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AmblesideOnline Year 3 Booklist

"Children make large demands upon us. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Thou hast set my feet in a large room; should be the glad cry of every intelligent soul."
Charlotte Mason, Volume 3, p. 170

A Basic Overview of Year 3

Note: These booklists and curriculum suggestions are incomplete without a thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas and methods. We cannot emphasize enough that you take time to familiarize yourself with her philosophy by reading her books.

If you're planning to use AmblesideOnline, your first stop should be the the FAQ for some information about the curriculum and basic instructions. Our FAQ answers all the questions that people routinely ask: AO's history scope and sequence, how to schedule your school days, how to do narration, and more.

Key: (What do all those symbols mean?)

Book titles are linked to Project Gutenberg (which offers free etexts in a variety of formats) or other online text when no Project Gutenberg text is available.

Asterisks refer to which term the book is used: * Term 1 ** Term 2 *** Term 3

β - manybooks.net, another free ebook site.
α - free etext at archive.org; newer books can be borrowed for one hour at a time.
K - free Kindle text from amazon.com.
(£amzn) - Living Books Press purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
($amzn) - book purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(K) - Kindle purchase using AO's amazon.com affiliate link.
(£) - Purchase directly from Living Books Press with an affiliate link; save 10% with discount code: AOBooks
Λ - free audiobook at Lit2Go
Ω - free audiobook at Librivox ^[2]
∩ - other free audiobook source
^[0] - Click the bracketed numeral to view any notes about the book near the bottom of the page.
^[0] - red footnotes indicate a heads-up for parents about the title. We cannot foresee every incident that might potentially be an issue to every family, but we have red-flagged those that are commonly a concern.

AO is an affiliate of Living Book Press, which means that when you purchase from livingbookpress.com we receive a commission which allows us to keep offering AO for free. LBP links are identified like this: (£)

AmblesideOnline is part of Amazon.com's Affiliate program. If you use the Amazon links, we receive a small commission which enables us to cover the costs of keeping the website and curriculum. Amazon links are identified like this: ($amzn) or (£amzn) or (K), but we have provided links to free and alternate sources as well.

AmblesideOnline Year 3 Curriculum

Some students may be ready to tackle one or two of their own books this year. They will continue with daily copywork, still in short lessons. History becomes a little more rigorous with stories of kings and queens. They will keep a simple timeline. Every scheduled reading will still be narrated orally as in past years. Foreign language study continues.

---

Bible ^[06]

Old Testament: Exodus
New Testament: Luke

History: 1400-1600 Renaissance and Reformation

Begin or continue a simple timeline. ^[4]

An Island Story by H. E. Marshall β α (£) (£amzn) (£amzn) ($amzn) (K) Ω ^[8]
This Country of Ours by H. E. Marshall β α ($amzn) (K) (£) (£amzn) (£amzn) Ω ^[10]
A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer ($amzn) ^[12]

Biography

Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula ($amzn) (K) ^[18]

* Leonardo Da Vinci by Emily Hahn ($amzn) ^[20]
OR Michelangelo by Diane Stanley ($amzn) ^[22]

** Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Peter Vennema and Diane Stanley ($amzn)
OR Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley ($amzn)

*** The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty ($amzn) ^[24]

Literature

American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg α ($amzn)
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb β α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) K Ω ^[32]
The Heroes by Charles Kingsley β α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) Ω K
* The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald β (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) (K) Ω K
** Children of the New Forest by F. Marryat β α (£) (£amzn) (£amzn) ($amzn) Ω K
*** The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling β α Ω ∩ ($amzn) K (Only Book I is scheduled.)

Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty. α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) (K) Ω Ω
A modern English paraphrase is available ($amzn) (K). ^[33]

Pilgrim's Progress Part I (Christian's Journey) by John Bunyan (also here) β α ($amzn) Ω K
        OR Part II Christiana's Journey (online here or here) α ^[34]

Poetry ^[31]

* William Blake (£) Ω Ω
** Sara Teasdale (£) and Hilda Conkling (£)
*** Helen Hunt Jackson

Purchase AO's Volume 3 collection, which includes William Blake, Sara Teasdale, Hilda Conkling, and Helen Hunt Jackson in paperback or for Kindle ($amzn) (K)

Copywork

A curriculum or program for handwriting is not necessary, but if you want to use one, these are some we've used and can suggest:
A Reason for Writing Level A: ($amzn)
Level B: ($amzn)
Getty Dubay Italic Handwriting Series ($earch)

AO's Language Arts Scope and Sequence for this level

Recitation ^[recit]

Term 1
Luke 2:11; Luke 4:4; Proverbs 2:6
The Tyger by William Blake
Eternity by William Blake
Term 2
Luke 7:16; Luke 10:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Exodus 20:1-17 (Ten Commandments)
April by Sara Teasdale
The Coin by Sara Teasdale
Term 3
Luke 21:33; Deuteronomy 31:6; Jeremiah 29:11
Chance by Helen Hunt Jackson
June from Calendar of Sonnets by Helen Hunt Jackson

Foreign Language

Choose a foreign language program that focuses on oral learning. Some that are popular among Charlotte Mason parents are The Learnables, Little Pim, Cherrydale Press, Language Learning for Children by Alyssa Johnson and Christine Lewis (K or free for AO Forum members)

Celeste at Joyous Lessons wrote a 3-part blog series on teaching young children a foreign language. There's also a vintage Parents' Review article on teaching foreign languages

Geography

Marco Polo: His Travels and Adventures by George Makepeace Towle (£) (£amzn)
       or other Marco Polo book; see suggested books and resources.

In addition, these geography concepts should be explained and taught this year: ^[26]

Term 1:
Measuring distance: inch, foot yard; mile.
A country's proximity to the equator or poles determines its climate.
Parallel lines from pole to pole are longitude.

Term 2:
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Term 3:
A map (plan) is a picture of a room, town, country or earth.
A map should show where North is
How maps are made
Maps of towns, regions, countries, the world

Nature Study and Science

The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock α ($amzn), as scheduled for Nature Study.

Supplies for Nature Study:
Nature notebook and pencils or paint for each student
Begin to build a library of regional field guides
Plenty of time to allow Nature Study to be a fun learning experience for both parent and child

Nature Study Topics for the 2022-2023 School Year:
summer/fall: Birds
winter: Mammals
spring: Wildflowers/flowerless plants AO's full Nature Study rotation

A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick ($amzn) ^[28]
* ** Pagoo by Holling C Holling (Term 1: ch 1-13; Term 2: ch 14-20) ($amzn)
** *** Secrets of the Woods by William J. Long β α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) K Ω

Optional: Science Lab in a Supermarket by Robert Friedhoffer ($amzn) ^[30]

Mathematics

Select a program that meets your family's needs from our page of Math Options.

Art

Artists (Picture Study) for the 2022-2023 School Year:

2022-2023 Term 1 Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890; Dutch Post-Impressionist)

(This term's composer: Mahler, Bruckner)

1. The Starry Night, 1889, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
2. The Chair and the Pipe, 1888, National Gallery, London
3. The Night Café, 1888, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut
4. Self Portrait as an Artist, 1888, Paris, Arles, St. Remy, Auvers-sur-Oise (part of a traveling exhibit?)
5. The Vase with Sunflowers, 1888, Paris, Arles, St. Remy, Auvers-sur-Oise
6. Bedroom at Arles, 1889, Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Further Interest: The Yellow House (be sure it's the picture book by Susan Goldman Rubin)
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here ^[NOTE]

2022-2023 Term 2 Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520; Italian Renaissance)

(This term's composers: Ralph Vaughn Williams, Edward Elgar; 20th Century British.)

