Hello, and welcome to Tanglewood!

     The Tanglewood homeschool curriculum grew out of an effort to provide my children with a comprehensive classical education that also left plenty of room for family time, personal endeavors, and hobbies.  It was initially intended only for use with my own children but over the years I have used it with success with many children ranging from first grade through eighth grade.

     My introduction to homeschooling began during my teenage years when my mother decided to homeschool my two (much) younger sisters.  Because I desired to someday become a teacher I was fascinated by the different curriculums (actually, there weren't that many in the 80's) and joined my mother on numerous journeys to hear special speakers and attend homeschooling seminars.  One especially poignant memory of those days is of our road trip from Washington state to Florida listening to tapes by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore over and over.  You can bet that I have the Moore's theories "down pat"!

     In eagerness to someday homeschool my own children, I began writing this curriculum sixteen years ago, before I was married and before I had children.  At the time, I was very interested in the classical approach to education and this interest is evident in the Tanglewood curriculum of today.  After graduating with a degree in education I began an almost decade long career as an elementary teacher in private schools.  During this period I met and married my wonderful husband, Brad.  When I became pregnant with our first child I decided to stop teaching and stay home with our little treasure, Chloe.  Since then, we have been blessed with two more daughters and a son.

     The year after Chloe was born, I came across the writings of Charlotte Mason.  Her gentle method of education in which children delighted to learn and build relationships with their subjects resonated with me. I became more discerning as I weeded through my books removing "twaddle."  Nature became a new and glorious gift as I began to try my hand at learning the types of trees in my neighborhood.  I took up bird watching (something I had previously considered a boring and time-wasting exercise that only odd people partook of) and experienced  thrill after thrill of seeing and identifying birds.  (Now my bird guide travels with me everywhere I go.) My own life had been so enriched by just a few of Charlotte Mason's suggestions I just had to integrate them (and many others) into my slowly evolving curriculum.

     Chloe is now in the first grade*.   Although this is her first year to use the Tanglewood curriculum she has seen it in action over the years as I have homeschooled other people's children.  All three of my daughters have walked (toddled) around many a park and yard, large binoculars in tiny hands, on the lookout for the elusive Painted Bunting (which we still haven't seen despite living in Florida for two years!*).  

      Please feel free to look at my lists and incorporate them into your own homeschool.  I also sell many of the books and products we use, so, if you are going to purchase these products please consider buying them from us and supporting our little home-business venture.

Thank-you!

Diana Cunningham

*Now, in 2005, Chloe is in third grade!
*We recently sighted our first (and only) Painted Bunting right here in Memphis, TN!  The girls and I were in the car waiting for Brad to finish his purchase (at a rare-book store, of course) when we saw the beautiful little bird hopping along the top of the window sill.  We spotted a nest and a wife too!