The Charlotte Mason Girl

Thursday's Resource Review - A Charlotte Mason Companion

I am so excited to tell you today about one of my favorite Charlotte Mason resources!  A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola has been my companion through 9 of our nearly 12 years of homeschooling.  This is the book I turn to again and again when I'm trying to figure out the how of Charlotte Mason homeschooling.  Who better to write about how to implement this wonderful method?!  Karen and her husband Dean were the ones who brought Charlotte Mason to the US when they published her original homeschooling series several years ago!  I'm SO grateful that they found this method, and have shared it with me.  It really is because of them that I'm using this method with my children.  Thank you, Andreolas!!!

 

Here is what I said about this book on our bookstore's website: 

 

"This was the first ‘how to’ book I read on educating my children the “Charlotte Mason way.” I knew a bit about the method, but this put the application in plain language that was so easy for me to follow. I had many “Aha!” moments as I read the book..."

 

To read the rest of this review, please visit Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore.

Thursday's Resource Review - Story Starters

Since we talked earlier this week about composition, I thought I'd share one of the items I use to help spur on creative writing in my home.  Sometimes, the children have a great idea for a story, and I let them run with it!  Other times, I know they need to be writing, but we are all out of new ideas for stories.  Well, that's when I turn to Story Starters.  

 

This is a collection of dozens of pictures and story beginnings that will jump-start your stumped writer.  The pictures are wonderful black and white drawings from the 19th century - and lend a feeling of wonder and playfulness that will inspire your young writer to write great stories!

 

Each story starter also has a few extras - like a brief description of a real-life person who lived out what is described in the story, or writing helps - like questions that could be answered with the portion of the story your child writes.  I don't use the writing helps unless my child is truly stumped about where to take the story.  All the stories have been fascinating for us, so far!  One more thing - some of the stories have one of two marks - (B) to indicate that it's a good choice for a beginning writer, and (I) to indicate that this story is intense.  Otherwise, the stories are presented for you to pick and choose which ones to use.

 

This resource is helpful for composition at all ages!  For my younger children who do not read or write well, I read the starter to them.  Then, I get a telling of the end of the story.  These are often quite fun and can get long and involved!  Once they start writing, the stories tend to get shorter...

 

I have found this resource to be a great help - it takes a load off my brain when it comes to creative writing time.  My children have really enjoyed the variety of stories and the hints and tips often give them even more ideas.  

 

I hope this review has been helpful for you.  What about you - do you enjoy the creative writing process?

Thursday's Resource Review - Language Arts Bundle

Today, I'm going to offer a shameless plug for a bundle we have put together for you over at Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore.  It's our Language Arts Bundle, and it's available for an excellent price this week.  We've been talking about the challenges of teaching our chldren language arts as part of their excellent education.  

 

Grammar! Copy work! Creative Writing! WOW! Do any of these intimidate you? I love the ‘idea’ of all these things, but when it comes to putting feet to my idea, I get a bit stumped. We have put together a selection of books that will help you in each of these areas and more! Finding a new passage for copy work every day is quite challenging. The Rules of Civility, famously written down by George Washington, are a wonderful copy work tool. Most are short and all will encourage your student to think on how to behave in polite company. These are on a CD in .pdf format – so you can put them in your computer and print them out for each student. After your student is reading well, and you are ready to start formal grammar lessons, Simply Grammar is the way to go! Each lesson is gentle, short, and easy to teach. When you want your student to produce their own stories, but neither one of you know where to begin, Story Starters comes to the rescue! With dozens of stories started for your student, they will find inspiration for their own creativity to take off and finish each story with their own touch!  Head on over to check this out today!

 

Next week, when I'm feeling better, I'll write more on some items I have used to help me teach language arts to my children!

Thursday's Resource Review - Of Plymouth Plantation

Today, I want to share one our family's favorite November traditions - Bradford's History of the Plymouth Settlement, titled Of Plymouth Plantation.  This book is a fairly detailed account of the pilgrims who were used of the Lord to help begin the nation I live in today - one that I love.  The story begins about 12 years before the pilgrims actually arrived in the New World, and Bradford takes great effort to detail all the events and conditions that led the pilgrims to finally make that great trip.  The story continues through the long, arduous voyage and goes even further, following the settlement through 30 years after they arrived in the New World.

 

He shares their persecution in England, the freedom and temptations they had in Holland, and why they saw the trip to the New World as less dangerous than staying put.  Probably my favorite quote from the whole book comes in the description of the discussion that led to the decision to leave: "Last and not least, they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying good foundations, or at least of making some way towards it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work." - page 21.  

 

It is humbling to realize that this group of hearty souls was willing to face incredible hardship, danger, more persecution, and a great unknown place just to be stepping stones for the advancement of the gospel - and I have so greatly benefited from that.  

 

We spend November evenings listening to Daddy read to us from this fantastic eyewitness report of a very important part of the birth of America.  It's a wonderful way to make the transition into the longer, quieter, slower paced evenings of winter.  When our children were young, Daddy went through and highlighted the sections that were appropriate and brief enough to keep their attention, yet share the heart of the story.  As the years have gone by, more and more sections have been highlighted.  We sometimes keep it shorter for the little ones, but we read most of the story up through the first Thanksgiving every year.  The section on Squanto is my favorite part!  Bradford's words about Squanto after his death are a testimony to how Squanto was used by God.  

 

After Thanksgiving, we will begin preparations for Christmas, and break out a big jigsaw puzzle.  First, though, we will give thanks for all the Lord has done for us - including how he used a small band of 102 souls as stepping stones in the spreading of the gospel to a New World.  You can get your own copy at our bookstore - Ancient Paths Christian Bookstore.