In the first place, grammar, being a study of words and not of things, is by no means attractive to the child, nor should he be hurried into it.        –Charlotte Mason

Most kids would certainly agree.

Charlotte Mason strongly opposed teaching grammar to children under ten.  She felt that children were ready at that age to begin only short, gentle, grammar lessons. In the beginning, oral lessons of about 10-15 minutes were sufficient.

So how do I teach a ‘gentle’ grammar lesson?

Easily!

Charlotte Mason felt that rather than memorizing the parts of speech, grammar studies should begin with the ‘whole  concept’ of a  of a sentence.  Understanding the ‘whole’ first makes it easier to understand the ‘parts.’  So you can see just how easy this method is to use, here  is a short reprint of a first grammar lesson from Volume 1 of Charlotte Mason’s Original Home Schooling Series:

Words put together so as to make sense form what is called a sentence.

‘Barley oats chair really good and cherry’ is not a sentence, because it makes no(n)sense.

‘Tom has said his lesson’ is a sentence.

It is a sentence because it tells us something about Tom.

Every sentence speaks of someone or of something, and tells us something about that of which it speaks.

So a sentence has two parts:
(1) The thing we speak of;
(2) What we say about it.

In our sentence we speak of ‘Tom.’

We say about him that he ‘has learned his lesson.’

The thing we speak of is often called the SUBJECT, which just means that which we talk about.

People sometimes say ‘the subject of conversation was so and so,’ which is another way of saying ‘the thing we were speaking about was so and so.’

To be learnt––

Words put together so as to make sense form a sentence.
A sentence has two parts: that which we speak of, and what we say about it.
That which we speak of is the SUBJECT.

Lesson I Exercises

1. Put the first part to these examples:

—has a long mane.
—is broken.
—cannot do his math.
—played for an hour;
etc., etc.

2. Put the second part to—

That poor boy—.
My brother Tyler—.
The broken flowerpot—.
Bread and jelly—.
Mr. Brown’s tool-box—.

Following these exercises, Ms. Mason suggests that the student create new sentences by again replacing what has been left out.  Then she reminds us to remember to call the first part of the sentence – what the sentence is about – the SUBJECT.  After the student has finished creating all of his sentences, he is to go back and draw a line under the part of the sentence that is the subject.

It seems too easy, doesn’t it?  But this method of learning is surprisingly effective, especially when a new skill is reviewed for the next few consecutive days.

Once children have had a chance to hear the lesson, short passages of copy work were often used to reinforce what was discussed.  The perfect copy work for this lesson would be the “To be Learnt” section above:

Words put together so as to make sense form a sentence.
A sentence has two parts: that which we speak of, and what we say about it.
That which we speak of is the SUBJECT.

Using Startwrite for copy work

We recommend using  the Startwrite Program software for copy work, especially if your student is a new writer or just learning cursive.  Using Startwrite would allow you to give your child a perfect example to follow, in the type of handwriting you would like him to learn.  Here is an example of something typed into Startwrite in the Manuscript handwriting style.  When it is printed you see what is below along with blank guidelines underneath upon which your student will write.

This example would be good for a child just learning to write because she could use the dots to write the letters.  In the program you could lighten the dots as your child learns her letters, add arrows to guide her in learning how to make the letters, choose another type of writing style (or even use cursive), or you could type the copy work in normally and have your student copy it on lines printed below.

If you would like to see more information about Startwrite you can check out a past post here or go directly to the Startwrite website here.

So does this sound as if it would be more palatable to you than all those grammar worksheets, perhaps?

Reinforcing the lesson

We recommend each child have a place in a notebook for grammar rules.  Each time a new grammar rule is learned, it should be recorded as copy work and added to the notebook.

Not surprisingly, Ms. Mason advocated the copy work be chosen from superior literature such as the Bible or other living books.  In the Epi Kardia Daily Lesson Plans we choose copy work from our history and science selections, allowing the activity to  serve multiple functions. For example, in addition to grammar study, copy work can be used for handwriting  and spelling practice, memorization, and to review history and science concepts.

So for the next day’s practice on this grammar concept, a history or a science book would be utilized.

