Lately I’ve been re-visiting the reasons why I love the Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling. Here are just a few of her main principles — and some of the biggest reasons I love Charlotte Mason! (The page I took this from is here; thank you to Ambleside Online for providing so much free information!):
- Children learn from real things in the real world! We use the opportunities in the environment children already live in to educate them.
- Childrens’ minds are fully capable of digesting real knowledge, so we provide a rich, generous curriculum that exposes children to many interesting, living ideas and concepts.
- Children have minds capable of making their own connections with knowledge and experiences, so we make sure children learn about nature, science and art, that they know how to make things (handicraft fun!), that they read many living books, and that they are physically fit.
- In devising a curriculum, we provide a vast amount of ideas to ensure that the mind has enough brain food, knowledge about a variety of things to prevent boredom, and subjects are taught with high-quality literary language since that is what a child’s attention responds to best.
And here is the BIGGIE…
- We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and spiritual life of children, but teach them that the God is their Continual Helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life. There is unity among both secular and divine subjects because both are of God and, whatever children study or do, God is always with them.
If you’d like to learn more about Charlotte Mason, here are a couple of good links to explore:
~ Summaries of the CM Series
~ Who was Charlotte Mason?
There are a lot of great methods of homeschooling, but CM’s method is exactly what I was looking for, and I love it! I wish this was how I had been taught, and I have so much fun learning alongside my children. That’s one of the greatest things about homeschooling!!! Learning is fun! I pray every day to be given wisdom in teaching my kids, and for them to have a teachable spirit, but I also pray for MYSELF to have a teachable spirit and a never-ending thirst for knowledge about the One who made me and about everything in this world He made!!!
In my Handbook of Nature Study (a very CM style book!), I found this wonderful quote about having a thirst for knowledge:
“After all, what is the chief sign of growing old? Is it not the feeling that we know all there is to be known? It is not years which make people old; it is ruts, and a limitation of interests… It is rejuvenation for the teacher, thus growing old… to go out with her youngest pupil and reverently watch with him the miracle of the blossoming violet and and say: ‘Dear Nature, I know naught of the wondrous life of these, your smallest creatures. Teach me!’ and she will suddenly find herself young.”
Many articles are written to address the issue of how to stay young, and here we’ve found the answer! Homeschool mothers need only to keep our hearts teachable, and to keep learning right alongside our children.
Wife, mom, grandma. Introvert who finds joy in good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Fitness enthusiast and personal trainer. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand.
[…] And Jamie reflects on why she chose the Charlotte Mason method and how the emphasis on lifelong learning continues to draw her in Why Charlotte Mason? […]
Thanks for the encouragement!
We use a lot of the Ambleside Online components and I consider us to be somewhat of a Charlotte Mason homeschool…. I loved your post today!
You commented on my weekly wrap-up over the weekend. Yes, I’m from the Atlanta area. Peachtree City to be exact. 🙂
Jamie, I enjoyed your post! You described two things I like most about homeschooling: the fact that as we consider His-tory and all other subjects, really, we acknowledge that all ultimately comes from Him, and our primary job is to seek more knowledge of and a deeper relationship with Him as we learn. I guess there are three things –the third is that I get to learn so much, too! Homeschooling has definitely made me a life-long learner!
I also wish I had been taught using Charlotte Mason methods! Our children are so fortunate!
Thanks again!
I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm about the CM method. It does wonders for the teacher as well as the student!
Right on! I’m a Charlotte Mason fan, too, and share your reasons for using her methods in our family’s homeschool. I agree with you: it’s fun!
Oh yes, yes, yes…..that’s about all I can say really! I LOVE reading history and Shakespeare and living books with my children…..I love art and music and nature study. I just need to TRUST Charlotte’s methods more and jump in wholeheartedly. Thanks Jamie
A wonderful article about the benefits of a Charlotte Mason style of education!
I really loved this post! I am thankful you visited my blog because now I have found another fine blog to read!
Dorla
What a great post Jamie! I can’t help but continue learning right along side my children (since I was most assuredly NOT taught the CM-way)! I am having a wonderful time homeschooling my children, and we are embracing a family-lifestyle of education. It has become so fun for me, that it seems more like a favorite hobby, and not at all like work (which is what it seemed like just a few short years ago when we started). I’m hoping to join Harmony Art Mom’s Nature Study this spring, so I was reading through the beginning of Handbook of NS…and… Read more »
Lovely post, one I will save and read over often.
I have to agree that our children’s educaton and God go hand in hand. He is what makes all things possible.
I wish I would have been educated Charlotte Mason style. I love her methods. I do need to learn to trust them more. I still want to pull out the text books entirely too much.
I’ve enjoyed your blog.
Couldn’t agree with you more about the Charlotte Mason Method! I wish I had been taught this way also! I often don’t feel as if we are homeschooling because of the naturalness of the method. Loved this post! Thanks for the spark!
Great post. Charlotte Mason knew what the “biggie” should be…. I am so thankful that this Godly method of instruction is a model for those of us who choose to use it. Thanks for articulating your enthusiasm.
I agree with you! I have a deepening gratitude for Charlotte Mason as I read, learn, grow, apply and appreciate more and more her wisdom and her ways. I often discover more to her philosophies and her principles. As a parent she inspires and challenges me and I love her gentle, yet purposeful education.
Sheesh, all this time I thought the Charlotte Mason method was a more formal type of schooling. Thanks for setting me straight! =)
I love using God’s wonderful world of nature as part of our lessons, and I too agree that there should not be a separation from His-story and what we learned in school as “History”.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment!
Wonderful post! Inspiring!
Thanks, I needed that!
Anna
[…] first reason I chose to homeschool. I had never even considered homeschooling until I happened upon See Jamie Blog in 2011, and from there I discovered the Charlotte Mason method and Ambleside Online. I remember […]