In a Charlotte Mason math lesson, the parent is like a guide who helps the child along. Richele joins Sonya to explain how you can guide your child to a firm understanding of math.

How the Parent Guides a Charlotte Mason Math Lesson originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

If you're already doing family devotions, why should you also add Bible lessons to your schedule? Sonya shares some great reasons to give your children both.

The Difference Between Bible Lessons and Family Devotions originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Four ways to know you've had a good homeschool year as you evaluate the end of a school year and look forward to the next.

Did You Have a Good Homeschool Year? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Enrichment subjects are a wonderful way to add beauty to your homeschool day. Here are eight reasons you shouldn't skip them.

8 Reasons to Include Enrichment Subjects in Your Homeschool Schedule originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Are you doing enough nature study? You might already be doing more than you think.

Am I Doing Enough Nature Study? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Can't get outside because of the weather? Not much nature around you? Here are 20 ways you can bring the nature indoors.

20 Ideas for Indoor Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Nature is beautiful, but sometimes it can be dangerous. How can you protect yourself? Karen Smith provides reassurance and some strategies for staying safe.

Staying Safe in Nature originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Do you have a child who loves to run and shout? How can you teach that child to respect others and not scare away the nature when you're outside?

Respecting Others While Doing Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Does a blank nature journal intimidate you? Do you wonder when you should have your child record his findings? Karen and Sonya answer your questions nature journals.

What to Put in a Nature Journal originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Find out what the difference is between science lessons and nature study, and how to balance the two in a Charlotte Mason homeschool.

How to Balance Science Lessons with Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

The preschool and Kindergarten years are a perfect time to cultivate a child's natural love for God's creation outdoors!

How to Do Nature Study with Preschoolers originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here's how you can get started with Charlotte Mason nature study without overwhelming yourself or your children.

How Can I Get Started with Nature Study? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What's the best way to encourage your child's interest in nature study? Sonya and Karen share some ideas to help you.

How to Encourage Interest in Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Learn how a Charlotte Mason approach to math breathes life into lessons and keeps things interesting.

The Life of the Math Lesson originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here's what we can learn from Charlotte Mason's class schedules to help us create our own homeschool plans.

3 Principles from Charlotte Mason’s Schedules originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Sarah from Read-Aloud Revival to talk about how you can spot a great picture book to read to your little ones.

How to Spot a Great Picture Book originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival joins Sonya to discuss tweaking narration when your child has special needs or special challenges.

Narration with Special Challenges originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

You'll be surprised at just how many good habits you can form in your child with a well-taught math lesson!

The Discipline of Good Habits in the Charlotte Mason Math Lesson originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What should you do if your child wants to read twaddle? Sonya and Laura share some ideas for steering your child toward the good stuff.

Help! My Child Wants to Read Twaddle! originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

The story of Charlotte Mason, how she revolutionized education, and how her legacy impacts homeschooling today.

Who Was Charlotte Mason? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Join Sonya and Karen for a conversation about how you can prepare children for adult life through chores, and what chores are appropriate for which ages.

How Chores Prepare Children for Life originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Charlotte Mason believed in the potential of every human person. And she summed up that belief in eight words.

8 Words That Make All the Difference originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares five books recommendations—one is FREE—that will help you grow in your role as a Charlotte Mason homeschool parent.

5 Books to Help You Grow as a Charlotte Mason Homeschool Parent originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares a meditation on Isaiah 9:6 to encourage you all year to trust in our good Father.

A Christmas Meditation originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

You can learn to add illustrations to your nature journal! Richele Baburina joins Sonya with some practical tips that will inspire you to get started.

How to Grow in Nature Journaling originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Can you keep a nature journal if you are not artistic? Sonya and Karen are self-proclaimed not artistic people, and they have some ideas for you.

Can You Nature Journal If You’re Not Artistic? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Richele shares how Charlotte Mason math lessons help you retain a child's happy relationship with math—and a healthy relationship between you and your child.

The Atmosphere of the Charlotte Mason Math Lesson originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Richele Baburina joins Sonya for an overview of Charlotte Mason math lessons.

Getting Started with Charlotte Mason Math originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya answers questions about how to know when you're pressuring a child too much, and how to know when it's time to move on to a new habit.

Habits Q & A: Avoiding Pressuring a Child; When to Move on to a New Habit originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here are five things to think about when preparing a Charlotte Mason lesson.

How to Prepare a Charlotte Mason Lesson originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What is your role as the teacher in a Charlotte Mason homeschool? Here are four things you're responsible to do for your child.

4 Roles of a Charlotte Mason Teacher originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Laura Pitney for an encouraging conversation about having patience as our children grow step by step.

Patience for the Homeschool Journey originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What can you do to establish good habits in the toddler and preschool years?

Habits Q & A: Habit Training with Young Children originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How did Charlotte herself define twaddle, and what was she warning us about?

What Is Twaddle? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Does the Charlotte Mason method provide enough challenge or rigor as children get older? Amber O'Neal Johnston joins Sonya for an encouraging conversation.

Is Charlotte Mason Enough for Older Students? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

When you understand the difference between word memory and mind memory, it can revolutionize your home school.

What Makes Learning Stick? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What do you do when an outside influence or a busy schedule threatens to sabotage your habit-training efforts?

Habits Q & A: Bad Influences and Busy Schedules originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here are 10 things Charlotte Mason would model for you and inspire you to do if she were your life coach.

If Charlotte Mason Were Your Life Coach originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

A look at the types of bird feeders you can use to attract birds to your backyard for nature study.

Nature Study with Bird Feeders originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here are three tips to help you have a successful year homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way.

3 Tips for a Successful Charlotte Mason Homeschool Year originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya answers questions about how to help a timid child gain confidence and how to keep up with good habits while you're moving.

Habits Q & A: Helping a Timid Child and Habits While Moving originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Laura talk about how to balance pushing through with willpower and giving yourself grace.

Balancing Willpower with Grace originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Your child has turned six and you're ready to start homeschooling first grade the Charlotte Mason way. How do you start formal lessons?

How to Ease into Formal Lessons in First Grade originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Charlotte Mason believed that worship was a part of our whole life, not just formal Bible studies.

Worship: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Karen Smith joins Sonya to share four steps to great nature study.