Biography. Note: If you use the Wikipedia biography, preview it first.
1. The Knight's Dream, 1504, National Gallery, London
2. St. George and the Dragon, 1504-6, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
3. Galatea, 1512, Villa Farnesina, Rome
         OR Young Woman with a Unicorn, 1506, Galleria Borghese, Rome (more here)
4. Sistine Madonna, 1512-1514, Dresden, Germany
5. The Miraculous Draft of Fishes, 1515, The Vatican, Rome (more about this series here)
6. Ezekiel's Vision, 1518, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here ^[NOTE]

2022-2023 Term 3 John Singer Sargent (1856-1925; American)

(This term's composer: Grieg and Sibelius)

Biography
1. Oyster Gatherers of Cancale, 1878, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
2. The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
3. The Breakfast Table, 1884, also here Fogg Museum of Art, Cambridge, MA. The woman is Violet, Sargent's younger sister.
4. Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1885-6, Tate Britain, London (also here)
5. An Artist in his Studio, 1904, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
6. Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, 1892-3, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh
Further Interest: Theodore Roosevelt, 1903, The White House, Washington, D.C.
       Robert Louis Stevenson and his Wife, 1885, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
Download a pdf file of this term's six prints here ^[NOTE]

AO's full Artist rotation

Note: PDF files for AO's picture study are being made available for you to download and print yourself from "A Humble Place"; you can access the PDF files of pictures by clicking the "Individual Artworks Only" link by each artist's name. The "Picture Study aid" link is an additional optional resource and may require you to submit your email address or make a purchase, but the "Artworks Only" link is provided with no strings attached.

Music

Composers for the 2022-2023 School Year:

2022-2023 Term 1 Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) and Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) (This term's artist: Vincent Van Gogh)

1. Mahler: Symphony 1 in D major "Titan" * *
2. Mahler: Symphony 9 * *
3. Mahler: Kindertotenlieder (song cycle) * *
4. Bruckner: Symphony no 4 in E-flat major "Romantic" WAB 104 * *
     Classics for Kids Past Shows: Bruckner; Mahler

2022-2023 Term 2 Edward Elgar (1857-1934) and Ralph Vaughn Williams (1872-1958; 20th Century British) (This term's artist: Raphael Sanzio)

1. Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony 1 (A Sea Symphony) * *
2. Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves * *
3. Ralph Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis * *
     Further Interest: The Lark Ascending * *
4. Edward Elgar: Serenade for String Orchestra in E minor Op 20 * *
5. Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance Op 39 No.1 March in D Major * *
6. Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations Op 36 * *
     Classics for Kids Past Shows: Elgar; Vaugn Williams

2022-2023 Term 3 Jean Sibelius (1865-1957; zhan suh BAY lee us) and Edvard Grieg (1843 -1907) (This term's artist: John Singer Sargent)

1. Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no 1 Op 46 * *
2. Grieg - Piano Concerto in A Op 16 * *
3. Grieg - Norwegian Dance Op 35 no 2 * *
4. Grieg - Lyric Suite Op 54 * *
     For further interest: Lyric Pieces Op. 12 * *
5. Sibelius - Finlandia Op. 26 no 7 * *
6. Sibelius - Symphony No. 1 in E min Op. 39 * * or Symphony No. 2 in D maj Op. 43 * *
     Free Ebook for younger students Edvard Grieg: The Boy Who Made Music in the Land of the Midnight Sun by Thomas Tapper
     Classics for Kids Past Shows: Sibelius; Grieg

AO's full Composer rotation

Hymns for the 2022-2023 School Year:
August: More Love To Thee, O Christ * ∘
September: He Leadeth Me * * * * ∘
October: Dear Lord and Father of Mankind * ∘
November: He Hideth My Soul * * * * ∘
December: How Sweet The Name of Jesus Sounds * * * ∘
January: What A Friend We Have In Jesus * * ∘
February: I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath * * ∘
March: Redeemed, How I Love To Proclaim It * ∘
April: I'm Not Ashamed to Own My Lord *
May: Sweet Hour of Prayer * * *
June: Rock of Ages * *
July: I Stand Amazed in the Presence *
August: The Rock That Is Higher Than I *

AO's full Hymn rotation

Folksongs for the 2022-2023 School Year:
July: My Country 'Tis of Thee ∘ AO doesn't schedule folksongs for summer, but Hannah Fridenmaker picked a couple of songs to supplement for those doing folksongs in July/August.
August: America The Beautiful ∘
Bonus: I Know Moonlight, I Know Starlight * * * * ∘

