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Charlotte Mason spoke to the fears and anxieties of mothers in her day. Her counsel is exceedingly relevant today. The ADE ladies have invited Jessica Becker to the podcast to discuss one of our most prevalent problems in this cultural moment, the undercurrent that affects our homes and homeschool education: fear and anxiety.
The spreading of the practice of Charlotte Mason's method has created a demand for living books, old standbys that this generation deserves to know. This week begins this season's new series: Charlotte Mason in Our Community with a focus this month on book publishing with an interview of Rachel North, a Charlotte Mason enthusiast who lives in England and has restored, updated, and transformed some of the classic books Mason used to again find their place in our curriculum.
A Charlotte Mason education requires a lot of time and effort on the part of the teacher to prepare the best feast for the children. How does the parent also manage all the needs of daily life in the home at the same time? Listen to Emily, Nicole, and Liz discuss home management while homeschooling for some wisdom gained from their own experience.
This new episode on handicrafts contains further revelation on Charlotte Mason's purpose and approach to handicrafts. Emily, Nicole, and Liz, as always, draw out the practical application for this crucial, seemingly complicated, and vital part of the feast. Whether you are crafty or inept, there is wise advice for implementation here.
Welcome to Season Eight! Emily, Nicole, and Liz are delighted to bring you up to date on new helps for teaching being offered at A Delectable Education's site, events to look forward to, and an overview of the great things you can expect in the coming school year on the podcast as they continue to share the riches of the Charlotte Mason feast.
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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