If you think this would be an easier and more engaging way to learn grammar for your student you might want to give the Charlotte Mason method a try!

Coming up — we will post a week of grammar lessons using this methodology!  To make sure you don’t miss it, subscribe to our mailing list on the top left of this page.

Although Epi Kardia doesn’t sell  math curricula, we have taught a lot of math over the years! Someone recently asked me what math curriculum I would recommend, and I hesitated answering because it seems as though there is a new program out every week! Whichever program you choose to use, here are a few ideas about  teaching math effectively, some living book recommendations on mathematical topics, as well as a few fantastic free resources you will not want to miss!

Charlotte Mason on Math

The practical value of arithmetic to persons in every class of life goes without remark. But the use of the study in practical life is the least of its uses. The chief value of arithmetic, like that of the higher mathematics, lies in the training it affords the reasoning powers, and in the habits of insight, readiness, accuracy, intellectual truthfulness it engenders.

Charlotte Mason advocated lots more talking about how we use arithmetic and math in our daily lives, rather than just making our students work endless problems. (Our modern equivalent to her slate is our worksheet.)  We must help our children connect arithmetic with real life situations. Cooking, measuring, telling time, traveling, buying groceries and even just cutting pizza are all routine activities perfect for incorporating ‘math’ conversations – and don’t forget to combine living books with your math study!

(Incidentally, my children have always had a miraculous ability with math when it comes to figuring out how to divide any dessert into an equal number of pieces so no one receives more than anyone else.)

Help Your Students See Math

We recommend a program that emphasizes mastery of concepts, beginning with manipulative use in the primary years for hands-on learning. It takes children a while to connect numbers with concepts. We know that the number 3 stands for three items, but young children need to learn this, and they aren’t all ready to grasp this concept at the same age.  Using buttons, toothpicks (be careful if you have littler ones around!), soup cans, M&Ms, blocks, or any other smaller objects can be extremely helpful in helping your child understand what numbers mean.  Especially as your child begins to learn arithmetic operations, it is very helpful to use manipulatives to illustrate problems. Continuing the use of manipulatives past the primary years is helpful for many students.

Another way to help your students see math is through making mini-books.  If you are not familiar with those, reading this post might help.  This photo on the right is a math fact mini-book we made.  These are ‘mini matchbooks’  in Dinah Zike-speak.    The math fact questions are on the outside and you lift the flap and look inside for the answer.

Making mini-books helps children with different learning styles as they are colorful, kinesthetic and provide a fun way to review.  My sweet friend Jimmie found this fantastic free resource: Dinah Zike’s Teaching Mathematics with Foldables. All of you Epi Kardia users have at least one Dinah Zike title in your library, I am sure, so you will be as delighted as I was to be able to download this 102 page tool for free!  Thank you, Jimmie!

One of the best things you can do for your children, especially if they tend to be more spatial in the way they learn, is to help them see the patterns in arithmetic.  One way to do this is encourage them to frequently count by twos, threes, fives, etc.  Additionally, using a one hundred number chart is very useful to help them identify number patterns.

As we approach the end of the school year and move into the summer, it is a beneficial time to review your math facts to get ready for next year.  Memorization of addition and subtraction facts by the end of 2nd grade promotes ease in dealing with 3rd grade concepts.  The same is true for memorization of multiplication and division facts by the end of 3rd grade in preparation for 4th – if your children are ready, of course. Gently practicing math facts throughout the summer is a helpful strategy for most elementary aged students!

Study Math through Living Books

Don’t forget to incorporate living books into your study of arithmetic and mathematics!  Reading about the real people behind the math helps bring it alive, as Charlotte Mason relates:

How interesting Arithmetic and Geometry might be if we gave a short history of their principal theorems, if the child were meant to be present at the labours of a Pythagoras, a Plato, a Euclid, or in modern times, of a Descartes, a Pascal, or a Leibnitz. Great theories instead of being lifeless and anonymous abstractions would become living human truths each with its own history like a statue by Michael Angelo or like a painting by Raphael.”

For the child that thinks she ‘hates’ math, letting her read as part of the math lesson might really help her learn to enjoy it more.  Here are some of our favorite living books with mathematical themes – check them out by clicking on the images.

