Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Headquarters

Charlotte Mason -- her life and ideas 

Charlotte Mason Basics

The homeschool movement is gaining momentum all over the world, and many home educators are looking back to the ideas of Charlotte Mason as a compass for teaching their own children. Charlotte Mason was an educator who lived in England from 1841-192...

Charlotte Mason: The Simplest Homeschool Ever

At first glance, Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy seems complicated. But in fact, that misconception is only because CM is so vastly different from the textbook driven education many of us received in public schools. As you read more and mor...

Quotations by Charlotte Mason 

Charlotte Mason Quotes About Nature

Charlotte Mason loved nature and felt that children should be outdoors among nature as much as possible each day, directly observing plants, animals, weather, and seasons. Many homeschoolers follow a Charlotte Mason style of education and incorporate...

Charlotte Mason Quotes

Charlotte Mason was an educator in England who lived from 1842 to 1923. Her educational philosophy, called the Charlotte Mason method, is used by many modern homeschoolers. Here is a collection of quotes by Miss Mason on these topics: How Children...

Charlotte Mason on the Bible

Charlotte Mason had a lot to say about educating children. What did she think of the Bible? Was it important to her that children read the Bible? In fact, she had high regard for Scripture and thought that all children should be familiar with its sto...

Implementing Specific CM Elements 

The Best Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Blogs

I enjoy reading blogs. That peek into another mom's daily life offers inspiration and focus. Yes, in fact, I am doing enough in our homeschool. Or perhaps, no, I'm not doing enough in this area, but this blog gives me some great ideas for how to get...

Timelines for Homeschool

Timelines are an important complement to any homeschool history curriculum. They are especially good for visual learners because they offer a view of historical events in a pictoral way. Even very young children can use a timeline to see the span of...

Narration Helps

Narration is a cornerstone of a Charlotte Mason homeschool. Forget workbooks, expensive craft kits, and complicated busy work. Narration is a learning method that can be used for any age and for any subject. And it requires no purchases or special tr...

Artist Study 

Artist Studies For Children

It's really amazing how children (and yourself) can learn about art very quickly without taking a lot of time. Just recently, my little guy (age 6) saw me browsing a website and pointed to a portrait excitedly and said "that's van Gogh!" He was compl...

Preparing for a Trip to an Art Museum

No amount of studying art from books or computer screens can substitute for seeing actual pieces in a museum. So visiting an art museum is a wonderful complement to a Charlotte Mason styled artist study regardless of which artist you are currently st...

Artist Study -- Charlotte Mason Style

With most things CM (Charlotte Mason), once you get accustomed to her methods and they become a habit, you realize just how easy they are. Artist study is no exception. Charlotte Mason's way of studying artists is inexpensive, simple, and enjoyable. ...

Artist Study Scrapbook

An artist study scrapbook is a fun, creative activity to showcase what your child has learned about a painting or an artist.

Picasso Artist Study

Study the artwork of a modern artist whose very name has come to mean a masterpiece of art-- "a Picasso." If your children have been studying more traditional artists, the works of Picasso may be a most welcome change of style. Dabble into the arti...

Egyptian Art

I am creating this lens to gather links and images for a study of Ancient Egyptian Art. It will correspond to my fifth grade study of ancient art on Harmony Fine Arts art and music appreciation program. You can learn more about Harmony Fine Arts at m...

Cassatt Artist Study

Mary Cassatt is an excellent choice for your homeschool artist study. She is one of the few women Impressionists, and commonly portrays domestic scenes of women and children. She was American by birth, but lived for much of her life in France, surro...

Vermeer Artist Study

Vermeer is a rather mysterious artist. We have no portraits to tell us what he looked like. Even the facts of his life are few. We do know that he left only thirty-five paintings, and his creation of a few of them is still disputed. With little back...

Monet Artist Study

Claude Monet is sure to be at the top of your homeschool artist study list! His paintings are everywhere and his contribution to art history is unparalleled. It is his own painting Impression-- Sunrise that gave Impressionism its name! Monet's subje...

John James Audubon Artist Study

Was John James Audubon a sketching naturalist or a nature loving artist? Actually, his bird drawings were intended to be scientific sketches instead of art. But most people would agree that his careful observation of birds brought a realism and deta...

Handicrafts & Drawing 

Using Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes

Here is the record of our homeschool journey into drawing, using Mona Brookes' Drawing with Children as our main resource. My daughter Sprite is nine years old. She is a motivated artist who wants to hone her skills. I do the activities right alongsi...

