As I was preparing to write about nature studies, I was reading some of CM’s writings.  Please let me say again, "I am no expert!"  Read for yourselves Charlotte’s writings.  There’s a wealth of information inside her books. So, disclaimers aside, let me share with you some of what I have learned.  When under the age of six, CM felt children should most of their waking moments outdoors.  Not only should the children go outdoors, moms, if at all possible were encouraged to take them.  She realized this was not completely practical, but felt that once mothers realized how important it was they would do whatever was necessary to achieve this. I doubt if any…

I think a CM (Charlotte Mason) education will look different in each persons home simply because we each have different demands upon our time.  We are the teachers, while also being mother, wife, homemaker, friend, and _________. (You fill in the blank.)  Also, to be able to homeschool exactly as Miss Mason suggested would be almost impossible.  She encouraged mothers to take their youngsters out each day, not send them out, but to go with them outside for at least a few hours each day.  In her schools they taught 6 days per week.   Can you see from these two suggestions how it might not be possible to fully adhere to…

I would like to start a series of entries explaining, to the best of my understanding, the Charlotte Mason way of educating.  I hesitate to do this because I don’t want to set myself up as some kind of expert on Miss Mason.  But I do have a purpose, and that is to help those who might read this blog to understand this way of "living" (educating).  Miss Mason, whose full name was Charlotte Marie Mason, was born January 1, 1842 and died January 16, 1923 at the age of 81.  She was an only child and lost both parents within a year of each other.  She became an orphan at age 17. …