Early on I learned that nature journaling was a significant aspect of a Charlotte Mason education. It caused the children to stop and pay attention and really look closely at a natural object, helping develop the attention while also creating a store of knowledge to draw from, not to mention creating living memories and connections. […]
Learning to Draw and Paint Read More »
Our youngest son is now four and as I revisit Charlotte Mason’s ideas on habit training, or maybe some collectively gathered ideas on training and educating, I’ve come to realize the importance of the flip side of habit training – the side that maybe we don’t consider often enough. I think for the most part,
The flip side of habit training Read More »
Copywork first, letter for letter, then Transcription around age seven or eight; word for word, an introduction to spelling, seeing entire words in their minds as they copy and write whole words in place of individual letters at a time, then Dictation. At eight or nine years old, a child prepares a paragraph, older children
The How to of Dictation Read More »
“Those first-born affinities That fit our new existence to existing things.” Charlotte Mason quotes this more than once, it’s a verse from William Wordsworth’s poem Prelude describing something I’m not so sure any of us really know how to quantify. What does she mean by it? She begins her entire section devoted to the task
Those first-born affinities Read More »
We recently headed back to a local creek for nature study. There’s so much here that we’ve discovered over the years. Giant water bugs are smaller this time of year. Early last year we wondered what they ate in this creek since there didn’t seem to be anything else of significant size. Then we found
Nature Knowledge Gained Without Lessons Read More »
How often today do we come across children who can’t hold a conversation, can’t sit still, can’t focus? What is our society’s answer? ADHD – medicate! Is this really the answer? In some cases, perhaps, but in so many children? What are the stats now? I think in some states it is 10% or higher.
The Habit of Attention Read More »
I am coming rather late to this treasure of a Parent’s Review article – Imagination as a Powerful Factor in a Well-balanced Mind by E.A. Parish – 98 years late to be exact! More recently, within CM circles it seems to have made its rounds with Nancy Kelly of Sage Parnassus leading a session by
The Great Need of Imagination Read More »
I don’t know what it is like teaching children with learning disabilities aside from what I have read here and there on the AmblesideOnline Yahoo Groups and Tammy Glaser’s blog Aut-2B-Home in Carolina. I think I have even heard of a teacher who was attempting to teach a mixed CM class of multiple ages and
Helen Keller and Charlotte Mason Education Read More »
Following is the general method of Charlotte Mason’s writing lessons as outlined in her 1st Volume: Home Education, pp. 233 – 243. BEGINNING WRITING LESSONSThe initial focus of writing lessons is careful work. Begin with short lessonsof five or ten minutes practicing capital letters in a font of your choice. Theexact letter he is copying
Copywork, Transcription, Spelling and Dictation Read More »
Now that our fourth child is just over a year old and toddling around on his two fat wobbly legs which carry him to investigate whatever interests him in the moment, I am finding myself back in the throes of training once again. Just to name a few things that have been of interest to
Training the Will of a One Year Old Read More »