Do you have any particular books that you would like to add that helped your students with understanding mathematical concepts?  If so, please leave the title(s) in our comments section below!  Thanks!

Blessings on your math studies!

One of the most controversial of Charlotte Mason’s principles is how she viewed the teaching of composition.

‘Composition’ comes by Nature.––In fact, lessons on ‘composition’ should follow the model of that famous essay on “Snakes in Ireland”––”There are none.” For children under nine, the question of composition resolves itself into that of narration, varied by some such simple exercise as to write a part and narrate a part, or write the whole account of a walk they have taken, a lesson they have studied, or of some simple matter that they know. Before they are ten, children who have been in the habit of using books will write good, vigorous English with ease and freedom; that is, if they have not been hampered by instructions. It is well for them not even to learn rules for the placing of full stops and capitals until they notice how these things occur in their books. Our business is to provide children with material in their lessons, and leave the handling of such material to themselves. If we would believe it, composition is as natural as jumping and running to children who have been allowed due use of books. They should narrate in the first place, and they will compose, later readily enough; but they should not be taught ‘composition.’

Did you get that last sentence?  Not teach composition?  Let’s look again at her thoughts restated in modern English:

1. Under the age of nine, composition should not be taught as a subject. Rather, children should narrate, either orally or in combination with writing, about an experience they have had or on a subject with which they are familiar.
2. Children who have been exposed to the best in literature will automatically be able to express themselves in writing.
3. Punctuation (grammar) should be taught using the books they are reading for examples rather than in isolation.
4. She intimated here and states more clearly elsewhere: Children are to be exposed to superior literature and be allowed to interact with it themselves without us voluminously interpreting and explaining it to them.

One of the keys to understanding this teaching is that she is discussing younger elementary children, not middle school and high school children.  In our curriculum we do not recommend formal composition instruction prior to the age of nine (third grade) – and by that I mean teaching children to write reports, summaries of literature or anything requiring more advanced reasoning skills or even requiring more than a very short paragraph at a time.

Some of the popular Charlotte Mason ‘interpreters’ believe Charlotte did not have children do any writing during those earlier years, but she did specifically state in the quote above (from Volume I, The Original Home Schooling Series) that narrations could be all or part in writing, even for children below nine.

Although we don’t believe children are to jump right into school with copious quantities of writing, as more classically oriented curricula often suggest, we do feel there are many skills involved in learning to write and they are more easily learned if they are taught using real books and reinforced through copy work in the earlier years. Some CM purists might disagree.  We do keep those lessons very brief and always in conjunction with books written at the child’s comprehension level, but we utilize copy work from first grade on and we include basic punctuation and grammar, as you can see in this first grade sample week  from our first grade plans here.

Although in #2 above Ms. Mason assumes that children exposed to high quality literature will be able to write automatically, I can’t say that has been my experience for all children.  Some have definitely been more natural writers than others, in my opinion, and some have benefited by more detailed writing instruction.  But not in the first few grades — save it for later elementary.

One can’t underestimate what young children learn and absorb through hearing and reading top quality literature, however, we shortchange them if we don’t answer their questions and clarify areas that they obviously do not understand, paying close attention to their attention span and interest level.  In Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think And What We Can Do About It, Dr. Healy describes just how important discussion between parents and children is to developing children’s verbal and language skills, and the more conversation, the better.  Mind, I am not talking about  daily lecturing your primary-aged learners! If your find your children’s eyes glazing over and they suddenly disappear at read-aloud time, consider that you may have crossed the line.  This time with literature is to be enjoyed, not analyzed to death.

I would love to hear how some of you long-time Charlotte Mason fans have dealt with composition in your home schools.  Have you taught writing using traditional CM methods or used another curriculum?  At what age did you begin composition instruction?  I appreciate your input – it helps all of us!

Blessings,

An extensive knowledge of the exact meanings of English words accompanies outstanding success in this country more often than any other single characteristic we have been able to isolate and measure. —Research Scientist Johnson O’Connor

An extensive vocabulary is a valuable tool that will help your children in every arena of their lives: academically, vocationally and socially.  An excellent vocabulary will improve one’s ability to comprehend other’s ideas,  understand the ‘grammar’ of a field of study, and to better articulate one’s own thoughts, opinions and beliefs. In our family, the development of an excellent vocabulary is one of the benefits of a Charlotte Mason education that we have observed firsthand.