4 Steps to Great Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares some practical tips for breaking a bad habit the Charlotte Mason way.

Habits Q & A: How to Break a Bad Habit originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How the Simply Charlotte Mason history curriculum gives students a global perspective and helps them learn to be good neighbors.

History Streams in the Simply Charlotte Mason History Curriculum originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

As a person, your child has one chief responsibility.

Responsibility: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Karen Smith to talk about how we can introduce science concepts to our preschoolers the Charlotte Mason way.

Charlotte Mason Science for Preschoolers originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How the parent’s character affects habit training and how Mom can keep a sweet, even temper.

Habits Q & A: Parent’s Character; Maintaining a Sweet, Even Temper originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Ever wonder if you are doing enough in your home school? Sonya has some encouragement for you.

How to Know You Are Doing Enough in Your Home School originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How do you teach logic and reasoning in a Charlotte Mason home school?

Reason: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Laura Pitney joins Sonya to talk about how to approach summer break without losing all your momentum.

Don’t Break Your Home School During Summer Break originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya explains the key to helping children learn to make good choices.

Habits Q & A: Training the Will originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What did Charlotte Mason say about learning to be content? You may be surprised!

Learning to Be Content originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

We need to teach our children the difference between “I want” and “I will.”

Will: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What changes do you need to make as your child reaches the high school years?

Charlotte Mason High School Students: What to Expect originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How can you start habit training with an older child? How do you help a child who tends to think negatively?

Habits Q & A: Starting with Older Children; Dealing with Negativity originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Karen Smith joins Sonya to talk about ways you can do a long-term nature study.

Long-Term Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

If you want to give your child an education that views him as a whole person, you need to focus on both academics and character, self-education and self-direction.

Self-Direction: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sometimes homeschooling just doesn't seem to work. Sonya is joined by Amber O'Neal Johnston to discuss what to do when you or your children are struggling with a Charlotte Mason method.

What to Do When Charlotte Mason Methods Don’t Work originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What’s the best way to approach habit training with multiple children in the family?

Habits Q & A: Habits with Multiple Children originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here's a simple way you can encourage the habit of attention in every lesson.

Attention: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

You can make adjustments to your homeschool curriculum. You have permission.

Teach the Child originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How do you cultivate good habits but also a flexible mind-set in an autistic child? How do you focus on only one habit with several children?

Habits Q & A: Special Needs; One at a Time originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What three words would you use to describe the Charlotte Mason approach? Here's how Charlotte described it.

Charlotte Mason in Three Words originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

There's a difference between knowledge and information.

Knowledge: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Karen Smith for an overview of how to teach science the Charlotte Mason way all through the grades.

Science through the Grades originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here are four steps to help you come up with effective consequences.

Habits Q & A: Consequences originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here are some ideas for how you can incorporate Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and methods into your home even if you are not homeschooling.

Charlotte Mason When You Don’t Homeschool originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya discusses three hallmarks of a good curriculum.

Generous, Variety, Literary: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya talks with Karen Smith about how she organizes her large home library.

Organizing a Large Home Library originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya begins a new series answering questions about habit training.

Habits Q & A: Introduction to Habit Training originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Amber O'Neal Johnston about why it's important to pre-read and strategies for staying ahead.

Pre-Reading Your Students’ Books originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Laura discuss how they organize their home libraries.

Organizing Your Home Library originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

There’s a big difference between recognizing someone and having a relationship with the person.

Relations: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Ginger Hubbard and Katy Morgan to talk about six mistakes parents can make when they're trying to cultivate a habit of obedience.

6 Discipline Mistakes Parents Make originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way is a skill that can be learned.

Like Riding a Bike originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Karen Smith to talk about overcoming some common nature study obstacles.

Nature Study Obstacles originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Ideas are like seeds that grow and bear fruit in your child’s life.

Ideas: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Amber O'Neal Johnston joins Sonya to discuss what you should think about before you change curriculum.

Before You Switch Curriculum originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here's how to take a trip to Europe through some great living books.

Favorite Living Books about Europe originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here is an idea that our children need to hear often, perhaps especially around the holidays.

You Are Much More Than a Number originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Who’s doing the most work in your home school: the teacher or the student?

Self-Education: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Are we killing the love of learning in our children by requiring them to put forth their best effort?

Your Questions Answered: Does Best Effort Kill Love of Learning? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares her favorite living books about North America.

Favorite Living Books about North America originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Karen Smith about how we can expand our nature study by using all our senses.

Using All Your Senses in Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

There's a big difference between exercising the mind and feeding the mind.

Nourishment: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with author Ginger Hubbard and podcast host Katy Morgan about parenting and how we can help our children (and ourselves) grow.

I Can’t Believe You Just Said That originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares some great living books about the continent of Asia.

Favorite Living Books About Asia originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Let's talk about what it means when we say that education is a life.

Life: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

How do you deal with a nature fear? Karen Smith and Laura Pitney join Sonya to discuss this question.

Nature Study — But I’m Afraid of Nature! originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here’s the secret to getting through your lessons without needing big breaks. Planning and scheduling your homeschool studies involve several steps. Five steps, really. First, you start with the big overview, then zoom in on this year; then I like to take that year and break it into three terms and figure out what I’m going to be doing in each term. Then I take each term and do the last two steps: I plan my weekly schedule, determining which subjects we will do on which days of the week, and finally, once I have all of that figured out,…

The Secret to Planning Your Homeschool Day originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares some of her favorite living books to help your children learn about the people who live on the continent of Africa.

Favorite Living Books about Africa originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Laura Pitney about how teaching in a co-op setting differs from teaching in your home school, and how you can make the most of your co-op teaching time.

Teaching in a Charlotte Mason Co-op originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Don't have a Charlotte Mason co-op near you? Here are some ideas for starting one.

Starting a Charlotte Mason Co-op originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

You don't have to be perfect to work on good habits with your children, you just need to be intentional.

Discipline: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Karen Smith shares some of her favorite living science books for grades 4–6.

Favorite Living Science Books for Grades 4–6 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Laura about why so many homeschoolers love Charlotte Mason co-ops.

The Excitement of a Charlotte Mason Co-op originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Your child will learn a lot from having natural, first-hand experiences with the people and things in your home.

