Charlotte Mason ~ Living Education
What do you think of when you hear the word homeschooling? I admit, my first concept was a cute little school desk & chalk board set up in a corner of the living room and my darling little girls cuddled up with me reading aloud on the couch, and nature walks. I imagined one room schoolhouses like on Anne of Green Gables with the girls wearing cute little dresses every day with their hair in ribbons. I just knew we’d spend hours upon hours building and creating all kinds of nifty things.
“The question is not, -- how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education -- but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?” |
Then reality hit. It wasn’t really a culture shock or anything like that. It was more of a gradual realization & adaptation; a melding of our homeschool with real, everyday life. I often found myself doing school with my girls in their jammies in the middle of the living room floor or all over the dining room table, with me flitting around them trying to get a dozen other things done around the house, stopping to help with a question or to explain something occasionally. The ring of the telephone became an recess call. I don’t know how that happened, I think the students took it upon themselves to interpret the purpose of that ring as recess where I would rather it simply meant the teacher would be out of the room for a few minutes…
As far as the building and creating things… well… Mom makes the plans; the children make a big mess. Mom takes over; the children leave the premises. Mom cleans up; the children play with what’s left… I know they learned something out of this fiasco, because they now really can accomplish a lot creatively, though, for some reason… I still usually end up cleaning the mess!
As far as the building and creating things… well… Mom makes the plans; the children make a big mess. Mom takes over; the children leave the premises. Mom cleans up; the children play with what’s left… I know they learned something out of this fiasco, because they now really can accomplish a lot creatively, though, for some reason… I still usually end up cleaning the mess!
“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.”
― Charlotte M. Mason, The Original Home Schooling Series by Charlotte Mason
Reading the A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning really liberated me. Charlotte Mason, author of Charlotte Mason’s Original Homeschooling Series, is often considered the mother of Homeschooling. At the turn of the 20th Century, a time when education was primarily available only for the rich, she trained mothers and governesses in educating children through Living Books and Life Experiences.
However you decide to homeschool, please remember to take some time to enjoy your children & this time in their lives.
“Smell the roses”, catch butterflies, or snowflakes…. Just have some fun!
- Living Books: Charlotte Mason encouraged parents to read, read, read to their children; primarily the most exciting educational books available. Most families using this method prefer fun biographies and historical fictions, like the ones written by G.A. Henty.
- Narration: After each story or chapter of a story, the children are required to “narrate” the story back, giving a verbal book report on what they learned. She also stressed teaching the children language arts through dictation, which is a fun and easy way to get all the language arts into one small segment of time. Learning Language Arts Through Literature is a great resource using this method. My children simply love this program.
- Nature Study: Our favorite subject in this approach is Nature Study. We draw pictures and write or copy poems about items and aspects of God’s Creation. The children hardly know we are “doing” school! Our favorite resource is the Handbook of Nature Study. We also use DK pictorial encyclopedias and the Wonders of Creation books.
However you decide to homeschool, please remember to take some time to enjoy your children & this time in their lives.
“Smell the roses”, catch butterflies, or snowflakes…. Just have some fun!
“If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play!”
― Charlotte M. Mason