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Frog and Toad can teach us some good life lessons. Have you read their story about the garden? Toad sees Frog’s beautiful garden and decides he wants one. So Frog gives him some seeds. Toad plants them and impatiently watches…
Where does the time go? It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that my friend Karen (the other half of Simply Charlotte Mason) will be graduating her two youngest children this year. It’s a big commitment to homeschool…
Picture study is such a great way to add a little something to your day that brings a nice change of pace and “freshens your wits,” as Charlotte liked to describe it. You don’t need an art degree to teach…
We recently found two gems that are geared for elementary students but that the whole family will enjoy. Those are the best kind of gems! I love to read a well-written elementary-level living book, for it keeps things focused and…
“You shouldn’t eat white bread; white bread is bad for you. Whole wheat is best.” The little girl looked up at me with sincere and reproving eyes as I prepared lunch. We were taking care of her and her brother…
I was reading a biography on Louis Pasteur recently and came across this wonderful quote: “The greatest danger to the mind is to believe in something because one wishes to do so.” Charlotte Mason would agree. When it comes to…
Last week the children and I watched a nature video. We gazed in wonder as thousands of beautiful snow geese returned from their southern migration to celebrate spring in the far reaches of the north. Part of their celebration was…
We just returned from a trip to the store where, I will admit, I grabbed some ready-made food items. Yes, I could probably have made those items from scratch with a little time and effort, but that seems to be…
In The Story of Charlotte Mason it gives Charlotte’s birthday as January 1, 1842. Though we don’t know for certain whether she was born on January 1st or if it was just recorded on that default date because the actual…
A friend of mine posted a cartoon this week that caught my eye. The first character asks, “What exactly is a New Year’s resolution?” And the second replies, “It’s a to-do list for the first week of January.” For some…
I think I’ve caught the bug. Not that icky respiratory bug that’s going around. I’m talking about the let’s-get-busy-and-tweak-what-needs-tweaking-so-we-can-enter-2012-ready-to-succeed bug. You know, that persistent urge to clean out closets or reorganize the kitchen cupboards. That itch to evaluate your life…
Joy. We sing about it. We desire it. But often we look for it in the wrong places. Too often we hope that this season of parties and family gatherings and gifts and special concerts and candlelight services will somehow…
Am I the only one whose mind is working in constant addendum mode during this season of the year? You know what I mean by “addendum mode,” don’t you? It’s that state of mind in which your brain adds to…
It seems that more and more homeschoolers are using audiobooks. It makes sense when you think about it, especially for those of us using the Charlotte Mason Method. We read a lot of books, and we keep an ongoing list…
Have you ever noticed the different distances a Thank You can travel? I went through a drive-through the other day, and at the end of my order the employee told me the total and said, “Thank you.” That Thank You…
It always intrigues me to find out exact titles that Charlotte Mason recommended in her writings and used in her schools. Recently I came across this recommendation: Describing the best material to use for reading lessons, Charlotte said, Short fables,…
I have a daughter with special needs. We diagnosed her with autism and PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) when she was four years old, and I’ve been trying to use as many Charlotte Mason methods as possible in our homeschooling journey…
I don’t know about you, but for me the two biggest challenges of teaching handicrafts are (1) not knowing how to do the craft myself and (2) coming up with projects. Despite my noticeable lack of “craftyness,” my oldest daughter…
Handicrafts and life skills are such a great way to spend cooler afternoons. And as the weather turns cold, they provide a wonderfully productive outlet for energetic minds and fingers indoors. We like to combine handicrafts with life skills because…
I remember sitting in our Charlotte Mason homeschool discussion group, explaining how a living book should give our children ideas, not just facts. One dear lady turned a puzzled look my way and asked, “What do you mean ‘ideas’?” That…
It seems that children naturally want to make their mark as they grow. The tinies smear their highchair tray with sauces and puddings to explore what it might look like; the little ones scribble with crayons on any surface in…
We are honored to have Karen Andreola as a guest writer for today’s post. Her book, A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning, has been a source of inspiration and encouragement for so many of…
Last week we started a discussion on whether Charlotte Mason’s approach should be described as “gentle.” We hear that description used a lot, but is it accurate? Much of the answer depends on how you define “gentle.” In the previous…
I have often heard homeschool moms refer to the Charlotte Mason approach as a “gentle” approach. I’ve even used the term myself, come to think of it, when describing some of her methods. Usually that word comes up when we…
