News about features added to the CM Organizer or this site.
The past few months have brought about some changes for our SCM books. We think they’re good changes! Here are the details for you. [Continue reading SCM Book News …]
We’re pleased to announce several new features on the CM Organizer and CM Bookfinder are now up and running. Here’s a quick overview:
- Daily Journal note
CM Organizer users asked for it, and here it is. With this new feature you can add a general note about the day without tying it to a specific resource or assignment.
- Check Your Local Library feature
Nobody asked for this one, but we think it’s really neat! Use this automatic link in the CM Bookfinder to check if a resource is available at a library near you.
- Some rearranging and “spiffing up”
We’ve moved a few things and given them a fresh new look in order to prepare for more upcoming upgrades. Stay tuned!
Take a look and let us know what you think.
Last week we talked about determining which subjects you plan to teach in each grade. Did you outline them? That information will make the next step much easier: planning your year. [Continue reading Your Year …]
Have you visited the SCM Community Forum lately? We’re having some great discussions! Here are a few highlights . . . [Continue reading Recent Discussions on the SCM Forum …]
Thanks to everyone who helped make the 2007 SCM Photo Contest so much fun! We received nearly 300 photos so it was a tough job to pick the winners! But here they are: [Continue reading SCM Photo Contest Winners …]
We’re excited to announce the latest resource on Simply Charlotte Mason: our new SCM Community Forum! Many of you have asked for a place to discuss CM topics in general and SCM-specific topics as well. It’s our pleasure to provide this forum for you all to use. [Continue reading New SCM Community Forum …]
My family just returned from a few days at the beach. We got some great photos of our children holding seashells, ducking under a flock of seagulls, building sand castles, and walking along the beach. [Continue reading Announcing the SCM Photo Contest …]
Our children love to make their own movies and explore the various aspects of filmmaking. They have found that the bonus features on movie DVDs offer many insights about how films are made that they can try to emulate. Those little extras can add a lot!
As we wrap up this series, we wanted to make sure you know about the Bonus Features page we’ve put together for nature study.
On this special page, you’ll find lots of little extras! [Continue reading Nature Study Bonus Features …]
Just a quick note to let you know that we launched a new feature on the CM Organizer today: now you can select the Time Zone you prefer! [Continue reading Time Zones Are Here! (CM Organizer) …]
It’s been great to hear how the CM Organizer is saving time for so many moms! One mom reported saving two hours every week since she switched from a popular software planner. Wow! That’s an eight-hour day that she has gained back each month! [Continue reading New CM Organizer Features & Link to Us Graphics …]
In our previous post about why the CM Organizer is an online service, we promised to talk later about the advantage of security and backups you get with the CM Organizer. [Continue reading Are my school records safe in the CM Organizer? …]
As many of you know, we’re working on some major upgrades of the CM Organizer. But we didn’t want to wait to make a few smaller tweaks that you could use right away. So here are some things that we’ve recently enhanced: [Continue reading Updates to the CM Organizer …]
We really enjoyed “meeting” you and talking with you at the Webinars last week! You had lots of great questions and lots of great suggestions. A couple of questions came up frequently, and we would like to answer those for everyone. [Continue reading 5 Reasons the CM Organizer Is an Online Service …]
We’re looking forward to getting together with you through our live CM Organizer Webinars this week! For those of you who may not have heard, the CM Organizer is our new online planner designed specifically for homeschoolers using the Charlotte Mason method. We would love to show you how it works! [Continue reading Webinar Reminder …]
We are receiving so many encouraging comments about the new CM Organizer! Here’s a sample: “For almost three years, I have searched for the ‘perfect’ homeschool organizer. [Continue reading Live CM Organizer Webinars …]
Those of you who have been with us from the beginning know that it’s been our goal all along to develop an online planner and record keeper specifically for CMers. Well, after years of designing and developing, we’re thrilled to announce that the CM Organizer is now officially online! [Continue reading Announcing the CM Organizer! …]
Our kids like to check out the Bonus Features on any DVDs we watch as a family, and we like it too. You never know what interesting tidbits you might find!
