How We Implement the Charlotte Mason method...

Charlotte Mason advocated many things that I, as a parent, really love.  As a parent to children with learning problems her methods seem to work exceptionally well for us.  So let's take a little trip through her methods and I will outline what we will be doing this year to implement it...

Copywork

Copywork is the method Charlotte used to teach and give practice in handwriting skills.

*Last year I chose quotes & bible verses for our copywork.  This year, I am using a book specifically for copywork titled: Nature Lessons for Copywork.  I love this book. 

Nature Study

Charlotte took her students on the original “field trips” by spending one afternoon per week outside in the fields, meadows, and woodlands. This time outdoors provides the setting for nature study.

*This is one aspect of the Charlotte Mason approach that the children and I love best.  We go outside and explore the world on a regular basis and LOVE IT!!!  We have a Nature Journal that the children write and draw in.  It is something we did last year and something we will continue to do through the years.  We love camping too and as a family we will be using many of these camping trips for Nature Study purposes.  We are also adding a Zoo Membership, so the children can enjoy the nature to be found there.  Cannot wait for our first outing.  It is always the highlight of the day!

Bible

Children should hear or read the Bible every day.

*Bible study is a weekly part of our Homeschool studies.  It is important to me and my family that they know and understand the Word.

Poetry

Read and recite poetry aloud frequently, enjoying the poem together. You can read poems about nature, the seasons, holidays, and life events.

*As a true lover of poetry, it was very important to me that my children know it and understand it.  As we did last year, this year we will be working with particular poets and reading and discussing their poetry.  It has been fun watching them go through a poem and figuring out the concept, the what does it mean by talking and discussing and learning meanings of words they are not familiar with.  To see the expression on their faces when they "get it" is priceless.  The book we will be using this year is:  A Child's Introduction to Poetry.  I am excited to get started with it.

Shakespeare

Charlotte advocated the use of Shakespeare for nine- or ten-year-olds and up.

*Although Charlotte advocated Shakespeare for older children, all of my children get an education in Shakespeare.  We enjoy it though his works can at times be difficult for the kids to understand, I find it necessary that they do have a thorough education in Shakespeare, so we press on and laugh a little at the difficulties that sometimes come.

Picture Study

Art appreciation was one part of Charlotte’s “spreading the feast” before her students; and her method, as always, was gentle and inviting.

*Art was not a part of our set curriculum last year though we created a great deal of things that went along with our studies.  This year we are going head first into the world of Art and Art History.  They will learn about famous artists and will work on their own Masterpieces.  This is a class my kids are really looking forward to...and so am I.  Creating something just has a way of doing something for the soul.

Music Study

Music appreciation is done in much the same way as art appreciation. Simply listen to the music of one composer at various times throughout the week.

*We began our Composer study last year and we will be continuing it this year.  We listen to great artists like Beethoven and Mozart.  We learn who they were, how they lived, what life was like.  We interpret their music through art.  The kids have learned more about composers than most adults know and I am very proud of that.  This year we are using a book to help guide us, though it went exceptionally well last year without one.  The book is titled: Stories of Great Composers.

Foreign Language

Since Charlotte Mason lived and taught in England, French was the logical foreign language to learn.

*We will be working with a foreign language this year and as a family decided we would learn Sign Language.  They are really excited about this and I am as well, because I will be learning it right along with them.  This is a family project for certain.

Handicrafts

Charlotte thought that lessons should be completed in the mornings, leaving the afternoons free for outdoor exploration, exercise, and handicrafts.

*This has always been a part of our Homeschool study.  We enjoy crafting things and will have a great many projects to work on this year.  It is the fun stuff and the kids work so hard on everything they create.  I love to display it and the kids love to do the projects.

Recitation

Occasionally assign a poem or a passage from a classic book to be memorized and recited. Charlotte believed that “all children have it in them to recite; it is an imprisoned gift waiting to be delivered."

 *We didn't do alot of this last year, except for a couple of well chosen things.  We will be reciting a bit more this year.

We will continue this review of our year ahead tomorrow...