Podcasts about Charlotte Mason

What do high school Citizenship lessons look like in the Charlotte Mason method? How do these lessons prepare children for the rest of their lives? On today's podcast, we're discussing these questions and more, so stay tuned. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Ourselves by Charlotte Mason (Riverbend Press softcover or Amazon - Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) ADE on YouTube *Video for this particular episode was lost, so on YouTube it is an audio recording only. Thank you for understanding; we will be back on video next week!  

About the GuestsMELODY FOWLER: Roots Farm Education Founder, Director, Form III Instructor Ages 10-12Melody is a happy wife of 28 years, a proud mother of three and now an over-the-moon grandma of four grandchildren. She was born in El Paso, Texas, and moved to Redding when she was five years old. She loved learning as a child and her favorite pastime was to play school in her garage with younger siblings and neighborhood friends on vintage desks her father bought at local yard sales.After receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies and teaching credential from Simpson University, Melody taught a self-contained fifth grade classroom for 11 years before moving on to the 8th grade teaching English and U.S. History for four years. She finds it essential to teach the next generation to revere and protect the rich inheritance of liberty they have been gifted. She also completed her administrative credential in Educational Leadership and wrote her Master's paper on Charlotte Mason.She participated in the Northern California Arts Project, the Shasta County Math Grant, and a three-year ELL grammar program teaching English as a second language. Melody was involved in her site's leadership team, acted as a site council member, and successfully advocated for funding creative problem-solving programs like Odyssey of the Mind for the gifted and talented. She also volunteered to coach other activities like student government, softball, and cheer. In her free time, she enjoys learning about education, philosophy, economics, history, gardening, and spending time with her family and six dogs.CHAD FOWLER: Roots Farm Education  Founder, Director, and Form II Instructor Ages 8-9Chad was born and raised in Shasta County. He and his wife Melody have three children with the youngest almost 16. From an early age, Chad had an interest in gardening and animals and participated in Shasta County 4-H. Chad worked his family business as well as other working retail management for many years. After helping in his son's kindergarten class and coming from a family of teachers, Chad decided his place needed to be in the classroom and he went back to school. He received his BA in Liberal Studies and teaching credential through Simpson University. He later completed his administrative credential and Masters degree in Educational Leadership through National University.  He has been a public school educator since 2008 and served as a Master Teacher, Teacher in Charge, Activities Director and Lead Teacher. He has participated in the Shasta County Math Grant, the Northern California Arts Project for teachers, Gates Literacy Grant and other teacher development trainings since 2008. Chad enjoys time in the garden growing vegetables, fruits and flowers, camping with his family and spending time with his Nigerian Dwarf Goats and chickens. Roots Farm Education In the year 2020 they started with 57 students and now have nearly 100 students. They are building slow with in-depth training for their teachers and mission alignment with the incoming families. Their mission states: Roots Farm Education provides home-educated families with a learning environment that integrates agriculture and academics. Stemming from a Christ-centered, Charlotte Mason education, the curriculum embodies western thought with the instruction that pursues truth, promotes wisdom and beauty, creates a pathway to responsibility, and fosters individual initiative and ingenuity. With the land as the laboratory and assistance from experts within the community, factual knowledge in math and science will be hands-on along with essential life skills such as: producing, processing, and marketing food, animal husbandry, sewing, and basic construction. Roots aim is to cultivate a generation of children ready to succeed in higher education, career, and life, while positively impacting the world around them and preserving the lost art of self-reliance. Show NotesTwo seasoned teachers from the public school system decided to break away and start a school that would focus on agriculture and a Christian classical pedagogy. This inspiring episode of challenges, faith, and vision tells their story. Some topics covered include:Practical advise on how to start a new school: how to create a clear vision, realistic expectations, and acceptance of trialsHow to hire the right teachersHow did the first year go and where are you now?What struggles did you face during the planning process?How Temple Grandin helped them develop a purpose for agriculture studiesHow Charlotte Mason's philosophy influenced their approach and purposeVisit Ambleside EnglandJoys of learning and Focus on education in faithForms for classes and their flexibilityWhat a generous curriculum according to Charlotte Mason really looks like in practiceAdvice to Classical Education and Faith based SchoolsClassroom teachers and how they adaptedBible StudyNot using Chromebooks and studies that prove why notHerzog Foundation support for faith based schools: the Business sideResources and People MentionedCharlotte MasonKaren GlassClassical Education Facebook Group and Beautiful Teaching with Adrienne FreasBenjamin Lyda The Herzog FoundationJohn HeitzenraterMaria MontessoriLisa Ector, Board of Directors for CMIBooks and Curriculum MentionedLittle House on the Prairie by Laura Ingles WilderCharlotte Mason volumesGuide to Working With Farm Animals by Temple GrandinDark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie LapalloRightStart MathMicroscopic World by Rosie DickinsOctopus Scientist by Sy MontgomeryIsland of Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island by Loree Griffin BurnsRobin Hood by Howard PyleMere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and the Study GuideMarco Polo: his travels and adventures by George Makepeace TowleCanterbury Tales book and videosChris Hall on Common ArtsBooks about damaging use of ChromebooksJamestown books; Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie Lapallo and Blood on the River by Elisa CarboneIsland of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'DellAlfie Kohn books on educationSchools they visited in DallasMount St. Michael Catholic School in DallasJohn Heitzenrater's school (He was the headmaster of Founders Classical in Corinth Texas when Chad and Melody visited. Now he is the headmaster of  Chrysostom Academy in PA).St. George Classical Academy in Denton, TX founded by Benjamin Lyda, author of Scriptorium Writing and Living Classical. _____________________________________This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC.Support this podcast:

With the Charlotte Mason method of living books and narration, history comes to life for your homeschool students. How to Teach History the Charlotte Mason Way originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

With the Charlotte Mason method of living books and narration, history comes to life for your homeschool students. How to Teach History the Charlotte Mason Way originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

