Simply Charlotte Mason — Charlotte Mason method homeschool helps.

We’re starting a new series today, one that we hope will be very practical and beneficial to you. We will be going through the school subjects and discussing how to teach each one in a Charlotte Mason way.

The first place to begin is to give you the list of subjects that we will be covering. You see, in a Charlotte Mason-style homeschool the children are given a wide variety of subjects. [Continue reading A Generous Curriculum: Subject By Subject,
Part 1 …]

Last week we started a new series in which we will be going through each school subject and discussing how to teach it in a Charlotte Mason way. We’ve already looked at giving our children a generous curriculum through a wide variety of subjects, not just the three R’s. Today we’ll look at three foundational principles that should be in place no matter what subject you’re teaching.

Whether you are just making the transition to incorporating some Charlotte Mason methods into your home school or are an old pro at CM, these three basic principles are a great place to focus. Get these principles firmly established and your days will go much more smoothly. [Continue reading Three Basic CM Principles: Subject by Subject, Part 2 …]

When I graduated from “the school of the yellow bus,” I knew next to nothing about history. Yes, I made good grades. Yes, I graduated valedictorian. But very little about history had stuck. There was no reason to retain that list of events and dates past the test day, because I had no personal relation with what had happened. It didn’t matter to me.

But, thankfully, over the past 17 years of homeschooling in a Charlotte Mason way, I have developed an appreciation for history and personal relations with the people involved. How? By using Charlotte’s methods of teaching history, I have learned along with my children and enjoyed doing it! [Continue reading Teaching History: Subject by Subject, Part 3 …]

If you had mentioned geography to me 17 years ago, when I started homeschooling, my mind would have immediately visualized dusty maps with puzzling colored shapes and lists of imports, exports, and natural resources. Oh, and currency types. And sometimes a line-up of flags around the border.

But today my concept of geography has changed dramatically. It is now intricately linked to the people and events with whom I’ve formed a relation in my history readings. It is also tied to the present-day people I’ve met through travel books, current event magazines, and missionaries’ videos. [Continue reading Teaching Geography: Subject by Subject, Part 4 …]

We’re continuing with our Subject by Subject series today. In previous posts we’ve discussed giving our children a wide variety of subjects, which subjects will be included in a broad education, some basic principles for all subjects, how to teach history, and last week, how to teach geography. Today let’s tackle spelling.

I’m a list person. As I sit at my desk and type these words, I’ve lost count of how many items I’ve added to my to-do list already today. Lists can be effective tools for many things. But when it comes to spelling, Charlotte Mason showed us that lists are not the most effective way to learn. [Continue reading Teaching Spelling: Subject by Subject, Part 5 …]

Of all the subjects we include in our children’s education, the most important should be their Bible lessons.

When Charlotte Mason talked about the knowledge that is important to give our children, she cited, “First and chiefest is the knowledge of God, to be got at most directly through the Bible” (Vol. 6, p. 254).

So as we continue our series of looking at how each subject is taught in the Charlotte Mason Method, let’s talk today about how to teach Bible. [Continue reading Teaching Bible: Subject by Subject, Part 6 …]

Those of you who have been around the Charlotte Mason Method for any length of time have probably discovered for yourself what a nicely balanced approach it is. CM is not all books and narration.

Charlotte emphasized the importance of educating the whole person, and part of that total education involves working with your hands: “Another elemental relationship, which every child should be taught and encouraged to set up, is that of power over material. Every child makes sand castles, mud-pies, paper boats, and he or she should go on to work in clay, wood, brass, iron, leather, dress-stuffs, food-stuffs, furnishing-stuffs. He should be able to make with his hands and should take delight in making” (Vol. 3, p. 80).

As we continue in our Subject by Subject series, let’s take a look at handicrafts and how to teach them. [Continue reading Teaching Handicrafts: Subject by Subject, Part 7 …]

We hope this Subject-by-Subject series is proving helpful to you as you homeschool your children. We’ve already covered several school subjects: history, geography, spelling, Bible, and handicrafts. And we have several more to go as we discuss which methods Charlotte used to teach each one.

And remember, if you don’t want to wait for a particular subject to show up, you can always refer to this handy chart and short explanations to get a quick overview and remind yourself which Charlotte Mason methods to use to teach each subject.

Today let’s talk about teaching science. [Continue reading Teaching Science: Subject by Subject, Part 8 …]

If you had graduated from one of Charlotte Mason’s schools, you would have studied several different foreign languages: French, German, Italian, and Latin. And not just studied, but used and understood those languages quite well.