We wanted to let all of you know that we’ve added a few pages of Bonus Features to our Web site. [Continue reading Bonus Features Added for E-books …]
“I have a question for you,” says one mother. “The more I read and hear about the Charlotte Mason approach, the more I want to use it with my children. But we’ve been using a different approach for several years. Is it possible to switch now? And if so, how do I make the transition?” [Continue reading Making the Switch to CM …]
A lot of Charlotte Mason book discussions, teas, and support group meetings are starting up in full swing again. We would love to help you get the word out about your events and let other CMers in your area know where they can find you! [Continue reading CM Events …]
Ever been to one of those CM get-togethers where someone recommends a book and immediately everybody begins firing questions: “What was that title again?” “Who’s the author?” “Where can I get it?” We certainly have. Many times. [Continue reading Curriculum Guide Now Linked to Details …]
“Does anyone know of a living book about beavers?” “Could someone recommend a book for my eighth grader on Johannes Kepler?” “I’m looking for good biographies of composers that would be written for younger children around first or second grade.” Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, hunting for that certain living book. It can be a time-consuming process. But the process just got a whole lot easier! [Continue reading The CM Bookfinder Is Here! …]
Someone recently asked if she could come to my (Sonya’s) house and be a fly on the wall for a day or two. While I certainly don’t mind having company, what this mom really wanted was help figuring out how to fit everything into a day of schooling. She wanted to see how I scheduled my subjects each week and how I juggled things during a “typical” day. [Continue reading Ready-Made Schedules …]
We know things have been quiet from us for a while and that’s because we’ve been working really hard behind the scenes. [Continue reading A Brand New Look …]
During a recent interview, I (Sonya) was asked, “If someone wanted to homeschool, how would they begin?” I thought, “Good question! How did I begin those many years ago?” [Continue reading Back to Basics …]
We’re pleased to see new people signing up every day to receive these updates! Welcome to all you newer readers. Those of you who have been with us from the beginning have a pretty good idea of the big picture: who we are, what has been accomplished so far, and our goals for future development. But the newbies might like a fast summary in order to get up to speed, so to speak. [Continue reading The Story of Simply Charlotte Mason …]
We’re excited as we look to the year ahead! We have many hopes and plans of what we want to add to Simply Charlotte Mason in the upcoming months. Here’s a short list:
- More free downloads
- A suggested curriculum guide for twelve years of CM homeschooling
- The release of five books full of dictation exercises that contain the most frequently used words in the English language
- Public access to our database of more than 1,000 CM resources
- The launch of our scheduling and record-keeping online tool
Thanks to all of you who have helped to encourage us during 2005 as we started this project. We look forward to all that we can do to encourage and help you during 2006.
Update as of 3/2/06: The five-book series is now available as Spelling Wisdom. We have also added a fun Corner Bookmarks download.
If you’re going to be traveling during the holiday season, check out the CM Destinations page for great twaddle-free field trip locations along your route.
We’re excited that the page now features more than 375 CM-friendly, educational destinations! Thanks to all of you who have contributed your favorite historical, science, and fine arts locations.
Feel free to add more CM Destinations for fellow CMers who may be traveling soon. And if you’ve been to one of the destinations listed, go ahead and add your personal review. It helps to hear what a CM mom thought of the place.
Just use the form at the bottom of the page. We look forward to hearing from you, and travel safely.
Behind the scenes, we’re adding the finishing touches to your Personal Book Lists. We’re excited about this feature that will help you keep track of books you want to get, books you want to remember for later, books you want to borrow from the library, and books you already have.
I (Sonya) was just at the store today looking at the books on sale and wondering, “Do I already have Oliver Twist, or am I thinking of The Prince and the Pauper?” I’m really looking forward to using this feature!