On this episode of LiberatED, host Kerry McDonald sits down with Emily Barnitz, founder of Zoe Learning House, a fast-growing hybrid homeschool program in New Orleans, Louisiana. Emily shares her journey from being homeschooled herself to becoming a public school teacher—and ultimately launching Zoe Learning House in fall 2024 with just 10 students in her living room. Eighteen months later, the program now serves 50 students across kindergarten through fourth grade, with plans to expand to fifth grade while maintaining small class sizes and an 8:1 student-teacher ratio. The conversation explores Zoe's Charlotte Mason–inspired, hands-on learning model; flexible enrollment options for families; and the intentional decision to prioritize educational quality over rapid scaling. Emily also offers practical insights for aspiring education entrepreneurs—on starting small, building visibility through word-of-mouth and SEO, navigating state homeschool regulations, and staying grounded in your "why" as your program grows. This episode is a must-listen for educators, homeschoolers, and founders interested in hybrid learning models that are both sustainable and deeply student-centered. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

Poem III from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume I Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

Is Plutarch all there is to Citizenship? Not at all. Middle school students in Forms 3-4 take up the definite study of their local, state, and national government, as well as turn their attention upon themselves to learn how they are capable of engaging the world and their neighbors. Tune in to the podcast today to hear more. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, trans. by Thomas North* Anne White's Plutarch Project (Amazon or free on AmblesideOnline.com) Ourselves by Charlotte Mason (Riverbend Press softcover or Amazon - Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) Atlases (discussed in Episode 324): Ancient and Classical Geography* Rand McNally's Atlas of the Ancient World, ed. by RR Palmer* Muir's Historical Atlas of Ancient Medieval and Modern* Digital map resources at Grammaticus.co Episode 27: Plutarch Episode 178: Plutarch Immersion ADE on YouTube *for out of print - OOP - or difficult to find books, try BookFinder.com  

Geography lessons in a Charlotte Mason home school are much more than facts about population and GDP! Find out how you can introduce your students to the people and places of our world. How to Teach Geography the Charlotte Mason Way originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Geography lessons in a Charlotte Mason home school are much more than facts about population and GDP! Find out how you can introduce your students to the people and places of our world. How to Teach Geography the Charlotte Mason Way originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

In this episode, Renee and Karen answer a question from a listener about ADHD. They offer advice from their own experiences and from the principles of Charlotte Mason and Classical Education: keep lessons short, get outside, train habits, limit devices, and remember your child isn't a problem to be solved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poem II from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume I Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

What in the world is a Plutarch lesson, and why is Plutarch an important part of a Charlotte Mason curriculum? Join us in today's podcast episode to learn about upper elementary Citizenship lessons and learn why this ancient biographer plays a crucial role. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Stories from the History of Rome by Beesly Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, trans. by Thomas North* Anne White's Plutarch Project (Amazon or free on AmblesideOnline.com) Atlases mentioned: Ancient and Classical Geography* Rand McNally's Atlas of the Ancient World, ed. by RR Palmer* Muir's Historical Atlas of Ancient Medieval and Modern* Digital map resources at Grammaticus.co Episode 27: Plutarch Episode 178: Plutarch Immersion ADE on YouTube *for out of print - OOP - or difficult to find books, try BookFinder.com  

Getting your students into the Word of God is the most important thing you can do in your home school. How to Teach Bible the Charlotte Mason Way originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Getting your students into the Word of God is the most important thing you can do in your home school. How to Teach Bible the Charlotte Mason Way originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Editor's Note, by Art Middlekauff Rose Amy Pennethorne was Organising Secretary of the PNEU from 1921 to 1940. In her first year in office, she contributed two articles on the teaching of Scripture to The Parents' Review. The first article was published in March and the second in November. Charlotte Mason celebrated Pennethorne's work with … The post The Teaching of Scripture in the Parents' Union School first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.

Poem I from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume I Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

The study of Plutarch's lives is a distinctive part of a Charlotte Mason curriculum. But why did she insist on reading these verbose biographies of ancient Greek and Roman leaders? In today's podcast we'll discuss the principles of the subject of Citizenship and learn why Plutarch is relevant for today's students. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Episode 27: Plutarch Episode 29: Citizenship - Everyday Morals & Economics ADE on YouTube

On the first episode of Season 10 of The New Mason Jar, we bring you a conversation Cindy and Dawn had with Lani Siciliano, veteran homeschool mom and a member of the AmblesideOnline Auxiliary How Lani first learned about homeschooling and Charlotte Mason What is the difference between the AO Advisory and the Auxiliary? How did you prepare transcripts for your students to get into the military and college? Did Lani feel like she had to change a lot of things when she started homeschooling high school? How the practice of narration prepared Lani's students for higher education Did Lani encounter any hiccups along the way or have any regrets? How Lani applies a Charlotte Mason education to her own life as she has graduated most of her children A few more words of wisdom from moms farther down the road

Sonya is joined by her daughter Ruth to chat about how growing up being taught the Charlotte Mason way and how using CM in her own homeschool has been a benefit. An Interview with a Second Generation Charlotte Mason Homeschool Mom originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Sonya is joined by her daughter Ruth to chat about how growing up being taught the Charlotte Mason way and how using CM in her own homeschool has been a benefit. An Interview with a Second Generation Charlotte Mason Homeschool Mom originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Poem XX from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume VII Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

Get Ginny's Top 10 Books of 2025 list for FREE ⁠here⁠ Get your free 2026 tracker sheet ⁠here Check out the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle that includes the 2026 Kick-Off Pack ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ Ginny Yurich, founder of 1000 Hours Outside, starts 2026 in the most Ginny way possible: a rare, slightly-uncomfortable solo episode chosen on purpose, because New Year's Day landed on episode 666, and she decided to “fall on the sword” herself. From there, she pulls you into the real origin story of 1000 Hours Outside: a young mom in over her head, three little kids, no sleep, and the first truly good day she'd had in years, September 2011 at a Michigan park, when four to six hours outside (a Charlotte Mason idea she initially thought was ridiculous) changed everything. This episode is a rally cry for families who want more peace, more play, more courage, and less screen-shaped childhood, plus practical ways to start tracking, building a life with “not enough time for screens,” and letting nature become the place where kids grow up incrementally… and parents learn to trust them. Along the way, Ginny shares her top 10 most meaningful books of 2025 (out of 210 books read during the year!), the quotes that steadied her this year, and why reading, walking, and outside time are “time-protection” habits in a world designed to co-opt attention. She also reads the marketing language from Replika AI out loud, because it genuinely alarms her, and makes a clear, compassionate case for choosing the real thing: real friends, real discomfort, real growth, real life. The episode closes with hope for listeners carrying heavy burdens into the new year, and ends with “Beautiful World,” a song and musical collaboration featuring Ginny's daughters because the whole point is this: childhood isn't meant to be performed on a screen. It's meant to be lived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poem XIX from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume VII Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

On The New Mason Jar Podcast this week, we bring you a conversation Cindy and Dawn had with Sheila Carroll, founder of Living Books Press How Sheila first heard about Charlotte Mason's philosophy How Sheila started developing the curriculum and resources that became Living Books Press What is narration, and what makes it such a powerful practice? How do we keep the idea of a child's personhood from steering us toward a child-centered education? Sheila's advice for beginning narration and dealing with pushback from your child How to prepare young children who are not yet school age for narrating later Why is nature study so important for today's children? How do nature study and living books work together for a full education? How is composition taught in the Charlotte Mason paradigm? To view the full show notes for this episode, including resources mentioned, please visit our website at https://thenewmasonjar.com/128. 

