Among the most recognizable of all of Charlotte Mason’s words, “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life” are probably at the top of the list. As a home educator that is inspired and driven by Mason’s philosophy and methods, I keep this at the front of my mind at all times when I’m Read More
No, I’m Not a Charlotte Mason Purist – And You Probably Aren’t Either.
I have never described myself as a Charlotte Mason purist. I have spent years, however, studying as much as I can about Mason’s philosophy and methods and try as I might, I just keep circling back around to this style of homeschooling. You may recall a post that I published near the end of last Read More
Dear New Homeschool Mom: Things I Wished Someone Had Told Me
I need to preface this blog post by saying very clearly that I am not a seasoned veteran of homeschooling. We’re in our 5th school year as a homeschooling family, and some days that feels like such a long time. Other days, it feels like we’re still getting started. There are a few things that Read More
Secular Charlotte Mason Resources – An *Updated* Resource Round-Up!
With so many great Charlotte Mason curricula, products, and resources out there, following a Charlotte Mason philosophy in your homeschool can be very easy. However, for those of us who are secular homeschooling families, finding secular Charlotte Mason resources can be a little more difficult. So I have put together a quick round-up of some Read More
Secular Science Curriculum: A review of REAL Science Odyssey Astronomy Level 2
You know that feeling? When you’re so excited you feel the electricity coursing through your hands and your breath gets quick and your heart is pounding in your chest? You’ve searched high and low and you. have. found it. It’s in your hands and it’s so perfect you are almost brought to tears. The unicorn Read More
Nessy Online – Help For When You’re Suspecting Dyslexia
The learning challenges I’ve faced with one of my children, his language issues and anxiety and possible dyslexia, is something I write about often here on my blog. We have struggled, and fought, and overcome – and we are still awaiting further testing to see if there’s anything else going on with him. I have Read More
Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum for the Big Kids
I love teaching language arts. Reading, writing, phonics, grammar, spelling – you name it and I LOVE to teach it. But let’s be real here – homeschool curriculum can be REALLY expensive and when you’re addicted to buying language arts curriculum, it can really add up. I was compensated for my time in exchange Read More
Cultural Literacy: Should Secular Homeschoolers Teach Bible Stories?
Cultural literacy is something I try to keep in mind as I go about this job of teaching my children. I want them to be aware of current trends, and great books and movies of their generation (and the classics of mine, too!). I want them to feel comfortable walking into a group of peers Read More
Secular Homeschooling: The Struggles Are Real
You guys know me and you know that I’m pretty loud and proud about being a secular homeschooling mama. My family is committed to using modern, secular materials in our lessons and we’ve been able to stick pretty close to our ideals in the (almost) 5 years we’ve been doing this thing. Here’s the thing Read More
Growth Mindset and the Power of Knowing When You Just Can’t.
If you’ve been reading blogs, listening to podcasts, basically being alive and even remotely connected to the world – – then you have probably heard of ‘growth mindset‘. But just in case you might not know what that term is all about, it’s basically this: with a growth mindset, you believe that with hard work, Read More