AmblesideOnline – do you know it? Do you want a curriculum that follows Charlotte Mason’s principles? Do you want one that is at your fingertips? How about free?

AmblesideOnline is a free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason’s classically-based principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: God, humanity, and the natural world.

It is designed to be as close as possible to the curriculum that Charlotte Mason used in her own PNEU schools. 

KEY FEATURES

AmblesideOnline is a list of books you will need for each year or level. This covers history, literature, poetry, geography and science. It emphasizes the use of “living books” – well-written, engaging narratives that convey ideas and inspire imagination.

You don’t need a language arts curriculum as the reading, copywork and dictation make up much of it. Spelling and vocabulary will come from what you are reading and dictation. As they state “Reading, writing, spelling, and vocabulary all develop naturally as the child hears well-written books read aloud, sees and reads words on the printed page, copies well-turned phrases spelled correctly from his school books, and, later (around fourth grade) writes dictation after studying a passage from a book.”

The curriculum is challenging. It includes books ahead of grade levels of the school system. There are 12 years of AmblesideOnline, but you can complete the 9th year and your child will have read the equivalent of senior high books.

Charlotte Mason is a proponent of narration – where children are encouraged to narrate stories in their own words, which helps them process information and develop their communication skills. This is key in AmblesideOnline.

 PROS OF AMBLESIDEONLINE

• They have set out each year into daily work and weekly work schedules. You can follow these or tweak according to your needs. They also provide a weekly reading list. 
• The daily work is designed to be kept short for each subject so that your children can focus and maintain attention. 
• Fine Arts and foreign language are considered important to your child’s learning and development and these are incorporated either daily or weekly. 
• AmblesideOnline provides a framework but allows for flexibility in how you implement it. You can adjust the schedule to fit your family’s needs and interests.
• They have an online forum in which you can ask questions, the ArchipelagO blog. You can also subscribe to their weekly email called “Patio Chat”. The forum is a great place to ask for assistance and get ideas for book swaps within the curriculum. 
• You can use the curriculum for other children in your family. You do not need to keep buying materials.
  

CONS OF AMBLESIDEONLINE

• The book list and all that is scheduled to be done can be overwhelming if you are not used to picking and choosing what you would like to do to suit your family. 
• The book list is as close to what Charlotte Mason would have used – living books and classical literature. This means you won’t find as many modern options as other curriculum options. Some of the books, history in particular, feel outdated with the language used.
• If you are not fully aware of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and practices, you will want to spend time learning about it to make sure you are utilizing this curriculum well. “For the Children’s Sake” by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay is a great place to start. But AO also has some great resources for you.
• In the early years you will be spending a lot of time reading out loud!
• A number of the books listed in each grade level (mostly after grade 4) tend to be 2-4 grade levels above the typical reading and interest level of the typical child. (I put this as a con as it can be a turn-off for some families who might have a reluctant or challenged reader.)
• It is time consuming for the parent implementing this curriculum. 

COST

• The core curriculum is completely free and readily available online, but while the curriculum itself is free, you will need to purchase the books listed.
• You’ll need to add in your own math curriculum and foreign language program and this will add to your cost.

OTHER THOUGHTS

• I also think that AO as a curriculum as written can be overly burdensome for many, if not most, people. There’s simply so much there! If you’re a person who’s confident in picking and choosing what’s best for you, then AO is a fabulous resource. If you are a “must check all the boxes and read every book” person, I’m afraid you will eventually burnout. Also, many of the AO selections are free online due to age which is a benefit, but there may be a newer book that would work as well or better.
• You could choose to use it for literature only and then add your own curriculum for other subjects. 
• AmblesideOnline is a Christian curriculum. If you didn’t want religious content, you could drop some of the books, but Christianity is woven into the book choices. 
• When it comes to Charlotte Mason curriculum, this one is truly most like the initial educational outputs by Charlotte. It would suit you well if you are a CM purist. 

So, if you’re interested in a literature-rich, Charlotte Mason-inspired approach to homeschooling, AmblesideOnline is definitely worth exploring further. Be prepared to spend time getting to know all they have to offer. Then you can see how you can make it work for you.

Learn more about the Charlotte Mason educational philosophy here.