Atmosphere: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Amber O'Neal Johnston about how homeschool communities can enhance and support what you're doing at home.

Homeschool Communities originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Karen Smith shares some of her favorite living science books for grades 1–3 that will give your child a gentle introduction to the wonders of God's Creation.

Favorite Living Science Books for Grades 1–3 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Laura about how to stay organized at the end of the school year.

End-of-School-Year Organizing Ideas originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Think of education like a three-legged stool. You need all three legs to stay balanced.

Balance: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya chats with Karen Smith about some things to look for when you do nature study in the summer.

Nature Study in the Summer originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here are some of my favorite books for learning about the cultures of South and Central America.

Favorite Living Books about South and Central America originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Trying to homeschool while moving into a new house? Laura has some great encouragement for you.

Moving While Homeschooling originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

We often talk about "respect the child as a person." Here's what it looks like.

Respect: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Amber O'Neal Johnston discuss how to balance homeschooling and working from home.

Homeschooling and Working from Home originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya shares her favorite living books about the Middle East.

Favorite Living Books about the Middle East originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Laura take a look at three key areas that need to be organized to keep your home school functioning smoothly.

3 Keys to Organizing Your Home School originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Charlotte Mason had a very balanced view of authority and obedience. Let’s talk about it. We have begun a tour, looking at the core values that Charlotte Mason educators hold dear. These are the guiding principles upon which Charlotte built her whole educational approach; and if we can get a firm grasp on these values, we will gain confidence in our homeschooling.  Today on the tour, we are pausing to look more closely at the third core value. If you haven’t yet read the posts on the first two, I encourage you to do that in order to gain the…

Authority and Obedience: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Amber O'Neal Johnston to talk about learning as you go while homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way.

Learning As You Homeschool with Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Is there a place for fun activities in a Charlotte Mason education?

Your Questions Answered: The Place of Fun in a Charlotte Mason Education originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

The main message for today is “Don’t lose hope.” We have embarked on a tour of the ideas and values that form the core of a Charlotte Mason education. When we have these core values clearly embedded in our hearts and minds, we can approach each day of homeschooling with clarity and with confidence. We know why we are doing things this way and why we are not doing things that way. And we can embrace the freedom that comes with that confident teaching. We’ve already looked at the first core value—the one that Charlotte Mason considered revolutionary in her…

Possibilities: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Let's look at ten ways a Charlotte Mason education can prepare a student for success in a STEM field.

10 Ways a Charlotte Mason Education Prepares a Student for a STEM Career originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya discusses how the current STEM emphasis aligns, or doesn't align, with a Charlotte Mason education.

STEM and a Charlotte Mason Education originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Recently I shared my favorite living books for teaching Bible. Today I want to expand on that topic and share with you more great resources for teaching Bible. These are not living books in and of themselves, but they will help you and your children dig into and feel at home with the Living Book, the Bible. First, I’ll share some helpful resources for the entire family, then we’ll dive into some specific Bible studies for older students. As we discussed in the previous Bible resources episode, most of our Bible lessons will be comprised of reading a passage directly…

More Great Resources for Teaching Bible originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Laura share some ideas for what to do when your child says that school is pointless.

Your Questions Answered: When School Seems Pointless originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What do you see when you look at your child? Here’s what Charlotte Mason would like you to see. Charlotte Mason created a list of 20 core values, 20 key principles that formed the foundation on which her approach to education was built. We’ve started on a tour through those 20 core values. If you haven’t read the first post on this tour, I encourage you to take in that introduction too. It will set the stage for the rest of the tour. Today, we’re pausing to take a good look at the very first core value on the list. …

Personhood: Core Values of Charlotte Mason originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

When we think about homeschooling, we often limit it to what we do within our four walls, or at least within our community. But what better way is there to learn about the people in the world and make relations with them than to go there and meet them in person? So today we want to talk about worldschooling, and joining me is my friend, Amber O’Neal Johnston, who introduced this term to me: worldschooling. Sonya: What is worldschooling? Amber: Well, it is where you leave home and you take what you need with you and you hit the road.…

Worldschooling originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

In previous posts I have shared my favorite books for teaching history, and many of you said you appreciate those book reviews and would like more recommendations covering other subjects as well. So today I’m sharing some great living books for teaching Bible. Now, the first one I hope is quite obvious: the Bible. This should be your main living book for the whole family. Any other books you bring into the Bible lessons should play a supporting role; the Bible should have the spotlight. Use whatever translation you prefer, but let your children have direct contact with God’s Word…

Favorite Living Books for Teaching Bible originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Have you ever told your child, "Let's just get through this" schoolwork? Sonya and Laura discuss positive ways to approach that situation.

Your Questions Answered: Let’s Just Get Through This originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

A friend of mine made a statement recently that stopped me in my tracks. She was explaining how in the past she hadn’t felt confident deviating from a recommended book list for her Charlotte Mason home school, and she said something like, “That was before I understood the difference between Charlotte Mason’s principles and a book list.” That statement hit me like a ton of bricks, and I thought, “I wonder how many others are in that same place, feeling less than confident because they don’t understand that difference.” Maybe you have it stuck in your head that “if I’m…

Core Values of Charlotte Mason: Introduction originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

It seems like one of the hardest concepts to wrap your head around when you’re homeschooling with the Charlotte Mason Method is the concept of living ideas versus dry facts. Now, we give our children living ideas in several ways; but for this post I’m going to focus on living books, because living books make up a large part of a Charlotte Mason education. Charlotte said, “Why in the world should we not give children, while they are at school, the sort of books they can live upon; books alive with thought and feeling, and delight in knowledge, instead of…

What a Living Book Sounds Like originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today we’re wrapping up our favorite history books series. We’ve covered five history time periods so far: Middle Ages and Renaissance, Early Modern, Modern Times, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greece. Today we’ll share our top living books for studying Ancient Rome. I hope these posts have been helpful to you. Leave a comment and let me know if you would like more favorite book reviews. We could cover geography books, books for teaching Bible, family read-aloud literature books—we have a lot of favorite titles! Let me know if you would like me to cover some of those in the future.…

Favorite Living History Books on Ancient Rome originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Laura talk about some adjustments they've made in their home schools and share encouragement for readjusting your plans.

