The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins

On this week's episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn talk with Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom of three boys, Jess Smith How Jess first heard about Charlotte Mason's philosophy How did Jess and her friends come to start a co-op using Mason's methods? Why a small co-op of just two families can still be a great fit How Jess kept their focus on the principles Some ways to cover many subjects without burdening families How to deal with conflict in a group setting One thesis, which is, perhaps, new, that Education is the Science of Relations, appears to me to solve the question of curricula, as showing that the object of education is to put a child in living touch as much as may be of the life of Nature and of thought. Add to this one or two keys to self knowledge, and the educated youth goes forth with some idea of self management, with some pursuits, and many vital interests. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Preface Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Material World by Peter Menzel D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths by Igri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire The 2024 Back to School Conference: Heart to Heart Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill website Dawn's A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn's Substack Almighty God, Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer for the Care of Children, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 829

We kick off this new season of The New Mason Jar with a conversation Cindy and Dawn had with homeschool friends April Weyland and Anna Whiteside How Anna and April first found out about Charlotte Mason How the transition to a Charlotte Mason curriculum worked for Anna Why April decided it was time for them to leave their old coop and start using CM principles How Anna started her own CM coop with a few more like-minded families How April tried to keep the curriculum challenging while balancing learning difficulties Anna's tips on carrying over these ideas into a coop setting that isn't strictly Charlotte Mason No doubt we do give intellectual food, but too little of it: let us have courage and we shall be surprised, as we are now and then, at the amount of intellectual strong meat almost any child will take at a meal and digest at his leisure. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Know and Tell by Karen Glass The 2024 Back to School Conference: Heart to Heart Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill website Dawn's A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn's Substack But education should be a science of proportion, and any one subject that assumes undue importance does so at the expense of other subjects which a child's mind should deal with. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education

This week on The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn talk with homeschooling mom of 2 about using Morning Time in a local retirement home How Tiffany first came to know the Lord and also how she found out about Charlotte Mason How Tiffany started taking her children with her to do Morning Time at a local nursing home What are some of the fruits Tiffany has seen from this experience? What Tiffany includes in her morning time with the residents How can other homeschool families start this as a ministry in their own communities? What are some other areas in which families could minister to people through morning time? Shall every man have all the bliss That is, by right of fitness, his? Is Vision for all sons of men? Shall peoples walk with God again? But, oh, the head is sick, the heart Too faint to choose the righteous part! Shall the Messiah purge the whole, And animate each sinking soul? And shall He in His power go forth? From east and west, from south and north, Shall men flock round Him with desire, Soliciting His purging fire? How wonderful Thy counsels, Lord Thy ways past finding out, Thy word, Quick and compelling, searcheth out Just means to bring high ends about! from "Savior of the World" Book 1, by Charlotte Mason Books and Links Mentioned: The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox Find Cindy and Tiffany: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Tiffany's YouTube Tiffany's Instagram The Chief Thing we have to do––To bring the human race, family by family, child by child, out of the savage and inhuman desolation where He is not, into the light and warmth and comfort of the presence of God, is, no doubt, the chief thing we have to do in the world. And this individual work with each child, being the most momentous work in the world, is put into the hands of the wisest, most loving, disciplined, and divinely instructed of human beings. Be ye perfect as your Father is perfect, is the perfection of parenthood, perhaps to be attained in its fulness only through parenthood. There are mistaken parents, ignorant parents, a few indifferent parents; even, as one in a thousand, callous parents; but the good that is done upon the earth is done, under God, by parents, whether directly or indirectly. Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children, p. 51-52

Show Summary: In today's episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy shares a chat she had with Christina Baehr, a second generation homeschooling mom in Tasmania, Australia A little about Christina's background and various creative pursuits, including music and writing What is Pilgrim Hill, and why did Christina and her husband start it? How Christina's own self-education was deeply influenced by her mother How Christina home educates her own children Why Christina never really stopped self-educating How Christina gets through difficult seasons Evaluating expectations as a homeschool mom How Christina got back into writing What Christina is reading right now That each thing is a word Requiring us to speak it; From the ant to the quasar, From clouds to ocean floor- The meaning not ours, but found In the mind deeply submissive To the grammar of existence, The syntax of the real; So that alien is changed To human, thing into thinking: For the world's bare tokens We pay golden coin, Stamped with the king's image; And poems are prophecy Of a new heaven and earth, A rumour of resurrection "Credo" by James Phillip McAuley Books and Links Mentioned: Elizabeth Goudge Edith Nesbit Elizabeth Von Arnim Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey The Secrets of Ormdale Series by Christina Baehr Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins Anthony Trollope P. G. Wodehouse The Mabinogion by Anonymous How We Might Live by Suzanne Fagence Cooper Find Cindy and Christina: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Christina's Website Christina's Instagram Christina's Facebook Page Pilgrim Hill "It is no small part of education to have seen much beauty, to recognize it when we see it, and to keep ourselves humble in its presence." Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education

On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy and Dawn sit down to talk with veteran homeschool mom Elissa Kroeger about her own journey of self-education How Elissa first heard about Charlotte Mason Elissa's own history with reading and self-education through her school years How Elissa's early homeschooling community grew organically How was a Charlotte Mason lifestyle a catalyst for wholeness in Elissa's life? How has life changed since most of Elissa's children have grown and are no longer in her homeschool? What Elissa does now for self-education Who were the women who made the biggest impression on Elissa's life? If we know one person who grows pale at a lofty thought, whose tears come at the telling of a heroic action, let us learn, from that, that these are thoughts and actions that have the power to move us all; therefore, we must give freely of our best, without the supercilious notion that So-and so would not understand. If music, poetry, art, give us joy, let us not hesitate to present these joys to others; for indeed, those others are made in all points like as we are, though with a different experience. The orator whose Sympathy is awake appeals to the generosity, delicacy, courage, loyalty of a mixed mob of people; and he never appeals in vain. His Sympathy, his comprehension, has discerned all these riches of the heart in the unpromising crowd before him and; like Ariel, released from his tree prison leaps out of many a human prison, a beautiful human being at the touch of this key. Charlotte Mason, Ourselves Books and Links Mentioned: Better Late Than Early by Raymond Moore Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander The Tripods Series by John Christopher Byzantium by Stephen Lawhead The City of God by St. Augustine Genevieve Foster H. E. Marshall Spiritual Sight by Joyce McPherson AmblesideOnline Set Your Feet Retreat It is by way of an effort towards this adjustment of power that I wish to bring before parents and teachers the subject of 'masterly inactivity'. We ought to do so much for our children, and are able to do so much for them, that we begin to think everything rests with us and that we should never intermit for a moment our conscious action on the young minds and hearts about us. Our endeavours become fussy and restless. We are too much with our children 'late and soon'. We try to dominate them too much, even when we fail to govern, and we are unable to perceive that wise and purposeful letting alone is the best part of Education. But this form of error arises from a defect of our qualities. We may take heart. We have the qualities and all that is wanted is an adjustment; to this we must give our time and attention. Charlotte Mason, School Education Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill website Dawn's A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn's Substack

