CHARLOTTE MASON CITIZENSHIP
LIVING BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
Charlotte started her students in Citizenship Studies in Form 2B, or about 4th grade. The student spent a whole year reading Stories from the History of Rome by Beesly. This prepared the student for Plutarch by providing the context of Roman society. Then in Form 2A, or 5th grade, the student started reading one of Plutarch’s Lives every term. This is the foundation of her character/citizenship teaching. It is not to be missed! See also: Plutarch Resources Page
Form 1
form 2
form 3
form 4
forms 5 - 6
For Parents
Form 1
Not a subject in Form 1
form 2
Citizenship Books for Your Form 2 Student (Grades 4-6)
Plutarch’s Lives: Roman
Plutarch’s Lives: Greek
American Government
form 3
Citizenship Books for Form 3 Students (Grades 7-8)
- Form 3 students began reading Charlotte’s fourth volume: Ourselves.
- They also used a Classical Dictionary as a help for reading Plutarch (but if you are using The Plenary’s Plutarch Study Guides, a Classical Dictionary is not needed because the annotations and definitions are already provided for you in the margins.)
- If you have not studied Plutarch before, please begin with Stories from the History of Rome by Beesly.
- Students also read a specialized book about government.
Introduction to Plutarch
Plutarch’s Lives: Roman
Plutarch’s Lives: Greek
American Government
Ourselves by Charlotte Mason
form 4
Citizenship Books for Form 4 Students (Grade 9)
- Form 4 students continued reading Charlotte’s fourth volume: Ourselves.
- They also used a Classical Dictionary as a help for reading Plutarch (but if you are using The Plenary’s Plutarch Study Guides, a Classical Dictionary is not needed because the annotations and definitions are already provided for you in the margins.)
Plutarch’s Lives: Roman
Plutarch’s Lives: Greek
Plutarch’s Lives: Reference
Ourselves by Charlotte Mason
forms 5 - 6
More options coming soon…
For Parents
More options coming soon…
My son will be in 7th grade next year & we will just be starting a Charlotte Mason curriculum- should we start at the beginning with Stories from the History of Rome by Beesly at an accelerated pace to catch up or what would you suggest? This past year was my first year of homeschooling (6th grade, 3rd grade & pre-k) I SO wish I would’ve started sooner- I really feel that my oldest would have really benefited from this from the beginning. But it is what it is & this is where we are! I think it’ll be easier for my younger son, but I’m struggling with how to adapt things for my oldest. Any help would be appreciated!
Hi Jess! Yay! for starting your CM journey! And yes, If you have not studied Plutarch before, I recommend that you begin with Stories from the History of Rome by Beesly. You don’t even have to rush through it… take your time. The Beesly book gives the student a good foundation about Ancient Roman Society, which will help when he starts reading Plutarch, especially if he hasn’t studied ancient Rome or Greece before.
When you are ready to jump into Plutarch, the Guides that I write are based on the translation by Long and Stewart, which is easier and more accurate than the translation by Thomas North (the translation that is usually recommended in CM circles.) Also consider a Picture Study to go along with each Plutarch Guide because the artwork really brings the stories to life! So many great artists have illustrated the stories found in Plutarch because they are such great stories! I really want students to enjoy Plutarch and not be stressed out by it.
Also, adapting the CM method for an older child isn’t all that difficult. Here’s a few tips:
1. Start with oral narrations. Allow the student to practice building his narration skills during the first year or so. Do not introduce written narration until he’s confident in oral narrations. If you need more help about narration, you can see this page: BEGINNING NARRATION
https://cmplenary.com/beginning-narration-charlotte-mason-homeschool/
2. Start small – don’t try to do everything! This might mean that you decide to delay starting Plutarch or Shakespeare or something else. As you and he gain confidence in the method, slowly begin to add those additional subjects.
3. Start with just one stream of history – your home country. Don’t add a second stream of history unless, like i mentioned above, if your son hasn’t studied ancient Greece or Rome yet… then go ahead and add that.
4. In Literature, if he hasn’t had much Greek mythology, then start with the Form 2 suggested books. Same thing with King Arthur.
5. Also,do you own a CM Your Way Form Guide? The Guide for Form 3 also gives suggestions on how to adapt the schedule for older students who are new to CM. Plus, it will help you plan your schedule in a way that will help to set you up for success. Here’s a link to the Form Guides:
https://cmplenary.com/product/curriculum-form-guides/
I hope all that info helps! Please let me know if you have any questions!