Making Midyear Adjustments in Your Home School originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

This time of year, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and look toward the unknown future of the coming year, we can find comfort and confidence in the truth that Jesus is called Immanuel, God with us. Charlotte Mason reminded her readers of that truth of an ever-present Savior, Who is with us in the midst of unexpected hardships and trials as well as in the demand of unending everyday needs. Then she continued with more timely reminders of what great blessings the believer has received in the Person of Jesus Christ—our King, our Chief, our Savior, our Friend.…

God With Us originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

In the last post, we looked at how books can help our children form relations with themselves, and we talked about those books as mirrors. Today, we want to expand on another aspect of that and how books can help our children form relations with others. They’ve formed the groundwork as they get to know themselves, “I am, I can,” and now they can reach out to others, “I ought, I will.” Joining me for this discussion is my friend Amber O’Neal Johnston. Sonya: Thanks for joining us again for this second part. Amber: So happy to be here. Thank…

Books as Windows originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

The books that we give to our children help them form relations, those important relations that Charlotte Mason talked about so much, relating with God, relating with the universe around us, and relating with people, and that’s the aspect that we want to focus in on today. Joining me for this discussion is my friend, Amber O’Neal Johnston. Sonya: Amber, it’s so good to have you with us. Amber: I am so happy to be here. Sonya: When we talk about books that help us form relations with people, it’s easy to automatically jump to, “Oh, relating with others,” but…

Books as Mirrors originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

One of the great things about doing Charlotte Mason nature study is that you don’t have to have a bunch of expensive equipment. Just grab your journal and go outside. But sometimes it can be helpful to expand our nature study practices by having some equipment, if we want to. So today we want to discuss how you might be able to use binoculars as part of your nature study and what to look for in finding some binoculars that work well for that practice. Here to join me in this discussion are my friends and coworkers Karen and Doug…

Binoculars in Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Great living history books for studying Ancient Greece the Charlotte Mason way.

Favorite Living History Books on Ancient Greece originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Are you looking for ways to create a more Charlotte Mason atmosphere in your home? Today we want to address a great question, and here to join me are Jenn Faas and Laura Pitney, my friends and coworkers. Sonya: Here’s the question: “Can you give some tips on great ways to create a Charlotte Mason atmosphere? How should I be thinking about our homeschool space? What am I trying to create?” It’s a good question, but I want to touch on one part of it first. When this mom asked how to create a Charlotte Mason atmosphere, or a good…

Your Questions Answered: Your Home School Space originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Charlotte Mason used a wonderfully unique and effective method for teaching conversational foreign languages. It’s called a Series Approach, and I’m going to walk you through how to do it. What You Will Need You will need a series. A series is a set of related statements that describe an everyday action. So for example, I take the book.I open the book.I close the book. That would be a simple series. You would need two copies of all your series: one in your mother tongue and one in your target language. If you don’t know how to pronounce the words…

How to Teach Foreign Language originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Has it ever happened to you that you ask your child, “What did you see outside today?” and that child says, “A bird,” and you try to get more information, but the child just says, “Well, I think it was red, or I think it was … it might have had some blue,” and that is about all you get? How do we train our children so they can look more closely and get in touch with nature more precisely? Charlotte Mason had some very simple exercises that she did with children to equip and prepare them for looking closely…

Help Your Child Learn to Observe More Closely originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I really enjoy sharing my favorite living books with you. It’s like introducing delightful old friends that I know will help and support you along your homeschool journey. Today I will give you my top ten picks for studying Ancient Egypt. These are the ten living books that are scheduled into the lesson plan guide called Genesis through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt. We like to pair ancient history with Bible history, and I’ll cover my favorite Bible history books in another post. Today, let’s focus on Ancient Egypt. I’m going to mention books across all the grades. Some of them…

Favorite Living History Books on Ancient Egypt originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya and Laura share encouragement and ideas for dealing with homeschool burnout.

Your Questions Answered: When You Want to Quit Homeschooling originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I’m going to venture to say that most of us did not grow up with Shakespeare as a regular part of our education. In my school years, I had only one Shakespeare play introduced to me and that was a last-minute, “Here, let’s watch this movie,” by a substitute teacher.  But Charlotte Mason believed that Shakespeare’s plays help instruct your student’s conscience and reinforce in story form the difference between right and wrong. And his powerful use of the English language was a valuable bonus. So let’s walk through a simple and effective way to teach Shakespeare. What You Will…

How to Teach Shakespeare originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today we want to dive into a few questions that we’ve received from different home educating parents who have questions about Charlotte Mason’s method of dictation. If you’re not familiar with that wonderful method for teaching children spelling, then take a look at that post, How to Do Dictation. The corresponding video will walk you through the process and the method so you know exactly what we’re talking about. Joining me is my friend and coworker, Karen Smith. Sonya: Karen, thanks for joining us. One of the first questions we want to discuss is from parents who are just starting…

Your Questions Answered: Questions about Dictation originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

On my bookshelf I have a copy of a book from the early 1900s that was used in Charlotte Mason’s schools. Many books like this contain an introduction full of helpful comments, but the introduction to this book is so refreshing that I want to share a portion of it with you. Of course, it stands to reason that the comments would dovetail with Charlotte’s philosophy, since she recommended and used this book. But I often find it helpful to read the same ideas put into different words. This little book is a resource for teaching beginning reading and writing.…

Hints to Teachers originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today, we want to tackle a fun topic: school supplies for a Charlotte Mason education. We already talked about what we consider back-to-school essentials for the mom, and those are more the attitudes that set the atmosphere of your home. But today we want to get down and practical with “What are some school supplies?”—some of you asked us that, “Give us some school supplies”—that we like to use in a Charlotte Mason homeschool. Joining me today are my friends and coworkers, Jenn Faas and Laura Pitney, and we’re going to share some of the school supplies that we consider…

Your Questions Answered: Favorite School Supplies for a Charlotte Mason Home School originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today we want to discuss how Charlotte Mason taught English grammar. Grammar analyzes the system and the structure of a language. That’s a heavy concept that requires abstract thinking, so Charlotte did not start formal grammar lessons until the student was about 10 years old.  When we talk about grammar lessons, we’re basically talking about five components: English usage, which includes concepts such as possessives, plurals, contractions, things like that; punctuation; capitalization; parts of speech; and sentence analysis. Of course, your student has been seeing and hearing those elements for several years in conversations, in the good living books used…

