When N was on the way, I started researching home education. (Can you say 'planner'?) Blogs of home educating parents mesmerized me. I saw home ...
Around the Thicket
learning and growing, naturally.
While Charlotte Mason’s philosophy is most commonly applied to school-age children, she has plenty to say about younger children, too. Charlotte Mason for the Early Years is a semi-regular series exploring how Charlotte Mason’s principles relate to toddlers and preschoolers.
Understanding Your Child as a Whole Person
There have been a few times recently when I have not heard my toddler, N, when he is speaking to me. N is incredibly verbal lately, and li ...
What should our young kids do all day?
What do we do with our children? Obviously we have to meet their basic needs. Food, water, clean diapers, sleep, shelter. I'd throw 'sec ...
A Classic Case for Parenting Slowly
Imagine you are at the playground with your toddler. He makes his way to a ladder leading to a slide. After considering it, he climbs up one rung and ...
Practicing Masterly Inactivity with your Toddler
Recently, I introduced Charlotte Mason's concept of masterly inactivity. Her thinking was that it is often best to 'let children alone' exc ...
Teaching Reading the Charlotte Mason Way – Getting Started
It's easy to think that there isn't much to do school-wise for the first six years of a child's life when you plan to home educate the Charlotte Maso ...
Why bother with Preschool at Home?
One year ago, I assumed I wouldn't do any sort of a formal preschool with my kids. Charlotte Mason advocates starting formal lessons no earlier than ...
Charlotte Mason Friendly Preschool at Home
In my last post, I listed the reasons why our family is spending time on 'preschool' this year. Despite Charlotte Mason's belief that children should ...
Five Books, Twenty Minutes, One Charlotte Mason Friendly Home Preschool
In previous posts, I've covered both why we are doing preschool at home this year, and how we are keeping it in line with Charlotte Mason's education ...
How to Homeschool Preschool without Regrets
When it comes to homeschooling, I’m only just starting out in the game. While it’s been on my radar since my oldest child was a baby, he’s not even f ...
The Truth About How Much Time Our Kids Should Spend Outside
In Home Education, Charlotte Mason famously (or perhaps infamously) says that children should spend four to six hours outside every day - a bit less ...
Before Curriculum: Using Charlotte Mason’s Educational Tools in the Home
You don’t need a curriculum to get started with the Charlotte Mason method. However, you do need an understanding of a few, simple principles. Find out where to start.
How to Start Habit Training in Moral Habits
When it comes to habit training, I’m a big fan of starting with what I consider ‘concrete habits’. These are habits that require visible action. Maki ...