How is Vocabulary Developed?

Vocabulary is developed by immersing children in high quality literature – in other words -  living books.  Generally, it is not by vocabulary programs and workbooks. Although those have their place, nothing exposes children to a broad, varied vocabulary like reading exceptional books. Many exceptional books.

Even before children painstakingly learn to blend vowels and consonants, their minds should be stimulated by hearing top notch literature.  In fact, even Ms. Mason was amazed that young children were able not just to grasp, but truly enjoy books that were several ‘levels’ beyond their own.  Exposed frequently at an early age to living books resulted in children “acquiring a copious vocabulary,” according to Ms. Mason.

Do I Have to Stop and Look up Every Word I Don’t Know?

It seems logical to have children look up the words they don’t know, doesn’t it?  Surprisingly, Ms. Mason did not agree.  She felt as though it was demeaning to children even to offer explanations for words unless they asked.  She quite definitively proclaimed that explaining the words destroyed children’s interest in the story and ‘just flat annoyed’ them!  So how did she think they would learn words they didn’t know?  Charlotte felt that most of the time they had some idea of what a word meant by the context in which it was found.  She felt if children read broadly enough, they would encounter words in different contexts and eventually glean quite a competent understanding of them.

So How Do We Help Our Kids Add to Their Vocabulary?

There are a few things we can do to help our children learn new words:

1. Teach children to try and figure out new words by their context. Walk them through the process as you are reading to them if they ask about a word: What is the author talking about here? What do you think it could mean?  What other word might fit in that spot (based on the rest of the sentence)?
2. Model enthusiasm for learning new words by circling words during your own reading that you are going to look up later.  Add them to your ongoing word list.  Talk about them.  Practice using them in sentences.
3. Pick out vocabulary words from their history and science reading and have them learn the words at another time – not during their reading time.  Epi Kardia’s Daily Lesson Plans use this method.
4. For children third grade an up, have them start two lists in their language arts notebooks: one for Tired Words and one for WOW! Words. (For those of you who use Epi Kardia curriculum, those charts are in the Tools section of your Manuals.)

For example, Tired Words are words that are overused, nonexpressive and imprecise.  Words like good, bad, pretty, mad, great and nice are bland, boring and don’t convey much to your reader.  Help your children ‘collect’ more interesting words that will add zing to their writing.  On their WOW! Words chart they could add: virtuous, dreadful, gorgeous, furious, tremendous and mannerly. (Be sure to read their work aloud with the Tired words and then with the WOW! words — they will be amazed at the difference!) During their composition lessons, teach them to replace their Tired words with WOW! words. When you find an overused or nondescript word in their writing, it should be added to their Tired Words list, to be forever banned from appearing in their writing.  Have your children add to both lists regularly, and as you teach them to self-edit, have them eventually identify and replace any Tired words they find on their own without any help from you.

But most importantly, read, read, read!  If you do, you will be surprised at the words your children will learn and begin using in their conversation!  Have you not found that to be true in your own homeschool?

Happy reading!

Last time we discussed Nature study as perhaps the most obvious of Charlotte Mason’s suggested activities that utilizes many senses, hence appealing more to non-traditional learners. Of course, we are talking about being outside and actually observing nature first hand, rather than studying nature from books alone.  If you missed it, read that post here. Thankfully, Charlotte Mason’s educational methods dovetail with non-traditional learning in many other ways as well!

Train up a Child in the Way HE Should Go…

Many of the public school classrooms that most of us languished in only allowed for the traditional (auditory-sequential) learner to use her gifts. Hear a lecture, read a book, and then write a report on it.  Ho hum.

But if you have homeschooled for a while, you have probably noticed that all of your students do not learn in the same ways and they are not motivated by the same type of assignments. (Is that an understatement, or what?)  As we have mentioned before, as they become older, children begin to exhibit preferences for the way they like to learn.  Some like learning things out loud, perhaps to music, or maybe they like to discuss ideas orally.  There are others who need to read to learn, and are totally distracted by little brother’s humming and toe-tapping. Some think and remember best if information is presented in picture, chart or graph formats. Still others need to move around to maximize their learning.