How to Teach Grammar originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today we want to discuss a mind-set that could be robbing you of some of the richness involved in nature study the Charlotte Mason way. We want to talk about whether your mind-set is a checklist (“Yep, just do that.”) or a relationship in nature study. And here to join me is my friend and coworker, Karen Smith. Sonya: Karen, I know this is a subject near and dear to your heart. Karen: Yes. Sonya: In fact, sometimes you share it with me as your pet peeve. Karen: Yes, I do. Sonya: Do you want to explain what that peeve…

Nature Study: Not Just a Checklist originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Some of you have asked about notebooking and whether that is a Charlotte Mason method. It’s a good question, and the answer all depends on what you’re thinking of when you think “notebooking.” For some people, notebooking is like scrapbooking. You tuck postcards and maps, stickers and photographs, pamphlets and articles from magazines on the pages in an attractive arrangement. For some, notebooking is more of a portfolio. You include samples or pictures from all kinds of assignments that your child has completed: book reports, board games, jigsaw puzzles, movie reviews, paper dolls, flattened paper crafts, posters, diagrams, and science…

Charlotte Mason Notebooking originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

What should you do when your child doesn't like a certain school subject? Sonya and Laura discuss ways to approach this in your home school.

What to Do If Your Child Doesn’t Like a School Subject originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I want to introduce to you a wonderful tool that Charlotte Mason used to help her students see where everything fit in history. It’s called a Book of Centuries. What You Will Need A Book of Centuries is basically a timeline in a book. Every two-page spread covers one hundred years—a century—that’s why it’s called a Book of Centuries. So you will need a notebook with every two-page spread labeled with one century, going in chronological order. That means, the B.C. pages will count down and the A.D. pages will count up. Keep that in mind. You can download a…

How to Do a Book of Centuries originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Imagine a scenario with me. You are teaching your child how to write. So, as Charlotte Mason detailed, you set before that child a model of the handwriting you want him to copy. Now let me ask you a question: What does that model look like? Imagine giving your child a printout of the mistakes he has made in the past and saying, “Here, look at this, but write it correctly.” We would never do that! We put before that child a good model and say, “Make it look just like that.” Don’t we? Yet it occurred to me that…

Dealing with Our Past Homeschooling Mistakes originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Just five minutes, three times a week, can enrich your homeschool experience more than you might realize.

3 Simple Ways to Enrich Your Homeschool Experience originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

This time of year, it seems like no matter which store you go into, there are lists and lists of back-to-school supplies: these are the things the students will need to get into the school days ahead. But what about the homeschool mama? What will she need for the school days ahead? We’re going to talk about that today and here to join me is my friend and coworker, Laura Pitney. Sonya: Laura, I’m so glad you could be with us again. Laura: I’m glad to be here. Sonya: It seems like a long time since we were able to…

Your Questions Answered: Back-to-School Essentials for Mom originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today we want to talk about how to do formal spelling lessons in a Charlotte Mason way: dictation. If you have been following the previous articles in this How To series, you will have seen how Charlotte included some spelling components in both copywork and transcription. (And even in beginning reading lessons.) Those preparatory practices have laid the foundation for more formal spelling lessons in a couple of ways. First, they have begun to build up a mental storehouse of word spellings in the student’s mind. The student should already know how to spell many words before he ever starts…

How to Do Dictation originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I’d like to walk through two different ways to schedule a school day. Both are viable options. Use the one that fits best during this season of life. Over the years—or even during different terms of a single year—you might find that one of these works better at that moment. Feel free to switch between the two options as desired. Use them as tools. The two options are time tables and time boxes. Let’s talk about time tables first. Time Tables Many of us are familiar with this type of daily schedule from our own school days. Most schools…

2 Ways to Schedule Your Homeschool Day originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here's a look at four possible homeschool year schedules. Choose the one that works for your family!

4 Ways to Schedule Your Homeschool Year originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I just pulled a notebook off my little reading table and opened to the first page. And I can’t stop smiling at the diversity of wisdom and wit recorded there. First is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: “I decided to accept the fact that a man must be what he is, life must be lived as it is . . . you can not live at all if you do not learn to adapt yourself to your life as it happens to be.” Next is an outstanding sentence from a letter Jane Austen wrote to a friend; it gives such…

Getting Started with a Book of Mottoes, or Commonplace Book originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I want to explain a practice that will help your student develop handwriting fluency, practice beautiful penmanship, encourage correct spelling, and feed your child’s mind with worthy ideas. It’s a simple practice, but it can yield big results. That practice is transcription. Here’s how to do it. What You Will Need Just as with copywork, you will need something to write and something to write with. The “something to write with” will be a pencil and paper, but the “something to write” will look a little different from copywork. (If you haven’t read to the How to Do Copywork…

How to Do Transcription originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

In a Charlotte Mason education, it’s the books that shine. They are the teachers, and a lot depends on them. That’s why we are selective when it comes to the books we recommend in our curriculum at Simply Charlotte Mason. If you look at the SCM curriculum pages on our website, you can see all of the books that we recommend for each subject and grade level. Those are our top picks of the books that we know about. There are so many great living books out there, sometimes it’s hard to choose just one for a particular topic or…

Finding a Substitute Book originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Many times we focus on the mom in a Charlotte Mason homeschool. We usually focus on the moms, because they’re often the ones doing the bulk of the teaching in a homeschool. But homeschooling affects both parents. And we thought you might like to hear one dad’s story about the Charlotte Mason home school in his home. Many of you know Karen Smith from her helpful nature study posts and printed resources. Today we’re going to chat with her husband Doug. Sonya: Doug, thanks for joining us. Doug: Hi, great to be here. Sonya: Now, let me ask you this.…

A Charlotte Mason Homeschool Dad’s Story originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Perhaps you have heard the term “copywork” and wondered what exactly it is. Copywork is a method that Charlotte Mason used to help children learn letter formation. Let’s walk through what that looks like. What You Will Need Basically you need two things: something to copy and something to write with.  The “something to copy” might be a stroke, a letter, a word, or more than one word. We’ll get into those details in a minute. But the key is how it is formatted. The letter or word to be copied should be in a handwriting font not a regular…

