I never thought that one day I’d be lucky enough to have a homeschool retreat of this type in my own neck of the woods. Melissa, a friend who blogs at Reflections from Drywood Creek, is putting together a one-day retreat for those interested in classical and Charlotte Mason education. We will be honored to … more
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
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
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
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
One of the principles that we attempt to run our homeschool on is that of mastery. Mastery learning is a simple concept that is not common in our fast-paced society. Put simply, it is staying with a concept until mastery is achieved. You don’t move on if your understanding is below an A level. Obviously, this … more
In the plans for the coming year: Dusty/10th Grade Jacobs Geometry – After many months of researching geometry, we have settled on the second edition of this popular-among-homeschoolers textbook. I like to use older math books in general, but was finding difficult or impossible to locate teacher’s manuals for the older geometries. This 80’s-era text was recommended to me by … more