The curriculum coursework for Ambleside School provides:
• A wide and varied course of study
• An alternating plan for both the development of skills and the mastery of content.
• An acquaintance with knowledge that is vital, fruitful, and interesting with its forming
ideas.
• The use of books characterized as “the best thought of the best writers.”
• The use of materials that aid in understanding and explorations without diluting the
thought of the discipline.
We endeavor that the students should have relations of pleasure and intimacy established with
as many as possible of the interests proper to him: not learning a slight or incomplete smattering
about this or that subject, “but plunging into vital knowledge, with a great field before him which
all his life he will not be able to fully explore” (Charlotte Mason). The courses of study vary
between the grades, their time at school, and the depth at which they are encountered.
Narration is the basic methodology of Charlotte Mason education. Narration is an active retelling
of what the student has heard and learned. Such a retelling requires the use of the child’s
whole mind as well as her memory, and demands careful attention to a single reading of the
source, without review and repetitions.
Ambleside students do the scholar’s work of the first hand reading of primary sources of
literary merit that present inspiring ideas in all subjects, not dry, predigested facts and texts.
Their study also includes direct contact and observation of real objects from nature (plants,
minerals, animals, the elements), and art, music, and other human disciplines (maps,
instruments, machines).
Disciplines of Study: unless otherwise specified, all students in elementary and middle school
participate in the following disciplines every week:
Art: Formal instruction in technique and various media is introduced throughout the grades,
providing experience, observation, and study.
Bible: Readings are selected from the Old and New Testaments as well as Proverbs and
Psalms, instructing in the knowledge of God and the knowledge of man.
Citizenship: Beginning in grade four, students read about men and women in relationship with
self and others in choosing the good and refusing the evil, as well as their contributions of
service to society.
Composer Study: The students are acquainted with two classical composers and several of
their works in every grade, cultivating taste and appreciation for classical music.
Composition: In the beginning years, students are solely acquainted with oral composition in the
form of narration. Narration is continued daily throughout the grades as a method of assimilating
information. Written composition is begun in grade three with work in description, and continues
throughout the grades, resulting in formal research projects.
Dictation: Each week, students copy beautifully a well-written text, noting spelling, grammar,
and punctuation from a classroom text or something studied. Later they are called upon to
write a portion or the whole of what has been copied, as it is dictated to them. (Elementary
grades)
Foreign Language: Students are fully immersed in a language through a class taught mainly in
this foreign tongue. The time is spent in imitation, repetition, dialogues, and writing.
Geography: Atlases are used throughout the days as a reference in areas of study, as
geography is naturally integrated into the curriculum. Geography is taught formally in grades
five and six.
Grammar: In the early years students are introduced to the rules and regulations of our
language by way of formal instruction. In the later years, instruction is based on addressing
errors in usage.
Handwork: Each year students undertake two handwork projects, such as stitchery, clay, and
woodworking, taught by the classroom teacher or an artisan in the community.
Handwriting: In the early years students master manuscript writing and then are introduced to
Spenserian writing, working out and practicing form, size, and style.
History: An introduction to history begins in grades one and two. Beginning in grade three, the
history of the United States and the world is taught each year through the ninth grade.
Students in the third grade begin with exploration for United States History and the history of
Egypt and Greece for world history. Studies are continued in both world and United States
histories, covering all periods through the twentieth century.
Literature: A variety of living books of different genres are selected each year, some to
correlate with history and science, and others are chosen because they have stood the test
of time.
Mathematics: Beginning with arithmetic, students master the art of computation in addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division in the elementary grades. The middle and upper school
study other branches consisting of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus.
Nature Study: Each student keeps a nature journal in which weekly entries are added to include
drawings and descriptions. The students become acquainted with their natural surroundings,
as well as two other classes of nature, such as birds, butterflies, herbs.
Phonics and Reading: In grades one and two, students go through a formal program of sight
and sound correspondence to develop skills in pronunciation and spelling. Phonics rules are
introduced and learned for application, not drill. Beginning phonetic readers are used to
reinforce these developing skills.
Picture Study: Students are made familiar with two artists a year and four to six of their
significant works. They also experience the style and technique of the artist through
reproducing one of their works.
Poetry: Two poets and their works are introduced to the students each year. The students are
given a volume of their works and memorize poems individually and corporately for personal
enjoyment and formal recitation.
Read-aloud: Teachers and students share in the delight of a book that is chosen for the sole
reason that we would not want them to miss the opportunity of the joy of reading this book
aloud.
Recitation: This time is used to rehearse passages and verses from Scripture, poetry, or
history that the students are responsible for keeping in their hearts and minds.
Science: In grade three students are acquainted with animals and fossils through readings,
drawings, and hands-on activities. Beginning in grade four through the middle grades,
branches of physical, earth, and life sciences are taught each year. Through these varied
branches, students are introduced to the principles of science, observation, and demonstration.
In the upper grades, the sciences of biology, chemistry, physics, and human behavior are
studied in a more comprehensive manner.
Singing and Music: The students’ voices and ears are trained individually and collectively.
The harmonies and melodies of classical and folk music are introduced to the students through
song, dance, and instrument. All students, in choral groups, perform at school and in the
community.
Tales and Fables / Myths and Legends: In the early grades, tales, fables, myths, and legends
are chosen from history and various countries, which are read aloud to warm the imagination
and instruct the conscience.
More information about our philosophy and principles
More resources and links about Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy
