Why We Chose the CMEC (vs. Amblesideonline + Alveary)

Рет қаралды 5,906

Жыл бұрын

After much research and exploration over the past few years, I have decided that purchasing a CMEC membership for the upcoming school year would be the best decision for our family. While I am a big fan of the AO book list and believe that Alveary has some great options features in their curriculum, I am particularly drawn to old books - the same ones that Charlotte Mason used in her day. The CMEC seems to include many of these books in their programs, including some of my personal favorites, such as the Arabella Buckley books, which I look forward to reading aloud to my children.
One of the aspects that really intrigues me about the CMEC is their co-op network, which I haven't seen offered by AmblesideOnline. I am also excited about the art instruction they provide via video.
It's worth noting that while the founders of the CMEC are Catholic, the curriculum is not explicitly Catholic. However, I do appreciate that I am unlikely to come across any anti-Catholic sentiments in their book selections. Overall, I am very excited for this coming school year, and am greatly anticipating getting to finally use some of the lovely books I have been collecting for years now!

Пікірлер: 47

@blackriflehomestead 4 ай бұрын

Very cool to know that the CMEC founders are Catholic! I have a Byzantine Catholic friend who uses CMEC and she loves it. Our oldest is only 4 so right now I’m in research mode! With my personality I can totally see myself putting together my own curriculum but the support that the CMEC offers sounds amazing, and $300 a year isn’t bad (for the entire family right??). As a new homeschooling mom I think having that support would be great.

@jeanettempascua Жыл бұрын

Welcome to the CMEC. we are going into our 4th year with them and I’m so happy we switched from AO. I hope you’re still loving it. ❤

@mcgeefamilyhomestead1069 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this info! Our oldest is 4 so I'm trying to get this all figured out before I really need to start gathering materials/subscribing to a curriculum membership.

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Always a great idea to start early!

@lellachu1682 Жыл бұрын

Wonderful! We have five children (my oldest graduates next month) and have been homeschooling for 9 years. We began our CM homeschooling journey with AO, switched to the Alveary 5 years ago, and then began transitioning to the CMEC 3 years ago. The Alveary was helpful in my growth as an educator, but it's changed a lot over the past two years. We've used the CMEC almost exclusively this year for our Form 1 & 2 students, and it's been our best school year ever!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

That is so encouraging! I was actually very atttacted by the fact that so many of the CMEC moms seem to have so much experience.

@kasscuff Жыл бұрын

Can you tell me how they changed the last few years? I'm curious if that would be a better fit for me or a worse fit, as it seemed to be for you.😊

@IndiBex86 2 ай бұрын

Hi there! I'm considering the Alveary and I'm curious what you thought about the changes in their curriculum. I am hesitant to join them as I have concerns that they may be too far left leaning.

@desireewhittington9035 Жыл бұрын

I joined CMEC this month after using AO for two years and I’m already finding CMEC so much more beneficial for me as the mother teacher. I’m waiting impatiently for March 31 booklist reveal!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Same here! Can’t wait.

@thecommonplacehomeschool Жыл бұрын

Woohoo! Love this, Jessica!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Yay! You definitely were one of the people who influenced this decision!

@zamofunk 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comparison. I used the Alveary for one year and the thing I found most overwhelming was the amount of printouts for the teacher. My 3 ring binder was at least 4 inches thick. I wasted a lot of paper and ink since I didn't end up doing everything with my 2 students who were in 2 different forms. The lesson planning is all done for you, but it's overkill if you want it printed. That was back when they had a different director though. AO's book list has never sat well with me. I disagree with so many of their choices. I'm curious about CMEC. I found that consultations with A Delectable Education yielded the most customized plan for my students, but I'm looking for a bit of change now that my oldest is in high school.