How to Do Copywork originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

In the spring and summer, many of us turn our thoughts to evaluating our home schools. How are things going? What changes might we want to make? Some states or provinces require that you write some kind of end-of-the-school-year assessment. And even if it’s not required legally, it’s a good idea to pause every once in a while and make sure the path you’re on is taking you the right direction, toward where you want to be. So today I want to share with you a simple way to evaluate your home school. It’s all centered around the word “kiss.”…

Give Your Home School a KISS originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Modern Times (about 1850 to present day) is a jam-packed era in history. So many things were happening all around the world; and thanks to improved technology, we have access to more details than any other time period. The thing we need to be careful of is overload. You cannot teach your child all about everything. Especially in this Information Age, that goal is physically impossible. The brain can take in only so much before it hits the saturation point. So keep in mind that you will need to make choices when studying any period of history, but especially modern…

Favorite Modern Times History Books for Grades 10–12 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Many of you know that Charlotte Mason was a big advocate of taking nature walks and doing nature study. She scheduled her students to get out into the fields one half-day every week, and Charlotte herself did a nature walk every day. But Charlotte lived in a beautiful, rural setting in the picturesque lake district of England; she didn’t live in downtown London. Perhaps some of you are struggling with living in the middle of a city and figuring out how to do nature study with your children there. It is possible! My nature study go-to person, Karen Smith, is…

Nature Study in the City originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Usually when people describe the Charlotte Mason approach, the one thing they almost always mention is nature study. Time in nature is an integral part of the Charlotte Mason Method. So let’s walk through how to do a nature study. What You Will Need You will need a blank sketchbook for each person and something to write or draw with. That could be a regular pencil, colored pencils, or watercolor paints. It’s up to you. Then, you will find it helpful to have a few field guides, either in book form or as apps on your phone. That’s it: a…

How to Do Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I think almost all of us who use the Charlotte Mason Method have a desire to see our children love to read. We know how much richness good books can add to our thoughts and our lives, and we want our children to experience that too. So on one hand, when we see one of our children eager to read and always looking for another book to get his hands on, we rejoice. But on the other hand, having a voracious reader can present some challenges. Let’s discuss those challenges and some ideas to help. Sonya: I’ve asked my friends,…

Your Questions Answered: Prolific Reader originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I want to share my top picks for living history books on modern times. These are the books that I recommend for grades 7–9, and in some cases, all the way through twelfth grade. I’ll explain more about that in an upcoming post.  We will be looking at books for both American history and world history. I love to teach both side by side, so the student gets a global perspective of history and realizes that what happened in America did not happen in a vacuum, especially in modern times. All of these books are scheduled in the Modern…

Favorite Modern Times History Books for Grades 7–9 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by SCM co-founder Doug Smith to discuss screen time and technology.

Screen Time originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

If your experience with poetry during your own school years was anything like my experience, you’re going to find Charlotte Mason’s approach to be a breath of fresh air. Let’s walk through how to do poet study. It’s going to be easier, and probably more enjoyable, than you might expect. What You Will Need Just as Charlotte encouraged us to focus on one composer or one artist at a time, she also encouraged us to focus on one poet and really get to know him or her. So you will need to select a poet and grab a collection of…

How to Do Poet Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I’ve asked two friends to join me: Laura Pitney and Jenn Faas. We’re going to be talking about the unique challenges of home schooling, Charlotte Mason style with a large family. Sonya: So between all of us, we’ve got 14 kids? Jenn: Sounds right. Laura: Four, six, and four. Yep, good job. Sonya: Jenn gets the trophy for the largest family here. But let’s talk about some of the ins and outs of doing home schooling Charlotte Mason style with a larger family. Jenn, do you want to lead off? Jenn: Okay. Well, I was thinking about this topic…

Your Questions Answered: Charlotte Mason with a Large Family originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

All right, I just have to say that I’m going to miss seeing you in person! I was really looking forward to getting together with you at homeschool conventions this spring. Now that many of them are canceled, we will have to wait for those hugs and pictures and fun.  But it’s good to know that we can still keep in touch online. In fact, we are working with some online convention plans right now. So stay tuned; we will keep you informed as details are finalized. Now, I know a lot of you were planning to attend my workshop…

Be Home originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I love sharing great book recommendations with other homeschoolers. Today I’ll be sharing my top picks for grades 4–6 who are studying modern times, about 1850 to the present. I already reviewed books that will give an overview of that time period for the whole family to enjoy together. Today I want to zero in on some additional titles that focus on specific people and events. I’ll be sharing both American history and world history books, so you can give your 4th–6th grader a global perspective and help him understand that American history did not happen in a vacuum. Much…

Favorite Modern Times History Books for Grades 4–6 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I have four daughters, no sons. So sometimes I get asked whether a Charlotte Mason approach works with boys. The answer is “Yes, absolutely it does,” but don’t just take my word for it. Today we’re going to talk with one of the co-founders of Simply Charlotte Mason, my friend and mother of three boys, Karen Smith. Sonya: Karen, thanks for joining us today to talk about your family, and your experiences with Charlotte Mason with boys. Have you even been asked does Charlotte Mason work with boys? Karen: Yes, I have, many times. Sonya: And what do you say…

Charlotte Mason with Boys originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I want to walk you through how to do music study, or composer study. Charlotte Mason believed that “music is a necessary part of education.” It can also be a simple part of your home school. Here’s how. What You Will Need You will need access to music, whether it is on vinyl, or disc, or streamed from the Internet. And make sure you’re able to filter that music by composer. Choose one and make sure you can play only that composer’s music, rather than music in a similar style as a composer. You want to filter it to…

How to Do Music Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Welcome to another installment of Your Questions Answered. As usual, my friend and co-worker, Laura Pitney is joining me. Here’s the question we’re going to discuss today: For elementary students, how do you balance all the subjects and still give them plenty of time to play together? Laura: That’s a good question. Sonya: I think what we want to do is try to walk through a typical day and talk through what the schedule would be like and add up how much time is involved; because there really is a lot of time to play in my mind, but let’s…

Your Questions Answered: Time to Play originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

There are a lot of books available on modern history (about 1850 to present day). The trick is to find the good ones, the ones that are appropriate for those younger grades mentally and emotionally. Some very difficult events occurred in modern times, and because of advancing technology, we are more aware of some quite disturbing details about those events—details that we don’t usually have for older history. But I don’t believe that the younger grades are the time to share those details in full force.  Children that age are still in the beginning stages of wrapping their heads around…

Favorite Modern Times History Books for Grades 1–3 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

If you're feeling like your child is behind or not learning enough, take a moment to be encouraged.