On The New Mason Jar today, we bring you a conversation Cindy and Dawn had with the AmblesideOnline Advisory members Anne White, Donna-Jean Breckenridge, Karen Glass and Leslie Laurio. How the friendship of the AO Advisory developed and has been a gift for each member throughout the years Did the Advisory members use the whole AO curriculum as written? What about those fears about missing out on something if a family doesn't do everything in the curriculum perfectly? The simplicity of the Charlotte Mason approach to language arts Do any of the Advisory doubt Charlotte Mason's methods now that they have all graduated their children? Are there any things that aren't common knowledge that the Advisory wants to share? Books and Links Mentioned: AmblesideOnline Six Voices, One Story by Donna-Jean Breckenridge, et. al. In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay AO Advisory Bios: Anne White grew up and still lives in southern Ontario. She anticipated David Epstein's Range by changing her university major three times and stretching a four-year degree into seven, but she did complete a BA in creative writing, and later added a BEd in adult education. In the thirty years between those things, she (and her husband) raised three homeschooled daughters, who have each found their own Range. Anne has been associated with AmblesideOnline since its beginning, and is the author of several books about Charlotte Mason's philosophy. Donna-Jean Breckenridge lives with her family in northern New Jersey. She is honored to be a founding member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory, and she continues to serve AO's community while homeschooling her granddaughters. She is a public speaker, writer (This Country of Ours – Annotated, Edited, and Updated and Six Voices, One Story: The Heart of AmblesideOnline), and audiobook narrator. She counts her greatest roles as mom to her four children, grandmother to five, and grateful friend. Her heart's desire is to encourage others that God is safe to trust, no matter what. After living 25 years in Krakow, Poland, Karen Glass currently lives in Indiana with her husband and youngest daughter. She is a founding member of AmblesideOnline and home educated her four children through graduation. She is the author of several books related to Charlotte Mason and speaks and teaches on the philosophy and methods (especially narration). She reads, writes, tries to grow things, and has been known to crochet doilies and knit socks. Leslie Laurio is an art school dropout, a veteran, a homeschool mom, and one of the founders and original creators of AmblesideOnline. She and her husband live in Tennessee and have four children who were homeschooled all the way from kindergarten through high school, and are now married and scattered across the eastern US pursuing various careers and passions. She has paraphrased the Charlotte Mason series, Parables From Nature, and other works. The person who can live upon his own intellectual resources and never know a dull hour (though anxious and sad hours will come) is indeed enviable in these days of intellectual inanition, when we depend upon spectacular entertainments pour passer le temps [to pass the time]. If knowledge means so much to us, "What is knowledge?" the reader asks. We can give only a negative answer. Knowledge is not instruction, information, scholarship, a well-stored memory. It is passed, like the light of a torch, from mind to mind, and the flame can be kindled at original minds only. Thought, we know, breeds thought; it is as vital thought touches our minds that our ideas are vitalized, and out of our ideas comes our conduct of life… The direct and immediate impact of great minds upon his own mind is necessary to the education of a child. Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education, p. 303 Let us, out of reverence for the children, be modest; let us not stake their interests on the hope that this or that new way would lead to great results if people had only the courage to follow it. It is exciting to become a pioneer; but, for the children's sake, it may be well to constrain ourselves to follow those roads only by which we know that persons have arrived, or those newer roads which offer evident and assured means of progress towards a desired end. Charlotte Mason, School Education, p. 245

Every plant bears fruit, 'fruit and seed after his kind.' All this is stale knowledge to older people, but one of the secrets of the educator is to present nothing as stale knowledge, but to put himself in the position of the child, and wonder and admire with him; for every common miracle which the child sees with his own eyes makes of him for the moment another Newton. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 54 Show Summary: On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy and Dawn continue their Morning Time for Moms series with guests Summer and Mike Smith How Summer and Mike first learned about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy Mike's early love for books and Summer's own life of reading How Mike and Summer continued to enjoy reading and self-education after formal schooling Some thoughts on the college experience How Summer keeps up her own education while homeschooling How Mike and Summer help their children see ministry opportunities in their community Books and Links Mentioned: In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Ice Magic by Matt Christopher The Kid Who Only Hit Homers by Matt Christopher Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry Pickle Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank Calico Palace by Gwen Bristow Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristow Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow American Regional Books by Lois Lenski Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene Kent Family Chronicles series by John Jakes Range by David Epstein Holling C. Holling The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins Paradise Lost by John Milton The Iliad by Homer The Aeneid by Virgil Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher C. S. Lewis T. S. Eliot Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy The Trumpet-Major by Thomas Hardy Jerusalem Delivered by Torquato Tasso Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger The Major and the Missionary by Diana Pavlac Glyer The Odyssey by Homer A Curious Life for a Lady by Pat Barr Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley The Latin Letters of C. S. Lewis ed. and trans. by Martin Moynihan Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill website Dawn's A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn's Substack We should allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and the 'spiritual' life of children; but should teach them that the divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their continual helper in all the interests, duties, and joys of life. Charlotte Mason, Principle 18

If mankind had not been organized into families, it would never have had the organic power to be organized into commonwealths. Human culture is handed down in the customs of countless households. It is the only way in which human culture can remain human. G. K. Chesterton, Marriage and the Modern Mind Show Summary: For this week's episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn share about this year's summer discipleship course, "Joy in the Morning" Gretchen Neisler tells about her own experience with past summer discipleship and why she keeps coming back for more What you can expect from this year's Morning Time for Moms content and schedule Other ways you can benefit from Cindy's wisdom and interact with other moms (Scroll down to the "Find Cindy" section for all the links) Books Mentioned: A White Bird Flying by Bess Streeter Aldrich A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass Ideas Freely Sown by Anne White Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher Charlotte Mason's Great Recognition by Deani Van Pelt and Camille Malucci Joy in the Morning (Jeeves in the Morning) by P. G. Wodehouse Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Norms and Nobility by David Hicks Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Subscribe: Audible Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Podcast Addict Spotify Those who believe in the dignity of the domestic tradition, who happen to be the overwhelming majority of mankind, regard the home as a sphere of vast social importance and supreme spiritual significance, and to talk of being "confined" to it is like talking of being chained to a throne or set in the seat of judgment as if it were the stocks. G. K. Chesterton, "The Dignity of Domesticity," The Illustrated London News, 1929

They notice for themselves, and the teacher gives a name and other information as it is asked for… In this way they lay up that store of "common information"… and what is more important, they learn to know and delight in natural objects as in the familiar faces of friends. Charlotte Mason, School Education, p. 237 Show Summary: On The New Mason Jar this week, we bring you a conversation all about spring nature study with Cindy, Dawn and Cindy's friend Jeannette Tulis, who has been a previous guest on the podcast How can moms begin nature study when they have never done it before? How to find spring ephemeral wildflowers, and other things to look for at this time of year Ideas for stepping up your nature study game What are some tips for nature journaling? Books and Links Mentioned: Episode 12: Charlotte Mason Study Groups Episode 56: Building a Home Library Who's Afraid of a Little Paint? by Jeannette Tulis The Tree Identification Book by George Symonds Wild Green Things in the City by Anne Ophelia Dowden The First Book of Weeds by Barbara Beck Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Let them once get in touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 61

Ourselves, our Souls and Bodies is much used in the P.U.S., as I know of no other attempt to present such a ground plan of human nature as should enable the young student to know where he is in his efforts to 'be good' as the children say. The point of view taken in this volume is, that all beautiful and noble possibilities are present in every one; but that each person is subject to assaults and hindrances in various ways of which he should be aware in order that he may watch and pray. Hortatory teaching is apt to bore both young people and their elders; but an ordered presentation of the possibilities and powers that lie in human nature and of the risks that attend these, can hardly fail to have an enlightening and stimulating effect. Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education Show Summary: On the New Mason Jar today we welcome back Anne White, veteran homeschool mom, author, and member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory How Anne first discovered Charlotte Mason About Anne's new book title and how she came to write this work Is this book for homeschoolers? How can we understand and apply "justice" in the way that Charlotte meant here? Why children need time and space to think and let ideas work in them What do you mean by the statement that "there is is only sacred, sanctified education, or desecrated education"? How Anne tied the magic of narration into the ideas in this book Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay A Bit of the World's Work by Anne White Offering Ourselves: A Lenten Journey with Charlotte Mason by Anne White Honest, Simple Souls by Anne White Ourselves by Charlotte Mason Find Cindy and Anne: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Anne Writes Anne's Author Page on Amazon Anne's Blog: Dewey's Treehouse The worth of any calling depends upon its being of use; and no day need go by without giving us practice in usefulness. Each one is wanted for the special bit of work he is fit for; and, of each, it is true that– "Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident: It is the very place God meant for thee." Charlotte Mason, Ourselves, Bk. 1, pp. 209-210

