Homeschool 101: Free Classical Curricula
If you are looking to start homeschooling or if you are exploring resources that you would like to use for your child who is enrolled in regular school, here are some curriculum suggestions which you may use to start a Classical and/or Charlotte Mason home education.
Under the Home
Under the Home is a K-4 homeschool curriculum that is inspired by Charlotte Mason principles. It uses classical materials like Ray’s Arithmetic, McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers, and many more.
AmblesideOnline
AmblesideOnline aims to provide a “free curriculum designed to be as close as possible to the curriculum that Charlotte Mason used in her own PNEU schools.” It has garnered an almost cult-following among some Charlotte Mason homeschoolers because of its extensive and praiseworthy booklist from YO (Kindergarten) up to Y12. Any classical homeschooler will benefit from the feast presented in the AO curriculum.
The Classical Curriculum
The Classical Curriculum boasts of a complete classical curriculum that can used for home and school settings for all levels of a K-12 education, including suggested electives.
The Classical Curriculum is different. It not only teaches a student how to think and reason critically, but also provides a substantive base of knowledge, resulting in a well-rounded, culturally literate individual. For example, studies show that detailed knowledge of Latin not only augments a student’s vocabulary by at least 30,000 words (more than any other foreign language is able), but also refines his English grammar, sharpens his reasoning skills, and gives him a deeper appreciation of the Western Canon.
The Great Books reading list is a good reference for a classical education. It must be noted that some of the books that they suggest in the curriculum must be purchased. But a lot of classic books are readily available online.
Gentle + Classical
Gentle + Classical offers classical and Charlotte Mason curriciulum with Social studies, Children’s Catechism, Memory Verses, Science lessons, nature studies, and many more! Best of all, Erin Cox generously offers the curriculum guide for FREE, along with the Gentle + Classical Nature curriculum.
Heritage History
Heritage History is not exactly a complete curriculum, but it offers a wide collection of over 500 classical student histories. It includes classical histories, biography, related tales, and so much more!
The mission of Heritage History is to make old-fashioned history books, written for the enjoyment of young people, easily available. The complete text of every book in our library can be read directly off the website, or downloaded in EPUB (e-reader) or PDF (printable) format.
We developed the Heritage website with the intention of helping to re-popularize old-fashioned narrative history. We believe that the current trend of teaching Social Studies rather than history to young people is unfortunate, not so much because it is politicized, but because it is boring. Too many students leave school disinterested in history because it was never presented in an engaging manner.
At Heritage History, we seek to promote, not so much the study of history as the enjoyment of History. By making available old-fashioned history, as it was enjoyed as a pastime rather than studied as a subject, we hope to help reawaken the interest of a new generation.
It is a treasure trove for history lovers and homeschoolers alike.
Gateway to the Classics
Gateway to the Classics is exactly what it sounds like. It opens a world of classic books, stories, poems and songs. If you can think about a Charlotte Mason feast, it would not be without one or more of these classics.
One thing that I appreciate is their Offerings:
An offering is a themed collection of elements attractively displayed to give ready access to a selection of books, stories, poems, and illustrations from our collection of classic literature for children and the young at heart.
If you want to more incorporate something new in your homeschooling, open one of their offerings, and enjoy the bounty. It is perfect for parents who aren’t sure what to include in their morning baskets. A reading of good and beautiful literature will always enliven an otherwise dull and dreary homeschool day.
UPDATE: 30 May 2020
This page will be updated regularly to make room for more FREE curriculum finds.
what do you think?