Is My Child Learning Enough? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Picture study is one of the easiest things to add to your schoolwork and one of the most enriching. Let’s walk through how to do it. What You Will Need You will need to select an artist and have a good-sized picture by that artist for your picture study lesson. How To All right, let’s do a picture study, and then we’ll walk through the steps we used. For this picture study, we’ll use The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer. Ready?  Look at the picture until you can close your eyes and see it in detail. If one part is a…

How to Do Picture Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Recently, Sonya Shafer and Laura Pitney and Karen Smith sat down to discuss this question: What are one or two (or three, four, whichever we get to) common homeschool mistakes that get in the way of success with the Charlotte Mason methods? Laura: I think we’ve all been there, right? Sonya: We have made mistakes—at least, I have. I don’t know about you. Karen (smiling): A few. Sonya: And we talk to a lot of people in the booth and help them with some mistakes they might have been blind to or need help with. One that comes to mind…

Your Questions Answered: Common CM Homeschool Mistakes originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I must admit that I’m somewhat partial to old books. But when you’re teaching modern history, you have to find some new favorites. And I’m happy to tell you about some real gems that I’ve found and can heartily recommend for the whole family. Good living books make it simple to teach your whole family together for history. A living book will appeal to a wide range of ages. And the books that I will be sharing today do just that. You can read them to all of your students together, then give individual reading assignments to your older students…

Favorite Modern Times History Books for the Family originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by Karen Smith to talk about how to do nature study when it's cold outside.

Winter Nature Study originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Let’s walk through a foundational method used in many Charlotte Mason-style lessons: narration. You will be using this method for history, geography, Bible, science, and other subjects, so let’s make sure you understand it and feel confident using it. What You Will Need Really all that you need to do a narration lesson is a living book. Remember that a living book is one that makes the subject come alive. It conveys ideas, not just dry facts. It will probably be written in narrative, or story-, form or in a conversational tone. As you read, you will be able to…

How to Do Narration originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

It seems like more and more people are traveling and expanding their horizons around the world. We often get asked for advice and practical tips from families who are planning to live and homeschool overseas. The Charlotte Mason Method can present some unique challenges and some uniquely enriching opportunities when you’re homeschooling in a different country from your homeland. So I’ve asked my dear friend and fellow Charlotte Mason homeschooler, Crystal Hildreth, to join us today to talk about homeschooling overseas with the Charlotte Mason Method. Sonya: Crystal, thanks so much for joining us. Crystal: Hello, Sonya, my dear friend.…

Homeschooling Overseas with the Charlotte Mason Method originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

We’ve spent several blog posts talking about the way of the will and how to strengthen the will so it will be able to choose to do what is right, even when it’s hard. I’ve really enjoyed these weeks of addressing your questions and giving practical ideas about disciplining the will and developing willpower. Today I’d like to focus on a question of a spiritual nature that was sent in by Mariana. Here’s the request: “I’d love to hear how all this connects with God’s will. ‘Thy will be done.’ “ Mariana I’m so glad you brought that up, Mariana,…

Our Wills and God’s Will originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I remember my high school history books. They were nothing like these beauties! My history textbooks were full of summaries and facts. These are full of ideas and people and fascinating narratives that make the events of the past come alive! Today I want to share with you my favorite history books for high school students covering the early modern time period. And we’re going to be looking at books for both early American history and world history.  I think it’s important to study American history, or the history of your particular country, in the context of world history. Our…

Favorite Early Modern History Books for Grades 10–12 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

This morning my alarm went off as scheduled. I squinted my eyes part-way open and took in the dark room and the cold rain pattering against the window. It was a dreary day, but it was warm and cozy under the covers. As I reached out my finger to turn off the alarm, a faint thought tickled in the back of my mind: “You ought to get up and write this morning.” Then immediately a louder thought followed it: “But it would be so nice to stay warm and comfortable under the covers. Just a little longer. No rush.” An…

I Am, I Can, I Ought, I Wish I Did originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

A well-rounded Charlotte Mason education involves living ideas from great books, the discipline of good habits, and the atmosphere of our homes. We’d like to focus on that third aspect today. My friend and co-worker Laura Pitney is here to talk about creating a delightful atmosphere during the Christmas season. Now, I know not all of you celebrate that holiday, but Laura’s family and my family do, so we’d just like to share some of our favorite traditions and ideas of the season. And hopefully, you’ll be able to get some ideas and encouragement for creating a special holiday atmosphere…

Your Questions Answered: Christmas Season Edition originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

My friend Pam Barnhill stopped by today and she sat down to have a little chat with us. Some of you might know her from her popular podcast, Homeschool Solutions. Sonya: Pam, thanks so much for joining us today. Pam: Thank you so much for having me, Sonya. It’s great to be here. Sonya: Would you tell a little about your family? Pam: Sure! I have three kids. The oldest is 13; she’s a girl. And then we have an 11-year-old boy and a nine-year-old boy, as well. I’ve been married to my husband, Matt, for 25 years this year.…

A Chat with Pam Barnhill originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I love being surrounded by great books! My father recently made me two more bookcases, so I’ve been happily reshuffling and reorganizing my collection of history and literature books. That’s one of my favorite tasks: handling and organizing my books. As I hold each one, it’s like looking into the face of an old friend. So today, I want to introduce some of those friends to you. We’ll focus these introductions on books for students in grades 7–9 and these will be great living books that will add much to your study of Early Modern times, approximately the years 1550…

Favorite Early Modern Books for Grades 7–9 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Right off the bat, some of you may be thinking, “Strengthen my child’s will? I don’t need to strengthen it. He’s a strong-willed child already!” And that may be the case, but don’t jump to any conclusions. You might want to read the other posts about the Will to make sure you know what we’re talking about. If your child is consistently taking the easy way out, doing what he wants to do rather than what he knows he should do, Charlotte Mason would describe that child as having a weak Will. He lacks willpower. Willpower is needed in order…