Pay attention to these details and study your children in order to give them the opportunity to let them do their best work. Give them that opportunity by letting them use as many of their senses as possible, especially until you have identified which one they use the most.  Then maximize it by incorporating it into their assignments regularly.  They will be more engaged and cooperative when assigned work they enjoy and feel good about their ability to do!

Students Benefit by Hands on Learning

Activities that are hands on in nature generally benefit ALL types of learners, but especially those who are more ‘right-brained,’ which includes many non-traditional learners. So by giving your students the opportunity to do more hands on activities, you are maximizing all of your kids’ abilities to learn, but you are especially giving your non-traditional learners the chance to shine.  So continue to use those ‘living books’ in your schooling and have your students orally narrate.  But in addition, make sure students are not just reading and hearing; they also need to be seeing and doing.

For example:

• Have your students work on a project such as hooking a rug or dipping candles while you are reading to them about colonial times.

• Incorporate field trips into your school as often as possible – don’t just read about a farm, go visit one!  Let your students produce a photo essay of the trip instead of a written report.

• Let your children draw pictures while you are reading to them. Let your student narrate afterward, using his pictures.

• Create mini-books/lapbooks, Power-point presentations, or create video “TV commercials”  instead of writing traditional reports.

• Create African costumes and cook authentic African food while reading about Africa.

• Research and plan to have an evening of Olympic Games while reading about Ancient Greece.

Other Narration Ideas

As you know, one of those foundational beliefs of Ms. Mason’s was that information was not truly absorbed until it was reproduced in some way, usually through verbal narration.  But there are many ways to reproduce information.  I would not slight that method, however; especially if your children are younger and just starting out to ‘tell back’ that which they have read or have had read to them.  But as children become older, it is especially helpful for the non-traditional learner to be able to narrate in her own way, using her own natural bents.

• Let your very visual child actually take ‘notes’ in pictures while you are reading or teaching him.

• Allow more ‘hands on’ narration, in addition to the above suggestion, such as producing a dramatization, painting a picture, or creating a poem to ‘narrate’ what has been read.

Picture and Music Study

By their very nature, Picture and Music study appeal to the senses and should not be neglected. Some children are reached by art and/or music in a way that can’t be touched by reading.  Read about picture study here.  Books about period music and artists, as well as CD suggestions are included in every unit of our complete programs.

I’m so thankful that our kids have the opportunity to be taught the way that best suits them, rather than the way that best suits the school system!  If you have non-traditional learners at home, I would love to hear how YOU have incorporated Charlotte Mason’s methodology into your homeschool!   Please consider leaving a comment below.

Gratefully His,

Recent question: Can I homeschool my [non-traditional learners] Charlotte Mason style?

Answer: Of course!

As we discuss in our parent manual, parents teach and children learn in a variety of ways.  Some prefer to absorb information by what they see, for example, reading a book, watching a movie or viewing a live demonstration.  Some learn best by what they hear, such as when listening to a lecture, verbal instructions or an audio book. Some prefer to learn through what they do, or retain more by moving around as they are taking in information through another venue.  For example, making candles instead of reading about how they are made, or doing jumping jacks while practicing multiplication tables.   Most people utilize all of these learning methods to some degree, but  prefer one over the others.

Traditional school seems to be notoriously crafted to benefit the type of learners who like to sit still, learn things in a logical progression, and read about rather than experience what they are learning about, to the detriment of the others who don’t fit that mold! What a blessing it is that we are able to craft our learning opportunities to fit our children’s natural bents!

Charlotte Mason understood children. Many of her teaching methods and principles already incorporate a variety of learning methods.

Nature Study

Advocating as much time outside as possible, Ms. Mason suggested children experience nature first hand.

Children should be encouraged to watch, patiently and quietly, until they learn something of the habits and history of the bee, ant, wasp, spider, hairy caterpillar, dragon-fly, and whatever of larger growth comes in their way.

