Simply Charlotte Mason — Charlotte Mason method homeschool helps.

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.

We’ve all seen those looks: the glazed-over eyes, the dulled expressions, the partly-concealed yawns. Let’s face it, sometimes our children just “check out” during the school day. Are those dull wits an unavoidable part of homeschooling, or is there something we can do in our planning to encourage “fresh wits”? Charlotte Mason had a great suggestion. [Continue reading The Secret to Fresh Wits …]

Certainly one of the biggest challenges facing a homeschool mom is trying to teach with little ones underfoot. You might have laid out the best plans in the world, but those plans might never become a reality if you fail to consider the preschoolers in your home. [Continue reading Preschoolers in the Mix …]

We just wanted to drop you all a quick note to let you know that SCM will be at the Georgia Home Education Association conference this weekend, May 2 and 3, near Atlanta. You can find registration details at GHEA’s site.

Sonya will present a habits workshop, Smooth and Easy Days, based on our book Laying Down the Rails on Friday at 11:00 AM. (As always, check the schedule at the conference for any last-minute shuffling.) Come learn why habits are so powerful, which habits Charlotte Mason encouraged parents to focus on, and lots of practical ideas for how to cultivate those good habits

And be sure to stop by the SCM booth in the exhibit hall to say hello to Sonya and her husband John. We would love to see you there!

We’re in the home stretch! We’ve talked about planning the Big Picture, Your Year, Your Term, and Your Week. (If you’ve miss any of the first four steps, you can read them on our blog.) Planning your day is the final step of the simple 5-step process. [Continue reading Your Day …]

“How many days per week should I do science?” “What about history?” “Do you think I need to do math five days a week?”

This step in the 5-step planning process will show you how to answer those questions. If you have already completed steps 1–3 (the Big Picture, Your Year, and Your Term), planning your week will be pretty simple. Here’s how. [Continue reading Your Week …]

One of the most common problems moms have when planning is trying to jump directly from their Year Plan to their Daily Schedule. I’ve found it a lot easier to take smaller steps rather than that one big jump. [Continue reading Your Term …]

We had a wonderful time Saturday at our All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar! Here are a couple of comments from those who attended:

“Today’s seminar was both informative and empowering! The ‘how-to’ was invaluable, the materials were excellent, and the practice — letting *us* narrate — was eye opening! Thank you all for your hard work in preparing for today; Sonya, thank you so much for leading our diverse group so openly and responsively. I came in a ‘believer’ in CM methods but left knowing I could be a confident ‘doer’ — THANK YOU!”

“I just wanted to openly say THANKS to Sonya for an eye-opening, mind-filling workshop! If you have not already seen her in ‘action’ - get to it next time around, I know I will be there!”

It’s always a treat to get to spend the day with other CMers! And we’re eager to meet more of you as we travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, the end of this month. We will be presenting our all-day seminar at Living Faith Baptist Church on Saturday, April 26, and we would love to see you there!

Here’s where you can find more details and register online for our next All-Day Charlotte Mason Seminar in North Carolina.

Hurry! Registration deadline is April 21.

PS: We’ll continue our planning series next time, so watch for Planning Your Term.

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 …]

Before you get into the nitty gritty of scheduling particular books, you need to take a step back and look at the big picture. What is it that you want to accomplish by homeschooling? What is your goal for your student?

That may seem like an unrelated philosophical question, but your answer to it will affect your plans. [Continue reading The Big Picture …]