September: Did You Go To the Barney * * ∘ ($mp3)
October: Waltzing Matilda * ∘ ($mp3)
November: The Fox (went out on a chilly night) * * ∘ ($mp3)
During your Christmas break, try a carol you may be less familiar with:
The Wexford Carol ∘ or While Shepherds Watched Their Flock *
January: The Mermaid * * ∘ ($mp3)
February: Wayfaring Stranger * ∘ A Christian "take" from 1978 * ($mp3)
March: Whoopie Ti Yi Yo Git Along Little Dogies * ∘ ($mp3)
April: Red River Valley * ($mp3)
May: Crawdad Song * ($mp3)
June: I'll Fly Away * * ($mp3)

AO's full Folksong rotation

Physical Education

One option is Swedish Drill Revisited by Dawn Duran purchase

Additional Books for Free Reading ^[36]

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett β α ($amzn) Ω Ω Λ
At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald β α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) Ω K
Men of Iron by Howard Pyle β α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) Ω K
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll β α ($amzn) (K) Ω Λ ∩ ^[38]
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll β α ($amzn) (K) Ω K
The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major α (£) (£amzn)
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome ($amzn) (K), Swallowdale ($amzn) (K), and others in the series. ($earch)
* Unknown to History: Captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Yonge β α ($amzn) K
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink ($amzn) (K)
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder ($amzn) ($amzn) (K) 9-bk series: ($amzn) (paperback K)
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge ($amzn) (K)
English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs β α α (£) (£amzn) ($amzn) Ω K (more)
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (18th century, Africa, France and England) ($amzn) (K)
The Wheel on the School by Meindert De Jong ($amzn)

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley β α ($amzn) ($amzn) (K) K Ω
[download an abridged, slightly annotated Word doc of this book by Anne White.]

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright ($amzn) (K) and sequels:
The Four Story Mistake ($amzn) (K)
Then There Were Five ($amzn) (K)
Spiderweb for Two ($amzn) (K)
Ω (kayray has read all of these; you'll have to search for them)

If your Year 2-3 student needs some additional reading practice, we suggest choosing from the following:

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh ($amzn)
The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes ($amzn)
The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth ($amzn)
Impunity Jane: the Story of a Pocket Doll by Rumer Godden ($amzn)
The Story of Holly and Ivy (a Christmas book) by Rumer Godden ($amzn)

Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace:
Betsy-Tacy ($amzn)
Betsy-Tacy and Tib ($amzn)
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill ($amzn)

Billy and Blaze books by C. W. Anderson:
Billy and Blaze ($amzn)
Blaze and the Forest Fire ($amzn)
Blaze and Thunderbolt ($amzn)
Blaze and the Mountain Lion ($amzn)
Blaze Finds the Trail ($amzn)
Blaze and the Lost Quarry ($amzn)
Blaze and the Gray Spotted Pony ($amzn)
Blaze Shows the Way ($amzn)

Fairchild Family series by Rebecca Caudill:
Happy Little Family ($amzn)
Schoolhouse in the Woods ($amzn)
Up and Down the River ($amzn)
Schoolroom in the Parlor ($amzn)

If your Year 3-4 student needs some additional reading practice, we suggest choosing from the following:

The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds ($amzn) (K)
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh ($amzn) (K)
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen by Lloyd Alexander ($amzn)
Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop ($amzn)
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson ($amzn)
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois ($amzn) (K)
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George ($amzn) (K)

Sarah Plain and Tall series by Patricia MacLachlan
Sarah Plain and Tall ($amzn) (K)
Skylark ($amzn) (K)
Caleb's Story ($amzn) (K)
More Perfect than the Moon ($amzn) (K)
Grandfather's Dance ($amzn) (K)

(Purchase a Kindle)

Footnotes

2. Note on Audiobooks: While links to audio books are added as a courtesy, Miss Mason's approach to grammar and composition is heavily dependent upon the children receiving an immense amount of visual exposure to the written word over many years, so parents should exercise extreme caution in how many audiobooks they use each year. Our brains just work differently when we see the words.

