With all the decisions a homeschooling couple has at their disposal, click it is no surprise of the confusion they go through when finding the right curriculum or method is right for their individual family. I would like to share with you, ailment 7 reasons that a Charlotte Mason education can be right for your homeschool.
- It is a method, order not a curriculum. What I love most about the Charlotte Mason education is that it really is focused around key aspects of a curriculum, but not a curriculum on its own. That being said, the methods that are so familiar with Charlotte Mason can really prove to be a strength to any curriculum that you are currently using.
- Her methods are easy to implement. The methods that set Charlotte Mason education apart from other options are living books, narration, dictation, nature study, journaling and a focus on music, art and even foreign language. Choosing what methods interest your family will be the easiest to implement, of course, but the other methods are worth attempting. My favorite resource in learning this gentle art of a Charlotte Mason Education is A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
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- Her methods are cheap. A Charlotte Mason education is a great way to invest in non-consumable books that all your ages can use, at one time or another. Many of our living books have been used for 10 or more years and 13 years and counting on our nature Field Guide
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- Her methods are natural. What attracts me most about the Charlotte Mason education is the way that a child naturally thinks becomes the way the assignments were designed. For a quick understanding to what I mean is that the natural mind of a preschooler is to ask question (perfect for a nature study walk to learn what surrounds them), narration (they love to tell you about everything), dictation (they love to repeat and copy those around them), copy work (they love to practice how to write what matters to them), living books (they love vivid pictures and intriguing stories), journaling (they love to draw things they know) and things like music and art are also very much a part of their life. Charlotte Mason education embraces these wonderful attributes of these unique children and has developed the education to flow naturally with the child, rather than cause the child to learn a different method of educating.
- Her methods work will all ages, including high school. As I mentioned in the last reason, young children are perfect for the Charlotte Mason education, but the same is true about those entering high school or even completing those years. In fact, her methods only strengthen the skills of a college bound student when you consider what they will be required to do in these years. Large number of books are required (living books), essays and thesis are normal assignments (narrations and research papers), note taking is crucial when taking college courses (dictation) and organizing information and graphics are useful when pulling together a power point (journaling moved into the computer world).
- Her methods result in wonderful keep sakes. As you go through homeschooling with the Charlotte Mason education, you will be able to collect samples of copy work, narrations, journaling and even book list. My graduated daughter loves to go through her work all of the collections from her earliest writing days.
- Children love her methods. The last and one of the most important parts of the Charlotte Mason education is that it is mother tested and child approved. I cannot recommend this method enough, especially if your child is struggling in their studies or just the idea of lessons bring issues within the home. It is such a wonderful gentle method of learning that your children will love the change and you may even see a lot of the issues disappear.
What attracts you the most about the Charlotte Mason education?
This post was written by:
Dollie Freeman, is a veteran homeschooler who has educated her children with the Charlotte Mason way from preschool through high school. She shares about finding joy in the everyday of home, family and homeschool on her blog, Teachers of Good Things.