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Charlotte Mason encouraged the habit of gratitude. This end-of-year season wrap-up episode is a collection of testimonials from mothers who have experienced the benefits of her method. Emily, Liz, and Nicole are encouraging every mother, before the books are tossed aside for the year, to take time to reflect on the past year of lessons. If you want to end the year with a song instead of a sigh, listen to be reminded of all that's good.
As with every subject, Charlotte Mason's method starts with ideas and continues with natural instruction according to her principles. Math is no exception. Guests Emily Al-Khatib and Heather Schultz unpack the underlying principles of Charlotte Mason's approach to math and reveal a glimpse of the beauty and truth that will be revealed as Miss Mason's method is applied to mathematics. Emily, Liz, and Nicole touch on the most common questions, concerns, fears, and perplexities teachers have about math with these enthusiastic math teachers.
Why did Charlotte Mason include drawing as one of the essential subjects in her curriculum? And why is ADE re-releasing the original discussion on drawing as one of the basics this season? This return to the subject of drawing will refresh your thinking about the necessity of drawing, its broad application to many subjects, and some practical guidance for implementing drawing in the feast.
Charlotte Mason's counsel on education extends beyond academics to sound parenting advice. It's wonderful to come to the feast, but what if the learners at the table have such bad attitudes that it spoils the meal? Liz, Emily, and Nicole discuss the reality of facing the challenges of children with bad attitudes and ways of dealing with them.
This week's Charlotte Mason podcast episode is a re-release of a fundamental subject: writing. There is far more to composition than mechanical knowledge. This episode reveals the progression from oral narration to the polished compositions of the upper forms and includes a discussion of grammar, written narration, and composition.
For Charlotte Mason, poetry was a life giving instructor and inspirer of the children. This podcast episode includes special guest, Jono Kiser, a lover, writer, and teacher of poetry. Together the ADE ladies and Jono attempt to scratch the surface of the vast scope and value of poetry. If you love it, or are unsure, unfamiliar, unenthusiastic, or unconvinced, enter into this conversation and know delight is waiting for you.
Overwhelmed? Overwrought? Or, just over it all? This episode is a re-release of one of our top listened to discussions, because when the broad feast feels unachievable or suffocating, we all need encouragement and perspective.
Charlotte Mason advocated a "method" of lessons, which included comments to the teacher about preparing for lessons. What is included in this practice, why is it necessary or helpful, and how do we implement effective planning? Lessons are far more than simply reading and narrating. Keeping students on track throughout a school year takes some vigilant and diligent work on the teacher's part. Enjoy this re-release of a former episode with relevance for every single school week.
Charlotte Mason's curriculum set appropriately short lessons in many varied subjects. Her programs included timetables to help organize the short morning lessons. This episode is a discussion of how the teacher may prepare, predict, and preplan for the upcoming term to accomplish covering the material. We call it forecasting--a flexible plan for success, a term Charlotte Mason probably would have appreciated.
Merry Christmas to all. This re-release of an early episode on picture study and music appreciation begins with a few tips and updates and is appropriate for a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart during this special season. For the not-to-be missed lessons, including art and music is the life-giving energy for the rest of the feast.
Charlotte Mason made several statements that began, "Education is…" This episode teases out many of her definitions of education. Emily, Nicole, and Liz discuss her perspective on education and how it applies to us today.
Term examinations in Charlotte Mason's schools were mandatory. This re-release of our 2017 podcast episode explores the purpose of examinations, what was covered, and how we evaluate our child's performance, with a slight update from what we've learned over the last four years.
We're popping into the feed today with three short announcements about upcoming events and items you'll want to know about.
Did Charlotte Mason advocate the common notion of "mastery before moving on?" Liz, Emily, and Nicole discuss this popular idea and, based on Miss Mason's principles, the cases when moving on with or without mastery of a subject are beneficial for the student.