@jaimemorgan5323 6 ай бұрын

Hi there, thanks for the video! I was very attracted by what I've heard about CMEC, but I found the website very confusing. I wanted to simply check the costs involved, see an overview of the curriculum/syllabi and subjects included (since many Charlotte Mason programs are BYO Maths, or incorporate a slightly different range of subjects), and sign up! I am in New Zealand, so our academic year begins late January/early February, following the calendar year through to early December. I have to say, I'm nonplussed by the number of international online homeschooling programs that don't allow for year-round enrolment, or cater to the many countries whose academic year is tied to the calendar year... I'm not actually sure that this is the case with CMEC, as I couldn't find mention of it anywhere on the website. If somebody could clarify this for me, I would really appreciate it!

@TheChan7 Жыл бұрын

Cool. I’ve never heard of CMEC. We have become very CM over the years. Thanks for sharing. Just subscribed. I also have a channel mainly about homeschooling and happy to be able to connect here 😊

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

CM is great!

@meganblakely9383 Жыл бұрын

Really appreciate you making this video! This is such a hard decision. I truly love the Charlotte Mason feast. And was leaning toward Alveary because I have a chronic health condition and having pre-made lessons sure would be nice! But I am hesitant due to how progressive it is. I am Catholic - so i absolutely love that the CMEC has the Catholic alternatives for everything. I have a friend who loves the CMEC, but felt like she needed to modify it or fill in some gaps to ensure that her children would be ready to go to college in the modern world we live in -- so in some ways the modern touch of Alveary is nice. Such a tough call, but I so appreciate your input and perspective. Thank you!!! ❤

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Yay! I’m so glad you found this helpful. We are Catholic too so I can’t say that didn’t influence my decision!

@meganblakely9383 Жыл бұрын

@@jessica_wood I'm curious to ask, since the CMEC only uses books that Charlotte Mason used (I think this is true?) -- do you feel like there is a gap that needs to be filled as far as what the material covers? I guess it wouldn't cover the last 100 years? Is American history pretty limited? Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this potential gap in information, and wondering if it's an issue, if my kids want to go to college or something?? I sort of like adding SOME modern literature, but don't want it to be too progressive, and really am a fan of having Catholic alternative for everything. What a tough decision!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

@@meganblakely9383 Not really, actually. I think for the later forms when they study the more recent history - they do use newer (past fifty years) books. I believe they're actually doing that this year and the literature selections that go along with it are all twentieth century as well.

@IndiBex86 2 ай бұрын

Hi Megan, did you decide to go with the Alveary? And what are your thoughts on how progressive it is? I'm considering it, but I'm very hesitant as I really don't want a curriculum that's borderline woke.

@meganblakely9383 2 ай бұрын

@@IndiBex86 hi! I actually ended up going with a free Catholic Charlotte Mason curriculum called Mater Amabilis. So far I'm very happy with it. I had the same concerns about The Alveary being too progressive or woke. I will probably continue researching both The Alveary and The CMEC, but I am in a season of health issues for myself, and I really didn't want to end up paying money for these programs, and then not feeling well enough to utilize all that they offer. I knew it would overwhelm me and cause me guilt. I may try the CMEC when more of my children are school age, but right now I just have one school age child, in form 1B, and Mater Amabilis has been a great curriculum for us so far! But I imagine as the subjects get more complicated, I will appreciate having the assistance that CMEC or Alveary provides.

@millygoose Жыл бұрын

Love this!!! Do you think it would be worth it to join just for the kinderleben information? I just don’t want to spend $300 if it’s not really any different than the info in Charlotte Masons books for kids under 6. So excited to see how this school year goes for you-hope it’s great!!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Good question! I had the same question last year and ultimately decided to wait until February of this year. It’s hard to say right now because I haven’t attended any of the kinderleben form meetings. They do have some resources available for kinderleben - especially for art and handicrafts, but we ultimately waited because I felt like I had a pretty good grip on what we should be doing before formal lessons.

@blackriflehomestead 4 ай бұрын

I am wondering this too! Our oldest son turned 4 in January so would he be in the kinderleben level at age 5? We have 2 other boys ages 2 1/2 and 1.