What if your homeschool didn't feel like a checklist, but a life-giving journey? In this Best of Homeschool Super Heroes Workshop episode, Julie Ross shares the tools of a Charlotte Mason education and how they can bring peace, beauty, and connection to your home.You'll learn how to apply these tools—atmosphere, discipline, and life—in a way that nourishes both your children and yourself. This gentle philosophy isn't about replicating school at home; it's about building something far more meaningful.Here's what you'll take away:✅ What it really means to create a homeschool “atmosphere”✅ How habits form the foundation of discipline (without nagging)✅ Why ideas are the most powerful food for the mind✅ How to foster solitude, attention, and curiosity✅ The secret to cultivating beauty and truth in your homeThis week only, you can grab my Charlotte Mason Tool Kit for 50% off as a way to put these ideas into practice without overwhelm. Mentioned Resources: Charlotte Mason Tool Kit - SAVE 50% with code: CM50Show Notes: Welcome to the Three Tools of a Life-Giving EducationHey, hello everyone. Welcome to the three tools of a life-giving education. I'm so excited to talk to you today about these amazing tools that we have for free.Charlotte Mason said, "Education is an atmosphere and a discipline and a life more important than the curriculum you're using." That's just one of the tools. Any resource you use can be shaped and guided according to these three tools to give your children a life-giving education.Before we dive into today's talk, I just want to introduce myself. I'm Julie Ross. I'm the creator of the Charlotte Mason curriculum, A Gentle Feast. I'm a homeschool veteran of over 20 years. I have five kiddos—one has graduated recently from college and then the other will be a senior in college in neuroscience next year. And then I have three teenagers that I'm still homeschooling.So I've been homeschooling for a while. Before that, I was a public school educator and I helped start a private Christian school. So I've been in the educational space for about 30 years now. And I'm also a certified Christian life coach. So I'm going to bring in all my experience as a teacher, as a homeschool mom, as a coach, and bring that all in and hopefully give you a really practical look at how these three tools of a Charlotte Mason education can help transform your homeschool.Tool #1: Education Is an AtmosphereSo let's start off with the first one. Education is an atmosphere. What in the world does that even mean? That seems so bizarre. Atmosphere, what does it have to do? How is that a tool to help guide our education?I would say this is in fact one of the most, if not the most important tool. Charlotte Mason said, "Therefore, we are limited to three educational instruments: the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas." Going back again to the motto, education is an atmosphere, discipline, and a life.So, what are we talking about when we're talking about the atmosphere of your home or the home environment? This is from a Parents' Review article. That's the magazine that Charlotte Mason edited. And this author wrote, "There are many important aspects of home life, from first training to highest education, but there is nothing in the way of direct teaching that will ever have so wide and lasting an effect as the atmosphere of home."And the gravest thought concerning this is that in this instant, there's nothing to learn and nothing to teach. The atmosphere emanates from ourselves as the parents. It literally is ourselves. Our children live in it and breathe it and what we are is thus incorporated into them. There is no pretense here or possibility of evasion. We may deceive ourselves in the long run. We never deceive our children. The spirit of home lives in what is more—home atmosphere is accentuated in them. Atmosphere is much more than teaching and infinitely more than talk.And when I first read this quote, I was unbelievably convicted. Because the atmosphere of my home at the time was not what I wanted. It was not what I wanted my homeschool to be like. I felt like I was a drill sergeant constantly giving out orders, constantly wondering like why is this not done? This was supposed to be done minutes ago. Everybody get in the car. We got to go to this and we were just hurry hurry hurry stress stress stress stress.And I was like, this isn't why I homeschooled. This isn't the atmosphere I want to create. Because Charlotte Mason is saying here, this atmosphere that you might not even realize is what is going on in your home is going to have such a lasting effect on your children.What Atmosphere Do You Want to Create?I wanted my children to feel like school and learning was just part of life and it was this beautiful atmosphere. I wanted us to have deep connections. I wanted my kids to be curious. I wanted them to have time to be creative. And I realized that by me being stressed out all the time, I was actually hurting my children and creating an atmosphere of our home that was not conducive to learning.And so if this quote really convicts you as well, I have some hope. So basically what she's saying is that education is an atmosphere. Our children are breathing it. We can't see it, right? And that these become the ideas which rule their lives. They're getting this from us.So, we are the thermostats of our homes. We're setting the temperature. We are either making it really hot, really stressful, really high pressure environment, or we can make the atmosphere of our home peaceful, joyous. Isn't that what we all want, right?So, what words would you use to describe the current atmosphere of your home? This might be something you've never even thought of before. Because before I read Charlotte Mason's teaching, I never—all I was thinking about was like our to-do list and am I choosing the right curriculum and what does our schedule look like and never considered how I was showing up and how that was affecting the temperature of our home. What word would you describe the atmosphere of your home?Common Homeschool Thoughts That Create StressAnd I want you to think about if you've ever had these thoughts in your homeschool: We are so far behind. My child is so difficult. It shouldn't be this hard. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm going to mess up my child. We are constantly butting heads about school. My child is not working up to their potential. I'm overwhelmed.Have you ever had any of these thoughts? I'm guessing most of us who are listening to this have. I know I have had all of those. That's why I wrote them down.If we want to change the atmosphere of our home, we have to be willing to get really honest with ourselves, be willing to pause and to ask ourselves, what am I thinking about my homeschool on a regular basis?How Your Thoughts Create Your AtmosphereWhen I read these words to you, how does that make you feel? For me, I feel like I have a weight like right here. Like I can't breathe. I feel all shame, guilt. You might feel afraid, discouraged, disappointed.And when we have these feelings, which are coming from what we're continually telling ourselves, our continual thoughts and stories, and we have these feelings, it affects the way that we show up. And we're not showing up as our most calm, peaceful, loving selves. And that's creating an atmosphere that we don't want.So in order to create the atmosphere that we do want, we have to look at taking our thoughts captive and by telling ourselves a different story.Charlotte Mason put it this way: "Let not the nervous, anxious, worried mother think this easy, happy relation with her children is for her. She may be the best mother in the world, but the thing that her children will get from her in these moods is a touch of her nervousness, most catching of complaints. She will find them fractious, rebellious, unmanageable, and will be slow to realize that it is her fault. Not the fault of her act, but of her state."So, not the fault of the actions, even though those do have such a great effect, but it's coming from your state, your thoughts. What are you feeling on a regular basis? And are your children catching that?I used to think my children complain all the time. And then I realized, oh, I'm the one complaining all the time. Why is it taking you so long to do that? That should have been finished already. I can't believe you don't