The mind is a spiritual octopus, reaching out limbs in every direction to draw in enormous rations of that which under the actions of the mind itself becomes knowledge. Nothing can stale its infinite variety; the heavens and the earth, the past, the present, and future, things great and things minute, nations and men, the universe, all are within the scope of the human intelligence. Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education, p. 330 Show Summary: On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy and Dawn kick off a new series of the podcast, Morning Time for Moms, with our first guest in the series, Jami Marstall How Jami first came to hear about Charlotte Mason How much of AmblesideOnline's curriculum Jami has personally read as the mother and teacher What practices Jami put in place to ensure she was growing in knowledge How the mother-teacher is the guide, philosopher, and friend What is the significance of the "spiritual octopus" quote from the intro? How can moms build a reading life in the busy seasons of life? What Jami is reading now and what some of her other activities are Books and Links Mentioned: Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay For the Family's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason The Idea of America by Gordon S. Wood John Adams by David McCullough The Universe Next Door by James Sire The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas The Once and Future King by T. H. White Lynn Bruce's article on The Spiritual Octopus S2E22: Charlotte Mason Through High School with Jami Marstall Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill website Dawn's A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn's Substack What we are concerned with is the fact that we personally have relations with all that there is in the present, all that there has been in the past, and all that there will be in the future––with all above us and all about us––and that fullness of living, expansion, expression, and serviceableness, for each of us, depend upon how far we apprehend these relationships and how many of them we lay hold of…. Every [mother] is heir to an enormous patrimony, heir to all the ages, inheritor of all the present. The question is, what are the [educational] formalities necessary to put [her] in possession of that which is [hers]? paraphrase of Charlotte Mason from School Education, pg. 186

Three Questions for the Mother…She must ask herself Why must the children learn at all? What should they learn? And, How should they learn it? If she takes the trouble to find a definite and thoughtful answer to each of these three queries, she will be in a position to direct her children's studies; and will, at the same time, be surprised to find that three-fourths of the time and labour ordinarily spent by the child at his lessons is lost time and wasted energy. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 171 Show Summary: On this week's episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn sit down to chat with veteran homeschool mom, Heather Martin about a wide variety of topics How and when Heather actually learned about Charlotte Mason after organically using many of her methods all along How getting a teaching certificate actually ensured Heather would choose to home educate instead Were there challenges specific to having only boys? What were some of the intentional things you did in your home to build your family culture? Some encouragement for moms regarding mathematics How Heather started local recitation gatherings with other homeschoolers Books and Links Mentioned: Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins Range by David Epstein In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

No one knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him; therefore, there is no education but self-education… Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education, p. 26 Show Summary: On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy and Dawn sit down to chat about Cindy's newest book, Beyond Mere Motherhood How this book came to be What Cindy hopes this book to be and who it is for What you can expect from each chapter of the book How this book is helping launch a new podcast series coming soon! Books and Links Mentioned: Toward a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason Beyond Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer "Why the KJV?" by Lynn Bruce Blue Sky Daisies Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill website Dawn's A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn's Substack We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and spiritual life of mothers, but teach them that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirit and is their continue Helper in all the interests, duties, and joys of life. paraphrase of Charlotte Mason's 20th Principle

Like all music, the figured bass should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the recreation of the soul; where this is not kept in mind there is no true music, but only an infernal clamour and ranting. Johann Sebastian Bach Show Summary: Today on The New Mason Jar, Cindy talks with Hannah Paris and Amy Edwards about the new Lenten companion book to Hallelujah, A Sacred Sacrifice How this book came to be through the years Some thoughts on why St. Matthew's Passion is such an appropriate piece for Lent How the book is laid out for families to use Some thoughts on approaching Lent if it isn't a normal part of your church tradition Books and Links Mentioned: A Sacred Sacrifice: Cultivating Lenten Traditions with Bach's Great Passion by Hannah Paris The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley The Charlotte Mason Book of Quotes: Copywork to Inspire by Lanaya Gore Blue Sky Daisies Truly parents are happy people, to have God's children lent to them… Charlotte Mason, from a letter quoted in The Story of Charlotte Mason Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

As a matter of fact, we do not realise children, we under-estimate them; in the divine words, we "despise" them, with the best intentions in the world, because we confound the immaturity of their frames, and their absolute ignorance as to the relations of things, with spiritual impotence: whereas the fact probably is, that never is intellectual power so keen, the moral sense so strong, spiritual perception so piercing, as in those days of childhood which we regard with a supercilious, if kindly, smile. Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children, p. 260 Show Summary: Today on The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn chat with guests Elizabeth and Stacy about the challenges (and benefits!) of homeschooling while serving in the military How Elizabeth and Stacy each first learned about Charlotte Mason What are some of the challenges of military life and frequent relocation? How have you found homeschooling community and friends when changing duty stations? What are some of the benefits your family has experienced because of military life? Are there any homeschooling resources available to military families? How do you adapt your homeschool schedule during the year to stay flexible to change? Books and Links Mentioned: For the Family's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Book Dawn's Reasoned Patriotism Book Dawn's Discerning Home Educator Substack Every look of gentleness and tone of reverence, every word of kindness and act of help, passes into the thought-environment, the very atmosphere which the child breathes; he does not think of these things, may never think of them, but all his life long they excite that 'vague appetency towards something' out of which most of his actions spring. Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children, p. 36

Few things could be more disastrous (as, alas, few are more imminent) than a sudden break with the traditions of the past; wherefore, let us gently knit the bonds that bind us to the generation all too rapidly dying out. It is well that we gather up, with tender reverence, such fragments of their insight and experience as come in our way; for we would fain, each, be as an householder, bringing forth out of his treasures things new and old. Charlotte Mason, Formation of Character, p. 156-157 Show Summary: On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy talks with Bethany Stuard, homeschooling mom of 3, about incorporating group singing into the homeschool day How Bethany came to know about Charlotte Mason as a second-generation homeschooler How choral music connected Bethany with poetry, the liturgy, other cultures and more Practical tips for helping children sing confidently at home How folk songs help connect us to other cultures and our own history Tips for finding a choir for a child to join Tips for making the most of composer study Books and Links Mentioned: Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay James Herriot Peter Kreeft Melody Sheet Music Poetry Set to Choral Music on Spotify Playlist of Folk and Children's Songs on Spotify AmblesideOnline Folk Song Selections Feierabend Song Collection Books Kodaly Collection Find Cindy and Bethany: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Bethany's Website First Colony Homeschool Ensembles ...a classical education does more, turns out men with intellects cultivated and trained, who are awake to every refinement of thought, and yet ready for action. But the press and hurry of our times and the clamour for useful knowledge are driving classical culture out of the field; and parents will have to make up their minds, not only that they must supplement the moral training of the school, but must supply the intellectual culture, without which knowledge may be power, but is not pleasure, nor the means of pleasure. Charlotte Mason, Formation of Character, p. 213

