Charlotte Mason for Beginners: Simplify Your Homeschool
Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of Charlotte Mason homeschooling? Don't stress. In this post, I'll share some simple strategies to help you get started, even if you're a complete beginner.
What is Charlotte Mason Homeschooling?
I'm excited to talk about Charlotte Mason homeschooling and tell you how easy it can be to incorporate her methods into your homeschool - no matter what your experience level is.
Charlotte Mason was a British educator who believed that children are born persons and should be treated as such. She viewed education as a way to nurture the whole child—mentally, physically, and spiritually. Her approach revolves around three key tools: atmosphere, discipline, and life.
The Three Key Tools
- Atmosphere: Creating a positive learning environment that inspires wonder and curiosity.
- Discipline: Cultivating good habits and character traits that will serve your children well throughout their entire lives.
- Life: Providing children with rich, living ideas through books, nature, art, and more, which will help to develop them into lifelong learners.
The Importance of Short Lessons
One of the key aspects of a Charlotte Mason education is the use of short lessons. Charlotte believed that keeping lessons short—around 10 to 20 minutes for younger children and up to 45 minutes for older ones—helps them maintain their attention and prevents fatigue.
Keeping lessons short, helps children maintain their attention and prevents fatigue.
When I started implementing short lessons into my homeschool, my children really began enjoying learning and they put more effort into their work. It was amazing to see the difference that this one change made.
Getting Started with Charlotte Mason
Are you wondering how you can get started with the Charlotte Mason method in your homeschool? Here are some steps you can take.
1. Use Living Books
It's very important to use living books to educate your children. These books engage your children with well-written narratives that make learning come alive. And guess what? I've got an incredible freebie for you: my Diverse Books for Your Family book list.
2. Incorporate Narration
Next, incorporate narration into your homeschool routine. After reading a living book, have your children tell back what they've learned in their own words. This daily practice helps them process and retain information, develop language skills, and build confidence in their ability to communicate.
- Start with oral narrations for younger children
- Gradually move towards written narrations as they grow older
One of my coaching clients took my Thoughtful Oral Narrations course, and she was able to get her kids started with narrating in no time. It was so rewarding to see her family's progress.
3. Nature Study
Nature study is another essential component of a Charlotte Mason education. Charlotte firmly believed in the value of spending time outdoors, observing, and appreciating the natural world. Make nature study a regular part of your homeschool routine and watch your children develop a love and respect for the environment.
Need help getting started? Click here for my nature study video:
4. Enriching Activities
Charlotte Mason placed great emphasis on the value of art appreciation, music study, and handicrafts. These subjects contribute to a well-rounded, liberal education and provide opportunities for your children to explore their interests and talents.
Picture study encourages children to observe and appreciate great works of art.
Music appreciation exposes them to beautiful compositions
Handicrafts allow your children to develop fine motor skills and create beautiful, useful objects. For example, my children made winter hats, mittens, and gloves. After they were done, they got to wear their work, which was a wonderful reward for all their efforts.
5. Emphasizing African American History
As an African American homeschooling family, I know firsthand the importance of incorporating diverse resources and history into our curriculum. That's why I created my Diverse Eras series.
The From Bondage to Freedom lesson plans offer twelve-week plans that make it easy to integrate African American history into your homeschool in a meaningful and engaging way.
Getting Started with Charlotte Mason
Getting started with Charlotte Mason homeschooling is definitely doable. Remember, you don't have to incorporate all the elements at once. Start by adding just one or two, like living books and narration. Those two go hand in hand and ease you into the Charlotte Mason method at your own pace.
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About Andria
I began homeschooling my youngest children in 2006, and it was very exhausting. My son was in second grade, and my middle daughter was in kindergarten.
I was spending time after school teaching my son to read and working with him on math because it was suspected that he had dyslexia (although he was never diagnosed). By the time he was in second grade, I decided to just pull them out of the private school they were attending and homeschool both of them.
What I Believe
I believe children should learn by reading great storybooks about their interests. They can become independent learners without a formal curriculum, as long as they're taught how to study and learn from a book.
I'm passionate about including diverse African-American children's books with accurate history and representation. These books have enhanced my children's Charlotte Mason education and provided an ongoing cultural learning experience.
Families with multiple children can learn together, spending time outdoors, doing art, and reading diverse living books they enjoy. I hope this post has inspired you to explore these avenues and see the difference they can make in your homeschooling. By following these tips, you can simplify your homeschool while giving your children a rich, well-rounded and diverse education.
Wishing you shorter and easier homeschool days!
Andria
Andria
The go-to-site for Charlotte Mason-style done-for-you lesson plans of books about diverse people and cultures so children can learn more independently.
Contact
andria@bookschooler.com
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