Rather than spending up to six hours outside every suitably-weathered day as Ms. Mason suggested, many homeschoolers satisfy their outdoor longings by taking at least one nature ‘walk’ per week, identifying and recording the different trees, flowers, insects and birds that come across their path.  (Some of our favorite books to use for these activities are below.)

Observing nature incorporates all the senses:  watching a bumblebee extract nectar from a flower while listening to its low buzz…feeling the gentle wind flow through your hair while listening to the leaves rustle…feeling the rough outer layer of a seashell and the smooth-as-glass inside, then holding it to your ear and listening to the ‘ocean’…

We help our children hone their powers of observation as they study their subjects, write about them and make detailed drawings in their nature notebooks, all while using visual, auditory and kinesthetic modes of learning.

Next week we will talk about other aspects of Charlotte Mason’s methods of learning in conjunction with learning styles.

Have a great week!

Warmly,

P.S.  These are some of our favorite books for aiding our nature studies. Check them out!
Handbook of Nature Study
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America (Peterson Field Guide Series)
Peterson Field Guides; Rocks and Minerals
Peterson Field Guides; Wildflowers
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of N.A.

P.P.S.  Read about one way to incorporate hands on (also known as tactile or kinesthetic) learning in this post called, Make a Lapbook!

Near the site of the original Charles Towne settlement

Named for King Charles II, Charleston was founded in 1670 at Albemarle Point, on the western bank of the Ashley River and was the first European settlement in the U.S. colonies.  Initially named Charles Towne, the settlement was later moved to its current location on the peninsula in 1680.  If you visit Charleston, make sure you plan a stop at the historical park at Charles Towne Landing.

_____________________

Nature Study

One of our favorite parts of following Charlotte Mason’s methods are beginning many of our days with Nature Study. Rather than Amber’s family going out to study nature, they conveniently had nature come to them when they found a snake in their basement!  Of course, they couldn’t let it go without studying it first… Nature Study — Snake! posted at The Mommy Earth.Barb loves the following quote about nature study from Charlotte Mason’s contemporary and friend,  Liberty H. Bailey. Barb-Harmony Art Mom presents The Threads of Nature Study posted at Handbook of Nature Study. Have you ever wanted to take a peek at other kids’ nature journals?  Jennifer includes some pictures of theirs along with some glorious fall color in her article, Our Tree Trip in Utah, posted at Living Charlotte Mason in California. Tammy presents a fascinating and informative article about an impromptu nature study that occurred recently at her house:  An Exciting New Find, posted at Adventures On Beck’s Bounty.

_______________________________________

Reproduction of English Settlers' Cabins at Charles Towne Landing

______________________

Handicrafts

Ms. Mason advocated that children learn skills and abilities that would aid them in life and aid them in being productive.  In her schools she promoted handicrafts, not just arts and crafts. Sometimes moms are at a loss for handicraft ideas to do with their sons,  so here are some manly projects gleaned from Rebecca’s experiences as a Cub Scout leader:  Handicrafts for Boys posted at Little Homeschool on the Prairie.

________________________________________

Charleston in the spring

________________________

The Habit of Thinking

Children do not automatically do what is right – good habits must be painstakingly, regularly, consistently trained. Christin offers us a practical examples of how to do that in her insightful article,  The Habit of Thinking posted at Journey of Discovery.

Open in 2005, the Arthur Ravenel Bridge from Charleston to Mt. Pleasant has the longest single cable-stay bridge in North America.

______________________________________

Forming a Relationship

It is natural that children, when exposed to great ideas from excellent living books, develop a relationship with what they are learning. Keri presents Forming a Relationship posted at Sunny Scholars.  Barb’s children certainly are forming a relationship with the characters as they study Les Miserables.  Read this excellent reflective piece on their literature study :  “An Appreciative Look or Comment” posted at Harmony Art Mom.  Although much broader than just this topic suggests, Bethany LeBedz presents Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom: The Tutor’s Private Coaching Session describing her wonderfully helpful magazines for rounding out a Charlotte Mason curriclum, posted at Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom.

