Books on the Charlotte Mason Method {Day 5 Friday Favorites}

Welcome to day 5 of the Homeschool Review Crew Homeschool Encouragement blog hop.  Today the Crew will be sharing their Favourite Homeschool items. I am a paper girl at heart and as such love to be surrounded by beautiful books.  On Monday I shared how I am pursuing a deeper understanding of the Charlotte Mason method of education by reading The Original Home Schooling Series.  Today I would like to share a list of books written by other's who are implementing Charlotte Mason in their homes today.

A Charoltte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

Karen Andreola introduced me to the practical side of a Charlotte Mason education and A Charlotte Mason Companion soon become my favourite home schooling resource and is one that I recommend to any homeschool Mom who asks me which books I would recommend they read.

This beautifully illustrated book is full of encouragement and how to chapters. Karen covers practical topics like: The Art of Narration, Mother Culture, Shakespeare and Dickens. Topics of Art and Music appreciation along with Grammar, History, Nature Study and a few more kernels of wisdom.  A beautiful book full of gorgeous line illustrations.

Purchase this book from Book Depository, Amazon. For online encouragement meet Karen over at Moments with Mother Culture.

Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass.

I highly recommend you read this gem from Karen Glass. This thought provoking book helps you to understand the back ground to Charlotte Mason's methods.  Once you understand the underlying motivational principles you will be better equipped to make appropriate choices for your home school using Charlotte Mason's philosophy.

Consider This is availaible for purchase from Book Depository.

The Living Page : Keeping Notebooks with Charlotte Mason by Laurie Bestvater

Laurie has done an incredible job of researching every type of notebook mentioned in Charlotte's writings.  Within The Living Page you will discover not only the different types of notebooks used but why they were used, how they were used and when they were used within Charlotte's school and the PNEU.  This book changed my perspective on Notebooking and Timelines.

You can purchase it from Book Depository.

 

Know and Tell The Art of Narration by Karen Glass

One of the fundamental aspects of a Charlotte Mason education is the Art of Narration. Karen shares the theory behind the use of narration and then provides us with a step by step guide on how to implement this wonderful tool within your home school. She not only tells us how to implement narration but provides examples  and resources to help you use narration successfully within your home.

Purchase Know and Tell from Book Depository.

A Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-to Manual by Catherine Levison

Catherine has shared her collection of the key points of Charlotte Mason's methods.  She shares practical and easy to understand insights to empower families to begin using Charlotte's methods within their home schools.

Purchase this book from the Book Depository as well as the sequal More Charlotte Mason Education : A Homeschooling How-to Manual.

Books written by Charlotte Mason

• Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography 
• Towards a Philosophy of Education: Volume VI 
• Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series 
• Completed Six Volume boxed series: The Original Homeschooling Series.
• The Original Home Schooling Series by Charlotte Mason Hardback

• The Original Home Schooling Series 6-in-1 Omnibus Edition
• Book 1 - Home Education
• Book 2 - Parents and Children
• Book 3 - School Education
• Book 4 - Ourselves
• Book 5 - Formation of Character
• Book 6 - Towards a Philosophy of Education

The Original Home Schooling Series can also be purchased from

• Living Book Press
  • The Complete Home Education Series (6 Books) – Charlotte Mason
  • The Complete Home Education Series (6 Books) – Charlotte Mason (PDF).
• Amazon
• The Original Home Schooling Series: Study Edition by Simply Charlotte Mason

To find out more about the different published versions please watch this Video Review Comparing the NEW printed versions of Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Series by Brandy from AfterThoughts Blog.

If you are looking for others who are following Charlotte's Methods and sharing about their journeys be sure to take a look at this blog post: 10 Charlotte Mason blogs to follow

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This post is part of the Homeschool Review Crew 5 Days of Homeschool Encouragement Blog Hop.

Grab a cuppa and be prepared to be motivated for the year ahead.  Here are a few of the participants of this years blog hop.  Be sure to take a look at some of the posts shared by our wonderful home educating mom's.

• Nicole @ Bless Their Hearts Mom
• Patti @ Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy
• Rebekah @ There Will Be a $5 Charge For Whining
• Rodna @ Training Children up for Christ
• Stacy @ A Homemakers Heart
• Tess @ Circling Through This Life
• Wendy @ Life at Rossmont
• Yvie @ Gypsy Road

How do you teach poetry ?

