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Nature Study in the Summer


Sonya chats with Karen Smith about some things to look for when you do nature study in the summer.
60-day returns • free shipping on USA orders $129+
Sonya chats with Karen Smith about some things to look for when you do nature study in the summer.
Here are some of my favorite books for learning about the cultures of South and Central America.
Trying to homeschool while moving into a new house? Laura has some great encouragement for you.
We often talk about "respect the child as a person." Here's what it looks like.
Sonya and Amber O'Neal Johnston discuss how to balance homeschooling and working from home.
Sonya shares her favorite living books about the Middle East.
Sonya and Laura take a look at three key areas that need to be organized to keep your home school functioning smoothly.
Charlotte Mason had a very balanced view of authority and obedience. Let’s talk about it. We have begun a tour, looking at the core values that Charlotte Mason educators hold dear. These are the guiding principles upon which Charlotte built…
Sonya is joined by Amber O'Neal Johnston to talk about learning as you go while homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way.
Is there a place for fun activities in a Charlotte Mason education?
The main message for today is “Don’t lose hope.” We have embarked on a tour of the ideas and values that form the core of a Charlotte Mason education. When we have these core values clearly embedded in our hearts…
Let's look at ten ways a Charlotte Mason education can prepare a student for success in a STEM field.
Sonya discusses how the current STEM emphasis aligns, or doesn't align, with a Charlotte Mason education.
Recently I shared my favorite living books for teaching Bible. Today I want to expand on that topic and share with you more great resources for teaching Bible. These are not living books in and of themselves, but they will…
Sonya and Laura share some ideas for what to do when your child says that school is pointless.
What do you see when you look at your child? Here’s what Charlotte Mason would like you to see. Charlotte Mason created a list of 20 core values, 20 key principles that formed the foundation on which her approach to…
When we think about homeschooling, we often limit it to what we do within our four walls, or at least within our community. But what better way is there to learn about the people in the world and make relations…
In previous posts I have shared my favorite books for teaching history, and many of you said you appreciate those book reviews and would like more recommendations covering other subjects as well. So today I’m sharing some great living books…
Have you ever told your child, "Let's just get through this" schoolwork? Sonya and Laura discuss positive ways to approach that situation.
A friend of mine made a statement recently that stopped me in my tracks. She was explaining how in the past she hadn’t felt confident deviating from a recommended book list for her Charlotte Mason home school, and she said…
It seems like one of the hardest concepts to wrap your head around when you’re homeschooling with the Charlotte Mason Method is the concept of living ideas versus dry facts. Now, we give our children living ideas in several ways;…
Today we’re wrapping up our favorite history books series. We’ve covered five history time periods so far: Middle Ages and Renaissance, Early Modern, Modern Times, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greece. Today we’ll share our top living books for studying Ancient…
Sonya and Laura talk about some adjustments they've made in their home schools and share encouragement for readjusting your plans.
This time of year, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and look toward the unknown future of the coming year, we can find comfort and confidence in the truth that Jesus is called Immanuel, God with us. Charlotte Mason…
In the last post, we looked at how books can help our children form relations with themselves, and we talked about those books as mirrors. Today, we want to expand on another aspect of that and how books can help…
The books that we give to our children help them form relations, those important relations that Charlotte Mason talked about so much, relating with God, relating with the universe around us, and relating with people, and that’s the aspect that…
One of the great things about doing Charlotte Mason nature study is that you don’t have to have a bunch of expensive equipment. Just grab your journal and go outside. But sometimes it can be helpful to expand our nature…
Great living history books for studying Ancient Greece the Charlotte Mason way.
Are you looking for ways to create a more Charlotte Mason atmosphere in your home? Today we want to address a great question, and here to join me are Jenn Faas and Laura Pitney, my friends and coworkers. Sonya: Here’s…
A simple and effective approach to learning a foreign language that gets you speaking right away.
Has it ever happened to you that you ask your child, “What did you see outside today?” and that child says, “A bird,” and you try to get more information, but the child just says, “Well, I think it was…
I really enjoy sharing my favorite living books with you. It’s like introducing delightful old friends that I know will help and support you along your homeschool journey. Today I will give you my top ten picks for studying Ancient…
Sonya and Laura share encouragement and ideas for dealing with homeschool burnout.
Here's a simple approach to enjoying the plays of William Shakespeare.
Today we want to dive into a few questions that we’ve received from different home educating parents who have questions about Charlotte Mason’s method of dictation. If you’re not familiar with that wonderful method for teaching children spelling, then take…
On my bookshelf I have a copy of a book from the early 1900s that was used in Charlotte Mason’s schools. Many books like this contain an introduction full of helpful comments, but the introduction to this book is so…
A new artist has been added to the award-winning Picture Study Portfolios collection: Hans Holbein. Each Holbein picture in the portfolio has an interesting story behind it that will encourage your child to look closely and discover more about the…
Today, we want to tackle a fun topic: school supplies for a Charlotte Mason education. We already talked about what we consider back-to-school essentials for the mom, and those are more the attitudes that set the atmosphere of your home.…
The Charlotte Mason Method approaches grammar a little differently, but it's an approach that makes total sense.
Today we want to discuss a mind-set that could be robbing you of some of the richness involved in nature study the Charlotte Mason way. We want to talk about whether your mind-set is a checklist (“Yep, just do that.”)…
Some of you have asked about notebooking and whether that is a Charlotte Mason method. It’s a good question, and the answer all depends on what you’re thinking of when you think “notebooking.” For some people, notebooking is like scrapbooking.…
What should you do when your child doesn't like a certain school subject? Sonya and Laura discuss ways to approach this in your home school.
A Book of Centuries is a timeline in a book. Find out how and download a free printable template.
Imagine a scenario with me. You are teaching your child how to write. So, as Charlotte Mason detailed, you set before that child a model of the handwriting you want him to copy. Now let me ask you a question:…
Just five minutes, three times a week, can enrich your homeschool experience more than you might realize.
This time of year, it seems like no matter which store you go into, there are lists and lists of back-to-school supplies: these are the things the students will need to get into the school days ahead. But what about…
Prepared dictation is a brilliant way to teach spelling in the context of great ideas.
Today I’d like to walk through two different ways to schedule a school day. Both are viable options. Use the one that fits best during this season of life. Over the years—or even during different terms of a single year—you…
Here's a look at four possible homeschool year schedules. Choose the one that works for your family!
A book of mottoes is a wonderful lifelong habit to form. Here's how to do it.