Although Phyllis is just beginning her homeschooling years, she shares with us ‘what the beginning of a Charlotte Mason education looks like’ in her home as she shares A week in our school posted at Hunsucker’s Home from the Ukraine.

_____________________________________________

These often photographed colorful row of houses on East Bay Street are affectionately known as ‘Rainbow Row.’  Although there are several explanations for these bright colors, many feel they originated from the colonial Caribbean, a regular port of call on trade voyages to Charleston.

____________________________________________

Copy Work

One of the basic tenets of a Charlotte Mason education is copy work. Cyndi Kinney posts an informative and helpful article on the benefits of copy work: Why Copywork? posted at Red Head Rambler.

During Colonial times the pineapple began to be used in the South as a symbol for the warm and welcome hospitality frequently found here.

______________________________________________

Picture Study

Like copy work, picture study is a hallmark of Ms. Mason’s education. Please read this for an introduction to picture study, and then read Brenda’s article, The Impressionists for Kids posted at The Tie That Binds Us for a wonderful example of putting it into practice.   If you have older children and would like to have them learn a more formal method of evaluating art, please read my article, Charlotte Mason Mondays: Picture Study for Older Students posted at Epi Kardia.

______________________________________________

This historic house of worship is also known as the French Huguenot  Church.  This Reformed church was founded about 1681 by French Huguenot refugees fleeing from religious persecution in France during the Protestant Reformation.

______________________________________

Living Books

Here is an additional post written by Jeanne about reading aloud, called Again, with feeling posted on her beautiful blog, A peaceful day.

_______________________________________

No visit to Charleston would be complete without mentioning that the Civil War began right in our backyard with Confederate soldiers firing upon Fort Sumter, across Charleston Harbor, on April 12, 1861.  The Federal fort surrendered within a day and a half and would be occupied by Confederate forces for the next four years.

We hope you have enjoyed your Trip to Charleston as well as this edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival!

Happy Homeschooling!

]]> http://www.epikardia.com/blog/charlotte-mason-mondays/charlotte-mason-blog-carnival-a-trip-to-charleston/feed/ 14 http://www.epikardia.com/blog/teaching-all-grades/how-do-you-use-charlotte-mason-methods-in-your-home-school/ http://www.epikardia.com/blog/teaching-all-grades/how-do-you-use-charlotte-mason-methods-in-your-home-school/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:15:24 +0000 Dana http://www.epikardia.com/blog/?p=1433

We Want to Hear From You!

How to Submit an Article

P.S.  For Thanksgiving Activity ideas, check Beth’s blog post!

Using Habits in Personal Training

The importance of good habits is an often repeated refrain with Charlotte Mason, who believed whole-heartedly that parents were  to instill good habits in their children from early childhood.

“The habits of the child produce the character of the man . . .every day, every hour, the parents are either passively or actively forming those habits in their children upon which, more than upon anything else, future character and conduct depend.”

First of all, Ms. Mason thought children were to be raised with the idea that they are not their own.  In other words, children, just as their

parents, hold their lives in a sacred trust from the Creator.  They were created for God’s purposes, and it is their job to develop  healthy bodies and minds in order to be ready to fulfill that special purpose for which they were created.  In other words, children are to be taught from the beginning that they are living under a greater Authority than themselves. What a contrast to the child-centered culture in which we live!

One of the many byproducts of good habits is that they make behavior automatic.  If you regularly perform a certain task, such as getting up and immediately making your bed, over and over again, it becomes automatic.  If you get up and do it ten times, you probably still are thinking about it every morning. But if you do it one hundred times, or a thousand times, you do it ‘on automatic pilot’  without thinking about it at all.  It is a simple task that takes absolutely no thought and not much more effort.  However, if it is not a habit, one has to decide every day to do it. Thoughts like this creep in: Do I feel like doing it?  Do I have time to do it?  If I don’t do it, maybe my mom will do it for me.  Or, my personal favorite, I will come back later and do it, I promise.  

Carrying one’s own dishes to the kitchen counter, putting away ones’ own clothes, shoes, toys, etc., brushing one’s teeth after eating, feeding a pet, and making a bed can all be accomplished by the youngest of children with loving, consistent training beginning well before they are ’school-aged.’

