Ambleside Curriculum
Afrikaans: Charlotte Mason advocated that children study at least one language
other than their own, and that this language be taught in a 'living' environment ('language immersion' in modern teaching
practice), since language itself is 'living'. At present, Ambleside School of Hout Bay teaches Afrikaans as a second
language, with the intention of introducing Xhosa as soon as possible.
Art: Students in all grades receive formal instruction in technique, and various media are
introduced, providing experience, observation and study.
Bible: The Bible is used not just to understand God, but to understand ourselves and others;
it is also a good source of rich language in a variety of literary styles. Charlotte Mason maintained that children were
able to understand passages directly from Scripture (not diluted in 'Bible Stories'), and assigned several large
portions to be memorised and recited during the school year.
Citizenship: Beginning in Grade 4, students read about men and women in relationship
to self and others in choosing good and refusing evil, as well as their contributions of service to society.
Composer Study: Two classical composers and several of their works are presented
in each grade. Listening to the works of great composers cultivates a taste for, and appreciation of, classical music.
Composition: In the early grades, students become familiar with oral composition by
doing daily narrations. Written composition begins in Grade 3 with short written descriptions, and increases in
complexity through all grades, culminating in formal research projects in the higher grades.
Dictation: Every week, students are given a piece of well-written text (sentence, paragraph,
poem, portion of Scripture) to study, paying particular attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation.
The teacher later dictates the passage to the class. Errors are corrected immediately before they become entrenched habits,
and the children learn essential language skills in the context of great thoughts and rich language.
Geography: Atlases are used throughout the school day as a reference in many areas of study,
and geography is taught as a formal subject in Grades 5 and 6.