It is not the friends of our election who have exclusive claims upon us; the friends brought to us here and there by the circumstances of life all claim our loyalty, and from these we get…kindness for kindness, service for service, loyalty for loyalty, full measure, heaped together and running over. Charlotte Mason, Ourselves, Book 2, p. 32 Show Summary: Today on The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn welcome back Donna-Jean Breckenridge, veteran homeschool mom, grandmother and member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory Donna-Jean shares a little about how the Advisory met and went on to work together to create AmblesideOnline and a grew to have deep friendships along the way Donna-Jean talk about how this book came to be and some of the challenges along the way What do you see as the future of the Advisory and AO? Books and Links Mentioned: Six Voices, One Story by the AmblesideOnline Advisory Archipelago, The AO Advisory Blog Find Cindy and Donna-Jean: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Donna-Jean's Facebook Donna-Jean's Instagram Donna-Jean on MeWe

Our flesh the Word became, and dwelt with us, And we beheld His glory, as, of God, The only-begotten Son: we who believed Knew glory when we saw it, by the signs— Not of the pomp and majesty of Kings— But Grace, the touch of God, showed sweet in Him; And Truth, discerning all things, made Him simple, His glory saw we—full of grace and truth. Charlotte Mason, from "Savior of the World," Prologue to the Gospel according to St. John Show Summary: On this episode of The New Mason Jar, we bring you a replay of a special episode with Cindy's friends Donna-Jean Breckenridge and Lynn Bruce, who has now gone to be with the Lord. What did homeschooling look like around the Christmas holidays? Why it is okay to take time off from your normal school work for Christmas celebrations Why traditions are so important, possibly even more so as children grow older What are some traditions that your family keeps from previous generations? Handling changes and trauma as the years go by and still keep Christmas with courage What are some Christmas "fails" that happened in your family? Books and Links Mentioned: Saviour of the World, Volume 1 by Charlotte Mason This Country of Ours: Annotated, Expanded and Updated, Vol. 1 by Donna-Jean Breckenridge Episode 40: Donna-Jean Breckenridge on Updating This Country of Ours Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel's Messiah by Cindy Rollins The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder Find Cindyand Donna-Jean: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Donna-Jean's Facebook Donna-Jean's Instagram Donna-Jean on MeWe

Education is a life. That life is sustained on ideas. Ideas are of spiritual origin, and God has made us so that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another, whether by word of mouth, written page, Scripture word, musical symphony; but we must sustain a child's inner life with ideas as we sustain his body with food. Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education Show Summary: Cindy and Dawn take some time for a more informal chat about some ideas that have been on their minds and hearts lately The danger of "windows and mirrors" and trying to see ourselves instead of looking to God Some thoughts on narration and attention The value of listening to the experience of older homeschool moms Books and Links Mentioned: The Lord Bless You and Keep You by Michael J. Glodo Six Voices, One Story by the Ambleside Education Foundation Education, like faith, is "the evidence of things not seen." Charlotte Mason, from Toward a Philosophy of Education Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Website Dawn's Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net

Mentally he must be developed so that as he grows older he may have the capacity to grasp the true meaning of social and political questions of the day. His mind should be so trained that he will be able to detect and reject fallacious statements, and quick to discover the claptrap of which our newspapers are so full. E. A. Smith, "Citizenship: Our Responsibility as Teachers", June 1911 L'Umile Pianta Show Summary: Today's guest on The New Mason Jar is Erin Kunkle, a veteran homeschool mom, speaker and co-host of the MAVEN parent podcast How Erin first heard about Charlotte Mason What is Maven all about? What do we mean when we say "culture" and why it is important to stay engaged with it? Does teaching apologetics and Christian worldview align with a Charlotte Mason education? How can we talk about cultural issues in a way that encourages kids to learn to think for themselves? Erin's advice for talking with kids about difficult topics Books and Links Mentioned: Affiliate links are included below. For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch More Than a Carpenter by Josh MacDowell with Sean MacDowell A Practical Guide to Culture by Brett Kunkle and John Stonestreet Questioning the Bible by Jonathan Morrow The Story of Reality by Greg Koukl [We] must listen and consider, being sure that one of the purposes we are in the world for is, to form right opinions about all matters that come in our way. Charlotte Mason, Ourselves Find Cindy and Erin: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Maven Maven Conferences Maven Podcast

We take strong ground when we appeal to the beauty and truth of Mathematics; that, as Ruskin points out, two and two make four and cannot conceivably make five, is an inevitable law. It is a great thing to be brought into the presence of a law, of a whole system of laws, that exist without our concurrence,––that two straight lines cannot enclose a space is a fact which we can perceive, state, and act upon but cannot in any wise alter, should give to children the sense of limitation which is wholesome for all of us, and inspire that sursum corda which we should hear in all natural law. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education, p. 230-231 Show Summary: Today's guest on The New Mason Jar is Melissa Bair, a homeschooling mother of 4 who loves math and has degrees in mathematics and computer sciences How Melissa first discovered Charlotte Mason's philosophy How Melissa came to love mathematics and what impact her teachers had on her What kinds of activities and materials Melissa uses to teach math in a more beautiful way The building blocks of math: notice, wonder, and discover Is math a language or an art? Does seeking to find the beauty in math put too much pressure on homeschool parents? Books and Links Mentioned: Affiliate links are included below. John Holt Poetic Knowledge by James Taylor Leisure: the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Real Learning by Elizabeth Voss A Mathematician's Lament by Paul Lockhart Caleb Gattegno Chasing Rabbits by Sunil Singh Mater Amabilis The Mandelbrot Set In a word our point is that Mathematics are to be studied for their own sake and not as they make for general intelligence and grasp of mind. Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

Again, we have made a rather strange discovery, that the mind refuses to know anything except what reaches it in more or less literary form. Persons can 'get up' the driest of pulverised text-books and enough mathematics for some public examination; but these attainments do not appear to touch the region of mind. Of Natural Science, too, we have to learn that the way into the secrets of nature is not through the barbed wire entanglements of science as she is taught but through field work or other immediate channel, illustrated and illuminated by books of literary value. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education Show Summary: Today's guest on The New Mason Jar is Jeanne Webb, veteran homeschool of one daughter and former member of the AmblesideOnline Auxilliary, and her whole family are involved in the sciences How Jeanne first heard about the Charlotte Mason philosophy What make Charlotte Mason's approach to science different from that of typical American science education? What is the relationship of nature study to other areas of scientific study? How do nature study and nature lore prepare children for the more formal study of science? What Jeanne and her family did for nature study Does a Charlotte Mason approach to science do enough to prepare students for higher education? Books and Links Mentioned: The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens The Burgess Bird Book by Thornton W. Burgess Napoleon's Buttons by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Gulp by Mary Roach It Couldn't Just Happen by Lawrence O. Richards The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson Darwin's Black Box by Michael Behe A Meaningful World by Benjamin Wiker and Jonathan Witt Who Made the Moon? by Sigmund Brouwer The Language of God by Francis Collins But the object of the Parents' Review School is not merely to raise the standard of work in the home schoolroom. Our chief wish is that the pupils of the School should find knowledge delightful in itself and for its own sake, without thought of marks, place, prize or other reward; that they should develop an intelligent curiosity about whatever is on the earth or in the heavens, about the past and the present. The children respond and take to their lessons with keen pleasure, if they get even tolerably good teaching, and the want of marks, companionship, or other stimulus is not felt in those home schoolrooms where the interest of knowledge is allowed free play. attributed to Charlotte Mason, from "Parents' Review School", The Parents' Review, Vol. 12, No. 9 (1901) Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