For more details, check out the Books section.
It’s fall. I (Sonya) just gave my front porch a fresh look with a straw wreath and a bushel basket full of leaves, apples, and a pumpkin. Since it’s fall, it’s also time for a fresh look at our project and on our Web site.
First, a fresh look at our project. We’re getting a great response to all the free downloads and practical information we’ve put on the site. And we’re eager to bring you the main features, but we’re finding that it’s taking extra time to make sure the job is done right. We want to be sure all the features are simple to use. So thanks for your patience and all your encouragement. We’ll keep working and keep you posted.
Second, a fresh look for our Web site. When you visit, you’ll notice a couple of new sections on that first page. We’ve added a Find It Quick section with quick links to some of the most frequently used features of the site. We’ve also added a Work in Progress section that will outline the features we’re still working on. Those of you who have not been with us from the beginning may not be aware of all our plans for the site. In fact, here’s a progress update for all of you: so far we’ve entered more than 1,000 CM-style books into the database! Visit the first page for more details.
Happy fall!
We’re thrilled with your response to the Scripture Memory System instructions posted on our Web site! Hundreds of people have visited that page recently. And some of you have sent e-mail to let us know how it’s encouraging you:
- “I am so excited by the Scripture Memory System! What an easy way to keep track and consistently review God’s Word!”
- “I have been wanting to memorize Scripture with the kids, and yet kept failing and giving up due to a lack of confidence . . . Well, after your talk the other night, I knew God was speaking to me and that this can work for me and our family.”
- “We made our box the other day and started today!! What a blessing it was to hear all of us together speaking God’s Word!!”
Probably the one question we get asked more than any other is “What verses should we memorize?” Of course, you can select any verses you like. But if a list of suggestions would help you get started, take a look at our Verses List.
We hope this list will be helpful. Thanks for sharing the encouragement with us; keep those e-mails coming!
Recently, we asked more than 250 CMers, “What attracts you to the Charlotte Mason approach?” Many of their responses referred to her emphasis on respect of the child, training in habits, character, and the training of the will.
Their replies included words like “gentle,” “natural,” “loving,” “alive,” “flexible,” “thorough,” “relaxed,” and “nurturing” to describe Charlotte’s approach to education.
Several of the moms also named specific CM methods that they love. Here are the top five methods they mentioned:
- Living books
- Nature study and time outdoors
- Short lessons
- Narration
- Music and art appreciation
Runners-up included:
- Dictation
- Copywork
For those of you who would like to learn more about those methods or some of the others used in the Charlotte Mason approach, we’ve just added a Frequently Asked Questions section, and the first entry in that section explains Charlotte Mason methods in simple, easy-to-understand language.
Take a look. More than 250 moms think you’ll find something that attracts you.
Update as of 5/30/06: When we redesigned this site, we transitioned that FAQ section into Getting Started.
A key component of Charlotte Mason’s method is narration. In simple terms, narration is telling back in your own words what you just read or heard. It’s a wonderful evaluation tool that requires much thinking and assimilating on the student’s part.
However, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut by asking for the same kind of narration, using the same kind of question in the same kind of voice with the same kind of expression every day. (Just ask our kids.)
To help you get out or steer clear of the rut, we just added a CM Time Saver called Narration Ideas. Of course, this list of suggestions is not comprehensive; it’s just a beginning. But we hope it will restore to your studies the joy and excitement of narration.
Feel free to add your own narration ideas in the Comments for this update.
We love hearing from you! Thanks for your encouragement and for your questions. For those of you who may not know it, you can read fellow CMers’ comments on SimplyCharlotteMason.
At the end of each update on the site is the little word “Comments.” If you click on that word, you’ll be able to read everyone’s comments about that post. You’ll also be able to add a comment of your own if you want to.
We post our answers to questions in the Comments section too. So if you post a question, be sure to check back in a little while to read the answer. Just click on “Comments” and join in the discussion.
