Self-propelled with CM?

I’ve read her website and seen her planner.  The planner isn’t for me, but I am all about self-education.  Charlotte Mason believed in self-education. 

I transition my kids from mom directed to self-directed beginning around 8-9  years old.  This process starts for us with copy work.  Once letter formation is successfully learned,  I need not look over their shoulder, but merely check at the end.  Often, I can briefly explain math, then turn them loose.  I do this with my 7 year old math natural now.  Literature and history books become their domain gradually.  By 5th or earlier for some, mine have been ready to read their own books.  They read and then narrate, orally at first, but transition to written for some.  If I’m unavailable to listen due to working with someone else or something, they voice record their narration and send to my phone.  This has been a lifesaver and is a precious memory to boot. I work myself into more of a mentor and facilitator role. We still do some things together or at our CM co-op, but the great majority is self-directed pretty early here. With my dd16, I check her narrations and work weekly, but am available to listen, discuss, explain as needed throughout the week.  Time management is a critical skill, imo, and one we work toward.

My kids are dd16, DS13, dd9.5, ds7. Dd16 is 100% self-directed and follows her list and plans her days and weeks. DS13 is getting there.  He is great with a lot, but has learned some hard lessons about not managing his time or slacking off. He is capable of being 100% self directed, but his weak will in time management skills gets in the way at times. Dd9.5 loves learning.  She is 95% self directed and very successful at following her list.  We have a couple things we read together not out of necessity for her as she has mad reading skills, but because I want to.  DS7 is not self-directed yet except for the occasional math or copy work sheet he does unsupervised.  He’s still learning to read well and is not yet at the reading to learn stage.  I check ds13 and dd9.5 work daily, as they go or at the end of the day. Though I’ve skipped a few days at times.  I am with DS7, so no later checking needed.

Self-directed and motivated is a big goal for us. It’s important in our family so we work toward it.  I love learning and watching my kids learn, but I do not like being in the middle.  I like to put them in the way of good books and let them make their own connections.

I should note that I have utilized online courses or tutors at times when wanted or needed and my kids have benefited from that.  I have tried and failed with dictation here, we currently use phonetic zoo successfully and painlessly. I am a purist in mind, believing while-heartedly in CM philosophy and methods, but am a realist, too.  I have to do what works best in my family, so I do so unapologetically and without guilt at this point (though I haven’t always ;).

Tools are important to any job and time management is not any different. My kids have a list and a written schedule (more of a routine)  and gradually they manage it more. Next year, I’m going to plan subject by subject as always and my 16, 13, and then 10 year olds will be responsible for planning their weeks and days in a paper planner of their own with direction from me as needed. Dd16 will do fine   The other two will need a bit of handholding, but I expect them to fly before too long. Here is the planner I chose for them for next year instead of making my own which I’ve done before.

https://products.orderoochaos.com

I hope that helps.