@sugarspice7768 6 ай бұрын

You don't have to follow any curriculum absolutely. There is no MUST USE this from AO. Every curriculum is flexible, especially the free ones! 😉 All veteran homeschool moms know this. I would not be able to justify paying hundreds of dollars for a book list when I can spend that money on books & material.

@emrose1980 9 ай бұрын

Hi Jessica! The CMEC program sounds lovely, and I'm strongly considering it for our daughter when she's in first grade or beyond. :) But, for now, I'm going to try Mater Amabilis (a Catholic CM program that's free) for her Kindergarten year next year. Just curious if you're familiar with it and/or if you may have tried it prior to signing up for the CMEC? Thanks!

@jessica_wood 9 ай бұрын

I’m somewhat familiar with it! I think the booklist is really similar to ambleside? In that case I’m sure it will be great!

@jaimemorgan5323 6 ай бұрын

I have been in the same boat, having only decided to homeschool our three oldest children in recent months. It has been a case of overwhelming information overload (perhaps only because this has been a last-minute switch from attending a physical school)... I found this and other reviews of CMEC very convincing, but since we are not in the US, our academic year begins in late Jan/early Feb, and it seems as though the CMEC program only caters for the US academic year... Anyway, I haven't been able to find the costings, or discovered how to enrol our children in order to begin our first year of homeschooling on time. I stumbled across Mater Amabilis by chance, and love that all the curriculum, syllabus, suggested scheduling, necessary resources, and so on are readily available with a few clicks. I'd happily pay to enrol for a program with that kind of transparency and clarity about what is involved! Like most CM programs, it is BYO maths, which I'm not bothered about - and we can feel free to make whatever substitutions we like, from an individual text, to an entire subject, since the course is free. Good luck with your first foray into homeschooling with Mater Amabilis - I'm praying that we both find some success with it.

@ddchomeschool Жыл бұрын

The CMEC community is like none other!! The ladies respond thoughtfully to emails, there are regular form meetings, and there is a ridiculous amount of resources! There are videos for painting, clay, chalk, and probably more I don’t even know about! Each form has its own guide for every single subject! It’s overwhelming in the best possible way. And the books!! 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 I’m so happy for you, you’re going to have such a great year!! 🙌

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Yay! What an awesome endorsement. I’ve been waiting years for this and I’m so darn excited!

@ddchomeschool Жыл бұрын

@@jessica_wood This was only our first year, and I feel like I didn't even begin to dig into everything! I am so pumped for 2023-2024!!!

@hopewiseman5825 Жыл бұрын

Ooooo!!! This is great!!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Hope! I love that you found my tiny channel!

@hopewiseman5825 Жыл бұрын

@@jessica_wood I was looking for AO, CMEC, & Alveary comparison videos and you popped up. Ha! A happy suprise! I'm considering CMEC. Next nature group let's chat!

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

@@hopewiseman5825 yes I would love to hear what you are thinking for next year!

@homeschoolmama3304 Жыл бұрын

Out of curiosity, what of the Alveary did you find to be progressive? Was it just the newer more recent books or was there something specific that you had found?

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

Good question. I don’t know every book that Alveary uses but for their “heroic age” of American history they study Native Americans and not European explorers. CMEC assigns European explorers. Also keep in mind - Alveary is more progressive when compared to other Christian homeschool programs, but relative to mainstream education it’s probably still fairly conservative.

@IndiBex86 2 ай бұрын

@jessica_wood This was so helpful. I'm considering the Alveary but I've been worried about how progressive leaning it may be.

@MB-vz2ot Жыл бұрын

Loved this! Where do you see Celeste posting the Catholic supplements? I see she has a website, but not sure on her recs. We use the CMEC too. :)

@jessica_wood Жыл бұрын

I don’t think she’s posted her recs for this year yet but last year she posted them in the summer I think just as a blog post on Joyous Lessons.

@mwolfe7883 Ай бұрын

I do share your lack of accessibility on asking about AO and their forum. I get ideas from their list, but our family has certain things that work well for us and it’s not 💯 a curriculum like AO.