3 Ways to Develop Willpower originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

My friend and co-worker Laura Pitney is joining me to talk about all of those wonderful enrichment subjects. Here’s the question to discuss today: “There are so many enriching subjects in a Charlotte Mason approach: picture study, music study, nature study, poetry, handicrafts, art instruction, Shakespeare, hymn singing, and more. It seems like so much to try to fit into my schedule. How can I juggle all of those subjects and actually get them done?” Laura: That’s a great question. I feel like there are two parts to this question. Sonya: Okay. Laura: I feel like there are the people…

Your Questions Answered: Fitting in the Good Stuff originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

A good field guide can be a very helpful tool when you’re doing nature walks or nature study. Let’s talk about what to look for when you’re choosing them and how to use them. Joining me today is my longtime friend and co-creator of Simply Charlotte Mason, Karen Smith. Karen is my go-to person for anything that is science and nature related. Sonya: So thanks for joining me, Karen. Field guides. What are they? Let’s start there. Karen: A field guide is just a tool to help you identify what you see in nature. Sonya: Does it have to be…

How to Choose and Use Field Guides originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

The Early Modern time period includes many fascinating people and events. And what better way to study them than through living books—books that make them come alive in your child’s mind; books that touch their emotions and fire their imaginations; books that are well written and brimming with ideas, not just dry facts. Today I want to share some of my top picks for fourth through sixth graders studying this time period, about 1550—1850.  You decide whether you want to read them aloud together or assign them as independent reading. That decision will be based on your individual child’s reading…

Favorite Early Modern Books for Grades 4–6 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

A few weeks ago I did a post on the Way of the Will as a little refresher course on how Charlotte Mason explained the will and how it works. Many of you responded with requests for more on that subject. So today we’re going to touch on another aspect of the will, and I will sprinkle in more over the coming weeks and months. Today I want to talk about a mental shift that can occur if you change just one word when you think about your child’s will. Parents often refer to a child as strong-willed when that…

Is Your Child Strong-Willed or Weak-Willed? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today my friend and co-worker Laura Pitney is with me to share some of our favorite moments using the Charlotte Mason method. Sonya: I’m thinking back on it, now that I’ve graduated three out of my four kids, and I can see a lot more, I wouldn’t necessarily say, you know, “top moments,” but there are things that come to mind now that I didn’t have back when I was in the thick of things. Laura: That gives me hope. Sonya: It should. Okay, for my oldest, she’s almost 30, and she continually recommends books to me that she’s been…

Your Questions Answered: Favorite CM Moments originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

When I was a little girl, I would go visit my grandparents once or twice a year. I quickly figured out that things at my grandparents’ house were different from my own house. They had different-looking furniture; they watched different TV shows and played different games; they had different toys for me to play with; they didn’t have air conditioning; they ate different foods. They even used different words. At my house, we ate “cereal” for breakfast; at their house that box of cereal was called “breakfast food.”  Perhaps you experienced the same kind of thing at your grandparents’ house.…

How to Read History originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I’d like to share some of my favorite living books for early elementary students, those in grades 1–3, covering history during the years of 1550–1850 or so. I’m going to share titles for both American history and world history during that era, often called Early Modern.  I think it’s helpful to study American history in the context of world history, because the events are often interrelated. American history did not happen in a vacuum, and you can help a child understand the bigger picture when you read about world history alongside it. In a previous post, I shared my…

Favorite Early Modern Books for Grades 1–3 originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

In a Charlotte Mason Homeschool, we know we should do nature study once a week, or is that a nature walk once a week? What’s the difference, anyway? Let’s figure this out. Joining me today is my longtime friend and co-creator of Simply Charlotte Mason, Karen Smith. Karen is my go-to person for anything nature or science related. Sonya: So Karen, thanks for joining me as we try to figure this out. Nature study, nature walk—what’s the difference? Karen: A nature walk is simply a walk in nature. Sonya: Okay, there you go. Karen: Taking time to notice things as…

Nature Walk or Nature Study? originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Today I’m joined by my friend and co-worker, Laura Pitney, to do another installment of Your Questions Answered. The question for today is quite interesting: “You say not to repeat yourself, but I’m wondering how you teach this? I have a five year old. Let’s say I get her attention, look directly into her eyes, and tell her ‘Go put your pajamas in the laundry.’ She starts the journey, but gets sidetracked on the way there. Five minutes later, I notice her pajamas on the kitchen floor, beside her, while she’s playing with the toys she found on the way.…

Your Questions Answered: Not Repeating Yourself originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

I was recently talking with a group of parents, and in the course of our time together, I mentioned how important it is to make sure our young adults know how the will works. Well, all of the parents in that group wanted a refresher course on the way of the will, as Charlotte Mason called it. So I thought it might be helpful to share a quick refresher with all of you. Here’s a quick overview. And we can dive into more details if you want to. Just let me know in the comments. Think of your child’s will…

The Way of the Will originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Great living books for the whole family to enjoy on the Early Modern time period.

Favorite Early Modern Books for the Whole Family originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

My friend and coworker, Laura Pitney is with me today for another episode of Your Questions Answered. Today’s question is What is the place of audiobooks in a Charlotte Mason home school? Laura: That is a great question for sure. Sonya: Let’s talk about benefits first, how they can be very helpful to a homeschool mom. Laura: I would definitely say it’s helpful for me and my voice when I am running thin on everything else I’ve been doing vocally. Sonya: Yes, or if you’re just not available at the moment. That way your child doesn’t have to wait for…

Your Questions Answered: Audiobooks in a Charlotte Mason Home School originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Planning for your home school can sometimes seem overwhelming. But let me encourage you that the more you do it, the easier it gets. And today I want to share with you a quick and simple trick I use when I’m trying to lay out a weekly schedule and a daily schedule. I’ve been using this technique for more than ten years and shared it with hundreds of homeschooling mamas all over the world. It’s really quite simple, but that’s the beauty of it. You’ll need a stack of index cards and a large flat space—it might be the dining…

Using Subject Cards to Plan Your Homeschool Schedule originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

It’s that time of year again — the season when many of us get the itch to plan our next school year. Whether you’re just starting out or have been doing this for decades, here are five friendly reminders—just five ideas to keep in mind as you plan for your Charlotte Mason homeschool this coming year. Reminder #1: Start with the big picture, then narrow things down from there. It’s tempting to just jump right into this coming year and start shopping for resources and figuring out your first few days’ assignments. But let me encourage you to take a…

5 Things to Remember When Planning Your Charlotte Mason Homeschool originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.