understand that. Why do I always have to come back up after you and clean up? And then I wondered why they had bad attitudes. Right?I had to turn the mirror around and look at myself and say, "What am I producing in this atmosphere? How am I showing up?"Changing Your Thoughts to Change Your AtmosphereAnd like I said, we can focus on our actions and be like, I just need to respond in anger less. I just need to respond with a more gentle voice. Yes, that's all true. But we can't just will ourselves to change our action without changing our state, without changing the thoughts that we're thinking on a regular basis.So change your thoughts and change the atmosphere of your home. It sounds easier, really. It sounds a lot easier than it actually is. But when you get into the practice of it, most of us don't even know what we're thinking ever. We just live our lives on autopilot. So, we're just always in reaction mode.So, taking the time to pause and say, "What do I actually think on a regular basis? What am I telling myself about myself as a homeschool mom or about our homeschool, about my kids, and how is that affecting my mood and then my actions?"So, how do we change our thoughts? So, first of all, be mindful throughout the day. Start to take notice, which means you actually have to have margin in your day to pause. Think on purpose. Tell yourself what you're going to think instead. And I'll give you some hints for that in a second.Training Your Brain to Find the GoodAnd then start to find the good. Our brains are naturally wired to keep us safe. So they will find all the things that are wrong. If I said, "What's not working in your homeschool?" You probably could tell me 10 things. And if I said, "How have you been successful in your homeschool this year?" That might be a little harder for you to think of something because our brains naturally look for what's wrong to keep us safe.And so your brain is doing that all day long. It's looking for all this evidence and all these things that are wrong. We need to train it to start finding the good. That means starting to celebrate the small things. Oh my goodness, my son just shared his pencil with his sister. Oh my goodness, like that read aloud. That was so impactful. Oh my goodness, like we went on our nature walk and nobody got hurt.Start to have gratitude for those small things and it will change the way your brain is seeing things that are already there. You're already doing good things. Your brain's just naturally filtering them out trying to find the things that are wrong.Thoughts to Tell Yourself on PurposeSo let's go back to this telling your brain what to think on purpose. We're going to be intentional here. If we're intentional about the atmosphere that we want to create in our home, we have to be intentional with what thoughts we're telling ourselves.So, telling yourself what to think on purpose. Here are some thoughts you might want to try on and see how they fit and start repeating these to yourself. You can journal about them. You could put them on a post-it note. You can embroider them on a pillow. Whatever works for you to start to train your brain to think differently.So: I am the perfect person to homeschool my children. I am on a journey and progressing at the perfect pace. I respond with patience, trusting that all things are working for good. I am grateful to be homeschooling my children. Good things happen every day in our home. I have control over my thoughts, feelings, and energy. I am present and focused during our homeschooling. Our days are full of beauty, laughter, and rich ideas. I will not fear because I work in cooperation with the divine teacher. Mistakes are an opportunity to learn and grow. I am becoming better each day.So, come up with your own if these don't really resonate with you. What are some truths? It might not always feel true. Do I always feel like I'm the perfect person to homeschool my children? Absolutely not. But is that true? Yes.Write those things down and start to tell yourself these stories instead. Start to change your thoughts and see if that affects the atmosphere of your home and what you are working. Work on yourself. Put on your own oxygen mask. Train your brain to start to think differently so that you can show up as your highest, most loving, most calm, most peaceful, most engaged, most curious, most playful self and see how that changes the atmosphere of your home.Tool #2: Education Is a DisciplineAll right, moving on. Charlotte Mason said, "Education is a discipline." By education as a discipline, we mean the discipline of habits definitely formed and thoughtfully, whether habits of mind or body.So the word discipline, you might think of something else, but what Charlotte Mason is referring to are the habits. We have to discipline ourselves to do things on a regular basis. The more we do something, the more neuropathways it makes in our brains and then it becomes a habit. It's not something we have to think about.The Habit of AttentionOne of the habits that's really important to foster is the habit of attention. Charlotte Mason talks about how important that is. We need to have the habit of attention so that we can be focused and really engaged on what we're learning.So this comes from her work, A Philosophy of Education: "Another misconception we have concerns attention. We think that to capture a child's attention with persuasion, dramatic presentations, pictures and visual models. But the fact is a teacher who succeeds depends on his charismatic personality is merely an actor who belongs on a stage."Okay, so this takes the pressure off you. You don't need a bunch of props, games, videos to make every lesson fun in order to gain your child's attention.We now know that attention is not one faculty of the brain and it's not a definable power of the mind. It's the ability to turn on that power and concentrate. We have that attention there. Can you turn it on when you need to? By capturing a child's attention with gimmicks, we waste our time.The ability to focus the attention is already there in the child as much as he needs. It's like a forceful river just waiting to obey the child's own authority to turn it on. Yes, it's capable of stubbornly resisting attempts to be coerced that are imposed from without.What we need to do is recognize that attention is one of the appetites and then we'll feed it with the best we have in living books and knowledge. But paying attention is something the child has to do on their own. We can't do it for them.Feeding Attention with Living BooksIt's not for us to be the fountain of all knowledge. We don't know enough. We don't speak well enough. We're too vague and random to cope with the capability of creatures who are thirsty for knowledge. Instead of pretending to be the source of their education, we must realize that books, the very best books, are the source. And we must put that resource into their hands and read them for ourselves, too.So, our children have this amazing ability to pay attention. And I'm sure you've seen this in your own kids. When they're so focused that nothing you say to them like they can't even hear you. When does that happen? When they're really engrossed in something that they care about, right?Whether that's they're playing a video game or a TV—and sadly that's really damaged our attention spans. But if your child is like making something with Legos and they're so into it, like they're so focused on it, they don't realize what else is going on in the world.And we want to capture that attention when it comes to our school lessons. But most of what we give kids is so dry and so boring that we're actually training them in the habit of not paying attention. And we want to give them the very best book, Charlotte Mason says, because that captures attention.And I'm sure you've read a really great book, right? And you're like so engrossed in the book and your kids are, "Hey, mom, are we ever like going to get to eat today?" And you're like, "What? It's 5 o'clock already?" Right? You like couldn't put the book down.That was like a living amazing story that captured your imagination, that captured your attention. And we want that for our kids. We don't need to come up with all these games and gimmicks to get their attention. If we give them really good books, they'll be like, "Oh, no, wait. Keep reading." That's what we want. That's how we