When I first entered into the world of homeschooling, I was bombarded with information. I found myself Googling different homeschooling styles, reading all of the homeschooling books and learning everything I could to help me better homeschool my children.
We took nature walks regularly, carrying along our watercolors, colored pencils and nature journals. We read classic literature, read poems, and sang songs. We found ourselves enthralled in the world of Winnie the Pooh, joyfully exploring new trails in the forest, closely studying mushrooms in our backyard and reciting poems by Walter de la Mare. It all felt so right, but the lingering feeling that we were “missing” something loomed over me. Afraid that we weren’t doing enough “curriculum” made me wonder if my children were missing something.
Then, I fell into the world of Charlotte Mason. What makes Charlotte Mason truly special to me is how seamlessly her principles intertwine with the essence of gentle parenting. She believed in fostering a genuine love for learning, respecting children as individuals, letting their natural curiosity blossom, and creating an environment of shared discovery – a perfect harmony with the gentle guidance and understanding I cherish.
Embarking on the Charlotte Mason homeschooling journey is more than adopting an educational philosophy; it’s about embracing a lifestyle that respects the unique essence of each child. Let’s dive into the essential steps to get started and infuse your homeschooling days with the wisdom of Charlotte Mason.
How to Get Started with Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
1. Understanding Charlotte Mason: Nurturing a Child’s Mind and Spirit
Before delving into the practicalities, take a moment to acquaint yourself with a visionary educator that was a woman before her time – Charlotte Mason. Recognize her profound view on children as born persons with inherent abilities to learn and grow. Embrace her philosophy that education is a feast, not a burden, and children should be treated with respect, given living ideas through living books. Familiarize yourself with who Charlotte Mason was and what her educational philosophy means.
2. Dive into Charlotte’s Own Words: Reading Her Works for Insight
To truly grasp Charlotte Mason’s vision, immerse yourself in her original works. Reading books like “Home Education,” “Formation of Character,” and “Towards a Philosophy of Education” provides an intimate understanding of her principles. While there are a number of wonderful books that summarize Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, none of them are quite like reading her words directly. If you’re new to the world of Charlotte Mason and are looking for a simple way to understand her philosophies, I highly recommend this version of her Volume 1: Home Education. What I love most about this version is that it is easy to read and implement right away. Let her words guide your perspective, shaping your approach to education and fostering a deep connection with her philosophy.
3. Craft Your Homeschool Vision: Designing Your Ideal Days
Your homeschool is yours. How you approach your homeschooling days should serve your children, your family and you. Never forget that. In order to create something you want, it’s import to know what that looks like. Take the time to envision what you want your ideal homeschooling day. Consider the atmosphere you wish to create, the values you want to instill, and the joy you aim to cultivate. Think of what you want your day to look like, and how you want your children to remember the moments that make up your day. This vision will serve as your guiding light as you navigate the intricacies of homeschooling, and will ultimately determine what you say “yes” to and where you place your boundaries.
4. Liberating Language Arts: Trusting Charlotte’s Principles
Release the notion that you need an exhaustive written language arts curriculum. Charlotte Mason’s principles, when applied thoughtfully, are sufficient. Allow narration, dictation, and copywork to naturally unfold, fostering language skills without the need for overwhelming structured programs. If additional support is desired, there are excellent supplements that align with Charlotte’s philosophy.
I know this can be challenging. Truthfully, I don’t think homeschooling mothers ever lose the question, “What if I’m not doing this right?” In fact, this is a question all mothers keep tucked away in the back of their minds. But assurance can be found in knowing that Charlotte’s wisdom has been the inspiration behind various ways of educating we use now, and in teaching thousands of children since the mid-1800s. We never know what the future holds, we can find peace in knowing that we are doing the very best for our child today.
5. Embrace Nature Study: Infusing the Outdoors into Learning
Charlotte Mason emphasized the significance of nature in education. Her infamous quote inspires me daily, “Never be within doors when you can rightly be without.”
Regularly incorporate nature study into your homeschool routine. Whether it’s observing birds, identifying plants, or simply taking nature walks, let the outdoors become your classroom. Let your child wander and wonder. Let them become fascinated with the birds in their backyard, the mushrooms in the garden and the creatures that linger near the pond. Let them notice when the leaves fall, when they see the first flower bud, and when the geese migrate. This connection with nature enhances learning and nurtures a sense of wonder.
6. Living Books: Fill Your Library with Quality Literature
At the center of a Charlotte Mason education is literature. All subjects are taught from a living book, which are high-quality books that engage the reader and provide a living experience of the subject matter. These books are chosen for their quality and relevance to the student’s interests and are read aloud by the parent or independently by the child.
“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 the miserable cram-books on which they are starved?”
Formation of Character, p. 291
Begin choosing living books that you and your child will love. Read them aloud together and feast on the beauty of the words. You can find great lists on Ambleside’s website.
6. Mastering Narration and Notebooking: Cultivating Learning Skills
Following the reading of a living book, comes narration which is a fundamental aspect of Charlotte Mason’s approach. Narration is simply retelling what you have heard. It’s something we all use in daily life, but rarely do we refer to it as narration. An integral part of a Charlotte Mason education, have your child tell you what they’ve heard after you have read to them. This can be adapted for younger children by letting them draw what they’ve heard, or reenact with toys. My children are currently 8 and 10-years-old and we still incorporate these narration approached. Encouraging your children to articulate what they’ve learned in their own words fosters comprehension and communication skills. These translate later to excellent writing skills. Great writers are great storytellers. Written narration is reserved for children 10-years-old or more, and even then, not all narration is written.
Complement narration with notebooking—a creative and personalized way for children to document their thoughts, observations, and discoveries. We notebook several times a week for history, geography and science. My children orally narrate and I write it down on the page to the left. After, they illustrate their narrations on the page to the right. It’s a simple, timeless tradition to incorporate in your homeschool. Notebooking has been proven to help your children retain what they have learned, allowing them to recall important facts with ease. For my not-so-artistic child that does not enjoy “forced” drawings on a daily basis, we sometimes use images from the book that I have printed off. Or, in the case of science, we may label anatomy on a printed image vs. drawing the image.
As you embark on the Charlotte Mason homeschooling journey, keep these key points in mind. Embrace the profound principles she advocated, and read her works for inspiration. Craft your homeschooling vision, find joy in reading beautiful stories, revel in nature study, and get lost in wonder as you explore the forest. May your homeschooling days be filled with the richness of living ideas and the joy of nurturing your child’s mind and spirit.
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