Are You Charlotte Mason?

Am I Charlotte Mason? ( A Day in the Life)

When I describe my day to other homeschooling friends, I often get the question, “So what kind of school do you guys do? Are you Charlotte Mason?”

Well…

It’s Thursday. That means today is a library day. The boys are already up, as they are early risers. They are drawn down the stairs by the aroma of pancakes and maple syrup. After breakfast, some of the housekeeping things get done: making beds, getting dressed, cleaning the kitchen and table.

“Boys, we will get started in the living room in ten minutes.”

Our school day starts around 9:30 each morning. This is after a natural wake-up, a hot sit-down breakfast, and a morning tidy. These are some of the things we love about homeschooling! We can make our own priorities.

We begin with Bible study, going over our question of the week from our Bible material as well as the book of the Bible they are studying verse by verse. Right now, that’s Ephesians. We do this together as a family. It has been a great space for the kids to ask questions and share their thoughts. Again, this is something we truly value.

Since today is a library day, we gather our school materials and get going. Once at the library, we go to our reserved study room to begin our core subjects. While we are still together, we go over science. This is the kid’s favorite! They love to explore. The topic for this unit study is reptiles. There are so many activities connected to this unit study! It’s where the kids learn about geography, other cultures, learning how to conduct research, and so much more. This format allows me to teach concepts seamlessly while the focus is on a topic they love.

It’s now time for our individual-leveled subjects. This includes math, language arts, handwriting, and reading. During this time, I work with one child at a time. The other two get to explore and pick out books and read while I rotate. It’s actually going pretty smoothly now, but it took us a while to get the rhythm down. I have to bounce back and forth between the three. There are parts of the lessons that are independent, and while one is working independently, I begin with another. Somehow it all flows.

Once we wrap up those subjects, the kids like to play for a bit at the library. (They have built an inviting, colorful, and musical play area outside at the Midlothian Library.) After this, we head back home and get a late lunch. After lunch, the boys and I like to go for a walk. We have a route we call the “Lake Loop” that takes us by picturesque water—where the boys like to get a little too close, if you ask me! But this is where they explore and find many of the things we have studied in past units. For us, this makes things come alive, become real. After our outside time, the boys usually spend time playing. This includes building with Lego, art projects, and puzzles. We often end our day with some read-aloud books we picked from the library. And that’s it—no stress, just flow.

When we first began homeschooling, I honestly didn’t even know who Charlotte Mason was. While doing some research—because that’s what I do, so I can answer the question properly the next time!—I came across content that explained Charlotte Mason as easy-going, natural learning, heavily inspired by living books and nature. Being a former public school teacher, I assumed our school would be more traditional, but as the years have gone by, we have tended to take a more relaxed approach. I guess you could put us in the Charlotte Mason category, along with some other approaches mixed in. But that’s the beauty of choice. We get to do what works for our family right now. And when that no longer works, we get to try something else. I do enjoy seeing the boys not so rushed, but able to marvel in God’s creation—even if that means checking pockets for rocks before pants go into the washer. (Ask me how I know!)

With the choice to homeschool comes the freedom to carry it out in the way that is natural for you and your family. While we can get some ideas from other families or things we have read, ultimately, you get to shape your kids’ learning.

So now, when I get the question, “Are you Charlotte Mason?” my answer is, “We are Charlotte Mason-ish… we like to do what works for us!”