Five Free Guides to Charlotte Mason Homeschooling

Before I started homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way, I spent years reading and learning about it. This was before podcasts really took off and Instagram was really a thing. Pinterest was my main discovery tool, followed by Google. 

In many ways, having less information was a blessing. My research on Charlotte Mason and her ideas centered on reading a few blogs, then a few books, then reading her own volumes. After that, I benefited from connecting with others in person and online through Facebook and the AmblesideOnline forum. By the time my eldest turned six, I felt as ready as I could be.

I do think that it is more challenging to get started with Charlotte Mason homeschooling today. There is simply so much you can read, watch, and listen to! With that in mind, I wrote my own guide to help others navigate the beginning of their journeys.

But as I wrote my guide, I thought back to the posts and resources that made the biggest difference in the early days of my homeschooling journey. These were freely available, thoughtfully put together, and approachable. They communicated the living ideas within Charlotte Mason’s method in a way that let me catch hold of them and make them my own.

I want to share similar resources with others, and so without further ado, I present five free guides to Charlotte Mason.

31 Days of Charlotte Mason (Afterthoughts)

Afterthoughts is one of the very first blogs I read about Charlotte Mason homeschooling. Brandy has posted throughout her Charlotte Mason journey, and nothing has given me more of a vision for what home education could be.

I particularly remember reading through this blog series, many posts of which are written by guest authors. 31 Days of Charlotte Mason hits the highlights of her method: narration, personhood, habits. It also gets into some finer points, like Charlotte Mason and mythology. Even eleven years on from publication, this is still an excellent place to learn more.

Introduction to Charlotte Mason and Frequently Asked Questions (AmblesideOnline)

I really, really think that you shouldn’t worry too much about curriculum when you first discover the world of Charlotte Mason homeschooling. See more on that below. However, AmblesideOnline’s website is a trove of thoughtful information, carefully put together. 

The Introduction to Charlotte Mason will give you a basic overview, but reading the Frequently Asked Questions is worth your time, even if you don’t plan to use the curriculum. Here, you’ll not only find information about Charlotte Mason, but details about why and how to cover the many subjects in a Charlotte Mason curriculum, from handicrafts to math to language arts.

Before Curriculum (Around the Thicket)

As I mentioned above, It’s important not to rush to curriculum before you have a handle on some of the basic principles. Yet I know that when many of us discover Charlotte Mason, we feel like we should have started yesterday!

Before Curriculum is a short book that I published to help others get started with the tools of a Charlotte Mason education: atmosphere, discipline, and life. Whether we’re in the middle of lessons, on a summer break, or just doing the daily work of parenting, these three tools are the way we help our kids learn and grow. I set out Charlotte Mason’s ideas for you, and help you see how you can apply them all the time.

While you can purchase a print copy, the eBook and printable PDF are available as pay-what-you-like, starting from $0!

Study Guide on Charlotte Mason’s Twenty Principles (My Little Robins) 

Continuing on the theme of Charlotte Mason’s principles, I want to highlight Leah’s  study guide. Grasping the principles is the very best way to prepare for homeschooling. These principles will help articulate the why and how of education. They inform our choices on a daily basis. Without them, I would second guess myself all the time!

Leah writes, “I put together a study guide for you, with resources and links to help you understand each principle. You can read through the assigned sections of Charlotte Mason’s volumes to give you a deeper understanding of how her philosophy works. Complete the study guide on your own, or with a small group.” You’ll need to provide an email address for this resource.

The Core Values of Charlotte Mason (Simply Charlotte Mason) 

It’s impossible to begin an exploration of Charlotte Mason homeschooling without coming across Simply Charlotte Mason!

I want to suggest this series, The Core Values of Charlotte Mason, because, again, it covers the principles. (Values is code for principles here!). The series is available as videos as well as a transcript. After reading or watching, you’ll come away with a comprehensive understanding of Charlotte Mason’s ideas and much more confident.

And there you have it! Five free guides to Charlotte Mason homeschooling. I really think that after a bit of time with each of these resources, you’ll have a working knowledge of Charlotte’s ideas. I also think you’ll be thoroughly curious to learn more and try out this method for yourself!