For children who have difficulty reading, one solution is to have them follow the audio version along in a written text.
Librivox free audio is done by volunteers, and some are better than others. Heidi Nash has a list of some favorite Librivox readers. Be aware that apps, including Librivox, that have clickable ads can open a browser and allow children unfiltered access to the internet, even when browsers have been disabled by the parent. There are options: either download mp3 files from Librivox and listen without the app, or only install the app on a parent-controlled device. Librivox has a pay option to turn off ads.

Cindy Rollins did a Circe Mason Jar podcast that included the role of audiobooks with difficult books.
(Back)

4. Timeline: At this age, students should be keeping a timeline of their own personal history. Read an Advisory member's blog post about early timelines at Wendi Wanders. Instructions for making your own timelines and charts are included in these Parents' Review articles: Book of the Centuries; Teaching Chronology; The Correlation of Lessons. For more details about the why, when, how of keeping CM timelines (and other notebooks), we recommend Laurie Bestvater's book, The Living Page ($amzn). (Back)

6. Bible: Bible Gateway has many versions of the Bible online. It is preferable for a child to become accustomed to the language and flow of the King James Version of the Bible, as a familiarity with King James English will make other literature more accessible. Please read Lynn Bruce's article on the King James Version.
The weekly schedule lists readings taken from J. Paterson Smyth's commentaries, with Old Testament readings focusing on Exodus and the life of Moses, and New Testament in the book of Luke (see AO's Bible plan). Charlotte Mason taught both with commentaries, reading the Bible passage first, then narration, then reading the commentary, but Smyth's commentaries may reflect the doctrine of his era and denomination; they are not necessary to follow the Bible schedule.
Optional Bible Resources: Timeline; Calvary Chapel Coloring Sheets; Study questions with maps. (Back)

8. An Island Story, Chapters 62-94 1509-1760, Henry VIII-George II this year. Term 1: ch 62-71 (1509-1588, Henry VIII-Elizabeth; Armada defeated)
Term 2: ch 72-82 (1588-1685, Elizabeth Charles II)
Term 3: ch 83-94 (1685-1760, James II - George II)
Kings and Queens Timeline Figures
This book was published in the UK under the title, 'OUR Island Story;' both books are identical except for the title. Be aware that the edition for sale from Wilder Publications has no Table of Contents or chapter numbers. Public domain texts are available for anyone to copy, paste and publish, and many new companies are springing up publishing and selling these texts without editing for typos.
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for An Island Story. (Back)

10. This Country of Ours is available in an "Annotated, Expanded, and Updated" version that includes correct tribal names, added information, and a pronunciation guide. Available in Paperback: ($amzn) or Hardcover: ($amzn) as well as Kindle: (K) More details are explained on our blog
If you prefer, you can still purchase the original version: ($amzn) K
Scheduled in Year 3:
Term 1: ch 6-11 (1497-1584, Henry VII-Elizabeth)
Term 2: ch 12-22 (Elizabeth-James I, 1584-1622)
Term 3: ch 23-28 (James I-Charles I, 1618-1691)
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for This Country of Ours. (Back)

12. A Child's History of the World,
Term 1: ch 63-66 (ch 60-62 in 1st edition) skip Colombus, Explorers-Renaisance 1492-1520
Term 2: ch 67-69 (ch 63-65 in 1st edition) Reformation/Elizabeth, Age of Elizabeth, 1520-1600
Term 3: ch 70 (ch 66 in 1st edition) James I
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for A Child's History of the World and M. B. Synge's Story of the World.