foster this habit of attention.The Power of Short LessonsAll right. And then we want to build some other habits into our school day. So, a habit of attention is so key because that's going to get them to focus. Charlotte Mason also encouraged short lessons. By having short lessons, it's easier to pay attention.Do you know the average adult attention span now is less than 30 seconds? But we're expecting our children to pay attention for 45 minutes of a grammar lesson. That's so unrealistic.Charlotte Mason had short lessons. They didn't have 45-minute lessons till they were in high school. And that's very few subjects actually. And when they're young, a lesson might only take 5 to 10 minutes. By being able to focus, be interested in it, caring about it, you're able to go through school in a shorter amount of time than having these subjects drag on and on and on and on and on.Okay, so I wanted to mention short lessons as well. Okay, so let's move into some other foundational habits that you might want to consider building into your homeschool.The Habit of Outdoor TimeSo the first one is the habit of outdoor time. Charlotte Mason talks a lot about this, but we need to make it a habit. It's not just something like, oh, I hope when we have extra time, we can go do something outside. It needs to be something that is so vital.Here's what she said. This is from volume one: "It is infinitely well worth the mother's while to take some pains every day to secure in the first place that her children spend hours daily amongst rural and natural objects and in the second place to infuse into them or to rather cherish in them the love of investigation. A love of nature implanted so early that it will seem to them thereafter to have been born in them will enrich their lives with pure interests, absorbing pursuits, health, and good humor."So she says the mom has to take pains to secure outdoor time. So it might not always be easy. It might not always be pleasant. That's the thing about a habit, right? When you first starting to build a habit, like going to the gym, it's hard. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, right? You don't have to think about waking up and brushing your teeth. You just do it. It's habitual.So we want to create this pattern of loving nature, of investigating and being curious and having wonder about God's creation and being outside. And so we build that habit again over time. So at first it might be a little painful, but eventually it will build this love of nature within your children.So looking at how can you make this a habit in your day, in your week so that it's something that starts to happen naturally and it's not so hard to get outside.The Habit of RoutinesAnother habit is having routines. So in the book For the Children's Sake, which if you have not read this and you're interested at all in Charlotte Mason, this is my go-to book. You must try this one. She says routines form habits. So if you want to have good habits, you need to add routines into your homeschool day.She says, "Take the area of human relationships. Routines do not make the relationship, but they are the frame upon which we hang our experiences. Some families do not have a routine of eating meals together anymore. Anytime goes for snacking. People rush about at a thousand activities, any one of which could be good. But what is the sum total? Without the priority of a framework, nothing much happens. Few conversations, little time of togetherness."A family decides to read a book together whenever there's time. But invariably there's no time. It is essential to have these basic routines. Children love routines. It frees their attention again—this habit of attention—for the activity at hand.Later on, other routines help the child along. When planning routines, priority must be given to the most important things. The person matters. Whether it be child, husband, wife or friend, we all need time to talk, read, relax and work together. Our relationship with God matters. Where is the time to be found for that? I am a part of his creation. Where will I have time to get out and enjoy nature? Again, that other habit of being outside.There is too much work to be done and I am finite. I need to accept that reality and plan the time and priorities carefully.So, when you are planning out your school year, think about what are the priorities for you. Do you want to build in these habits of being outside, of reading together, of spending time in God's word? Make it a routine. The more you do something, the stronger that habit will become and the easier it will be to make that happen.So, as you're planning out your school day, what are the routines that can make these habits form more easily into your day? And you're not always having to make a million decisions all day about do we do this next, do we do that, do we decide to go here, do we do this? By having these routines, it eliminates a lot of that decision fatigue, which will be so helpful.The Habit of SolitudeAnd the next one is the habit of solitude, which might be something you have not thought of. And I think it's really interesting. I'm going to have to put my glasses on here because I have this quote on my phone and it's really hard to read. Bear with me one second here.All right. "For the right use of programs"—at Charlotte Mason's programs—"two things are necessary: solitude and independence." Okay. For the right use of the programs, two things are necessary: solitude and independence. Children must have these.Nursery children come off fairly well in these respects. They get time where they can wander and dream alone in the garden. But this happy state ends where schoolroom life begins. Lessons, walk, and lessons again. Always in company, always having something that must be done now.Miss Mason devises the timetables—that's those short lessons I was talking about—which cover such reasonable hours as to leave time over for the solitude. But parents are often very culpable in thinking that tango—isn't that so funny—or some other new thing must be learned as well. The much needed time for solitude is used for plans which necessitate hurried journeys always in the company of a responsible person who feels it's her duty to talk in an instructive way.And the thinking time, the growing time, the time in which the mind is to find food is diminished and the child becomes restless, tiresome, irritable, disobedient. Everything that a child who is reputed to be difficult can be. The parents marvel and say, "But we are giving him the best education that can be procured. We are neglecting no opportunities."Kind, generous parents, you are giving your child every opportunity but one, and that is self-development. By your generous care, you are safeguarding him from ever using his own mind, ever relying upon himself in any way.The child who at first found interference irksome later depends on it so much that he is unable to work without the constant prodding of a mentor. I believe that this is the prime reason of the oft repeated lament of teachers and professors: Little ones are so eager. Older children are less keen. Adults are dull.Wow. If you want to feed your child's mind, you have to build in times of solitude into your day. Time when your children are alone with their imaginations, when you're not hurried from one thing to the next.And there's so many amazing opportunities now for homeschoolers that weren't around when I started. But it can be so easy to pack our day where we're constantly on these hurried journeys. And our children don't have time to think, to be alone with our own thoughts, and to allow these ideas start to form and take root in their mind and to develop their imagination.So, make sure you're leaving time for the habit of solitude in your day.Questions to Consider About HabitsSo, here are some questions to consider when it comes to building good habits into your homeschool: How am I fostering good habits in my own life? So, we have to start with ourselves. If we're not building good habits in our own life, we are not going to be good models for our children on how to stay consistent with something, how to will ourselves to do something that we actually don't really want to do. We need to model that first for our kids.Does my homeschool routine make good habits easy? Again, routines are going to be the tracks that these habits are going to go on and