The idea of "teaching" poetry always leaves me filled with panic!  I love words and the clever use of words can be a real pleasure to enjoy in poetry. For me however, when I think of teaching poetry my mind drifts to school days. At school we had to dissect poems and try to work out what the teacher thought of it.  We had to analyse it, search for symbolism and hidden meanings, look for and explain the rhythms and or patterns, categorise the different parts of speech and then the dreaded composing of poems ... 

I'm sorry this post will not contain a detailed how to on teaching poetry as this is a new season of home education for me. One of the methods I am keen to incorporate in my homeschool is a Charlotte Mason approach.  Charlotte says of poetry

"Children should practice reading aloud every day, and their readings "should include a good deal of poetry, to accustom him to the delicate rendering of shades of meaning, and especially to make him aware that words are beautiful in themselves, that they are a source of pleasure, and are worthy of our honour; and that a beautiful word deserves to be beautifully said, with a certain roundness of tone and precision of utterance. Quite young children are open to this sort of teaching, conveyed, not in a lesson, but by a word now and then." from volume 1 pg 227 Older (age 9?)

I'm always amazed at how life unfolds.  On Monday we had a home school mothers meeting and the theme for the meeting was Poetry. The guide for this conversation was taken from The Charlotte Mason Companion Chapter 29 Approach to Poetry.

Karen shared some of her view on teaching poetry online over at Homeschool World in her article The Charlote Mason Approach to Poetry.

My gleanings from Karen

• Through carefully chosen poetry, mothers can teach their children to recognise sin, be inspired, and be filled with admiration of God's gifts to man.
• Poetry is not just a means to moral instruction. It is part of the humanities.
• It's a deep expression of thought and feeling.
• It should be permissible to have a different taste for poetry than that of the teacher. Making a connection with poetry 
• If you do not like poetry, there is an obvious remedy: introduce the child and the poem and leave them to make friends for themselves.
• Poetry is strewn with ideas. Saturate yourself in the words - they can have an intoxicating effect on the intellect.
• After years of a relationship with poetry, built on shorter poems, children will be capable of enjoying and comprehending longer and more abstract works.

Ways to incorporate Poetry

• Read out loud daily (no twaddle allowed)
• Mark the seasons 
• Use poems in nature journals
• One Poet a week.  If you have an anthology choose one poet and immerse yourselves in their poems for a week or two.
• Use a child's favourite poems in copy work.  If it's a long poem choose a stanza a week.
• Memorise poetry and present it at a special tea or a homeschool co-op

Poetry Books

• Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected For Boys and Girls by Helen Ferris Tibbets (Author) , Leonard Weisgard (Illustrator) Over 700 classic and modern poems
• Now we are six - AA Milne
• Favorite Poems of Childhood Edited by Philip Smith
• Favorite Poems old and New by Helen Ferris
• Cotton Sailboats - Poems for Little Children
• Child's Introduction to Poetry
• A Child's Anthology of Poetry
• Classic Poetry
• A Treasury of Poetry for Young People
• The Llama Who Had No Pajama
• All the Small Poems This books was a delight to read out loud.  We really enjoyed it.

On the WWW

• Pinterest - Language Arts Poetry
  
  
• Teaching Poetry over at Love to Know Home School
• Simply Charlotte Mason: Teaching Poetry
• Simply Charlotte Mason: Poetry - Language Arts
•  Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival - Poetry
• Poetry for Homeschool by Jimmie over at Squidoo
• The Parents Review 1892/936 Pages 893-898 An Address on the Teaching of Poetry
• The Parents' Review The Teaching of Poetry to Children by Mrs. J. G. Simpson Volume 12, 1901, pgs. 879-883
• The Parents' Review What is Poetry? by H. A. Nesbitt, M.A. Volume 14, 1903, pgs. 33-42
• Poetry Lesson Plans and Ideas by Harmony ArtMom over at Squidoo.
• 12 Best Poetry Websites for Kids - interactive apps, forms and fun!
• Math Poetry Lessons for Homeschool over at Squidoo
• High School - How to Teach Your Children Poetry over at Crosswalk.
• Homeschool Poetry Study over at 31 Cups

Charlotte explained that “the magic of poetry makes knowledge vital, and children and grown-ups quote a verse which shall add blackness to the ashbud, tender wonder to that ‘flower in the crannied wall,’ a thrill to the song of the lark” (Vol. 6, p. 328)

I would love to know your thoughts and favourite books in this area of your home school
Blessings

Chareen

This post is part of the Homeschool Help series brought to you by a group of homeschool Mom's from around the globe.  Do not forget to visit and read their inspirational insight.