Art Supplies for Kids

As an art teacher, I was asked many times what to include in an art kit for school-age children. In this lens I will list my favorite art supplies for children to use in their drawing activities.

A Child's Sewing Box

Sewing is a great handicraft for children, because it is also a useful skill a child is likely to use later in life. Sometimes though it seems that parents are not sure where to start. We need to first let children become familiar with the supplies,...

Getting Started with Drawing and Painting for Children

I will offer some ideas for your family to learn how to draw and paint together. We have used all these books and products in our family with great success. Many times parents ask me for ideas on getting started and the books I share in this lens ar...

Drawing With Children: Nature Journal Style

This lens will help you gather the supplies needed to use this book with your children. I will also share some easy to use lessons to go along with the book that will help you and your children practice your skills in your nature journal. Even if yo...

Nature Study 

Winter Nature Walks

Our family enjoys taking walks in nature at all times of the year. We are getting ready to do some hiking and I thought I would share some ideas and resources that might be helpful to your family.

Last Child In The Woods

People need nature - really need nature, not merely enjoy nature or benefit from nature. Children need experiences with nature just as they need sleep or healthy food. Why? Richard Louv spends much of his book Last Child in the Woods explaining exact...

Nature Study -- Charlotte Mason Style

Charlotte Mason's educational philosohpy is a great fit for homeschool families who love great books, simple methods, and academic excellence. One component of a Charlotte Mason education is the regular study of nature. Nature Study has just two pa...

Nature Tales

Of course, the best way to learn about nature is through first hand experiences. Nothing can substitute for a nature walk. But a living book with nature themes makes for a great read when you're not out exploring the woods or the beach. Fortunately f...

Sonoran Desert For Families

Our family recently took a trip to Tucson, Arizona to see the Sonoran Desert. One of our goals for the trip was to learn as much as possible about this unique habitat. We visited Saguaro National Park for hiking and birdwatching. The visitor's cente...

Handbook of Nature Study

Written in 1911 by Anna Botsford Comstock, the Handbook of Nature Study is a gem for families who wish to help their children gain a love of nature. Not only does it explain how to organize short nature study sessions in your family's week, it gives...

Painted Lady Butterflies

My son and I raised two Painted Lady Butterflies from caterpillars, to chrysalises, to beautiful orange, brown, black, and white Painted Lady Butterflies! In the process, we learned a great deal about butterflies! Did you know that butterflies ne...

Nature Study at the Beach

Charlotte Mason considered it ridiculous that a child would study about the rainforest but not recognize the plants and animals in his own back yard. But she certainly didn't limit nature study only to a family's immediate surroundings. Nature study...

Our Nature Table

To tell the truth, it never really was a table, it was more of a shelf but it doesn't really matter where you set one up, if you have young children, a Nature Table is a must. And it doesn't really matter what you start with when making a N...

Marine Biology for Homeschoolers

Looking for some help in starting a study of marine biology with your children? Not sure where to do or where to get started? I am going to pull together the resources and materials that I found planning our study of marine biology. My boys are in hi...

Curriculum Choices 

Winter Promise Versus Sonlight

If you want a literature rich homeschool approach, you will want to evaluate these two excellent options -- Sonlight and Winter Promise.

BF History of the Horse Unit Study

Welcome to my curriculum review of The History of the Horse. Buying homeschool curriculum is a huge decision. Not only is it a large investment in money, but the responsibility of choosing the best materials for your child is huge! The more feedback...

Harmony Fine Arts-Art and Music Appreciation Program

Have you heard about Harmony Fine Arts but need more information? I am going to try to list as much information as possible here on this Squidoo Lens. You can always pop over to Harmony Fine Arts once you decide what year you would like to purchase....

Well-Trained Mind: Grade Nine

In this lens you will find a list of all the resources we pulled together for our ninth grade year. I hope you find it helpful in planning your year.

Language Arts 

Poetry in Homeschool

April is National Poetry Month. Does your homeschool language arts curriculum include the study of poetry? Whether you're striving to incorporate more poetry into your curriculum or whether you are looking for a poetry unit study, this webpage should...

Teaching Writing without (BUYING) a Writing Curriculum

Finding a writing curriculum can be difficult and expensive. But it doesn't have to be. Actually, as long as you have an English usage manual or two, you don't need a writing curriculum at all. You simply need to practice writing! Repeated experienc...

How To Teach Your Preschooler To Read

Teaching your child to read can be one of the most enjoyable things you will ever do. Preschool aged children are eager to learn and have an amazing capacity to absorb information. The key is to keep it simple and keep it fun. Do a little each day an...

