Charlotte Mason homeschooling encompasses everything that is wonderful about homeschooling. Gentle lessons in a literature-rich environment, short lessons that focus on real-life with plenty of opportunity to explore the world indoors and out. And, these are just a few of the reasons I love this style of homeschooling! In these articles, my goal is to share the wonder, joy and creativity of the Charlotte Mason style, while giving you plenty of ideas and practical advice for implementing it in your own home. Enjoy!
Target Age Range: PK-1st Skills Covered: shape names, cutting, fine motor, baking, creativity This living math lesson for little people is simple and motivating. Who doesn’t want a cookie break in the middle of the school day?? 1. Make your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe first and refrigerate it. For a real living math…
Learning math with play dough geometry is so much fun! Middle and high school students like to play, too, and this series of lessons gives them a great, hands-on overview of beginning geometry. Concrete learning (actually touching, building, and manipulating things) is so important to solidify a real understanding of otherwise abstract concepts. Play dough…
Target Age Range: 4th-12th grades Skills Covered: gathering data, graphing, technology, keyboarding When I used to teach in a classroom, it was easy for my students to gather large amounts of data for graphing…there were 24+ people in the room at all times. As a homeschooler, it takes a little more creativity to gather…
(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) Target Age Range: 3rd-8th Skills Covered: estimation, capacity measurements, multiplication, calculator, collecting data, making comparisons, cooking Food motivates my children and I suspect it might motivate your children, too! It just happens to be a bonus that this food inspired…
Target Age Range: PK-6th Skills Covered: finishing patterns, growing patterns, symmetry, naming patterns, area, perimeter, charting, relationships between patterns, number patterns, problem solving PK-2 Activities Top Photo: Begin a simple pattern (using any manipulative you like) and ask your child to continue the pattern. To help young children begin to understand what a pattern…
Beginning next week… October 15-26… a series full of practical ideas for incorporating more living math into your school days! Join me here daily! Better yet, add my feed to your feed reader so you’re sure not to miss a post!
(This post contains affiliate links and links to my business website, Shining Dawn Books.) I’m sure I’ve never mentioned that I used to help in a Montessori preschool before my public school teaching days. Some of the things I learned during that time impressed me so much that I’ve carried them into teaching my…
As an eclectic Charlotte Mason homeschooler, nature study is near and dear to my heart – and the hearts of my children. We have learned SO much about our Creator and the sciences through our weekly nature walks, all while touching on bits and pieces of almost every other subject under the sun, too. You…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Better lesson organization is one of my main goals for the upcoming school year. Having a high school student, middle school student and a kindergartener, I have no choice but to be more organized – or feel flustered and fall behind too often like I did last year when I…
Welcome to the Charlotte Mason Carnival! An Atmosphere of Learning is our theme – and don’t you just LOVE the atmosphere a Charlotte Mason education provides?? Me, too! I wouldn’t trade for the world our times of snuggling up with living books, basking in the sunshine of nature study, or enjoyment of handicrafts and artist…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Talk about a fun week of learning with M&M Math! Below you’ll find all sorts of activities we have done for M&M Math. Most of the ideas could easily be used with other types of candy pieces, too. Estimation: Fill a jar with M&M’s and ask your children to estimate…
One of the best ways to perk up the school year during the winter is to get outside. Yes, you heard right – get outside! I know it’s cold, but I also know what “going stir crazy” feels like and how {even cold weather} nature walks can rejuvenate the spirit. Not to mention, there’s a world…