This week

• Bernadette   Waxing Poetical
• Julie  Studying Poetry with Children
• Savannah shares Poetry – How and Why to Teach It; Part 1
• Lucinda  How we do Poetry Teatime 
• Nicole  Our First Poetry Smoothietime!

 ---ooOoo---

This post is linking to

The Informed Parent

Some thoughts on Mother Culture

Alarm bells started ringing for me this week when I started feeling overwhelmed and over taxed with the smallest of tasks at hand.  Poor Sir N was struggling to grasp a new math concept and I had no patience to give him or time to explain, I just wanted out.

There's no doubt about it homeschooling full time can be a taxing undertaking and even more so when we as mothers do not commit to care for ourselves in order that we may better care for our families.

This past Monday some of my homeschool friends came over to share and discuss chapter 46 Mother Culture in The Charlotte Mason Companion.  It has been a timely reminder for me that if I want to continue this journey with Sir N I need to dedicate some Mother Culture time in my schedule or burnout will be my constant companion.

"A mother is only a woman, but she needs the love of Jacob, the patience of Job, the wisdom of Moses, the foresight of Joseph, and the firmness of Daniel. But a mother not only has to have all of these things, she must have them all at once, often when she is quite young, and too often when she has had no previous training for the marvelously varied duties she has to perform."

To obtain this high ideal we certainly must never languish in the rut of the daily drudgery of life.  It is up to us to continue to grow and move forward so as to be an example to those in our sphere of influence and care.

My Gleanings for the day:

• Some may say, "I simply have no time for myself." Others, "I don't think it is right to think of myself." Such mothers are stuck in a rut of self-sacrifice to the extent that they are starving themselves spiritually, mentally, and consequently, emotionally. (page 344) It was good to be reminded of this.  I know this from before but had forgotten the implications of starving myself of growth.
• He blesses us with His strength if we are in His Word renewing our minds, if we pray, and if we follow the fourth commandment. (Page 344) Ultimately my salvation and strength are in Him and this was a stark reminder to spend time at His feet and He will lift me up.
• We must also exercise our minds and give ourselves some healthy leisure and diversion in order to be strong (Page 344-345) I think that far too often we as mothers forget that we need leisure in order to be strong.
• We need persistence to find time for ourselves, especially if our lives are hectic, hurried, and we have learned how to live on adrenaline in place of that highly practical virtue, fortitude. (Page 345) Persistence is key to accessing a healthy balance at home when alone with our children. I need to persevere in making it a priority and a happening thing.
• When the time is over, ring the little bell and reward them with time spent outdoors together, or preparing a meal together, giving them attention and kind words. (Page 345-346) I loved these words.  I find that homeschooling an "only" child is far different than homeschooling two.  At the end of room time Sir N is needing to connect and I am needing to get on with the next thing which causes him frustration and conflict between the two of us. These words made me realise that if I schedule room time earlier in the day and factor in a time to reconnect after it is done this will be a better transition into the hum drum of the balance of our day.

• "Besides my Bible, I always keep three books going that are just for me - a stiff book, a moderately easy book, and a novel, and I always take up the one I feel fit for." That is the secret: always have something "going" to grow by. (Page346) I used to live by this adage and over the years it has gone by the wayside.  I recently have re added reading back into my routine and I do feel better for it.  I have been reading a lot of blog posts and do find that I need to be careful of the fair I choose to meditate on as this has a definite influence over my thoughts and feelings towards those in my care.
• Charlotte Mason advised the teacher to replenish her soul with a continual supply of ideas. ...stimulates your educational thought in many directions and keeps you from drifting into mere routine... Do not think this is a selfish thing to do, because the advantage does not end with yourself.".
• We should continually take our minds out of the "laundry bag" of domestic perplexities, and give it a fragrant soaping, a rainwater rinsing, and a sunny airing in that which keeps it growing. Mother Culture is living the educational life with our children by learning alongside of them. But it is also learning and contemplating off to the side. (Page 347)This is such a timely reminder for me as I seem to consistently have my mind in that "laundry bag of domestic perplexity".

John Ruskin said: "Make for yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts, bright fancies, faithful sayings; treasure-houses of precious restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb nor poverty take away from you, houses built without hands for your souls to live in."