Sentence Patterns

Sentences are the first goal in writing, and although they may be compared to baby steps, they are not just for the young grades. Even adult authors need to know the different ways to craft sentences and to combine sentences. There are rules that go...

Shakespeare 

Shakespeare Animated Tales Video Showcase

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales is a BBC television program of 12 episodes, each episode showing an animated half-hour adaptation of one of Shakespeare's plays. These shows are a great way for children to experience Shakespeare's stories and become...

Shakespeare for Children

When should students first be exposed to the world famous works of William Shakespeare? Should it be during high school or college years? Isn't it true that Shakespeare is inaccessible for most modern readers and certainly for all children? No, not...

Music and Composer Study 

Joseph Haydn For Children

This lens gathers a lot of really fun links for studying Joseph Haydn, especially the Surprise Symphony. My children love his music and we often listen as we eat breakfast or during our drawing time.    

Classical Music Lapbook

Music is one of those topics that we homeschool moms know we should teach our children. But whether it's because of our own lack of knowledge, a tight homeschool budget, or just a crowded schedule, music study often gets pushed to the back burner. Th...

Composer Study -- Charlotte Mason Style

A rich and full homeschool education is sure to include some study of classical music and the famous composers who write its music. The Charlotte Mason style of studying composers is an easy and inexpensive way to expose your children to the masters...

Opera for Children

Opera connotes a high brow artistic entertainment. But to put it simply, opera is a musical drama. Don't be intimidated. Plunge in and learn about an opera today! Taking children (and yourself!) to the opera is the best experience! But before you in...

Bach Composer Study

Anyone using Charlotte Mason styled composer study is sure to encounter Johann Sebastian Bach at some point. Although more famous in his lifetime as an organist than as a composer, Bach is considered today to be one of the primary Baroque composers o...

Antonio Vivaldi

Have you introduced your children to classical music and composer study? If not, I hope this lens will help to inspire you to do so. Antonio Vivaldi is without a doubt one of my favorite composers, both for his music and his dedication to the girls i...

Tchaikovsky Composer Study

Remember the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies? Even if you think you don't, I'm positive that you do! Listen to this midi file and you'll instantly recognize the tune. That famous piece was written by Tchaikovsky as part of The Nutcracker...

Mozart Composer Study

Mozart is often one of the first composers chosen for a Charlotte Mason styled composer study. He is considered one of the best known and best loved composers of all time. And the fact that he began performing and writing music at such a young age is...

Johann Sebastian Bach

Have you introduced your children to classical music and composer study? If not, I hope this lens will help to inspire you to do so. Johann Sebastian Bach is by far one of the most famous composers, though in his lifetime he was known more as an orga...

Guiseppe Verdi Composer Study

Choosing Giuseppe Verdi for your homeschool composer study will add the variety of opera to your music curriculum. In his lifetime (1813 –1901), Verdi composed 28 operas! And those operas have continued to be loved right through modern days. In...

Math and Science 

Transitioning to Living Math

Yes, it's hard. Very, very hard to set aside the workbook and orderly math progression through an outlined curriculum and shift to what seems to be a messy, random bunch of games and hands-on activities. You love the concept of living math. You know...

Apologia Science: Exploring Creation with Biology

This was our first year of high school using the Charlotte Mason method with my 14 year old son. I followed the Ambleside Online's recommendation and used Apologia Biology along with the companion CD and the dissection lab kit. At the beginning of th...

Living Math

In a child's early years, math is actually play. Counting, stacking, sorting, and balancing are all fun activities that develop mathematical reasoning. Don't separate math from fun. Don't kill a child's natural love of mathematical play by insisting...

Charlotte Mason on Math

Although modern CM practitioners use the term "living math," you will see that it is not in her original writings.She did talk repeatedly about "living books," and obviously the term living has been carried over to the learning of math. Charlotte Ma...

Charts and Graphs for Learning

We were studying the instruments of the orchestra, and my daughter had an idea to make a poll of people's favorite composers to add to her lapbook . I asked her a few questions, and she said, "Wait a minute. I know just what I want. Let me go ge...

Printables for Mathematicians Are People Too

Biographies are a mainstay of a living books curriculum. Therefore biographies of mathematicians are a key part of living approach to math. In my transition to living math, I bought the book, Mathematicians Are People, Too. It is composed of 15 chap...

History Topics 

Greek Classics for Children

Any study of ancient history would be incomplete without a stop in Ancient Greece. The Greeks gave Western Civilization incomparable contributions -- the seeds of democracy, mathematics, philosophy, theater, and art.