"There can be no great art without great fable. Great art can only exist where great men brood intensely on something upon which all men brood a little. Without a popular body of fable there can be no unselfish art in any country. Shakespeare's art was selfish till he turned to the great tales in the four most popular books of his time…" James Masefield, as Quoted by Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6, Toward a Philosophy of Education Show Summary: Today on the New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn welcome back previous guests Angelina Stanford and Timilyn Downey to cover some questions listeners had about Episode 60: The Building Blocks of Story Is there an objective answer to the question "What is art?" What do we mean when we say literature is art? Why do we say fairy tales are the building blocks of story? What is the danger of not giving children a foundation in myths, fairy tales and the Bible? Is it ever too late to develop a taste for these stories? What is the difference between historical fiction and literature? How does a wide and varied literary education add to our understanding of story? Let us take it to ourselves that great character comes out of great thoughts, and that great thought must be initiated by great thinkers; then we shall have a definite aim in education. Thinking and not doing is the source of character. Charlotte Mason, Toward a Philosophy of Education Books Mentioned: Northrop Frye C. S. Lewis J. R. R. Tolkien The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone Beowulf trans. by Burton Raffel English Literature for Boys and Girls by H. E. Marshall Find Cindy, Angelina, and Timilyn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram House of Humane Letters Angelina's Facebook Angelina's Instagram The Literary Life Online Conference 2023

As for Literature–to introduce children to literature is to install them in a very rich and glorious kingdom, to bring a continual holiday to their doors, to lay before them a feast exquisitely served. But they must learn to know literature by being familiar with it from the very first. A child's intercourse must always be with good books, the best that we can find. Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6, Philosophy of Education, p. 51 Show Summary: Our guests on The New Mason Jar podcast today are Jeannette Tulis and Sherry Early How Sherry first heard about Charlotte Mason How Jeannette started her own home library that then turned into a lending library How did Sherry and Jeannette learn what books to collect and what not to bring home? Where are the best, budget-friendly places to look for good books to buy? How Sherry and Jeannette run their lending libraries What are a few of our guests' favorite books? Books and Links Mentioned: Episode 12: Charlotte Mason Study Groups with Jeannette Tulis Picture Book Preschool Thrift Store Shopping Without Leaving Your House – Bibioguides Private Lending Libraries List – Biblioguides The Card Catalogue – Plumfield and Paideia Jeannette's Books About Books List Jeannette's Favorite Books by Category List Jeannette's Favorite Picture Book Authors List For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Let the Authors Speak by Carolyn Hatcher All Through the Ages by Christine Miller Who Should We Then Read, Vols. 1 & 2 by Jan Bloom Anatole Series by Eve Titus Henry the Explorer from Purple House Press The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward David McPhail Don Freeman Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban Obadiah Trio by Brinton Turkle Deep in the Forest by Brinton Turkle Charlotte Zolotow Jan Wahl Little Bear Books by Else Holmelund Minarik Frog and Toad Books by Arnold Lobel Millicent Selsam Animals Do the Strangest Things by Arthur and Leonora Hornblow Carolyn Haywood The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook by Joyce Brisley Sugar Creek Gang Original Series by Paul Hutchens Clementine Books by Sarah Pennypacker The Cobble Street Cousins by Cynthia Rylant Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble Find Cindy and Sherry: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Sherry Early's Blog, Semicolon When I get a little money, I buy books, and if any is left, I buy food. My luggage is my library. My home is where my books are. Erasmus

All our teaching of children should be given reverently, with the humble sense that we are invited in this matter to co-operate with the Holy Spirit; but it should be given dutifully and diligently. Charlotte Mason, Vol. 2, Parents and Children Show Summary: Our guests on The New Mason Jar podcast this week are Emily Raible and Tracy Fast How Tracy was homeschooled and came to learn about Charlotte Mason How Emily first heard about Charlotte Mason How Tracy got started using Charlotte Mason's principles in teaching Sunday school How Emily began creating a Sunday school curriculum using Miss Mason's principles What differences have been noticeable since implementing the new methods? What a typical Sunday school class looks like in Tracy's church What Emily's Sunday school class typically looks like Some more benefits of a Charlotte Mason Sunday school Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay The Bible Story Handbook by John and Kim Walton The Burgess Bird Book by Thornton W. Burgess House of Humane Letters Simply Charlotte Mason AmblesideOnline Blue Sky Daisies publishing Example of nature coloring pages Emily mentioned Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Above all, do not read the Bible at the child: do not let any words of the Scriptures be occasions for gibbeting his faults. It is the office of the Holy Ghost to convince of sin; and He is able to use the Word for this purpose, without risk of that hardening of the heart in which our clumsy dealings too often result. Charlotte Mason, Home Education

In teaching music, again, let him once perceive the beautiful laws of harmony, the personality, so to speak, of Music, looking out upon him from among the queer little black notes… Charlotte Mason, Vol. 2, Parents and Children, p. 278-279 Show Summary: On the New Mason Jar today, Cindy is joined by Heather Bunting, homeschooling mother of 4 and former public school music teacher How Heather first came to learn about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy What is solfege or solfa, and why it is helpful to learn? Why Heather started making videos teaching solfege on her channel Children of the Open Air Is there a benefit to singing a cappella as opposed to singing with accompaniment? Are there resources for implementing singing in the homeschool? How singing connects with a Charlotte Mason education Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay The 5th Annual Back to School Conference Children of the Open Air on Youtube AmblesideOnline Folk Song Lists Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram They are the earth and the wind and the home and the heather and all the gracious commonplaces of human life and circumstance. They are children of the open air. from The Joyous Book Singing games by John Hornby

Without knowledge, Reason carries a man into the wilderness and Rebellion joins company. The man is not to be blamed: it is a glorious thing to perceive your mind, your reasoning power, acting of its own accord as it were and producing argument after argument in support of any initial notion; how is a man to be persuaded, when he wakes up to this tremendous power he has of involuntary reasoning, that his conclusions are not necessarily right, but rather that he who reasons without knowledge is like a child playing with edged tools? Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6, Philosophy of Education, p. 315 Show Summary: On the New Mason Jar today, Cindy chats with Dan Bunting, a pastor and father of 4 homeschooled children How Dan first learned about Charlotte Mason's philosophy Did you have any concerns about using a Charlotte Mason curriculum initially? What Dan saw about this educational philosophy that impressed him What Dan's role is in his family's homeschool journey How Dan is continuing his own education as a father Do you think that a Charlotte Mason education is strong enough in STEM subjects? Dan's best advice for fathers to support their homeschooling families Books and Links Mentioned: Range by David Epstein Mind to Mind by Karen Glass H. P. Lovecraft Terry Pratchett The 5th Annual Back to School Conference Dan's Episode on The Literary Life podcast Dan's Reading the Psalms podcast Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram …habit is inevitable. If we fail to ease life by laying down habits of right thinking and right acting, habits of wrong thinking and wrong acting fix themselves of their own accord. Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6, Philosophy of Education, p. 101

In the things of science, in the things of art, in the things of practical everyday life, his God doth instruct him and doth teach him, her God doth instruct her and doth teach her. Let this be the mother's key to the whole of the education of each boy and each girl; not of her children; the Divine Spirit does not work with nouns of multitude, but with each single child. Because He is infinite, the whole world is not too great a school for this indefatigable Teacher, and because He is infinite, He is able to give the whole of his infinite attention for the whole time to each one of his multitudinous pupils. We do not sufficiently rejoice in the wealth that the infinite nature of our God brings to each of us. Charlotte Mason, Vol. 2, Parents and Children Show Summary: Today on the New Mason Jar, Camille Malucci is back on the podcast to talk with Cindy about a painting that had a great effect on Charlotte Mason How did Charlotte Mason come to view these frescoes? What are some of the scenes depicted in the frescoes in the Spanish Chapel, Santa Maria Novella? What was it about this painting that so impacted Miss Mason? Why is it so hard for us to grasp the concept of "the Great Recognition" that Mason talks about? How did Charlotte Mason see this recognition as helpful to resolving some of the discord in modernity? Books and Links Mentioned: The 5th Annual Back to School Conference Parents and Children by Charlotte Mason Common Place Quarterly Magazine The CMEC Camille's episode on the CMEC curriculum Mornings in Florence by John Ruskin The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley The Charlotte Mason Collection at the Armitt Museum Print of The Great Recognition from Riverbend Press Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram We must think, we must know, we must rejoice in and create the beautiful. And if all the burning thoughts that stir in the minds of men, all the beautiful conceptions they give birth to, are things apart from God, then we too must have a separate life, a life apart from God, a division of ourselves into secular and religious––discord and unrest. We believe that this is the fertile source of the unfaith of the day, especially in young and ardent minds…and the young man or woman, full of promise and power, becomes a free-thinker, an agnostic, what you will. But once the intimate relation, the relation of Teacher and taught in all things of the mind and spirit, be fully recognised, our feet are set in a large room; there is space for free development in all directions, and this free and joyous development, whether of intellect or heart, is recognised as a Godward movement. Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children