Ever since our first three Picture Study Portfolios came out, we have been receiving enthusiastic comments about them. I just purchased the Picture Study Portfolio featuring the works from Giotto at our homeschool conference today!! WOW!!! These are beautiful, the…
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…
This spring and summer have been chock full of homeschool conventions, and I have enjoyed many lovely opportunities to present workshops. It has been a blessing and a privilege to share ideas from my experience as a Charlotte Mason-style homeschool…
In the past couple of weeks we have looked at two very important questions for homeschool mothers: Why must the children learn? and What should they learn? Charlotte Mason believed that those questions needed definite and thoughtful answers if we…
It seems like What? is one of the main questions we homeschool mothers ask: What books? What math curriculum? What supplemental courses or classes? What outside activities? We spend a lot of time pondering the What as we pore over…
As we prepare for another year of homeschooling, many of us are asking a lot of questions: What can I buy with the money available? How detailed should my plans be? Am I leaving something out? How can I keep…
When I first heard about a Book of Centuries, I was relieved. Here was the perfect way to contain that wall timeline that was threatening to overtake my house—a timeline in a book! But, as usual, Charlotte Mason’s method was…
A few weeks ago we were on the road in Texas, between conventions, when our battery light came on. My husband is mechanically minded (for which I am often thankful), so he knew what to do. We found the nearest…
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…
We hope you’ve enjoyed this series on Charlotte Mason’s motto for students. There is much more to ponder, much more to consider and do to help our children realize the potential in those four powerful phrases: I am, I can,…
As we wrap up our series on Charlotte Mason’s motto for students, let’s look at how we can help our children strengthen their wills to do hard things—I am, I can, I ought, I will. Remember, Charlotte urged parents to…
We hope these little thoughts on Charlotte Mason’s motto for students are encouraging you as you educate the whole persons who live in your house. So far we’ve looked at I am and I can. Today let’s talk a little…
Last week we looked at the I am part of the motto and the importance of seeing your child as a person. This week let’s talk a little about how you can help your child realize I can. You’ve probably…
Last week we introduced Charlotte’s motto for students and how it emphasizes helping our children to grow in all areas, not just academics. In this post, let’s look a little deeper at the first phrase: I am. The other day…
This week we start on a new series, looking at Charlotte Mason’s motto for students: “I am, I can, I ought, I will.” We will take a few weeks to look at each of those phrases, mull over what it…
Many years ago when I first started doing picture study, I felt a bit like a fish out of water. I had maybe heard of Monet (I pronounced it “mo-NET.”) but didn’t know anything about him or his pictures. Happily,…
As we have seen over the past couple of weeks, the Charlotte Mason method of picture study is a simple yet effective way to give our children art appreciation, fill their minds with beautiful ideas, and offer even more opportunities…
Last week we discussed some reasons to add picture study to your home school. Picture study is a simple method that reaps great rewards. This week let’s look at the how-to. Here are the easy steps that Charlotte Mason described…
As we have been on the road this homeschool convention season, we have stayed in many hotels and eaten at many different restaurants. Two truths have been reinforced along the way, and it dawned on me that those truths also…
Those of you who have looked over our Free Curriculum Guide know that it suggests that students cover Genesis through Revelation in a six-year cycle. The foundation is laid with an emphasis on Bible history (Genesis through Acts) during the…
Mom took a deep breath and began to read aloud: I wonder how many of my readers have ever sat upon an ottoman. If you have, you know that it . . . “What’s an ottoman, Mom?” six-year-old Stacy interrupted.…
As you read this we will be on our way to another homeschool convention, this time in Duluth, Minnesota. Conventions can be great opportunities to recharge your batteries, discover new resources, and connect with kindred spirits. They can also become…
About a year ago we were scouring the shelves of an antique book store and came across a world history book for “young readers.” We gave it the one-page test and couldn’t put it down. The author had such a…
Usually the question goes something like this: “Nature study is a great idea, but I don’t know the names of the flowers and trees and birds, myself. What should I do?” I know, I faced the same situation. But SCM…
The new issue of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is now online and we’re pleased to be the host this time! As we mentioned last time, a blog carnival is a collection of blog posts about a common topic gathered…
My heart is full. My mind is revving. My face is smiling. You see, I just finished reading the posts listed below. What a treat! They are a wonderful mixture of personal encouragement, humble challenges, and practical ideas. First are…