For some time now, we’ve been telling you about the features we’re planning and building for Simply Charlotte Mason. Many of you have responded with encouraging comments, suggestions, and questions. Thank you!
One question we are asked repeatedly is “When will it be ready to use?”
Our plan is to roll out features as they become ready rather than waiting until the entire site is completed. That way you can begin using them right away.
We’d like to start by announcing that the CM Destinations page is now ready for you to use!
You may recall from our last post that this is the page on SimplyCharlotteMason.com featuring links to twaddle-free field trips such as museums, art galleries, orchestras, opera companies, and more.
Several CM Destinations are already listed there — mostly places near our (Karen’s and Sonya’s) stomping grounds. And we’re inviting you fellow CMers to add your favorite twaddle-free field trip locations and your comments on the ones you’ve visited.
Over the years we’ve gathered some great information and created some documents that have been helpful in our homeschooling. We want to save you time and effort by making those tools available to you, so we’re planning to have them as free downloads and printable pages on SimplyCharlotteMason. What kind of time-savers? Here’s a short list.
- Book of Centuries Template - just a quick file that labels the top of every two pages with dates in hundred-year increments; you can easily print them and put them in a notebook to create a simple Book of Centuries
- A List of Handicrafts and Life Skills - more than fifty suggestions for handicrafts and life skills that will help keep our children’s free time profitable and prepare them for adulthood
- How to Create a Scripture Memory System - step-by-step instructions to help you put in place a simple and effective way to memorize and review Scripture
- Copywork in a Manuscript Font - lined manuscript paper with copywork selections already printed on it to use with younger children
- Early Years Book List - more than seventy books that were introduced to our children in their early years (ages 2-5) and which they have loved ever since
We hope you’ll find these tools as helpful as we did! Let us know what other kinds of documents would save you time and we’ll dig through our files to see if we have them.
Update as of 3/2/06: All of these Time Savers are now complete. We’ve revised the post to include links to them. The Scripture Memory System also includes a Verses List.
Update as of 5/30/06: The Early Years Books are now located in the Books section of the site.
One of the highlights of any Charlotte Mason get-together is when a mom tells about a great twaddle-free field trip she discovered. It seems that everybody grabs a pen and starts writing frantically as the Web site addresses fly.
Well, we thought it would be great to compile all those ideas and addresses on SimplyCharlotteMason. We plan to have a page that will feature links to places such as museums, art galleries, orchestras, opera companies, Shakespeare companies, handicraft demonstrations, nature museums and parks, historical battlefields and landmarks, aquariums, living history farms, zoos, botanical gardens, nature trails and hikes.
Now, of course, we don’t know where all these great destinations are located worldwide. So as you come across one, you’ll be able to add it to the page of links. And if you visit one on the list, you can add a review about it. (Won’t it be a relief to read reviews from a Charlotte-Mason perspective written by a mom who’s actually been there?!)
We’re calling them CM Destinations. It’s our answer to one more field trip to a fire station.
Update as of 3/2/06: Our CM Destinations are now up and running. We’ve revised this post to include a link to them.
Let’s face it, unless you know somebody who knows somebody, you don’t often find out about Charlotte Mason-friendly events — even in your own backyard.
Wouldn’t it be great to have one centralized Charlotte Mason Events calendar? Just think, fellow CMers all over the world could post their coffee shop book studies, tea parties, monthly discussion groups, conference exhibits, workshops, and seminars on one master calendar. Then any of us could find all the events in our geographical location and easily connect face-to-face with other CMers.
We think that such a calendar would be a great idea, and we’re working on making one available on SimplyCharlotteMason. What do you think?
When you get a home library as large as ours are, it’s easy to get confused between what you thought about buying and did; what you thought about buying and decided to get from the library instead; what you want to remember to buy for a future study; what you have on your perpetual wish list; and what you actually need to buy for the next couple of months.
