We are primarily using the Charlotte Mason Method for home education, and more specifically, we use Ambleside Online as our curriculum outline. You can learn more about who Charlotte Mason was here on Wikipedia. I am no expert on CM, but I have learned quite a bit and fallen in love with her method of teaching. Or as she called it, “The Gentle Art of Learning.” Ambleside Online is an amazing resource and I couldn’t be happier with the curriculum that the advisory has assembled, not to mention the articles and wealth of information about teaching with Charlotte’s method! AO is a lifesaver.

The basic methods of Charlotte Mason are surprisingly simple:

- Use Living Books. Living books are timeless tales for children that literally come alive for their readers. They are challenging, and never dumbed down, but still easily understood by the child. Examples of living books are “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” “Peter Pan,” Robinson Crusoe,” “Trial and Triumph,” “Bambi” and so on. Try to use living books to teach every subject. In contrast, what Charlotte Mason called “Twaddle” are books that are dumbed down for children and offer mere snacks for the hungry mind of a child, rather than a hearty meal. Avoid twaddle at all costs.

- Narrate. Children want to “tell.” They are always trying to tell us all kinds of things….are we listening? When you read to your child from living books, or they read them on their own, their minds will be filled with things to tell in their own words. If they can tell it back to you, they know it. It’s as simple as that. This is also a form of emerging writing skill.

- Teach with short, focused lessons. 10-20 minutes per subject in the lower grades.

- Spend time outdoors every day. Rain or shine

- Study nature. Learn about our amazing natural world and journal what you have learned.

- Study great artists and composers. This is part of a well rounded education.

- Learn from living math courses. Learn math in ways that are applicable to real life.

There is more to an CM education that this simple outline and I encourage anyone who is looking for a new way to do homeschool and avoid burn out, to “Google” Charlotte Mason and go from there!