Our New Path in Homeschooling with Charlotte Mason

 

As a homeschooling mother of five, my educational journey has been one of constant growth and adaptation. Over the years, we have explored various curricula, each bringing its own unique strengths to our learning environment. Seton and The Good and the Beautiful have been foundational in our homeschool journey, offering structure, solid content, and a rich Catholic perspective that aligned with our values. We loved the rigor of Seton and the beauty of The Good and the Beautiful, which brought a wonderful balance of faith, academics, and aesthetics into our home.

But this year, something shifted. As our family grew and our educational needs evolved, I found myself yearning for an approach that would not only educate their minds but also nourish their spirits, encourage independent thinking, and cultivate a deep love for learning. That’s when I stumbled upon Charlotte Mason—a name I had heard in homeschooling circles but had not yet fully explored.

Discovering Charlotte Mason

Charlotte Mason’s philosophy captivated me with its emphasis on living books, the gentle art of narration, and the belief that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. The more I read, the more I realized that her approach could harmonize beautifully with the structured elements of Seton and the rich, creative resources from The Good and the Beautiful.

I was particularly drawn to Mason’s focus on the whole child—intellectually, spiritually, and morally. Her belief that children are born persons, with unique gifts and talents that should be nurtured and respected, resonated deeply with me. I began to see how this philosophy could complement and enhance what we were already doing.

Why We Chose to Incorporate Charlotte Mason

1. A Desire for a More Personalized Education: While Seton provided the solid academic foundation we needed and The Good and the Beautiful brought creativity into our studies, I wanted an approach that would allow for more freedom and personalization. Mason’s emphasis on short lessons, the use of high-quality literature, and the importance of outdoor play and nature study seemed to offer the perfect balance.

2. Encouraging Independent Thinking: I realized that as my children grew older, they needed to develop their own voices and ideas. Charlotte Mason’s method encourages children to think for themselves, to engage with ideas deeply, and to express those ideas through narration. This practice of articulating their thoughts is something I believe will serve them well throughout their lives.

3. Cultivating a Love for Learning: One of Mason’s core principles is that education should be enjoyable and life-giving. I want my children to love learning, to be curious, and to find joy in discovering new things. Incorporating Charlotte Mason into our homeschool has already begun to reignite that spark in our daily lessons.

4. Integrating Faith in a Living Way: Our faith is central to our family life, and I appreciate how Charlotte Mason’s philosophy seamlessly integrates spiritual development with academic growth. Her respect for the child as a person made in God’s image and her emphasis on character formation aligns beautifully with our Catholic values.

How We’re Blending the Curricula

This year, I am homeschooling a preschooler, a kindergartner, and a high schooler. Meanwhile, our two older children are now attending private school, journeying through their last year of senior high. As our homeschooling dynamics have changed, so has our approach.

We are still using Seton for subjects like Religion, where the structure and Catholic content are top-notch. The Good and the Beautiful remains a favorite for Language Arts, Math, and Art, bringing beauty and creativity into our lessons. But now, Charlotte Mason has added a new dimension to our homeschooling—a way of thinking and learning that feels more natural and more in tune with our family’s rhythm. We’ve introduced living books for history and science, started nature journals, and embraced the practice of narration, allowing our children to reflect on and internalize what they’ve learned.

Encouragement for Fellow Homeschooling Parents

If you’re considering incorporating Charlotte Mason into your homeschool, I encourage you to take the leap. You don’t have to do it all at once; start small, maybe with a single subject or by adding a nature walk to your weekly routine. The beauty of homeschooling is that it allows us to tailor education to our children’s needs and our family’s values. Mason’s approach offers flexibility, depth, and a way to cultivate a love of learning that I believe is truly priceless.

Our journey with Charlotte Mason is just beginning, but already it has brought a renewed sense of joy and purpose to our homeschool. I hope that by sharing our experience, I can inspire other parents to explore this beautiful educational philosophy. Whether you choose to fully embrace Mason’s methods or blend them with what you’re already doing, I believe your family will be richly blessed by the journey.

Thank you for reading, and may your homeschooling adventure be filled with love, learning, and endless discovery!

P.S. As we embark on this exciting journey with the Charlotte Mason method, I want to share that we are using the curriculum from Ambleside Online completely free of charge. This resource has been a wonderful gift to our homeschooling experience, and I encourage you to explore it as well if you’re interested in integrating Charlotte Mason’s approach into your own educational path. 🌟📚