The Ever Project

Charlotte Mason: The Simplest Homeschool Ever

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 1 person)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Charlotte Mason's Educational Philosophy

At first glance, Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy seems complicated. But in fact, that misconception is only because CM is so vastly different from the textbook driven education many of us received in public schools.

As you read more and more about CM, you discover the simplicity of this educational outlook. More than that, you realize that this gentle style of teaching and learning is also easy to implement step by step, one area at a time.

The Top Five Reasons a CM Style is the Simplest Homeschool 

boy and girl
  1. low cost -- fantastic living books can be found for free online or at your library.
  2. quick -- no silly busy work; you get right to the matter at hand with narration.
  3. easy -- Once you internalize the principles, a CM education comes easy. You don't need special products or tools.
  4. lots of online support -- there are blogs, forums, and carnivals all devoted just to CM education.
  5. it works -- CM education, although gentle, offers a strong academic foundation that would carry your children through whatever future aspirations they have.

Low Cost Homeschool 

with Charlotte Mason

Living books --

quality children's literature from Aesop to Shakespeare to Thornton Burgess to Mother Goose-- can be found at your public library. Or read things from free online sources! Many of the best books are old and therefore in the public domain.
Ambleside Online Booklist
Ambleside is a standby for CM educators. Whether or not you use their entire plan, you can use this booklist to guide your own choices.
Classical Christian Homeschooling
Classical education has some overlap with CM. Use these graded booklists for more suggestions.
Skylard's Book Links
The beauty of this list is that each title is linked to a free online text!
Classical Christian Education Booklists
This site features one THOUSAND book titles in its lists!
Reading Lists
If the links above still leave you wanting more, try this mega list of lists!

Karen Andreola about CM 

A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning

Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/04/2008)
Used Price: $7.93

Story Starters: Helping Children Write Like They've Never Written Before

Amazon Price: $23.07 (as of 07/04/2008)
Used Price: $21.00

Simply Grammar: An Illustrated Primer

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/04/2008)
Used Price: $5.17

Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning : A Story for Mother Culture

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/04/2008)
Used Price: $7.50

CM on eBay 

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eBay

Charlotte Mason Education Blog 

boy with envelopeThis blog is a wealth of CM inspiration!

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At Home Science Blog 

boy in envelopeThis blog offers booklists and ideas to incorporate more living science into your homeschool.

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Catherine Levison about CM 

A Charlotte Mason Education

Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 07/04/2008)

More Charlotte Mason Education

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 07/04/2008)

An Overview of the Charlotte Mason Method

Amazon Price: (as of 07/04/2008)

Artist Study 

Pissarro



Art is easy with CM. Simply choose one artist for a 6-12 week period. Each week study one work of art by that artist. The child should narrate back the painting, explaining what he sees. For more details, see the pages below.

Artist Study on Flickr 

toulouse lautrec her version by jimmiehomeschoolmom

toulouse lautrec her...

Toulouse-Lautrec Private Room by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Toulouse-Lautrec Pri...

seurat notebook page by jimmiehomeschoolmom

seurat notebook page

Seurat's Sunday Afternoon-- Sprite's Version by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Seurat's Sunday Afte...

Seurat's Circus Sprite's Version by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Seurat's Circus Spri...

Renoir sketch by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Renoir sketch

VG drawing by jimmiehomeschoolmom

VG drawing

VG project by jimmiehomeschoolmom

VG project

seurat color Sun PM by jimmiehomeschoolmom

seurat color Sun PM

renoir.moulin-galette by jimmiehomeschoolmom

renoir.moulin-galett...

Carnivals and Forums 

related to CM education

For regular doses of CM information and inspiration, visit these forums and a weekly CM blog carnival.
Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival
A weekly round up of excellent CM related blog entries.
4Real Forum
This is a busy forum full of Catholic moms who use CM styled homeschooling. There is a wealth of information and support to be found here!
Simply Charlotte Mason Community Forum
A relatively new online community. Post your question and get a knowledgable answer!

Nature Study 

Nature study is so simple! Take weekly nature walks outdoors. Experience nature through first hand observation and then document your experiences in a nature journal. Find out much more with the links below.

Nature Journal on Flickr 

small beetle on notebook1 by jimmiehomeschoolmom

small beetle on note...

nature journal 9-11-07 by jimmiehomeschoolmom

nature journal 9-11-...

nature journal2 by jimmiehomeschoolmom

nature journal2

nature journal1 by jimmiehomeschoolmom

nature journal1

Mom's nature journal 9-27-07 deer by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Mom's nature journal...

Mom's nature journal 9-27-07 dove by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Mom's nature journal...

Mom's nature journal 9-27-07 tree by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Mom's nature journal...

nature journal 9-27-07 praying mantis by jimmiehomeschoolmom

nature journal 9-27-...

nature journal 9-27-07 dove by jimmiehomeschoolmom

nature journal 9-27-...

nature journal 9-27-07 deer by jimmiehomeschoolmom

nature journal 9-27-...

Handbook of Nature Study Blog 

This blog is written by a homeschool mom who is using the Handbook of Nature Study as CM suggested. Not only does this blog inspire you with the beauty of nature, but it also teaches you how to use the Handbook.

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Composer Study 

Music is easy with CM! Choose one composer for each 6-12 week term. Each week or even more often, listen to this composer's works! After the term, you'll be thoroughly familiar with his style. Click the link below for more ideas and resources.

Other CM Styled Topics 

Here are three more pages to push you towards a more CM styled homeschool in the areas of poetry, Shakespeare, and math.

Your Feedback? 

hand and pen

HarmonyArtMom

This is an awesome lens Jimmie! Great job and I will be referring to it often.

Thanks,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Posted December 17, 2007