Another option if you prefer: The Discovery of New Worlds ($amzn) (K) Ω and The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Synge ($amzn) (K) Ω
The Discovery of New Worlds and The Awakening of Europe, by M. B. Synge may be used in place of A Child's History of the World. The Discovery of New Worlds: ch 31 and 49; The Awakening of Europe: ch 5, 6, 14, 15, 30. Term 1: ch 31, 49, 50, and The Awakening of Europe ch 5
Term 2: The Awakening of Europe ch 6, 14, 15
Term 3: The Awakening of Europe ch 30
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for A Child's History of the World and M. B. Synge's Story of the World. (Advisory note: look also at Synge's A Book of Discovery α)
(Back)
Note on The Story of Mankind, by VanLoon Ω α Chapters from 'The Story of Mankind', by Hendrick Van Loon are shown where they overlap with history being studied for those wishing to have an older student (5th grade and up) follow along in the same rotation or for those who are limited to only this text. Story of Mankind is for an older age group and not really recommended for children this young. The text for the Story of Mankind is online here.
Term 1: ch 39-40, Renaissance, Age of Expression, 1471.
Term 2: ch 41-42 Great Discoveries 1497?, Buddha Confucius.
Term 3: ch 43 Reformation, 1517.
For planning purposes, there is a table of contents with dates for The Story of Mankind.

18. Trial and Triumph: Descriptions of some trials of the Christians may be intense; parents should preview chapters to determine suitability based on their children's sensitivities. If you prefer, you can skip this book and cover church history in Years 7-9 with a different book, Saints and Heroes, by George Hodges.
This book tells church history from a definite Protestant perspective; some families may wish to skip this book or find an alternative.
Trial and Triumph used to be online, but now only a sample of the book is available online. This is what we used to post about the online posting: Google Books does have permission from Canon Press to have Trial and Triumph in full online. Here is a statement from Canon Press: "I believe we have extended permission to them to display that title. Obviously we would love for folks to purchase hard copies but we understand the limitations of many folks. If they do benefit from the online version though, we would be grateful for some sort of review whether it be on a blog, on Amazon, or on our own website. Thanks for contacting us to check. We really appreciate it." - David Hoos, Canon Press - Customer Service www.canonpress.com (Back)

20. Leonardo Da Vinci, by Emily Hahn is a 'Landmark' book and can be purchased from Sonlight. This is a picture book with a good bit of text and can be scheduled any time during the term over as many readings as best suits your family. (Back)

22. The Michelangelo book contains drawings of nude art and drawing of cutting a cadaver. This is a picture book with a good bit of text and can be scheduled any time during the term over as many readings as best suits your family. (Back)

24. Landing of the Pilgrims, by James Daugherty is a 'Landmark' book.
Optional alternate: Squanto, by Feenie Ziner; the 1965 edition of this book was called 'Dark Pilgrim;' be aware that it has references to native spiritism. ($amzn) An online file of Feenie Ziner's book can be borrowed for 14 days from archive.org. Squanto, Friend Of The Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla is shorter and easier and could be used as a supplement, but wouldn't be sufficient for a replacement. (Back)

Recitation: Charlotte Mason's PNEU schools expected children to be able to recite two Bible verses and a poem for their term exams. We have listed suggestions, but students should be allowed to have some input into what is memorized for recitation. Some students will gravitate towards a specific poem, or want to memorize all of a Psalm, and that should be encouraged. (Back)

26. Geography: The following geography concepts should be explained and taught this year; a book is not necessary as these can be explained informally during walks and outings.
AO's complete list of geography topics

Term 1: Measuring distance: inch, foot yard; mile. A country's proximity to the equator or poles determines its climate. Parallel lines from pole to pole are longitude.
These topics are covered in these chapters:
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography (£) (£amzn): Hot Countries and Cold Countries Part I
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: Hot Countries and Cold Countries Part II
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: Parallel Lines

Term 2: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
These topics are covered in these chapters:
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: Sunrise and Sunset
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: Why the Sun Rises and Sets
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: Mid-day Lines

Term 3: A map (plan) is a picture of a room, town, country or earth and should show where N is; how maps are made; maps of towns, regions, countries, the world.
These topics are covered in these chapters:
Long's Home Geography (£) (£amzn) α 7. How to Tell Distance
Long's Home Geography α 8. Pictures and Plans
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: The Plan of a Room
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: The Plan of a Town
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: Map of a County
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography: How Maps are Made (Back)

28. A Drop of Water: Experiments are all on pgs 38-39; adjust the timing of winter experiments (sections 14, 15, 16) to suit your climate if necessary (Back)

