Educational Philosophies--Charlotte Mason

When talking to first-time homeschoolers I often will advise them to develop a philosophy of education for their homeschool. It helps to know the different philosophies out there and deciding which one(s) you agree with.

Here are two more books that deal with homeschooling. They both address the Charlotte Mason educational philosophy. I was attracted to this philosophy because of the emphasis on living books. I devoured these books early on in my homeschooling years and they gave me a good foundation on which to build my own philosophy of education. I specifically like that she believes that children should have something or someone to love, something to do and something to think about and that "education is a science of relations." From the first book I gleaned the idea of narration and the importance of copywork. I have incorporated both of these ideas into our homeschool.

A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola is a great introduction to Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education. She was an 1800’s educator who believed that children are “real persons.” She stresses using real books, “living books” as opposed to textbooks. She also encourages narration – telling a story back to you in his own words and short lessons which helps a student to “retain their inborn curiosity.” And finally, she believes that a child doesn’t need homework but rather free afternoons to be able to pursue interests such as music, handicrafts, gardening, or playing. Karen Andreola shares her own journey of homeschooling the Charlotte Mason way with humor and touching accounts.

Pocketful of Pinecones is another book by Karen Andreola, this time emphasizing nature study. It is written as a fictitious story but is full of ideas for ways to incorporate nature study in your school day. I found it sweet and it inspired me to look for teachable moments throughout my day.

Books About Homeschooling

Are you new to homeschooling or maybe are contemplating it? If you are at all like me you might like to do a little research and read up on the subject. I thought about some of my favorite homeschooling books and they can be divided into two categories: inspirational stories and “how-to.” Let me share some of my favorites. Now I realize that this list of books might date me. Remember, I’ve been homeschooling for 9 years now and many of these I read 9+ years ago so they may seem old-fashioned or fuddy-duddy to some of you. But in looking online I see that the only one that seems to be out of print is the Susan Richman book. Most of the other books have been updated. A disclaimer: many of these I read for fun-to-read-not-necessarily- how-I’d-do-it although all of them have left their mark on my educational philosophy.

Hard Times in Paradise by David and Micki Colfax is an incredible story of one family's adventure back when homeschooling was unheard of and still illegal. When I think I'm having a bad homeschool day I just think back to the Colfaxes and what they went through. It makes my day look like a pretty spring morning. Inspiring. Head-shaking good. Not the way I do things, by a long shot, but it helps me to relax when I start getting uptight about the curriculum.

The 3 R’s at Home by Howard and Susan Richman is in some ways similar to the Colfaxes book. It is also the story of one family's homeschooling experience when it was illegal to homeschool. This mother has a very relaxed approach to homeschooling, which like the Colfaxes book, helps me to lighten up when I start getting obsessive about my box-checking. Also not the way I do it, but still inspiring to read.

Now, The Three R's by Dr. Ruth Beechick is more of a how-to book. It does not recount a family's story, but rather it gives a parent advice for teaching reading, writing and arithmetic in the early grades in a very natural way. The reading section explains phonics and comprehension skills. The language section teaches writing skills in a similar way children learn spoken language. Finally, the arithmetic section focuses on understanding math concepts, not just rote memorization. I consider this a "must-have" on my reference shelf and have referred to it time and time again. My copies (it used to be sold as 3 small booklets) are highlighted and a little battered, but still quite valuable.

That's all for now. I do have more favorites but I'll save them for another rainy day. Hope you find some good reading ideas here!