Think seasonally. One interest per season, coupled with thirty minutes of reading a day, may be all that is needed to keep up the Mother Culture and regain any lost enthusiasm for living - Karen Andreola

On the Web

• What is Mother Culture by Karen Andreola
• CM Monday – Mother Culture over at Golden Acorn Homeschool
• Developing a Content Heart over at Golden Acorn Homeschool.
• Let the Mother go out to play! by Trisch over at Never a Dull Moment.
• A Good Airing over at Simply Charlotte Mason a blog Carnival dedicated to Mother Culture.
• Mother Culture - The Ultimate Anti by Susan at The Flexible Homeschooler.
• Mother Culture and You by Karen Andreola over at Homeschool World.
• Mother Culture by Karen Andreola Printed in Practical Homeschooling #29 1999.
• Mother Culture over at Tea Time with Annie Kate
• Blueberry Cottage - Mother Culture a Review.
• The Need for Mother Culture by Texas Homesteader.
• Shh! Quiet time for Mum - a Charlotte Mason Mother Culture Moment.
• Stop Cleaning the Kitchen and Read a book.  For Homeschool mothers, educating themselves is a revolutionary act by Susan Wise Bauer.
• Are you a Thermostat or a Thermometer ? by Simply Charlotte Mason.
• On Pinterest: Every Bed of Roses - Mother Culture 
• Taking the Moments over at Nest of Pleasant Thoughts.
• Mother Culture over at Aut-2B-Home in Carolina.

This foray into thoughts on Mother Culture has encouraged me to invest in looking after myself as a gift to my family.

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on this topic of Mother Culture.

Blessings
Chareen
Don't forget to add your link to the list

Charlotte Mason Companion Blog Hop Invitation

Hello Friends I'm back after a week of not feeling the best.  Still not 100% but definitely feeling better.

Today was CHEF (Christian Home Educating Families) meeting where we are slowly working our way through The Charlotte Mason Companion.
Today's topic of interest was: Chapter 39 Mother Culture.

I would like to extend an invitation to you all to join in, read this chapter and share your gems on the topic. 

I have been surfing bloggy world in search of Mother Culture inspiration and can't find any.  I have searched Pinterest too and the only information I find there is from Karen Andreola's blog Moments with Mother Culture.

This is such a rich beautiful topic and I would love to hear your thoughts.  I will be posting on Wednesday with a linky for you to join in.

Blessings
Chareen

A Charlotte Mason Companion Blog Hop

One of my all time favourite books is A Charlotte Mason Companion.

I have had this book for over 13 years now and whenever I am in need of some good home school encouragement I dig into this book.

As I have just re embarked on the homeschool journey with Sir N (my first two have graduated) I felt it's time to refocus and refresh.  The result is I would like to work through this book over the next few months and blog a little about what I learn once a month.

It does not matter how long you have been home educating there is something in this book for you!

 A Charlotte Mason Companion 

Monthly Blog Hop.

So here I would like to extend my invitation to you to join me in a Monthly Charlotte Mason Companion discussion blog hop. I would love to hear your thoughts, how you applied what you read, what worked what didn't ? etc



Upcoming Chapters

• 2 April -
  Chapters 33{Nature Study}
  Chapter 34 {Nature for City Children}
  Chapter 35 {Neighbourhood Nature study} 
• 30 April-
  Chapter 6 {The Atmosphere of Home} 
  Chapter 7 {Bickerings}
• 28 May - TBA
• 25 June - TBA
• 30 July - TBA

A Charlotte Mason Companion is available from
(These are NOT affiliate links.)

• Amazon
• Fishpond
• Book Depository US
• Book Depository UK
• Ebay
• Christian Book
• Timberdoodle co
• Abe Books
• Shearer's Bookshop

Hope you can join me and share some homeschool encouragement.

Blessings
Chareen

For Further Reading:

• A Charlotte Mason Lifestyle~Interview with author Karen Andreola over at Blueberry Cottage. 
• 10 days of Charlotte Mason over at Our Journey Westward.
• Sonlight meets Charlotte Mason over at Sonlight
• The Best Charlotte Mason Blogs over at Squidoo
• The Gentle Art of Learning Part 3 over at Simply Charlotte Mason.

A Picnic

One way to endure the good strenuousness of home study and home teaching is to alternate rest with labour, and to make time for seasonal diversions.  

Chapter 37 Picnics Any Time At All
Charlotte Mason Companion
Karen Andreola

Yesterday the sun shone and Sir N asked for a Picnic.  Why not ?  So out came the blanket and a picnic was enjoyed !

And then we went to the park where Sir N learned to ....

The face said it all .... what more can I say ???

When last did you have a picnic in your back yard ?