that's going to make everything so much easier in your day.And what's one habit that would bring more ease to our homeschool day? What's one thing you could start maybe even this summer that could be a habit that gets built that's going to make things easier come fall?Tool #3: Education Is a LifeAnd then the last one is education is a life. In saying that education is the life, the need of intellectual and moral as well as a physical sustenance is applied. The mind feeds on ideas. Therefore, children should have a generous curriculum.Education is a life. It is living. We want to give our kids a life-giving education. We're not just feeding their mind, but we're feeding their whole personhood, their physical body, their moral body, them as spiritual beings, right?What Does the Mind Need to Grow?But what does the mind actually need to grow? Are we feeding it the proper food? Charlotte Mason would say a mind can only be fed upon ideas. We can stuff a bunch of information in there, she says, but it's like sawdust in the cogs of a machine.We're just filling our children with a bunch of information. They might look really stuffed and like they know a whole lot, but there's no depth to what they're actually learning. Only ideas can take root and be the proper food that your child's mind needs.So what is what do we mean by that? What's an idea? So she says an idea is more than an image or a picture. It is so to speak a spiritual germ, a little seed endowed with vital force and with power that is to grow and produce after its kind.It's the very nature of an idea to grow. As the vegetable germ secretes that it lives by so fairly implant an idea in the child's mind and it will secrete its own food and it will grow and it will bear fruit and it will inform a succession of like ideas.Charlotte Mason calls this the science of relations. These little ideas that come into our children's mind through the books that we're reading, through the art that we're looking at, through the music, through the being out and investigating out in nature. These little seeds when they have time for solitude to grow, they will grow on their own and they will connect to other ideas.We don't have to put all the connections and make a cute little unit study where everything all goes together for our kids. Their brains are naturally going to make these connections as these ideas are growing. Those synapses are going to start connecting. And it's such a beautiful thing to watch because this is their own brain doing the hard work of digesting all this mind food that we're going to give them.Where Do Ideas Come From?So the proper nourishment of ideas, what does this mean? What does this actually look like? What are we putting in here on a regular basis?So first of all, ideas come from stories or books that are written in a narrative fashion. So even high school chemistry, believe it or not, even high school physics can be written in a narrative fashion where there's an idea, there's something that captures your imagination. It's not just a bunch of facts.She says, "I think we owe it to our children to let them dig their knowledge of whatever subjects for themselves out of the book. What a child digs is his own possession."So, as a teacher, we're not having to learn all the information. We're not the fountain head of all knowledge. We're not having to digest all the material and put it together and then teach it to our kids. We are putting them in touch with real books where the authors are passionate about the subject and those books are the ones that are teaching our children. They're the ones that are feeding their minds with all these amazing ideas.We also—and this is like a common misconception with Charlotte Mason is oh you just read books all day. No, children are also doing things with their hands and ideas can come from these things as well. They have these natural objects. They're outside. They're out in nature. They're investigating. They're exploring. They're learning these gross motor skills. They're working with handicrafts, with wood and leather and clay.They have natural objects. They're seeing the birds and the plants and the trees and these things that are outside. They're observing. They're understanding cause and effect and making conclusions about the way the world works. They're looking at art and using science things. All of these grow ideas in a child's mind. So it's not just books but books and things.Cultivate Your Own MindAnd then you need to cultivate your own mind. If you want to be pouring ideas into your children, you need ideas coming into your own mind. She says we need not say one word about the necessity for living thought in the teacher. It is only so far as he is intellectually alive that he can be effective in the wonderful process which we glibly call education.I love this. Only so far as he is intellectually alive. So you need to make habits of feeding your own mind with these ideas through books or things or trying new things, learning new skills or habits so that you are growing your own mind and then you can pour that forth into your children. That's what makes you a living, growing human and that will inspire them as well to follow this kind of lifelong educational path.The Danger of Education Without IdeasCharlotte Mason said it is possible to pass even the university's local examinations with credit without ever having experienced that vital stir which marks the inception of an idea. And if we have succeeded in escaping this disturbing influence while we have finished our education, when we leave school, we shut up our books and our minds and remain pygmies in the dark forest of our own dim world of thought and feeling.You can check off all the boxes and pass the tests and never have an idea that changes and shapes you as a person. And that is such a scary thought and such a grave defect of our modern industrialized educational system.Charlotte Mason is advocating for something extremely different. By having the atmosphere be one that fosters connection and creativity and curiosity, by having routines and habits that make learning possible, by having living ideas coming through books and things, your children will constantly have these seeds of ideas planted into their minds that will grow and shape them as full people who, as Charlotte Mason uses this word I love so much, become magnanimous citizens.She says, "How large is the room upon which their feet are set?" And you get to have the amazing opportunity to use those three tools of a Charlotte Mason education to provide your child with an amazingly large room full of beautiful, rich, good, and true ideas.Get Started with These ToolsIf you want to get started using these tools and you're like, I have no idea how to even start. And you want to bring some truth, goodness, and beauty into your homeschool day, I have a free morning time packet. All you have to do is scan that QR code. It's called Times of Togetherness. And there's some other fun activities in there as well to help your family develop the habit and the culture of coming together and looking at scripture, listening to hymns, looking at beautiful art and poetry to grow that goodness in your hearts and minds and to fill yourself with these living ideas.So if you want to grab that, you can grab that there. I would also love to connect with you. My curriculum, A Gentle Feast, can be found at gentlefeast.com. I also have a podcast where I encourage modern homeschool moms to create a life and homeschool they love. It's called The Feast Life. You can find it in all the podcast platforms.And then we also have a free Facebook group if you'd like to join. Just learn some more about this philosophy, connect with other like-minded moms. It's a really great, wonderful group of moms in that Facebook community called The Feast Life Community. Just search for them on Facebook and you will find us.So, thank you so much for listening. I hope this is helpful. I hope you'll be able to look at your homeschool for next school year and say, "What kind of atmosphere am I creating? How can I use this tool of habits to make our days smoother and easier? And then what living ideas are coming forth from what I'm choosing to use in our homeschool? And am I feeding my children with the kind of rich ideas that their minds actually need to grow upon?" So, thank you so much for listening. I really appreciate it.