Without this training,  we would be constantly struggling with our children and there would be no time left to get anything done, let alone schoolwork, with us fussing and/or following our children around all the time enforcing the completion of these relentless tasks. A harmonious household was Charlotte Mason’s goal for families, and this can not be the case without constant, reliable training of good habits.

Charlotte Mason’s Suggested Physical Habits

• Self-Restraint:  using one’s time wisely and  productively rather than being lazy or self-indulgent

• Self-Control: Staying focused and on task, rather than being upset by minor annoyances.  Cultivating a tolerant, pleasant, patient attitude rather than being quick to whine or complain when conditions aren’t exactly as we would like them.

• Self-Discipline:  Teaching children to be consistently clean, neat and orderly, no matter where they are—at home, at a friend’s or at Grandma’s.

• Alertness: Teaching children to actively seek ways to serve others.  Opening doors, carrying something for mother or a younger sibling, completing a task that needs to be done rather than waiting for someone else to do it, or helping Dad with something without being asked are all benefits of teaching your child to be alert.

• Fortitude:  Given the right inspiration, most children’s natural heroic tendencies become activated and can produce an astounding amount of perseverance and tenacity.  Reading about the physical heroism of the Spartans or the knight’s Code of Chivalry can help promote this idea in your young ones.

• Service:  This is another habit that is promoted by delightful examples of selfless service in excellent children’s literature such as The Box-Car Children. Boxcar. series for younger elementary or Amos Fortune, Free Man (Newbery Library, Puffin), for older elementary children.

• Courage: Again, by reading fine literature as well as emulating examples around them, children learn courage, as opposed to recklessness.

• Caution:  Another word for discernment, Ms. Mason describes caution as preserving our health and ability to serve God and others by acting thoughtfully rather than hastily and possibly harming ourselves or perhaps our siblings or friends.
  

• Purity: The last of the physical habits, the need for purity is best summed up by  1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, Whom you have received from God?  Ms. Mason believed that if children are raised with this concept when they are young, they will have a reverence for their body that will be supported by their actions.

As parents, we are wise when we realize the value of instilling these habits into our children beginning at an early age.  Our daily, often hour by hour training using inspiring examples from our literature and stories as well as gentle, loving correction will produce children who are ready and able to manage their own bodies and accept the responsibilities laid upon them by their parents as they continue to grow and mature.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  Galatians 6:9

Let us encourage one another in our high calling,

Next:  Forming Intellectual Habits

“Our motto is,–’Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.’ When we say that education is an atmosphere we do not mean that a child should be isolated in what may be called a ‘child environment’ specially adapted and prepared, but that we should take into account the educational value of his natural home atmosphere both as regards persons and things and should let him live freely among his proper conditions. It stultifies a child to bring down his world to the ‘child’s’ level.”

We don’t often talk directly about Charlotte Mason in our curriculum, but most of Epi Kardia curriculum, as well as our homeschooling philosophies as expressed on our blog, are inspired by her teachings.  Volume 6 of her works is my favorite, as it was written about forty years after her first volume. (In other words, after her teaching practices were, well, finely tuned by experience.)

“We all know the natural conditions under which a child should live; how he shares household ways with his mother, romps with his father, is teased by his brothers and petted by his sisters; is taught by his tumbles; learns self-denial by the baby’s needs, the delightfulness of furniture by playing at battle and siege with sofa and table; learns veneration for the old by the visits of his great-grandmother; how to live with his equals by the chums he gathers round him; learns intimacy with animals from his dog and cat; delight in the fields where the buttercups grow and greater delight in the blackberry hedges.”

Rather than sitting all day in an artificially contrived environment, Charlotte believed that children should experience life directly.  They should interact with nature; they should have relationships with their parents, siblings, and neighbors next door, the grocery store clerks and the pharmacist.  They should be exposed to some of the realities of life, helping make a meal for the friend who just had surgery or take care of the yard work for an elderly neighbor.

It is no wonder that the homeschooling movement has whole-heartedly adopted Ms. Mason’s philosophies!  It certainly sounds like homeschooling to me!

Thankful for this precious time with my kids,

Next:  Education is a Discipline