of reference for dealing with ethnic, cultural, racial, etc differences is the parts of the Bible between the Jews and Gentiles, namely the counsel of Jerusalem where they had to figure out how to live peaceably together. Thank you for your honesty
I'm so glad you bring balance to this. So many people have pride that is covered up and accepted because they take a 'moral stand.'
Yes!! We have been using it the last couple years and absolutely LOVE it! ❤ We love the short lessons and the wealth of subjects that are covered! ❤️ I love that it makes it so easy for the teacher too. Everything is linked and laid out and contained within each lesson. I also wish it went up higher in the grades, like ambleside. Maybe we can all email her thru her website & beg her to create more grades. 😂🤞
Yes we should!! 😂
Anything like this for middle school & high school?
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.
At the beginning of the video you mention a KZreadr you watched that printed out the curriculum. Could you share the name of that KZreadr so I can check her out as well please? Thank you 😊
Here’s the link to the video! kzread.info/dash/bejne/qZdm3Lulp7bgYLg.htmlsi=f-7N_dPhO5xWiTzO
This is amazing, thank you for sharing! I have a curriculum I’m preparing, but it doesn’t have poetry, so I’ll definitely be utilizing this!
Yes this is an amazing resource!
Thank you for reviewing this! Does it have Canadian History as well, or just U.S?
You’re welcome! Unfortunately it only has American and World History.
Thank you for this. It is helpful. I have heard that AO is more rigorous and the books are more advanced for the grade level (this is not a negative for me). How does the Alveary compare? I liked your breakdown of the CMEC using older books, AO being older with a few newer, and Alveary using a good mix. That was helpful. But how does Alveary compare to AO in terms of the level and book comparison? Is it similar to AO or more gentle like AGF? Thanks so much.
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!
What?! Looks amazing!! How generous that the creator isn’t charging for it.
Yes I agree!
I'm planning on using art history, prose and poetry from under the home next yr, I'm pretty excited!! I've also heard about this site called, well-educated heart/library of hope and has history curriculum and poetry also and it's free to use or you can buy the books!
Yes it’s definitely a great supplementary resource as well!
Have you seen the Read Aloud Banquets from Gateway to the Classics? They are pretty amazing. That's what we've been using this year.
I’ll check it out!
I have looked at this curriculum. It's amazing! I wish there were upper grade levels!!
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.
Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome! 😊
Amazing😱😱😱😱👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
We use this curriculum for our daughter and we love it!
Needing Clarification: So Level 4 is for 5th grade? Is there a Level 5? Which LArts book would follow this book?
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.
Is Story of the World part of Alveary?
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.
Thanks for this, this was so helpful, especially as the narration. We were doing purely Charlotte Mason narration and it just wasn’t working. I really like this. We are about to start Writing & Rhetoric, do you feel this fits the bill?
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!
Im so happy you were able to share more about the lesson plans!! If i had seen more videos like this earlier, i would have gone w Alveary years ago. It looks so good! I have an important question. Do they ever let us know scope and sequence. I ask because you say this was for grade 4-6. It would be helpful to know what subjects come after this to make sure I cover everything I am planning to cover. Because my 3rd grader most likely woukdnt be ready for this next year but perhaps 5 or 6th grade he would be, but by then the subjects 4-6 are covering will be different, right??
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.
Thanks so much for putting this video together. It was so helpful, especially the details you went into about narration.
I’m so glad you found it helpful!
Thanks, this is a helpful video.
I was planning on using Ambleside Online this coming year, but it seems most of what you will use is from Alveary. Would you suggest that over AO and why did you choose that instead? (Only using AOs art and composers) Thanks so much. I am really enjoying your videos!!
Wow. This is so good. Thanks for sharing this information. I am going to make these changes.
