In studying to put together our new book, Hearing and Reading, Telling and Writing: A Charlotte Mason Language Arts Handbook, I was once again amazed at the way Charlotte could take a simple idea and pack it full of benefits. Take copywork, transcription, and dictation, for examples. Each of those methods is pretty simple to […]
Charlotte Mason thought that the Bible lesson should be the most important lesson of the day. We think so too. But as my children grew older, I found it harder to apply Charlotte’s wonderful principles of direct contact with Scripture and forming your own relation with it through forms of narration. You see, in the […]
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 […]
Planning season is upon us, and many people are using our free SCM Curriculum Guide to help make those decisions easier. We’ve been getting some questions on how our History, Bible, and Geography modules work, so let’s take a moment to walk through that flexible part of our curriculum guide. I’m a firm believer in […]
In this final installment of our Way of the Will series, let’s look at how the habit of attention affects your child’s success in strengthening his will to do what is right even when he doesn’t feel like it. The habit of attention is necessary to help him distinguish between “I want” and “I will” […]
As we begin to wrap up this “Way of the Will” 5-part series, let’s look at what Charlotte called “the secret of a happy life.” If you had been a student in one of Charlotte Mason’s schools, you would have received a badge with the student motto around the edge: “I am, I can, I […]
So far in this series on “The Way of the Will,” we have talked about a child who wants to have his own way and lets you know about it in no uncertain terms. But what about those children who are easy-going? Can we assume their wills are strong? Let’s discuss compliant children today. Have […]
Last week we discovered that, according to Charlotte Mason, what we often call a strong-willed child is really a child with a weak will. Today let’s talk a little about how to help our children develop strong wills that can choose to do what is right even when they don’t feel like doing it. I […]
At the Texas Book Fair last weekend, we were able to help many homeschoolers who were trying to stay within their budgets. And when we would tell them about all the free resources on our Web site, it was fun to watch their eyes light up when they heard the word “free.” So we thought […]
As we mentioned last week, we are very excited about a newly-completed project. Our Books & Things Seminar is now available on DVD! Charlotte noted how an education based on books and things can simplify our home schools. Using good living books and the things around us to educate our children is also a very […]
We enjoy meeting so many of you at events throughout the year. Here is a peek at upcoming events, both homeschool conventions or book fairs and SCM workshops and seminars. We will have all of our products at our book display at all of these events, including a brand new product that we’re very excited […]
We’ve spent much of this series on high school talking about academics. And it’s easy to focus on the books, the grades, and the transcript, especially in the high school years. But our goal is not just to graduate our children. Our goal is to equip them to be godly young men and women who […]
Last week we talked about the methods that remain consistent through high school when approached the Charlotte Mason way: a wide variety of subjects, living books, and narration. This week let’s take a closer look at specific subjects. It appears from our research that Charlotte outlined the following subjects for the high school years: math, […]
High School. Maybe it’s the name. Maybe it’s the emphasis our culture seems to place on its importance. Maybe it’s the expectations that we carry from our own past experiences. Whatever the cause, it seems like many factors can contribute to a sense of intimidation when we think of teaching “high school.” Then, along with […]
Charlotte Mason had a knack for keeping school interesting. Not only did she include a variety of subjects, but she taught those subjects with enjoyable (and effective) methods. Take the subject of spelling, for example. Most of us were taught spelling with lists of words. Charlotte realized that lists have drawbacks: they aren’t interesting and […]
We have enjoyed some wonderful discussions on the SCM Forum lately. Here are some highlights that are sure to furnish you with ideas, encourage you along your homeschooling path, or give you some helpful tips. They Are Asking for Grades—What if your children ask for grades? A great discussion on how Charlotte Mason thought we […]
It’s getting to be about that time again — the season when many of us get the itch to start planning our next school year. Here are five things to keep in mind whether you are in the midst of planning or just trying to finish out this year. Include more than just books. A […]
Don’t you just love it when you discover a way to make an old favorite even better? Like when my daughter comes up with a change to an old family recipe that makes us all ask for seconds or even thirds. Here at SCM we’re excited to share with you a new version of an […]
Getting the Spine Book Straight
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Wisdom from Shakespeare
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Shakespeare in Three Steps: A New Resource
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Shakespeare: Author and World-Teacher
3 weeks ago
Small, Constant Touches
1 month ago