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Several times a week Charlotte scheduled some type of handicraft for students in the elementary years. While all of her selected handicrafts gave those young students multiple benefits, one craft in particular was designed to give them confidence in mathematics:…
You’re at the grocery store and you remember that you promised to make spaghetti for a family reunion. Happily, you notice a sale on pasta: buy three, get the fourth one free. Each box costs $0.99. You have $10 left…
A few months ago I hit a wall with my youngest and her progress in math. She was doing the work but not really understanding the concepts. So I e-mailed my friend, Richele Baburina, who has done extensive research in…
For years young women from all over England would live with, eat with, laugh with, work with, and learn from Charlotte Mason. Charlotte believed that these teachers-in-training came to her, not just to learn to teach, but to learn to…
If there is one thing I have become strongly convinced of over recent years, it is the importance of praying for our children. Every day. We cannot know what thoughts assail our children’s minds and hearts, all that transpires within…
Isn’t it funny how sometimes it’s hardest to show kindness to those with whom we live day in and day out? It seems like when we walk out the front door, we remind ourselves that others are watching and we…
I’ve often wished I had a personal nature guide who could accompany me on my nature walks. It’s not that I want someone to do the observing for me; that would steal my own joy of discovery. What I want…
(Editor’s Note: I’m happy to present another very helpful nature study article from my friend, Karen. She’s a wealth of nature study ideas, and I’m sure you’ll find much to encourage you from her thoughts on how to do nature…
(Editor’s Note: I’ve learned so much about nature from my friend and coworker, Karen Smith, over the years! She is my nature go-to person. I know you will enjoy this practical and encouraging reminder from her on an important basic…
We mentioned last time how helpful it is to have some resources to assist you in making new acquaintances and getting to know them better in nature study. Today we’re happy to announce two new resources designed to do just…
We talked last time about the benefits of spending time outside—how it cultivates reverence for God, respect for others, and renewed focus on life. Some of you may have felt annoyed at the reminder. Some of you avoid spending time…
The promise of spring is in the air. Lately we’ve had a few days that were warm enough to invite us outside for a refreshing walk. Here in Georgia I’ve even spotted the first brave daffodils in various yards, turning…
Twenty years ago when I started homeschooling, one of the first resources I latched onto was Practical Homeschooling magazine. I loved reading the “A Day in the Life” diaries from other homeschool families and getting a peek into what their…
If you’ve been around Charlotte Mason homeschoolers for any length of time, you have most likely heard the term “spine” book. While it may seem like such a term would refer to a type of science book, it’s actually more…
We’ve been talking the past couple of weeks about how much Charlotte Mason valued Shakespeare. She considered his works to be a great way to help instruct children’s consciences, reinforcing the differences between right and wrong, good and evil.
My first exposure to Shakespeare was in a high school language arts class. We had a substitute teacher that day. He didn’t know what to do with the class, so he wheeled in one of those TV-on-a-cart jobs and popped…
Every once in a while you find an author with whom you connect on a deep level. One who can use words masterfully to paint a picture on the wall of your mind, almost as vivid as a framed watercolor…
My youngest daughter is earning money toward a trip. Ever since she learned about the Oregon Trail, she has wanted to go visit some of its destinations in person. She is saving coins in a bright purple piggy bank. She…
Last week we talked a little about how a Charlotte Mason education works well with boys, sharing points from Doug and Karen Smith, who have graduated three boys from their CM home school. We thought some of you might also…
When I tell people that I have four girls, they often jump to an incorrect conclusion: So the Charlotte Mason Method doesn’t work for boys? That’s when I smile and tell them that the “other half” of Simply Charlotte Mason…
Like many of you, I grew up taking piano lessons. I remember playing Beethoven’s Fur Elise and exercises from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. But no one ever told me the stories behind those pieces or introduced the composers to me as…
As the old year winds down, one thing I love to do is look for resources that will help me in the new year. A variety is best. I keep my eyes open for resources that will save me time,…
We’ve talked a lot about narration this past year. So we thought you might enjoy reading a portion of Charlotte Mason’s own written narration of the birth of Jesus Christ, composed in poetry form. Have a blessed Christmas! It came…
Earlier this year I had the privilege of reading Karen Glass’ new book, Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition. From the very beginning I couldn’t put it down! Her work cuts deftly through the confusion swirling around this…
A quick read. Sometimes that little touch lifts our heads from the everyday rush and points our eyes once again toward a beautiful goal. This Christmas season we want to give you the gift of a quick read. One that…
We are pleased to announce one new book, two new Picture Study Portfolios, and free shipping during the month of December!