So glad you found it helpful! ❤️
So helpful!! I would love to see all this! I just saw kindle togetherness say she was switching to Alveary in part to way they have geography. So my interest had been peaked
Yes I’ve noticed that a lot of people have been switching to the Alveary! They do a great job! I’ll keep posting new Alveary reviews each week! 😊
So helpful I’ve been torn between following classical homeschooling and charlotte mason homeschooling and I really appreciate your experience and being able to see where the classical model would be better like you said with writing right and with memorizing:) I think charlotte mason has a romance to it , it seems so lovely but I definitely lean toward the classical for the rigorous academic and the memorizing in the young years when they’re inclined to do so … it just seems a waste to not take advantage of that ability.. but I have definitely added more living books and made a point to recognize it .. and the concept of limiting twaddle makes a lot of sense. :) thanks for sharing ❤😇🫶
So glad you found it helpful! I totally agree! There are definitely benefits to both methods! ❤️
I have beautiful Shakespeare for children too but it’s a bit over my son’s head, he’s 5, do you know a simpler version or maybe just wait until he’s older?
My preference is to read it to them, even if it’s a little over their heads. You can go over a few of the more difficult vocabulary words first, and even narrate to them what the story was about afterwards. But I totally understand your frustration! There are simpler Shakespeare adaptations, but I have not tried any yet to make any recommendations. I have seen some picture books on Amazon, etc. Alternatively, if you feel he’s not gaining anything from reading it, I would just wait until he’s older! 😊
thanks for the video. I was interested in Alveary. but could not find enough enough. I purchased A Gentle Feast. I am worried about being able to getting the reading done before hand.
A Gentle Feast is a great Charlotte Mason curriculum as well!
This is SO helpful! I recently discovered the Alveary. I realized that they are in the same place in history using many of the same resources next year that I have spent forever planning myself and their plans looks more thorough. I am likely going to jump in a year from now. I am going to keep watching this series. I really like what I see.
Unfortunately they are in the ancient times cycle this coming year and we have done it twice already! So we are also doing our own thing as well! But I do love how they do history! So glad you’re enjoying the videos!
This was very helpful! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad! Let me know if there are any other specific Alveary subjects you’d like to see! 😊
Can we purchase just the Geography course? Or do we have to purchase the whole curriculum?
You have to purchase an annual membership ($300) that gives you access you everything and you can pick and choose what you want to use and even choose books/guides from different grade levels.
I'd like to hear reviews on read aloud books and independent reads.
Great idea! I will add that to my list of upcoming videos! 😃
I am so glad they allowed you to make this video. This has made me want to purchase their membership. I hope they understand how much these informative videos help their sales. So my question is when do we buy the membership? I saw the opening is January-June but today is July 1? What does that mean😂?
They release the book lists in January, but the lesson plans and guides just came out on June 1st. These are the book lists and guides for this upcoming year! So you can purchase the membership and gain access to everything now! They release the book lists early so that you have more time to plan and shop around. The sooner you buy, the longer you have access… but you will still have a full year’s access! It’s definitely not too late to sign up now!
@@littlebitsofbliss thank you!
Registration remains open all year. We would love for you to join us!
It does sound wonderful! I have a question about narration. What age would your recommend for them to begin writing their own narrations? I am currently writing it for her and she draws a picture to go with it. She is six about to turn seven. Thank you! 🙏☺️
Written narrations should generally start gradually in grade 4, or age 9-10, depending on their readiness and skill in handwriting and spelling abilities. Oral narration s and transcribing for them is all that is necessary in grades 1-3 😊
@@littlebitsofbliss Thank you. That's very helpful 💗💗
@@littlebitsofbliss How much do you recommend they write for narration at age 9, fourth grade to begiin and is it for each book they read daily ? do you start with one and increase to daily? Just curious how you do it? I hope this makes sense.
@@joycehampton4656 they should only write a single narration 3-4 times a week. I would also not do more than one written narration a day. You choose which books they should narrate. The rest is oral narration. 😊
@@littlebitsofbliss thanks