30. Friedhoffer's "Science Lab in a . . ." books are a great resource, but they're out of print; don't spend more than $10 on a used copy. (Back)

31. Poetry: How do you "do" poetry? Simply read it and enjoy it, re-read it, read it again and listen to the sound of the phrases, let them paint a word picture in your mind. Do you feel like you need more direction? How to Read a Poem: Based on the Billy Collins Poem "Introduction to Poetry" by Tania Runyan is "less as an instructional book and more of an invitation." This is a suggested optional parent resource that encourages you read poetry for enjoyment. (Back)

32. Shakespeare: If you are concerned about some of the themes in Shakespeare because of the age or sensitivity of your students, or if you have never done anything like Shakespeare before, you may wish to adjust the line-up AO has scheduled for Years 1-3 (scheduled plays are listed on AO's weekly schedule) and instead do a couple of the comedies first -- Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, and maybe a historical Shakespeare play. These are the plays AO schedules to be read in a paraphrase for younger students:
     Year 1
          Midsummer Nights Dream
          The Tempest
          As You Like It
          The Winter's Tale
          King Lear
          Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will
     Year 2
          The Two Gentlemen of Verona
          Romeo and Juliet
          All's Well That Ends Well
          Cymbeline
          Macbeth
          The Comedy of Errors
     Year 3
          The Merchant of Venice
          Pericles, Prince of Tyre
          The Taming of the Shrew
          Measure for Measure
          Much Ado About Nothing
          Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Back)

33."Parables from Nature" is a Christian character book using elements of nature to make its point, and is scheduled for 3 years - Years 1, 2 and 3. It is not a science book. If your child needs something more manageable, a Modern English paraphrase version of this book is available. You can read it for free online or purchase. ($amzn) (K). (Back)

34. Pilgrim's Progress - The original language is recommended; read why and see recommended versions. (Back)

36. Free Reading books are books that no child should miss, but rather than overloading school time, these can be read during free time. No narrations need be required from these books. Advisory member Wendi C. suggests, "How you handle these is up to you..." (more) Parents should also explain to students that historical fiction, while often well-researched, is still fiction, and contains the author's ideas of how things might have happened. Books with asterisks pertain to that term's historical studies. (Back)

38. Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass are nonsensical fun with words and math/logic. The Advisory likes this quote from the author: "I believe that when you and I come to lie down for the last time, if only we can keep firm hold of the great truths Christ taught us--our own utter worthlessness and His infinite worth; and that He has brought us back to our one Father, and made us His brethren, and so brethren to one another--we shall have all we need to guide us through the shadows. Most assuredly I accept to the full the doctrines you refer to--that Christ died to save us, that we have no other way of salvation open to us but through His death, and that it is by faith in Him, and through no merit of ours, that we are reconciled to God; and most assuredly I can cordially say, 'I owe all to Him who loved me, and died on the Cross of Calvary.'" (Lewis Carroll, 1897) (Back)

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For those on a strict budget, recommended purchases are:

A Child's History of the World, by V. Hillyer is used for 2 years; ($amzn), unless you plan to use M.B. Synge's online books instead
Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock is used for 6 years; ($amzn) (Also online, but would be cumbersome to utilize that way.)
a Math program
a phonics program if necessary
Da Vinci, by Emily Hahn, Landmark Book ($amzn) OR Michelangelo, by Diane Stanley ($amzn) (check library for these)
Bard of Avon, by Peter Vennema and Diane Stanley ($amzn) OR Good Queen Bess, by Diane Stanley ($amzn) (check library for these)
Squanto (Dark Pilgrim), by Feenie Ziner ($amzn) OR Landing of the Pilgrims Landmark Book, by James Daugherty ($amzn) (K)
American Tall Tales, by Adrien Stoutenberg, unless your library has a copy of tall tales ($amzn)
Pagoo ($amzn)
A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder, by Walter Wick ($amzn)
Laura Ingalls Wilder books if your library does not have them ($amzn)
Elizabeth Enright books are nice if you can find them cheap (but not worth high collector prices) ($amzn)
Other books can be read online or borrowed from the library.