Commonplace Tales: Tales of Imagination––Stories, again, of the Christmas holidays, of George and Lucy, of the amusements, foibles, and virtues of children in their own condition of life, leave nothing to the imagination. The children know all about everything so well that it never occurs to them to play at the situations in any one of these tales, or even to read it twice over. But let them have tales of the imagination, scenes laid in other lands and other times, heroic adventures, hairbreadth escapes, delicious fairy tales in which they are never roughly pulled up by the impossible––even where all is impossible, and they know it, and yet believe. Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1, Home Education Show Summary: Today on the New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn chat with friends Angelina Stanford and Timilyn Downey about the building blocks of stories in relation to a Charlotte Mason education How Angelina came to learn about Charlotte Mason Why Timilyn values the building blocks of story so much What are stories versus literature? What is the difference between how modernity sees art and stories and how the medievals saw them? What is wrong with the idea of literature as a mirror or a window? Some metaphors for approaching story Why are unit studies problematic in approaching a Charlotte Mason education? How can you learn the language of literature so that you can teach your children? Last but not least, the fact that the story does not turn on children, and does not foster that self-consciousness, the dawn of which in the child is, perhaps, the individual "Fall of Man." Charlotte Mason, Formation of Character Books Mentioned: Northrop Frye C. S. Lewis J. R. R. Tolkien Harold Goddard "Meditation on a Toolshed" by C. S. Lewis Aesop's Fables illus. by Jerry Pinkney He's Got the Whole World in His Hands illus. by Kadir Nelson Find Cindy, Angelina, and Timilyn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram House of Humane Letters Angelina's Facebook Angelina's Instagram The Literary Life Online Conference 2023

The honor due to our country…is not to be confounded with the ignorant and impertinent attitude of the Englishman or the Chinese who believes that to be born an Englishman or a Chinese puts him on a higher level than the people of all other countries; that his own country and his own government are right in all circumstances, and other countries and other governments always wrong. But, on the other hand, still more to be guarded against, is the caitiff spirit of him who holds his own country and his own government always in the wrong and always the worse, and exalts other nations unduly for the sake of depreciating his own. Charlotte Mason, Vol. 4, Ourselves, Book 1 Show Summary: Today on the New Mason Jar, Dawn Duran is here to share about her new book A Reasoned Patriotism How did this book come about? What did Charlotte Mason have to say about patriotism and the teaching of a country's history? What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism? What does this book include? How can mothers help develop this reasoned patriotism in the home? What does Dawn mean when she talks about critical thinking? But before we teach children to criticise the institutions of their country, before we teach them to be critical of what is bad, let us teach them to recognize and admire what is good. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education, pg. 126 Books and Links Mentioned: Ourselves by Charlotte Mason A Reasoned Patriotism by Dawn Duran Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Website Dawn's Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net It is good, doubtless, to be cosmopolitan in our tastes, liberal and unprejudiced in our judgments; but he who would love all the world must begin with the brother whom he has seen, and enlightened sympathy with other nations can coexist only with profound and instructed patriotism. Charlotte mason, Formation of Character

After all, what is the chief sign of growing old? Is it not the feeling that we know all there is to be known? It is not years which make people old; it is ruts, and a limitation of interests. When we no longer care about anything except our own interests, we are then old, it matters not whether our years be twenty of eighty. Anna Botsford Comstock, The Handbook of Nature Study Show Summary: Cindy and Dawn share a little about the upcoming 2023 discipleship course at Morning Time for Moms, The Uphill Road Dawn asks Cindy how the summer discipleship course started several years ago They share a few highlights of what moms can expect and some of their favorite features of this time together Books and Links Mentioned: The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer The Convivial Homeschool by Mystie Winckler Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Website Dawn's Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net …what if the devitalization we notice in so many of our young people, keen about games but dead to things of the mind, is due to the processes carried on in our schools, to our plausible and pleasant ways of picturing, eliciting, demonstrating, illustrating, summarising, doing all those things for children which they are born with the potency to do for themselves? No doubt we do give intellectual food, but too little of it; let us have courage and we shall be surprised, as we are now and then, at the amount of intellectual strong meat almost and child [or mother] will take at a meal and digest at his leisure. Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education

Of the three sorts of knowledge proper to a child,–the knowledge of God, of man, and of the universe,–the knowledge of God ranks first in importance, is indispensable, and most happy-making. Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education Show Summary: Today's guest is Bethany Mandel, Orthodox Jewish homeschooling mother of 6, co-author of the new book Stolen Youth, and conservative political commentator How Bethany first heard of Charlotte Mason education How Bethany juggled home educating and writing a book at the same time What a typical day looks like in Bethany's homeschool How Bethany navigates the challenges of finding CM-friendly Jewish homeschool resources How do you see Charlotte Mason lining up with Judaism? Why reading stories from the past perspectives is so important today What Bethany and Karol's book is all about Are these problematic ideas infiltrating the homeschool community? Books and Links Mentioned: Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason Stolen Youth by Bethany Mandel and Karol Markowicz Heroes of Liberty series edited by Bethany Mandel Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer Honey on the Page trans. by Miriam Udel The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor A Gentle Feast Curriculum Find Cindy and Bethany: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Right Books 4 Kids on Instagram Bethany's Instagram

But the educator has to deal with a self-acting, self-developing being, and his business is to guide, and assist in, the production of the latent good in that being, the dissipation of the latent evil, the preparation of the child to take his place in the world at his best… Charlotte Mason, Home Education Show Summary: This week's guest on The New Mason Jar is Ella Rice, is a homeschooling mom of 5 who uses the Mater Amabilis curriculum with her children How Ella first learned about Charlotte Mason Is Mater Amabilis only for Catholics? What made you choose to use Mater Amabilis over other curriculum choices? What are some of your favorite part of the curriculum? How does Mater Amabilis handle the sciences? Are there any possible pitfalls for parents using this curriculum? Books and Links Mentioned: Real Learning Revisited by Elizabeth Foss (this is the updated edition of the book Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home Ella mentioned) The Mater Amabilis Facebook Group Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Website Dawn's Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net Children are made readers on the laps of their parents. Emily Buchwald

The parent who sees his way––that is, the exact force of method––to educate his child, will make use of every circumstance of the child's life almost without intention on his own part, so easy and spontaneous is a method of education based upon Natural Law. Does the child eat or drink, does he come, or go, or play––all the time he is being educated, though he is as little aware of it as he is of the act of breathing. Charlotte Mason, Home Education Show Summary: Today on The New Mason Jar, Alanna Hendon returns to discuss more about using Charlotte Mason's ideas in the homeschool How Alanna came to Charlotte Mason and learned more about her principles in-depth The gift of the unplanned and prioritizing principles over practices How do you see Charlotte Mason's philosophy playing out with individual children versus the group? What a typical day looks like in Alanna's homeschool Books and Links Mentioned: Home Education by Charlotte Mason AmblesideOnline Brandy Vencel's Charlotte Mason Think Tank Koshka's Tales by James Mayhew Episode 51: Homeschool Boys with Alanna Hendon Find Cindy and Alanna: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Alanna's Instagram