(Editor’s Note: I sometimes get asked, “What about creative writing?” Here is a lovely post about how to approach creative writing by guest writer, Karen Andreola.) “If we would believe it, composition is a natural as jumping and running to…
When I started homeschooling with the Charlotte Mason Method, my focus was all on the children. I thought this endeavor was about giving my children the kind of education that I hadn’t received. Little did I suspect the added bonus…
This year we graduated our third child from our home school. All three of our children were taught with Charlotte Mason methods, though I refined my techniques over the years as I researched and learned more. Some of the refinements…
Sometimes a phrase jumps off the page and sticks with me. I’m sure you have experienced similar moments. The choice of words resonates with my heart or touches something deep inside my mind, and I notice them replaying in my…
As we have worked our way through the Narration Q & A series over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to group the questions by topic. We have a couple more big topics left to cover, but today I…
Can you touch your ceiling? I can’t touch the ceiling in my kitchen even if I jump. It’s a standard height, but I can barely reach it with a 2-foot-long fly swatter. Now can you imagine jumping over your ceiling?…
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.…
We’ve been discussing oral narration for several weeks now. It’s time to move on to the next step in composition. Wait a minute! you say to yourself. The next step? I thought written narration was composition. So often when we…
Last time we talked about some ideas for getting started using narration with younger children. Today let’s address some questions about starting the method with older children. Narration Question #41: In the Fall I will have a 4th and 1st…
In our Narration Q & A series so far, we have covered the foundation. The tips and techniques that we have discussed apply to most age ranges and give the broad view of narration. During the rest of this series,…
When we think of narration, we often envision a parent and a child sitting comfortably on the couch. The mother is smiling and nodding—the book closed and resting in her lap—as the child earnestly tells the story in his own…
Eat three square meals a day. Brush your teeth twice a day. Change the oil every 3,000 miles. Take the trash to the curb once a week. Many of us love guidelines with numbers, because it’s easier to wrap our…
I love this comment that Megan shared on our blog! I did my first oral narration with my 9 year old son today after watching (and being SO encouraged) by the living and learning DVD set. He did pretty well,…
It’s easy to look at narration as the be-all and end-all Charlotte Mason method of learning. What we don’t realize is that we are focusing on just a portion of the picture. We are mistaken if we think that a…
So far in our Narration Q & A series, we’ve talked about the reason we use Charlotte Mason’s method of narration and how it cements the material in the student’s mind; we’ve discussed what narration is and how to get…
Isn’t it great when a song gets stuck in your head? I suppose it depends on the song. These past couple of days I’ve had a wonderful stream of words lilting through my mind, thanks to a hymn we sang…
I was listening to a music teacher talk about Chopin yesterday. He mentioned that some people might think Chopin was a lesser composer than Beethoven because Chopin’s compositions are so much shorter. But the music teacher set everyone’s doubts at…
For those of you who are just starting out with narration—or for anyone who would welcome a good dose of courage and confidence—we are happy to present this guest blog post from Karen Andreola. Read and be encouraged! When a…
A change of scene. Sometimes a change of scene is the key to refreshing our wits and renewing our energy. A biography on Charlotte Mason tells us that her daily life of teaching and supervising and corresponding and running a…
When I began using Charlotte Mason’s method of narration, I thought it should look like this: We sit on the couch. I open the book and read the next chapter. I close the book and ask a student to retell…
I like simple. Well, let me amend that statement. I like simple as long as it’s effective. As we continue our series on narration questions and answers, let’s look at a simple description Charlotte gave for using narration effectively. This…
How well do you know The Pledge of Allegiance? I’m pretty sure most of us can recite it. Want to try? (Those of you residing in a country other than the United States, bear with me while I make a…
We just returned from a homeschool convention in Texas that required four days on the road and three days at the convention hall. You do the math. During those days away from home, we ate in many different restaurants, and…
In my pantry are some foods I think of as staples. They can be included in a variety of dishes and used in a variety of ways. Take potatoes, for instance. I can add them to a stew or pop…
