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•1:21 AM
Katie Ann Doing Nature StudyNevada - April 2009
There are a few things about the Charlotte Mason method that I really love. This way of homeschooling is so different than what I have done in the past, it's so much more peaceful and it's rewarding too. I love it when my kids stop what they are doing to run and show me a famous painting they recognize or when they watch movies and make connections from the books they have read. Those moments are so rewarding. Here are some of the things I like most about CM:
- Short Lessons- You dig in and try your best for a short amount of time, depending on your age (10-30 min) and then you put it away and move on before you are pushed to your (and your mother's) limits.
- Narration - These can be written or oral depending on the age of the child. I have Timothy and Katie Ann do a written narration about once a week or so. You do a lesson and they tell back in their own words what they remember from the lesson. You get instant feedback as to what they remembered, what stood out to them and they can even interject their own thoughts. We get more out of this than we ever got out of some chapter checkup questions.
- Term Exams - This is fun. We take what we have learned in the term (12 weeks) and have exams, most of them oral. Again, instant feedback as to what they are retaining in all subjects.
- Picture Study - This is fun and easy. They study a picture for a few minutes then we cover it up and they describe what they saw. They share the people, the colors, the style of painting, whether or not they'd like to be in the scene, etc. When everyone is finished we look at the picture again and talk about it. Sometimes they act goofy, like the time Timothy gave the following narration of one of Edgar Degas's ballerina prints "A bunch of people in tutus doing the hokey pokey!"
- Hymn Study - I didn't think we'd ever like this, but I thought it would be nice if someone sings a hymn sometime that they at least be familiar with it. I am cheating a bit I suppose because I find modern versions of the hymn and we listen to those while having the words in front of us. I only pick modern versions that keep the same words and just update the music. Timothy doesn't particularly enjoy this, but he tolerates it. :)
- Map Drill - This is so easy and so effective. We take a blank outline map, and the kids fill in every state or country, etc that they know in that area and then afterwards they check it with a wall map and fill in a few places that they didn't know. That's it, put it away. Next week we get it out and do the same thing for the same map and they learn more and more each week. Right now we are doing USA, but usually it will coincide with our history study.
- Lots of Subjects - Since the lessons are short, we are able to study many things in one day. And no day of the week is the same as another. I like that, it brings variety and breaks up the monotony of day after day of school in your living room.
Well, those are some of the things I enjoy about CM, I think next I will tell you about our subjects and schedule.
4 comments:
If more people knew about how easy and enjoyable CM is (once you get over a HUGE learning curve), more people would be doing it! :-)
This truly sounds awesome.
Hi Julee,
Thanks for posting on the Carnival. This was a most inspiring post. I think I need to incorporate a little more CM into our days.
Blessings,
Carol
Hi Julee, I'm using Classical Education as my approach. Now after reading a few of your Blogs I’ve become curious about Charlotte Mason. Is there a book or website you could recommend? I would love to learn a little bit more about the differences in the approach. Thanks so much for the great Blogs. God Bless, Erika Richards =)