…of all the joyous motives of school life, the love of knowledge is the only abiding one; the only one which determines the scale, so to speak, upon which the person will hereafter live. Charlotte Mason, School Education, Volume 3 Show Summary: Cindy and Dawn tackle another round of listener questions on this episode of The New Mason Jar How can a mom of several school age children keep up with pre-reading? How do you implement use of a Book of Centuries? What can be done about children complaining about morning time? Books and Links Mentioned: Parents and Children by Charlotte Mason Literary Life Online Conference – Shakespeare: The Bard for All and For All Time Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Website Dawn's Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net

...to be born a human being is like coming into a very great estate; so much in the way of goodness, greatness, heroism, wisdom, and knowledge, is possible to us all. Charlotte Mason, Ourselves, Book 1 Show Summary: Today's returning guest is Anne White, veteran homeschool mom, author, and member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory Anne's history with Lent and how she and her family started observing the seasons of the church year What is different about Charlotte Mason's book Ourselves than her other volumes? How might Ourselves be used in the homeschool? How Anne went on her own journey in writing Offering Ourselves What are some of Anne's family traditions for Lent and Easter? How the AmblesideOnline Advisory created a new resource page for the Easter season Books and Links Mentioned: Offering Ourselves: A Lenten Journey with Charlotte Mason by Anne White Honest, Simple Souls by Anne White Studying to Be Quiet: One Hundred Days of Keeping by Laurie Bestvater 100 Days of Keeping Invitation Ourselves by Charlotte Mason The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley AmblesideOnline's new Easter/Resurrection Idea page Ideas Freely Sown by Anne White The Practical Plutarch by Anne White Find Cindy and Anne: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Anne Writes Anne's Author Page on Amazon Anne's Blog: Dewey's Treehouse

The question is not,––how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education––but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him? Charlotte Mason, School Education Show Summary: Today's guest is Melissa McMahan, veteran homeschool mom of 2 graduates and 3 still at home, and long-time follower of AmblesideOnline How Melissa first heard about Charlotte Mason's philosophy How Melissa came to start using the AmblesideOnline curriculum What was it like thinking about getting your children ready for college? Did having a Charlotte Mason hinder your daughters from getting a solid science foundation? Has narration sufficiently prepared your students for college writing? How learning to manage time at home helps students prepare for college and independence Other tips for preparing high school homeschoolers for college Books and Links Mentioned: School Education by Charlotte Mason Find Cindy and Megan: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Melissa's Instagram Melissa's Youtube

…what if the devitalisation we notice in so many of our young people, keen about games but dead to things of the mind, is due to the processes carried on in our schools, to our plausible and pleasant ways of picturing, eliciting, demonstrating, illustrating, summarising, doing all those things for children which they are born with the potency to do for themselves? No doubt we do give intellectual food, but too little of it; let us have courage and we shall be surprised, as we are now and then, at the amount of intellectual strong meat almost any child will take at a meal and digest at his leisure. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education Show Summary: Today's guest is Megan Hoyt, veteran homeschooling mom, musician and author Megan tells how she picked up her love of music from her parents and passed it on to her own What is the overall theme of A Touch of the Infinite? What are some of the misconceptions you think people have about Charlotte Mason and music education? What did music education look like in your own homeschool? How Megan wrote A Touch of the Infinite and what is in the book How did you start writing children's books? Books and Links Mentioned: Bartali's Bicycle by Megan Hoyt The Greatest Song of All by Megan Hoyt Thanku: Poems of Gratitude edited by Miranda Paul Hidegard's Gift by Megan Hoyt A Touch of the Infinite by Megan Hoyt Find Cindy and Megan: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Megan's Website Megan's Facebook Megan's Instagram Megan's Twitter

Let us consider carefully what feelings we wish to stimulate or repress in our children, and then, having made up our minds, let us say nothing. Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children Show Summary: Today's guest is Alanna Hendon, homeschooling mom of 6, 5 of whom are boys How Alanna came to learn about the Charlotte Mason philosophy The lasting and eternal value of a Charlotte Mason education How would you respond to the criticism that Charlotte Mason is too feminine for educating boys? Approaching poetry with boys What other elements of a CM education have had the most impact on your home? How does Charlotte's emphasis on the knowledge of God and encouragement of religious habits encourage boys in their own spiritual walk? Books and Links Mentioned: AmblesideOnline Consider This by Karen Glass Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan Classic Poems for Boys The Poet's Corner narr. by John Lithgow Creativity by John Cleese Find Cindy and Alanna: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Alanna's Instagram

Stories….of the amusements, foibles, and virtues of children in their own condition of life, leave nothing to the imagination. The children know all about everything so well that it never occurs to them to play at the situations in any one of these tales, or even to read it twice over. But let them have tales of the imagination, scenes laid in other lands and other times, heroic adventures, hairbreadth escapes, delicious fairy tales in which they are never roughly pulled up by the impossible––even where all is impossible, and they know it, and yet believe. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Volume 1 Show Summary: Today's guest is Timilyn Downey, former public school teacher and home schooling mother How Timilyn first learned about Charlotte Mason How Timilyn finally chose to homeschool her sons What role Timilyn's husband plays in their education How do you respond to criticism about older books not being relevant Why it is so important to understand the philosophy behind educational methods Why Timilyn believe fiction and fairy tales are so crucial Books and Links Mentioned: Mere Motherhood by Cindy Rollins Morning Time by Cindy Rollins For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Consider This by Karen Glass The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Black Arrow by Robert Lewis Stephenson Koshka's Tales by James Mayhew A Study of English Romanticism by Northrop Frye English Literature in the Sixteenth Century by C. S. Lewis Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

Though system is highly useful as an instrument of education, a 'system of education' is mischievous, as producing only mechanical action instead of the vital growth and movement of a living being. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Vol. 1 Show Summary: Today's guests are Anna Hornstra and two of her three daughters, Addison and Ella How Anna came to homeschooling early on What happened when Anna let doubts and systems set the tone of their homeschool How Charlotte Mason's principles have played out in Anna's home Books and Links Mentioned: Home Education by Charlotte Mason The Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading by Jennie Wise and Sara Buffington The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble Purgatorio by Dante Alighieri Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Leisure the Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper Medea by Euripides AmblesideOnline Tending the Soul Art by Addison and Ella Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

Miss Mason taught us that 'Education is the science of relations' and that a child should feel from the very beginning that his relations with number are opening up to him yet another realm of beautiful and wonderful things for his enjoyment and delight. Number: A Figure and a Step Onward, Mrs. W.A. Stephens, The Parents' Review Show Summary: Today's guest is Richele Baburina, a veteran homeschooling mother of 2 and author of The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series, and Brush Drawing: A Basic Course How Richele first heard about Charlotte Mason How Richele began researching Charlotte's ideas about teaching mathematics What levels is The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithemetic Series for? What were some of the surprising things Richele learned in her research? Books and Links Mentioned: The Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series by Richele Baburina Brush Drawing: A Basic Course by Richele Baburina Find Cindy and Richele: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Richele's Instagram Richele's Artwork Website

