Many of you are in the midst of planning for your home schools, so I thought it might be helpful to share a quick explanation of how I plan my weekly schedule. I’ve been using this 1-2-3 method of planning a weekly schedule for about 15 years now, so you know two things: first, it’s […]
Thousands of you have enjoyed our free video resource, SCM Answers Your Questions. We’re glad those short, informal recordings have been encouraging. And we thought it might be helpful to add some more videos to the series, answering more of your questions. (more…)
When I was taking piano lessons, my teacher started with some basic, foundational points: keep your fingers curved; sit tall on the bench with both feet on the floor; listen to your playing. No matter what piece I was working on—from Row, Row, Row Your Boat to Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata—those principles remained constant. (more…)
As mothers we know that children grow best on generous portions. Meagre meals can stunt a child’s physical growth, but a generous diet of food gives that growing body lots of nutrients to draw from. It’s the same emotionally; child need a generous supply of pure love to grow secure and happy and loving, themselves. […]
Last time we started a light-hearted little comparison that describes similarities between Simply Charlotte Mason and a trip to a theme park (complete with a hopefully unnecessary disclaimer). We talked about how our SCM Curriculum Guide is like a map to the park: it gives you the big picture of which resources we feature, how […]
Are any of your friends heading to a theme park this summer? It seems like, at any given time, at least one of my friends will be planning a trip to one, or heading off on her trip, or posting pictures and memories of her trip. Combine that with the fact that we have a […]
There was once a man named Bill, who decided to go for a hike from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. A distance of about 2,000 miles. Six months of hiking, sleeping on the ground, and cooking meals outside. So he went to a local outfitters and they laid out everything he would need, […]
I hope the two tips we’ve covered so far have encouraged you to prepare for a successful homeschool year: plan for variety and shop with purpose. Today I want to remind you of one more quick tip: flex with life. Flex with Life Get it in your head right from the start: life happens. You […]
Last week we looked at Tip #1 for a successful homeschool year: Plan for Variety. Today let’s continue with our quick reminders and Tip #2. Tip #2: Shop with Purpose Just as it is difficult to create a building project without the proper tools, it is well nigh impossible to have a successful homeschool year […]
Let’s keep this short, because it’s summer and you’re probably trying to juggle summer fun with fall planning. So here’s the scoop: over the next three weeks I want to pass along three quick tips that will help you have a successful year of homeschooling. That is, if you follow them. If you just read […]
As we travel to various homeschool conventions across the nation, there is much to observe, much to learn. This season I have been pondering two lessons that have been played out in the exhibit hall again and again. I’ll share one of those lessons this week and the other next week. First, the lesson of […]
It’s so much fun to see Charlotte Mason’s principles play out right in front of your eyes! Recently I was presenting the workshop “Charlotte Mason & Her Methods” at a homeschool convention. It was late at night after a full day of travel and convention busyness, and some of the parents in the room were […]
I’ve been thinking a lot about balance since I read the book In Search of Balance by Richard Swenson last fall. (His book Margin is an all-time favorite of mine, by the way.) As much as we hear about being driven by passion and living on the edge these days, we would do well to […]
When it comes to cooking, it seems that there are two kinds of people: those who follow the recipe exactly and those who tweak it. Those who tend to stick to the recipe probably like the security of doing what they’re told to do. Someone has already figured this out so I don’t have to […]
As every fall rolls around, the time comes to re-evaluate my daily schedule. Yes, I try to organize my children’s daily homeschool schedule, but the evaluating and tweaking go further than that. I like to take a look at how I spend my day’s allotment of time in all areas. This week, as I was […]
I am at peace. My mind can focus happily as I write this note. It is not wrestling with little nagging thoughts that flit in uninvited and interrupt the flow. How did I achieve this happy state?, you ask. Yesterday I took five minutes to make a list of meals for this week. This morning […]
In reading some advice that Charlotte Mason gave to her student teachers, three little gems stood out to me. Interestingly, they all start with “Do not.” But don’t let the negative wording intimidate you. These Do Not’s are not designed to impose a hardship on you—quite the opposite, in fact. I think that as you […]
We promised a little surprise this week and here it is: We are pleased to offer you this free book, Getting Started in Homeschooling. All the information from this Getting Started article series, plus more helpful material, is collected into this one convenient and encouraging book. Download your free copy of Getting Started in Homeschooling, […]
When I got married, I knew how to cook exactly two dishes: canned soup over rice and macaroni and cheese from a box. (And once I forgot to drain the macaroni.) Needless to say, those first few meals required a lot of effort and thinking on my part. But the more I cooked, the easier […]
When I first heard about the Charlotte Mason Method, I envisioned my children and me sitting on the couch, reading wonderful books together and smiling. Well, we have done a lot of reading—and a lot of smiling—with the wonderful books. But over the years I have learned that there is much more to the Charlotte […]
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