In fact, her students were so fluent in French that they could read or listen to a reading in that language and then give their narrations in that language. How did she accomplish that level of expertise? Let’s talk a bit about Charlotte’s approach to foreign language, as we continue this subject-by-subject series. [Continue reading Teaching Foreign Language: Subject by Subject, Part 9 …]

Many of you are diligently working on plans for the upcoming months and terms of your home school. As you put together your schedules, please keep in mind an important key principle. This principle is very freeing, plus it can help your school days run much more smoothly. The key principle is this:

You don’t have to do every subject every day.

Got it? Read it again.

Charlotte tried to have a variety of subjects scheduled each day of the week, so no two days looked the same. Variety in your daily schedule will help the students pay full attention, as we discussed at the beginning of this series. You may find the posts on A Generous Curriculum and Three Basic CM Principles helpful reminders as you lay down plans for the coming weeks of schooling. [Continue reading Teaching Music: Subject by Subject, Part 10 …]

We have covered many school subjects so far in this series, talking about the methods Charlotte Mason used to teach each one. I hope you are feeling a bit more confident with teaching history, geography, spelling, Bible, handicrafts, science, foreign language, and music.

And you remember that you do not have to teach every subject every day. In fact, you should welcome variety; your children will gain much by it.

We have just a few subjects left: art, English grammar, literature, poetry, beginning reading, math, and writing (which we will talk about today). Ready to dive in? Let’s go. [Continue reading Teaching Writing: Subject by Subject, Part 11 …]

I’ve been cleaning off my bookshelves these past couple of weeks, trying to cull out duplicates. Now, usually duplicate copies of a title are not a problem in a household of readers, but when the shelves are full and you need more space . . . sacrifices must be made.

Most of the duplicates in my collection are literature books that have been added to our home library over the years. And as I pull each book off the shelf, my mind reflects on the characters inside. They are like old friends to me now. I have to keep reminding myself that I do still have a copy; it’s not like I’m getting rid of all those close companions completely! [Continue reading Teaching Literature: Subject by Subject, Part 12 …]

Most of you were probably taught English grammar the same way I was. In first grade we were told, “A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea. Circle the nouns in these five sentences.”

Then in second grade we were told, “A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea. Circle the nouns in these ten sentences.”

And in third grade we were told, “A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea. Circle the nouns in these fifteen sentences.”

Charlotte Mason’s approach to grammar was vastly different. Let’s take a look as we continue our Subject-by-Subject series. [Continue reading Teaching Grammar: Subject by Subject, Part 13 …]

When my oldest child was a little one, the thought of teaching her how to read hovered in my mind as a huge challenge. I don’t remember waking up at night, wondering if I would be able to teach her to tie her shoes or to drive a car; but I do remember staring at the ceiling in the dark, wondering if I would be able to teach her to read.

It can seem a daunting task, because so much of education depends on reading. The better a child can read, the easier his schooling will be. But let me assure you that most children will pick up reading quite naturally if raised in a language-rich environment where books are treasured. Many people who grow up in such an environment cannot recall exactly how they learned to read, but learn they did.

So relax, pour yourself a cup of your favorite beverage, and soak up Charlotte Mason’s gentle and natural approach to teaching your child to read—today’s addition to our Subject-by-Subject series. [Continue reading Teaching Beginning Reading: Subject by Subject, Part 14 …]

It’s hard to believe we have only three subjects left in our Subject-by-Subject series. I hope you are enjoying this little tour through using Charlotte Mason methods to teach each school subject. And I hope the ideas have infused new life into your homeschool days!

Remember, you don’t have to teach every subject every day, but making sure you include the vast array of subjects that Charlotte included will give your home school a broad curriculum.

Today we will discuss how to teach art; next week will be poetry; and the week after that, to wrap up the series, we will focus on teaching math in a Charlotte Mason way. First, art. [Continue reading Teaching Art: Subject by Subject, Part 15 …]

We’re beginning to wrap up our Subject-by-Subject series. Next week we will finish up with a focus on teaching math the Charlotte Mason way. Today, let’s talk about poetry.

Most homeschool moms I talk to get a funny look on their faces when I mention poetry. That’s because their own schooling experience with poetry consisted of dissecting a poem to bits at the teacher’s insistence. Such over-analysis and examination steals all the joy from the beautiful words. Charlotte Mason’s approach is vastly different. [Continue reading Teaching Poetry: Subject by Subject, Part 16 …]

(I am so pleased to welcome a guest writer today as we finish up our Subject-by-Subject series. Richele Baburina has extensively researched Charlotte Mason’s approach to math. In fact, her new book, Mathematics: An Instrument for Living Teaching, is due out next week! See below for more details, and enjoy this insightful summary of math the Charlotte Mason way.)

At the beginning of our series, we saw that Charlotte valued a generous curriculum. Though emphasis on the three R’s alone makes for a meager education, these subjects did have their rightful place of study. Today we will look at several of the methods Charlotte employed in the teaching of mathematics, some of which might surprise you. [Continue reading Teaching Math: Subject by Subject, Part 17 …]