In my small, specialized world of classical and Charlotte Mason homeschooling, a lively debate has taken form over the last year. A book had been written, and then a critique, and the ensuing conversations have created two “camps” in the previously-homogeneous crowd of Charlotte Mason educators. What are those two views? One, that Charlotte Mason was … more
One of my spring cleaning projects this year was to go through my linen closets, which probably has not been done since, well, at least the last baby (four years ago). I purged and washed and folded. The built-in hallway linen storage that came with our 100-year-old house has the old-style drawers on wood runners. … more
You may have noticed my mentions of pens in posts regarding our schooling. Yes, we do use pens. I had heard pens, specifically fountain pens, recommended for children who are learning to write and who become fatigued by pressing too hard. I was told it was how children learned penmanship here in the past as well as … more
I can’t tell you how many times I hear this question come up in the context of homeschooling: What can I do to keep my toddler occupied so she/he doesn’t constantly interrupt and derail our school? After this question will come a torrent of suggestions, usually about curating a number of preschool-like activities to distract the … more
Have you started a new planner with the advent of a new year? I am still using the Bullet Journal. After three years, it continues to work for me, though I have made a couple modifications. For my lifestyle, I found that daily logging got a little tedious and repetitive. Did I really need to write “laundry” … more
Just a visual reminder that a rich education can be simple. Here is some of last year’s copywork and math for our then third-grader. Enjoy your December!
If there’s one subject that intimidates homeschoolers, it’s math. We homeschool moms love us some humanities: literature, history, geography, Bible. We will attend workshops on these subjects, spend the lion’s share of the budget on these subjects, and fill most of our schedule with these subjects. But we often treat math as a necessary evil. And usually, … more
No, not a capsule wardrobe, although I do like that concept too. But something smaller and simpler and higher quality than a typical American closet stuffed with polyester. I had to laugh when I found a post describing someone’s “accidental capsule wardrobe,” forced upon them through the constant figure changes of several pregnancies. That’s pretty … more
I don’t think I’ve done any curriculum reviews yet, but this is a good one to start with. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this book with Dusty, and now I’m wrapping up another successful foray with Duncan. Introducing The Sentence Family. I started out all gung-ho on grammar instruction for young children, but Charlotte Mason … more
The day after Labor Day is kind of like a second New Year’s Day for me. I try to get my life reorganized for this big day. The schedule is reset. Chore lists are up on the wall, goal and curriculum lists in a binder. The Mason jar is filled with new colored pencils. It … more