Poem XVIII from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume VII Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

We have a beautiful Christmas bonus episode for you to enjoy while you wrap gifts, while driving around, or as you soak in the season with a cup of coffee and a snowy view.  Jennifer and Amber O'Neal Johnston, creator of Soul School, author, friend, and inspiration, is back on the podcast to talk about her latest book, a series of essays, Homegrown. In episode 166, the conversation envelops Charlotte Mason and finding beautiful living books that for today, lessons learned in suffering and joy, releasing our children's education through each season of life, and learning from the great women around us.    Episode sponsored by the Peaceful Press! The Peaceful Preschool Volume 2 is here!! Purchase your beautiful copy of the brand-new Peaceful Preschool for a year of delightful, hands-on learning.  Looking for Elementary Bundles to engage in Charlotte Mason-styled education? Check out the Playful Pioneers, Precious People, and the Kind Kingdom!   In this episode– Learning from different mothers  Finding living books for all ethnicities and cultures  The lessons from Amber's new book  Do check out Amber's book A Place to Belong And her newest book, Homegrown You can learn more about Jennifer here: Jennifer's Instagram You can learn more about Amber O'Neal Johnston here: Amber's Instagram Some Amazon Affiliate Links.

Poem XVII from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume VII Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

Today's podcast episode is part of our occasional series, Voices from the Conference. We will be sharing with you Morgan Conner's talk from this past year's ADE @ Home Virtual Conference on reading Charlotte Mason's volumes.  Enjoy! Charlotte Mason volumes reading schedule

On this episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn talk with the women behind the Charlotte Mason New England community--Sarah Beals, Megan Massaro, and Rebekah Anglea How and why did you get this started in the first place? What roles do each of you play? What have some of the past CMNE events looked like? What are some of the challenges for home school families in New England? How have you gotten the word out about CMNE? What are some benefits of having a multi-generational community?  

Poem XVI from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume VII Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

How can I get my kids to read these types of books if they've not been Charlotte Mason educated from the beginning? Where can I combine my children to make our schedule better? How do I know that they are getting anything out of their reading? In today's podcast we are addressing these questions and more as we wrap up our literature series. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List ADE on YouTube

Here's a look at the four notebooks used for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, and why they are better than traditional worksheets. The Tool of Notebooking for Lifelong Learning originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Here's a look at the four notebooks used for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, and why they are better than traditional worksheets. The Tool of Notebooking for Lifelong Learning originally appeared on Simply Charlotte Mason.

Editor's Note, by Art Middlekauff The April 1924 Parents' Review included a powerful piece by Francis Lewis. We are not told whether it was originally a sermon, or whether it was composed specifically for The Parents' Review. In either case, it contains references that would be familiar to members of the Charlotte Mason community of … The post The Manifestation of Christ in Worship first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.

Poem XV from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Volume VII Book I, with the corresponding Scripture reading.

Today, we are talking about the highest level of Charlotte Mason Literature lessons in high school. How do they differ from earlier levels? What sorts of books are assigned? Stay tuned to learn more. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List ADE Shakespeare Planner ADE on YouTube

Editor's Note, by Art Middlekauff In last week's episode we shared a second paper from the June 1920 teacher's conference in Gloucester. This week we share a third paper by a professional teacher who embraced Charlotte Mason's method, along with some brief discussion that followed. By Mr. C. Jones The Parents' Review, 1920, pp. 570-575 … The post The New Facility in Composition first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.

Lara Molettiere is a Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom of 2 who believes that as mothers we are the gate-keepers, grace givers, and cultivators of our homes and that when we step into our God-given capacity, we are capable of providing a delightful and life-giving education to our children. In this episode, Lara shares how we can make Advent a sacred time for our families by slowing down and making space for restful traditions that help us savor our faith.You can find show notes for this episode including links to all the books and resources Lara mentioned at https://homeschoolcompass.com/episode-61-preparing-room-for-jesus-in-your-homeschool-this-advent-with-lara-molettiere/.Visit A Gentle Advent to learn more about Lara's Advent courses.Here are some of the favorite Advent books Lara's family enjoys each year:Jotham's Journey by Arnold YtreeideThe Crippled Lamb by Max LucadoOne Wintry Night by Ruth Bell GrahamThe Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan WojciechowskiThe Tale of the Three Trees by Angela Elwell HuntThe Gift of the Magi by O. HenryAlso check out Lara's 20 Living Books for Advent and Christmas.You might also enjoy Aimee's list of Favorite Christmas Books to Read Aloud.Lara recommended several resources that she uses for her personal reflection and study during Advent:Waiting on the Word by Malcolm GuiteCome, Let Us Adore Him by Paul David TrippAdorning the Dark by Andrew PetersonWe would love to connect with you outside your podcast player:Follow the Homeschool Compass on Instagram or FacebookDownload free printable resources for your homeschoolBrowse our book listsSign up for the Homeschool Compass email newsletter

If you've been following along, you might be thinking, what more can we add to literature lessons during middle and high school? Well, join us today to take a look at grades seven through nine literature lessons in the Charlotte Mason curriculum. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List English Literature for Boys and Girls by HE Marshall The Age of Fable by Thomas Bullfinch Shakespeare (Folger and Oxford Editions) ADE Literature: Forms 3-4 Breakdown ADE Shakespeare Planner ADE on YouTube  

Our guest today is Jami Marstall. Jami has been homeschooling for almost 20 years with Charlotte Mason's rich, living methods. She and her husband John have four children, three of whom have graduated. Jami is not particularly looking forward to homeschool retirement when her youngest graduates.  She firmly believes that mothers are born persons and have minds which hunger for ideas too! Her personal reading stack usually includes works of educational philosophy, history, biography, literary classics, and a detective novel. In this episode, Abby, Jami, and Brandy discuss AI – yes, Artificial Intelligence. We talk about cheating in co-ops and what is lost as a person and as a community when you substitute a machine's work for your own work. You're going to love this conversation! *** The release date for new upcoming book Scholé Every Day is THIS TUESDAY, November 25th!! That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book . *** Click here to access today's show notes. Click here to join the FREE area of the Sistership.

