If you’re new to Charlotte Mason home education we want to tell you that it is revolutionary for children and adults alike. We’re learning along side you and want to share the resources that we’ve found incredibly inspiring and supportive on this journey. This list is updated frequently so check back often.
Books for Mothers to Read
Mama we cannot encourage you enough to read Charlotte Mason’s actual works. There are so many wonderful individuals who have written about her works and there are numerous countless commentaries and guides. However we live in a time when we can actually have access to her volumes. A few decades ago this wouldn’t have been possible. Mason’s works were out of print and could have been lost to history. But in the late 1980s Karen Andrea and her husband Dean had the privilege of giving Charlotte Mason words to us here in America.
As of right now we’re both reading through Charlotte Mason Home Education Volume 1. Mama when I say that this book has changed my life, I’m by no means exaggerating. Neither have of us have finished the volume and we’re constantly calling and texting each other about the “new” thing we learned in the book. I mean they way she breaks down how children should be trained to be mentally and morally strong individuals is amazing. It’s so attainable and even though I feel behind when it comes to my own kids, I feel that I can “catch up”. Charlotte Mason also cares about the mother as well as caring about the child. There are so many philosophies that solely focus on the education of the child and Charlotte Mason is not that way. The mother must learn and grow and invest in herself. She must enjoy learning and teaching, see her children as a treasure and just actually want to be around them.
How to read Charlotte Mason’s Volumes
The language is dated because it was written in the late 1800s. But don’t let that scare you, if you finished high school then you can handle this book. Volume One is naturally divided into small sections and we suggest you tackle these sections piece by piece. I recommend to read a section, takes notes and reflect before moving on.
We’ve done our BEST to assimilate free and low cost versions of Charlotte Mason’s volumes. You access these volumes in different formats.
Buy the books, there are six of them.
- Home Education
- Parents and Children
- School Education
- Ourselves (Self-Knowledge and Self-Direction) (2 books)
- Formation of Character
- Towards a Philosophy of Education
You can print some of the volumes or read them online. FREE
There are some resources that provide an audio version of the book along with commentary which can be helpful as well. Listen to “Ourselves” here for FREE.
Try listening to Volume Six for FREE. Philosophy of Education here.
Volumes One and Four are available for purchase (between $6.99-$11.99) by Living Books Library NOT be confused with Living Books Press, their audiobooks costs $19.99. Since I haven’t purchased either I can only give you the prices not a comparison on audio quality.
Annotated versions are available for FREE on the AmblesideOnline website.
To my understanding Volume One was written for parents of children under the age of nine. I decided to try to read Volume one before I started this school year. Since this is my first year of Charlotte Mason homeschooling and my oldest is 8 I felt it was imperative to get as much under my belt before I started. As things go I was able to read about half before the school year began. By following the tips that I suggested above I’ve retained a fair amount from the book. Take your time, you can do it.
A Popular Gateway Book to Charlotte Mason Home Education
For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
This title was mention from several individuals as the book that started them on their Charlotte Mason journey. I listened to this book and thoroughly enjoyed it because of the author’s personal touch. Mrs. Macaulay speaks firsthand about how the method changed the way her children viewed education. Each account is inspiring because I began to connect with the author’s thoughts. Yes, I wanted my children to enjoy their education. Yes, education should exist outside the walls of a school. Nature, poetry and art do have a wonderful effect on the human spirit. I definitely recommend reading this book if you’re wondering HOW the Charlotte Mason can transform your homeschool. This book definitely gave me buckets of hope going forward.
Podcasts
Charlotte Mason for All. This is a must listen for anyone new to Charlotte Mason. These women represent several different ethnicities and nationalities and approaches to Charlotte Mason. Both of us have listened to all of the episodes and wish these ladies were still recording. They take you into their own homes and the homes of home schoolers around the world.
Simply Charlotte Mason with Sonya Shafer. This podcast is extremely informative and supportive. Each episode allows you to digest a concept before you apply it in your home. Begin listening to these episodes based on your current needs and interests.
Websites and Blogs
Heritage Mom Blog, this website includes a host of booklists and historical resources for African American families. But the techniques that Amber O’Neal Johnston uses to create a rich feast for her family can translate how you do this same in your home. The website also shares personal insight of the effects of teaching children from a streamlined approach. Even though Charlotte Mason provides a liberal feast, the feast may be unpalatable to those used to different fare.
Book Lists
AmblesideOnline provides a free curriculum guide for a Charlotte Mason home. This website is extremely meaty so give yourself time to work through all of the sections. It really is free and they women who maintain this website have done so much legwork for you. They’ve posted reading lists for each year of school and then can serve as a great structure for those new to Charlotte Mason.
Stories of Color is another free resource. One mama had the burden on her heart to provide a book search resource for mamas who want to read books that better reflect their children and lifestyles. If books are mirrors then Stories of Color is a full length mirror for gazing and seeing all aspects of yourself.
Diverse Book Finder is the first resource I used to find books for my son. After becoming frustrated with searching books through our local library system I needed to find a different way to search. This website allows you to search for books buy country, people group and ethnicities. This is another invaluable resource available for free to all families.
Picture Study
Whatever you do Mama keep looking for resources that fit your homeschool culture. Because we’re African American we’ve made a conscious effort to implement people of color in our picture and artist study. This term we are studying the works of Alma W. Thomas. We’ve included a link to our FREE picture study which consist of a short biography and six paintings by Ms. Thomas.
You the help of online museums you can access wonderful works of art from your home. So even if you live in a rural community or don’t have the budget to visit an art museum you can still give your children incredible access to artwork. Here are just a few resources that may be of assistance.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Music, Hymn, Folk Music and Composer Study
Music is certainly the richest and most accessible study for children. For instance anyone with internet can transport their children to a symphony concerto with YouTube. However, music is one of the areas that you can adjust as needed based on your family’s preferences. For Term 1, 2023 we are studying the composer Joseph Bologne Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges. This intriguing man was a violinist, composer, fencer and equestrian among other professions. If you would like to learn more about him that you can download our FREE composer study. Our study includes a portrait, biography and six of his compositions for children to listen to or watch on YouTube.
In addition to a classical composer study we’re also studying hymn writers this year. Hymns have a sweet spot in my heart because they are part of my earliest church memories. Firstly I remember standing in church and the choir marching into to church in two rows. The rows would split at the front of the church, one group went right and the other left. Lastly the choir would reunite in the choir stand, robes swaying and voices lifted to God. Such a sweet memory. If you need some support with a hymn study then you can join us here. We’ve compiled a list of 18 hymns, this works out to 2 hymns a month for 9 months. Our hymn study includes a list of writers, biographies, videos and recordings a groups around the world. We’ve even included piano sheet music and an instrumental recording of each hymn. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
Charlotte Mason Home Education is Attainable
If you’re new to Charlotte Mason home education we hope these resources have been helpful. We will continue to add to this list as we find websites and resources that contribute to the feast for our family. In short this method of education is expansive and detailed but it doesn’t have to be tedious. In closing if you have some resources you think we should add to our list please leave your suggestions in the comments below.
Leave a Reply