A Charlotte Mason education is grounded in principles of teaching, not just products. This is critical in the area of writing, whether handwriting or written composition. Since writing is essential, enjoy this re-release of our original show with some new preliminary comments.
This week's Charlotte Mason podcast is an interview with a mom of five on the subject of physical geography. Morgan Conner wanted to know more about her region, wanted to learn how to do geography walks, and shares with us how this came about. If you don't know much about your locale, its geology, or how to incorporate geography walks, you will be delighted with the practical and informative suggestions Morgan shares.
Nature study is essential in a Charlotte Mason education. In revisiting "the basics," this is the reason we offer you this re-release of our original nature study episode. Even if you have been studying nature with your children for years, you will be re-inspired and grateful for the world that has been given.
We think of school as paper, pencils, and books, but Mason's delectable feast included innumerable other learning opportunities. We try to hit the highlights here of the vastly underrated world of things that can be considered critical to the well-rounded education.
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“The children I am speaking of are much occupied with things as well as with books, because 'Education is the Science of Relations,' is the principle which regulates their curriculum; that is, a child goes to school with many aptitudes which he should put into effect. So, he learns a good deal of science, because children have no difficulty in understanding principles, though technical details baffle them. He practises various handicrafts that he may know the feel of wood, clay, leather, and the joy of handling tools, that is, that he may establish a due relation with materials. But, always, it is the book, the knowledge, the clay, the bird or blossom, he thinks of, not his own place or his own progress.” (Vol. 6, p. 31)
“At the same time, here is the mother's opportunity to train the seeing eye, the hearing ear, and to drop seeds of truth into the open soul of the child, which shall germinate, blossom, and bear fruit, without further help or knowledge of hers.” (Vol. 1, pp. 44-45)
"At any rate he should go forth well furnished because imagination has the property of magical expansion, the more it holds the more it will hold." (Vol. 6, p. 43)
"The work is arranged on the principles which have been set forth in this volume; a wide curriculum, a considerable number of books for each child in the several classes, and, besides, a couple of hours' work daily, not with Books but with Things." (Vol. 3, p. 271)
If you would like to study along with us, here are some passages from The Home Education Series and other Parent's Review articles that would be helpful for this episode's topic. You may also read the series online here, or get the free Kindle version from Fisher Academy.
School Education (Vol. 3), Chapter 21
Towards a Philosophy of Education (Vol. 6), Book I, Sections II and III
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Charlotte Mason increased the feast both in variety of lessons and length of lessons as the children grew, but how does one teacher with multiple students in multiple grades manage? This episode explores many of the possibilities for combining children of different levels. Creative structuring and a knowledge of what each needs is key, and there are lots of options at every stage for sharing lessons.
Another season of Charlotte Mason episodes is around the corner. Want to know what series we will be doing, what new projects we have to offer, and what to expect? Emily, Nicole, and Liz give some sneak previews.
This Charlotte Mason podcast episode addresses three short topics: the lists of attainments for six and 12-year-olds, what age is right to start school, and memorization. Liz, Emily, and Nicole each tackle one of these and gives you the short and simple advice from Charlotte Mason.
In Charlotte Mason's book addressed to students, she wrote them a chapter on vocation. This episode concludes our series on the first book of Ourselves and is an informal chat about our calling in general, our children's callings in particular, and some of the ways we can encourage them to follow theirs.
Instead of focusing on the principles and feast of curriculum subjects for the teacher, this episode speaks directly to the students who are beginning their Charlotte Mason education. Maybe you have never experienced school at home, but even if you have, this new way of doing school is going to be different than any other school experience you have had. Since this education expects you to do the work of your own education, we thought it only fair for you to know a thing or two about it.
Charlotte Mason's book for students, Ourselves, is valuable to homeschool parents and all teachers, too. This episode in the series highlighting sections of Ourselves addresses a hot topic in our culture today: justice. Specifically, what do the opinions we hold have to do with doing what is right to others?