Our flesh the Word became, and dwelt with us, And we beheld His glory, as, of God, The only-begotten Son: we who believed Knew glory when we saw it, by the signs— Not of the pomp and majesty of Kings— But Grace, the touch of God, showed sweet in Him; And Truth, discerning all things, made Him simple, His glory saw we—full of grace and truth. Charlotte Mason, from "Savior of the World," Prologue to the Gospel according to St. John Show Summary: Today's guests are Lynn Bruce and Donna-Jean Breckenridge, and together with Cindy they talk about Christmas memories What did homeschooling look like around the Christmas holidays? Why it is okay to take time off from your normal school work for Christmas celebrations Why traditions are so important, possibly even more so as children grow older What are some traditions that your family keeps from previous generations? Handling changes and trauma as the years go by and still keep Christmas with courage What are some Christmas "fails" that happened in your family? Books and Links Mentioned: Saviour of the World, Volume 1 by Charlotte Mason This Country of Ours: Annotated, Expanded and Updated, Vol. 1 by Donna-Jean Breckenridge Episode 40: Donna-Jean Breckenridge on Updating This Country of Ours Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel's Messiah by Cindy Rollins The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder Find Cindy, Lynn, and Donna-Jean: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Lynn's Instagram Donna-Jean's Facebook Donna-Jean's Instagram Donna-Jean on MeWe

Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education. The Story of Charlotte Mason Show Summary: This week Dawn and Cindy tackle some more listener questions with their personal opinions based on their experience and their reading Why is it incorrect to say that the right homeschooling philosophy is the one that works for your children? How do we seek to follow Charlotte Mason's philosophy without idolizing the person or the philosophy? Are we doing something wrong if our children do not like to narrate or seem to enjoy the books that they have to narrate? Books and Links Mentioned: The Story of Charlotte Mason by Essex Cholmondeley Know and Tell by Karen Glass Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Dawn's Swedish Drill Website Dawn's Articles on Afterthoughtsblog.net

Never are the operations of Reason more delightful and more perfect than in mathematics. Here men do not begin to reason with a notion which causes them to lean to this side or to that. By degrees, absolute truth unfolds itself. We are so made that truth, absolute and certain truth, is a perfect joy to us; and that is the joy that mathematics afford. Charlotte Mason, Ourselves Show Summary: Today's guests are Julie Rylie and Tabitha Wirges of Climbing Higher Math How Julie and Tabitha each first learned about Charlotte Mason How do you approach math in a Charlotte Mason way? What advice do you have for teaching children who don't enjoy math? How can moms approach math with less fear and more joy? What does the Climbing Higher Math program look like? Why moms don't need to panic about math in high school Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison Ray's Arithmetic Find Cindy, Julie, and Tabitha: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Climbing Higher Math on Facebook Climbing Higher Math on Instagram

And, Mary, seeking meekly for direction, asked 'how shall this be after the wont of men?' and she was shewn how, by the immediate power of God Most High, the Child should be born, holy, the Son of God; and Mary, not knowing what all this might mean to her, cried 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it to me according to Thy word.' Charlotte Mason, Parents Review Article, "The Nativity" Show Summary: Today's show is a special replay of last year's popular Advent episode with Cindy and Dawn. To start off, Cindy shares how she started using Handel's oratorio The Messiah for Advent. Dawn and Cindy also both share a little about their family Christmas book traditions. After that, we are bringing you the audio from 2020's Hallelujah virtual gathering celebrating the launch of the new version of the book, featuring guests Greg Wilbur, Thomas Banks, Kerri Williamson, Lynn Bruce, Caitlyn Bruce Beauchamp, Kelly Cumbee, and Amy Edwards. Listen Now: Books and Links Mentioned: Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel's Messiah by Cindy Rollins Papa Panov's Special Christmas by Leo Tolstoy The Bird's Christmas Carol by Kate Douglass Wiggins Shoemaker Martin by The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston Dawn's Christmas Book Tradition "The Nativity" Parents Review Article Jessye Norman's Christmastide Kathleen Battle's Angel's Glory Comfort and Joy The Sounding Joy Putumayo World Christmas Party Handel's Messiah conducted by John Eliot Gardner Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Subscribe: Audible Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Podcast Addict Spotify Stitcher We know how Joseph's mind was disturbed and his heart rent (we may well believe), when the angel came and reassured him with word of the fulfilment of that prophecy of Isaiah's,— a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and they shall call His name Immanuel.' Charlotte Mason, Parents Review Article, "The Nativity"

The teacher who allows his scholars the freedom of the city of books is at liberty to be their guide, philosopher and friend; and is no longer the mere instrument of forcible intellectual feeding. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education Show Summary: Today's guests are Kay Pelham and Christy Hissong Kay is a veteran homeschooling mom to one son, as well as a piano teacher and literary enthusiast Christy is also a veteran homeschooling mom of one boy, and teaches at a local Charlotte Mason cottage school How did each of our guests learn about Charlotte Mason? What are some of the challenges you faced with homeschooling an only child? What did reading aloud look like in your home? How did you figure out if your child had some learning challenges that needed addressed? How did you use narration in your homeschool? Was there anything you wish had been different in your homeschooling years? How does a Charlotte Mason education continue for a mother after her children have graduated? Books and Links Mentioned: The Common Room Blog AmblesideOnline Uncle Wiggly's Story Book by Howard R. Garis Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris Smart But Scattered Teens by Richard Guare, Ph. D., Peg Dawson, Ph. D., and Colin Guare SethPerler.com Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

Children learn to grow. Charlotte Mason, Home Education Show Summary: Today's guest is Sonya Shafer is a veteran homeschool mom of 4 daughters as well as a popular author and speaker and co-founder of Simply Charlotte Mason How Sonya first discovered Charlotte Mason How Sonya and her friend Karen Smith started Simply Charlotte Mason How Simply Charlotte Mason grew over time to cover a complete curriculum Why it is important for parents to have encouragement and support in home educating How people can pick and choose SCM resources that work together for a full course of study for the whole family A little about the Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series How Sonya has homeschooled her special needs daughter Books and Links Mentioned: A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Laying Down the Rails by Sonya Shafer Atomic Habits by James Clear Range by David Epstein Plato's Lemonade Stand by Tom Morris Margin by Richard Swenson, M.D. Know and Tell by Karen Glass Find Cindy and Sonya: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Simply Charlotte Mason The Simply Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Podcast

Today's guest is Yolanda Mason, wife and homeschooling mother of 4, founder of the Heritage Learning Center in Charlotte, NC How Yolanda first heard about Charlotte Mason Why and how she started the Heritage Learning Center What is the value of a homeschool community like this? How narration can be improved in a group What the learning goals look like in community What a typical day looks like in Yolanda's homeschool If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play! If she would only have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favourite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents. Charlotte Mason, School Education, p. 33-34 Books and Links Mentioned: A Reasoned Patriotism Webinar Find Cindy: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram

Next in order to religious knowledge, history is the pivot on which our curriculum turns. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education, Vol. 6, p. 273 Show Summary: Today's guest is Donna-Jean Breckenridge, veteran homeschool mom, grandmother and member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory Before getting to main the subject matter, Donna-Jean gives homeschooling moms a little encouragement and exhortation How This Country of Ours was chosen as a history spine for AmblesideOnline Why Donna-Jean decided to expand and update the book How Donna-Jean annotated, expanded and updated This Country of Ours What she hopes this new version accomplishes It is never too late to mend but we may not delay to offer such a liberal and generous diet of History to every child in the country as shall give weight to his decisions, consideration to his actions and stability to his conduct; that stability, the lack of which has plunged us into many a stormy sea of unrest. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education, Vol. 6, p. 179 Books and Links Mentioned: Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason This Country of Ours, Vol.1 by H.E. Marshall: Annotated, Expanded and Updated by Donna-Jean Breckenridge A Reasoned Patriotism Webinar with Dawn Duran Find Cindy and Donna-Jean: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Donna-Jean's Facebook Donna-Jean's Instagram Donna-Jean on MeWe