Five Free Guides to Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
There is so much to learn about Charlotte Mason when you first get started. Here are five free resources to help you find your way!
Charlotte Mason Homeschooling 101
I’ve written this post as an information hub – all the info you need about Charlotte Mason homeschooling, in an organized way, to help you get your mind wrapped around the essential information. This post will help you research what’s under the surface of Charlotte Mason homeschooling – before you dive in.
Mom, What’s an ‘Education’?
A few years ago, my son really didn’t want to go to bed and launched into full lights-out-postponement tactics, grasping at any thread of conversation that would keep me talking. So when I mentioned that he needed sleep so that we could do school tomorrow, he quickly asked, ‘Why?’ ‘Because it’s my responsibility to ensure…
Atmosphere is More Than Your Emotions
After a conversation earlier this week, I’ve been thinking over Charlotte Mason’s principle, “Education is an atmosphere”. It seems appropriate given that our warm weather this week has led to a stuffy, hot atmosphere, particularly in the house. Like most British people, we don’t have air conditioning, and our houses were built with more attention to keeping…
In Parallel: Authority and Assessment
At the first lecture for my masters in education, my professor told the class that research was clear: assessment dictates how and what students learn. If you want your students to achieve certain educational goals, you have to get your assessment in line with those goals. For an MA in education designed to prepare students…
Building an Attention Cottage
Rooting out weeds from a garden has two parts: pulling up the weeds that are growing on one hand and establishing the plants that you do want on the other. If we only ever pull at the weeds, we’ll be at it forever. Once that lettuce or those pumpkins or the dahlias get going, however,…
A Contemplative Life for Moms is Noisy
A few years ago I picked up J. P. Moreland’s Love Your God with All Your Mind (referral link). It was published in 1997, and is a little bit dated in its lack of references to social media and smartphones. Otherwise, it’s been a helpful look at the role of intellectual growth in the life…
In Parallel: On Gatekeeping and Honoring Others
I have been on a slow and evolving mission to manage the way I use technology and social media for the past two or three years. I’ve had a number of moments of clear conviction that I was frittering my time away, basking in the shallows of other people’s lives and failing to live my…
In Parallel: Forming Good Habits
This week I finished reading Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen (referral link). I relate to the premise so much. I love to imagine achieving big goals, whether it is related to homeschooling, my website, a health and fitness related challenge. In my mind, I can feel the sense of accomplishment and my sense of…
Homeschool in Review: April 2024
April was a turn-around month. We quickly wrapped up our winter term, took a fleeting week off from lessons, celebrated a birthday, and jumped right into our summer term. Here’s how the month went. For reference, I have three boys and we are using AmblesideOnline. At the end of the month I now have: Age…