Motherhood often feels like a season of losing yourself, but what if it's actually the most profound season of becoming? In this heart-deep conversation, Ginny welcomes back one of the podcast's most beloved guests, Leah Boden, for her third appearance. Together they explore what Charlotte Mason called the “mind gallery”—the inner storehouse of beauty, story, memory, art, and truth that sustains us through every season of life. Leah shares how the threads of our identity don't disappear during the exhausting years of raising little ones; they simply lie dormant, waiting for the right time to bloom. Through her own journey—from homeschooling mother to author of living biographies on C.S. Lewis, Charlotte Mason, and Princess Ina—Leah offers a hopeful reminder that the passions you once loved are still there, ready to reemerge as gifts to both you and your children. This episode is a gentle call to build a home rich with sensory experiences, stories, poetry, music, and nature, elements that shape not only a child's education but their entire inner life. Leah and Ginny discuss how reading biographies breathes humanity into history, how nature observation strengthens a child's understanding of literature, and how beauty quietly grounds us during seasons of change. They unpack the remarkable story of Princess Aina, showing how courage, displacement, and hope weave together to form a life filled with meaning. Whether you're in the trenches or looking toward the second half of life, this conversation will help you rediscover wonder, reclaim your own mind gallery, and create a feast of learning that nourishes your whole family. Get your copy of Brave Princess Aina here Join The Mind Gallery here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Editor's Note, by Art Middlekauff One of the great chapters in the epic story of the Charlotte Mason method involves the introduction of the complete method, principles and practices, into the established British schools of Gloucestershire. H. W. Household began this project with five schools in 1917, and by May 1920 he had gone to … The post Certain Difficulties first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.

Do we really need to read Shakespeare? I thought all of the books were read during morning lessons. Upper elementary literature lessons in a Charlotte Mason curriculum may just surprise you. Join us today in the podcast to find out all the details. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Heroes of Asgard by Annie and Eliza Keary (black and white or color) The Age of Fable by Thomas Bullfinch Shakespeare (Folger and Oxford Editions) ADE Literature: Forms 1-2 Breakdown ADE Shakespeare Planner Episode 38: Shakespeare Episode 135: Shakespeare Immersion Lesson ADE on YouTube  

How much should I read in a lesson to my beginning students? Which books are best suited for early elementary school? Stay tuned in to today's podcast episode as we discuss Form 1 Literature Lessons for grades 1-3. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Aesop for Children by Milo Winter Andersen or Grimm's Fairy Tales Pilgrim's Progress (Penguin Classic) Etsy shop for Pilgrim's Progress Map Tales of Troy and Greece (Yesterday's Classics) ADE Literature: Forms 1-2 Breakdown Episode 130: Form 1 Pilgrim's Progress Immersion Lesson ADE on YouTube

This week on The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn are joined by the members of the AmblesideOnline Advisory, which includes Donna-Jean Breckenridge, Anne White, Karen Glass, and Leslie Laurio How does the education offered through AmblesideOnline apply to mothers and fathers, too, not only to the children? Why is it so important for moms to take the time to read Charlotte Mason's volumes and learn her method for themselves? What encouragement would you offer to help the mom do so? Can you speak to this desire, for homeschool material to be "open and go," specifically with respect to AO? What can you tell us about the AO 25th anniversary celebration? Get the full show notes for this episode with links to everything discussed at https://thenewmasonjar.com/124. 

Editor's Note, by Art Middlekauff Sermons by Francis Lewis frequently appeared in the pages of The Parents' Review. He was a devoted friend of Charlotte Mason, and his sermons reveal how like-minded they were. Both pondered the child's estate, and Rev. Lewis shared his reflections in this 1924 sermon. It was published the year after … The post The Heart of a Child first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.

Living Books. These two words are almost synonymous with a Charlotte Mason education. In today's episode we begin our discussion of Literature in a Charlotte Mason curriculum and try to get to the heart of how she used living books in literature lessons. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List Episode 36: Literature Episode 236: Poetry ADE on YouTube

Julie Bogart and Melissa Wiley reunite to reflect on one of Charlotte Mason's most enduring ideas: that *education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life*. What begins as a heartfelt story about a cozy childhood home becomes a rich conversation about the environments we create for learning—spaces that invite participation, curiosity, and joy.Together, Julie and Melissa trace how atmosphere extends far beyond decor: it's about invitation and accessibility—baskets of art supplies, blocks within reach, and time to be alone with one's imagination. They explore the balance between discipline and freedom, how attention and process nurture joy, and what today's parents can learn from slowing down in an age of distraction. From Charlotte Mason's 19th-century wisdom to 21st-century challenges like social media and “attention deficit trait,” this episode is a practical and deeply reassuring guide to cultivating meaningful education that feels alive, attentive, and full of enchantment.Resources:Julie's Monday Morning Meeting for kids – the Birds episodeProject Feederwatch: feederwatch.orgVisit the Brave Writer Book ShopFall class registration is open! Visit Julie's Substack to find her special podcast for kids (and a lot more!) Purchase Julie's new book, Help! My Kid Hates WritingBrave Learner HomeLearn more about the Brave Writer Literature & Mechanics programsStart a free trial of CTCmath.com to try the math program that's sure to grab and keep your child's attentionSubscribe to Julie's Substack newsletters, Brave Learning with Julie Bogart and Julie Off Topic, and Melissa's Catalog of EnthusiasmsSign up for our Text Message Pod Ring to get podcast updates and more!Send us podcast topic ideas by texting us: +1 (833) 947-3684Connect with Julie:Instagram: @juliebravewriterThreads: @juliebravewriterBluesky: @bravewriter.comFacebook: facebook.com/bravewriterConnect with Melissa:Website:

Are you wondering where to place your kids in Charlotte Mason's streams of history? Are you struggling to teach multiple students in multiple form levels? In today's podcast we are addressing these things and other practical concerns and questions about Charlotte Mason's history lessons. Charlotte Mason, Volume 6 (Amazon) (Living Book Press - use code DELECTABLE for 10% off!) ADE Vol 6, Chapt 10 Reading List ADE on YouTube