Simple - Relaxed - Gentle: I Heart Charlotte

Ever since I started homeschooling 6 years ago, I'd heard about Charlotte Mason and have been intrigued by her methods.  I've read books through the years about her and the methods she employed, but wasn't in a place where I was ready to leave what we were doing and the way we were homeschooling at the time.  But it was what I wanted in our days together as a homeschooling family, and I believe now, that God has been leading our family in this direction all along.

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At the end of last year, I remember saying over and over to myself, (and Jeremy) "Something has got to change."  At the time, I didn't even know that little Levi would be joining our family this summer - but even as it was before, it was time for a much needed change in attitude and method of homeschooling for us.  Since we started this journey of home educating our kids, we've clung loosely to Charlotte's methods unintentionally.  We just felt it important to read good or "living" books out loud together, read the Bible together, study nature, and lead a rather simple life where our learning and our living is intertwined. 

This summer, Charlotte has come back into the forefront of my mind.  She is everywhere, even though she lived and died between 1842 - 1923.  She is mentioned in several articles of my new The Old Schoolhouse issue, her methods (unbeknownst to me) are the subject of the book I bought to read recently as a homeschooling refresher.  Each summer, I make it a point to read one new book on homeschooling that serves as an encouragement before we start a new year.   There are articles touting her teaching methods in the new planner I got in the mail a couple weeks ago too.   I'm telling you, she's everywhere!

 

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And thankfully so.

She is JUST what I needed.  It literally hits the spot I've been aiming for these years and couldn't quite hit on my own.  I'll post more later on the things we'll be studying this year after I get the last of it in the mail... hopefully next week.  But for now, enjoy some of the links and resources I've been reading and soaking up this summer. 


Ann Voskamp - blog: A Holy Experience, author of the NY Times Best Seller, One Thousand Gifts
 Four Ways to Simply Homeschool
Organizing Head + Heart to Homeschool


Helpful Sites
Simply Charlotte Mason
Ambleside Online
A Charlotte Mason Education
Charlotte Mason Method Issue 1
Homeschool Highlights
Simply Charlotte Mason facebook page


Books
For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levinson (and many others)
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola


Free Online Resources (we're using this year)
Godly Character Traits (we'll focus on one all week long, thank you Kristy!)
Hymn Sing & Study  (we're using the 2011-2012 rotation, click on the hymn title for info, background music, and words!)
Morning Routine Cards (printable in boy or girl colors)