"Our aim in education is to give a full life. We owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. Life should be all living, and not merely a tedious passing of time; not all doing or all feeling or all thinking - the strain would be too great - but, all living; that is to say, we should be in touch wherever we go, whatever we hear, whatever we see, with some manner of vital interest."
~ Charlotte Mason (1842 – 1923)

LIVING BOOKS, LIVING IDEAS, AND LIVING THINGS
Our curriculum is rich with living books, living ideas, and living things ... ones that foster wonder, delight, reflection, and reverence.

Branches & Vine Cottage School selects the best of living books and original source documents (in lieu of traditional textbooks and workbooks). We rely most heavily upon the captivating booklists and resources of AmblesideOnline, Charlotte Mason's own PNEU (Parents' National Educational Union), and Memoria Press.

AmblesideOnline uses Charlotte Mason’s principles to prepare children for a life of rich relationships with everything around them: knowledge of God, knowledge of man, knowledge of the universe.
AmblesideOnline Curriculum Overview
AO Booklist
AmblesideOnline's Annotated Charlotte Mason Series

Memoria Press
Memoria Press exists to promote and impart the classical heritage of the Christian West. We do this through an emphasis on the liberal arts and the great works of the Western tradition. In order to achieve this goal, we have produced a comprehensive and accessible classical Christian curriculum that encourages the development of wisdom and virtue through a pursuit of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. 
B&V CLASSES
Our Branches & Vine classes include:
  • *PATTERNS & PROBLEM-SOLVING (Math Class; mornings)
  • *PSALMS & PRAISES (Music Class; *mornings)
  • *PHRASES & PLACES (Modern Languages & Cultures Class; *mornings)
  • PASSAGES of Poetry & Prose (Literature Class)
  • PAGEANT OF HISTORY (History & Geography Class)
  • PATHWAYS OF NATURE (Nature Study Class)
  • PLAYWRIGHTS & PORTRAYALS (Shakespeare Class)
  • PARCHMENTS & PLATFORMS (Composition, Logic & Speech Class)
  • CLUBS & ELECTIVES (Afternoon Clubs span a variety learning areas that include: Practical Life Skills, Strategy, Nature Study/Science, Fine Arts, Language & Culture, Athletics)
LITERATURE, HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY
We desire for our students to explore and enjoy all aspects of a life cultivated by books and stories. We have fashioned a literature-centered curriculum at our core.

​Chronological History is a pivot upon which our academic year turns, but we do not feel boxed in and limited by a time period when it comes to book selections.

Each academic year, Branches & Vine Cottage School students focus on three primary streams:

1. Western Civilization - 4-year rotation: Middles Ages to Modern Times (Europe & North America)

2. Classical Studies - 4-year rotation: Ancients, Greece, Rome, Early Church (to 800)

3. American Studies - 3-year rotation: Geography, Leaders, Literature, Documents & Speeches

Our Book of Centuries (timeline), narrations & notebooks center around:
  • Great Men & Women
  • Wars, Conflicts, and Political Changes
  • Religions, Church History & Christian Worldview
  • Great Books & Poetry
  • Theatre, Music & Art
  • Inventions & Technology
  • Daily Life

Rotation 1 (2021-2022)
Western Civilization: 800s to 1500s
Classical Studies I: Greece
American Studies I.: Geography, Leaders, Literature, Documents & Speeches

Rotation 2 (2022-2023)
Western Civilization: 1600s to 1700s
Classical Studies II: Rome
American Studies II.: Geography, Leaders, Literature, Documents & Speeches

Rotation 3 (2023-2024)
Western Civilization: late 1700s to 1800s
Classical Studies III: Early Church (to 800s)
American Studies III.: Geography, Leaders, Literature, Documents & Speeches

Rotation 4 (2024-2025)
Western Civilization: late 1800s to Current
Classical Studies III: Ancients
American Studies I.: Geography, Leaders, Literature, Documents & Speeches
SPREADING THE FEAST
Our Branches & Vine approach to spreading the feast includes
  • Scripture Readings: Psalms & Proverbs in Morning Chapel; Gospels in Afternoon Chapel
  • Hymns & Scripture Songs
  • Habits
  • Scripture Memory Work
  • Composer Study
  • Picture Study
  • Poetry Study
  • Nature Study
  • American Studies
  • Classical Studies: Major Heroes - Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Theseus
  • Shakespeare Play (one per term)
  • Plutarch's Lives
  • Handicrafts
  • Folk Songs & Folk Dances
  • Geography & Map Drills
  • Spanish Songs
 CLASSICAL STUDIES & LATIN
CLASSICAL STUDIES RESOURCES include:
Form I: Aesop's Fables, D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths

Form II: Greek Myths, Famous Men of Greece, Famous Men of Rome, Famous Men of Middle Ages, Trial & Triumph Church History

Form III: Horatius at the Bridge, The Trojan War, The Book of the Ancient Greeks, The Book of the Ancient Romans, Book of the Middle Ages, History of English Literature

Form IV: Iliad, Odyssey, The Aeneid, Greek Plays (Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus), William of Malmesbury's Chronicles of the Kings of England, Dante's Divine Comedy

LATIN 
Latin begins as early as 1st grade, culminating in the translation of Latin literature in grades 9-12. All new students in both the Lower and Upper Forms study age-appropriate resources.

We emphasize the memorization of the Latin Grammar by the time-tested method of oral recitation and form drills, the study of syntax and translation, and reading Latin literature like Caesar, Ovid, and Cicero.

Memorizing the Latin Grammar is a great challenge and thrill for students. The mastery of the grammar greatly enhances English language skills and builds the kind of confidence that comes only from great achievement. There is no substitute for the mental development provided by the study of the Latin Grammar.
READING & LANGUAGE ARTS
Our Branches & Vine approach to learning to read incorporates generous:
  • living books woven throughout our entire day
  • phonics-based activities and spelling with resources like Traditional Spelling by Memoria Press and Explode the Code
  • regular independent reading level practice with an adult; application of phonics rules and sight word strategies with our readers
  • small guided reading groups
  • plentiful teacher and student read-alouds 
  • writing in the form of both oral and written "narrations" across the curriculum
  • Charlotte Mason-style copywork (penmanship and spelling), studied dictation (grammar and spelling), word study (vocabulary), notebooking (written narrations), and recitation (oral narration and public speaking).
  • grammar learning 
  • vocabulary and spelling strengthened through systematic study of Latin and Greek roots
  • Speech Meet Week
  • Annual Short Story Contest
  • Writing Workshops that reflect the Charlotte Mason approach to developing writers.​
NATURE STUDY
Our Branches & Vine nature study approach incorporates:
  • captivating nature lore & poetry
  • term nature study emphasis
  • nature observation & journaling
  • nature walks
  • gardening and landscaping projects 
  • creature care (chickens, fish, small animals, birds and bird feeders)
  • nature-based playground
  • nature-based classrooms (weather-permitting)
  • greenhouses and growing centers
MATH & SCIENCE
Our Branches & Vine math and science approach incorporates:
  • daily morning math classes
  • designated science learning times
  • prioritized nature study emphasis
  • STEM club possibilities​

Would your child thrive in our
​whole-hearted learning community?

CULTIVATING A LIFE-GIVING ATMOSPHERE
SHEPHERDING GOOD HABITS OF THOUGHT & LIFE
SPREADING A WIDE AND GENEROUS FEAST OF LIVING IDEAS