We’re working on an organizational feature in SimplyCharlotteMason to help moms keep track of all the books and other resources they deal with: personal book lists. Right now we’re planning on three options for your personal book lists:
- Later List - for resources you’re interested in but don’t want to schedule right away
- Library List - for resources you want to borrow from the library or someone else
- Shopping List - for resources you want to buy for your home library
So when you select a resource from the database, you can add it to any of these lists and/or schedule it. Any other lists you’d like to suggest?
Hopefully, this feature will help make all our homes a little more organized and all our home libraries a little bit larger! (Now, if we just had more bookshelves . . .)
Karen lives in Illinois with no state-required records. Sonya lives in Georgia, which requires a yearly written evaluation for each student to be kept on file but not turned in. Sonya’s sister-in-law lives in Iowa, which requires the whole year’s plan of curriculum to be turned in at the beginning of each school year, as well as tracking each child’s progress throughout the year. Quite the contrast. [Continue reading Records and Reports …]
We love Charlotte Mason’s emphasis on the child as a person. As a result, we feel uncomfortable with the one-size-fits-all mentality that comes with most “curriculum in a box.” We think the child’s mother-teacher should determine how quickly each child should proceed through a selected book, based on that child as an individual. [Continue reading Set the Pace …]
One thing that has driven us nuts over the years is trying to plan what to do each day and still allowing for changes to that schedule. We’ll create an overview for the next month or more, but write down only one week’s worth of daily plans at a time — and always in pencil! You never know when you’ll need to erase an assignment and pencil it in tomorrow instead. Or when you’ll miss today’s read-aloud chapter and have to erase each chapter number in the rest of the week’s assignments and adjust them all. [Continue reading Daily Plans …]
If you’re like us (and most CM moms), living books are good friends, not just pieces of paper glued together. But good friends — as the saying goes — are hard to find.
And the survey results agree. Next to planning and record keeping issues (the top three), the most difficult aspect of homeschooling the CM way is “finding and choosing books and resources.”
In fact, the survey respondents told us how many hours they spend per year locating and purchasing books for school:
- Less than 5 hours - 7%
- 6-9 hours - 15%
- 10-14 hours - 19%
- More than 15 hours - 57%
We want SimplyCharlotteMason to make that process simpler. Karen and I are in the process right now of entering our personal libraries (several hundred living books) into the book database. We’re hoping the database will be kind of like visiting Amazon.com but narrowed down to just Charlotte Mason-friendly books with reviews from other CM moms. You’ll be able to search by title, subject, recommended grade levels, and more. And if you don’t see the book you want in the database, you can add it.
Eventually, we want to add other types of media too, like software, audios, and videos. But that’s going to have to wait until we get these stacks of books off our desks!
Update as of 7/24/06: We’re happy to announce that the CM Bookfinder is now online!
You’ve probably noticed our little slogan: “Guidance for the beginner. Flexibility for the pro.” Here’s a quick overview of how SimplyCharlotteMason will work for both. [Continue reading Guidance and Flexibility …]
Earlier this year we posted a survey and invited homeschoolers who use the Charlotte Mason approach to participate. More than 250 moms responded, many of them new to CM. See . . .
How many years have you been homeschooling with the Charlotte Mason method?
- Less than a year: 17 moms
- One year: 64 moms
- Two years: 39 moms
- Three to five years: 69 moms
- More than five years: 40 moms
- (The rest gave non-numerical answers like “always” or “on and off.”)
Surprised? Just under half of the respondents were what we would consider beginners (two years or less).
Next we asked what they considered the most difficult aspects of homeschooling. The top three answers were
- Finding time to plan
- Planning what will be studied and when
- Keeping adequate records
It seems that no matter how long you’ve used the CM approach, planning and record keeping take the most time and effort. So we’re making those three aspects top priority in SimplyCharlotteMason.
We’ll be sharing more survey results in future updates. Stay tuned.
