FAQ about a Mason Education:
Some Questions from our past CM seminars
Basic Philosophy and Methods
Narration:
I need some hands on ideas with CM narrations!
Narration is basically a retelling in your own words. Often you retell a living book, but you can narrate just about anything really, such as a picture, a musical composition, a flower, a math problem, etc. This can be done orally or in written form. You could also ask your child to do a drawing narration or act out a story or build it with clay or legos. This gives each child and each day a little bit of change and flair. But your main tools will be Oral or Written ( Ages 9 or 10 and up) Narration.
Here are a few of my favorite articles about Narration:
My 6 year old and I have struggled through narration this year, it feels like drudgery. My son seems to understand the story best when I don't require narration. It stresses him out and I totally get it! When I am asked to narrate amongst my peers I also totally stress out and go blank. Do you have any advice for us both to grow in our narration skills?
Habits:
How you go about practically training habits?
Practical Methods:
I need some vision for what lies ahead. Can you give me some more details and practical how-to's for homeschooling... We're in the very beginning stages of all of this? AND Can you help me grasp a better understanding of CM in practical schooling... what does it actually look like?
General:
Do you think CM could be a good fit for any mom and child that wants to do it?
Would you have some advice for people who want to leave out parts of the approach (i.e. picture/composer/hymn study, foreign language)?
What does CM look like in combination with other methods (classical, Montessori)?
I need some hands on ideas with CM narrations!
Narration is basically a retelling in your own words. Often you retell a living book, but you can narrate just about anything really, such as a picture, a musical composition, a flower, a math problem, etc. This can be done orally or in written form. You could also ask your child to do a drawing narration or act out a story or build it with clay or legos. This gives each child and each day a little bit of change and flair. But your main tools will be Oral or Written ( Ages 9 or 10 and up) Narration.
Here are a few of my favorite articles about Narration:
My 6 year old and I have struggled through narration this year, it feels like drudgery. My son seems to understand the story best when I don't require narration. It stresses him out and I totally get it! When I am asked to narrate amongst my peers I also totally stress out and go blank. Do you have any advice for us both to grow in our narration skills?
Habits:
How you go about practically training habits?
Practical Methods:
I need some vision for what lies ahead. Can you give me some more details and practical how-to's for homeschooling... We're in the very beginning stages of all of this? AND Can you help me grasp a better understanding of CM in practical schooling... what does it actually look like?
General:
Do you think CM could be a good fit for any mom and child that wants to do it?
Would you have some advice for people who want to leave out parts of the approach (i.e. picture/composer/hymn study, foreign language)?
What does CM look like in combination with other methods (classical, Montessori)?
CM Subjects
I encourage you to listen to A Delectable Education Podcasts to help you begin to understand teaching methods for all of the subjects! It's fabulous and a very accurate CM resource!
Language Arts:
I want to learn more about teaching language arts: Dictation, Copywork, Spelling etc. Where can I go for help?
How does one teach with confidence using the CM method? (I’m thinking some other approaches/curriculum are very systematic, with results that are very objective i.e. copywork, transcription, narration, dictation to develop language arts skills vs. something systematic like All about Spelling or IEW)
I encourage you to start by listening to ADE's podcasts on Language Arts!
I like the methods of narration, copywork, dictation, nature study, etc, but how do I know this is helping my child?
Teaching reading?
Teaching writing?
History:
I have really enjoyed the Delectable Education podcasts and am interested in integrating the history streams. I would love a little more fleshing out of that topic and how it practically works.
Fine Arts:
What are some handicraft ideas?
What are some good handicrafts for boys?
What if you as a dad don't like doing handicrafts?
How do I do composer study?
Natural History/Nature Study/Science:
How do I do nature study?
Math:
I am curious about math!
I want to learn more about teaching language arts: Dictation, Copywork, Spelling etc. Where can I go for help?
How does one teach with confidence using the CM method? (I’m thinking some other approaches/curriculum are very systematic, with results that are very objective i.e. copywork, transcription, narration, dictation to develop language arts skills vs. something systematic like All about Spelling or IEW)
I encourage you to start by listening to ADE's podcasts on Language Arts!
I like the methods of narration, copywork, dictation, nature study, etc, but how do I know this is helping my child?
Teaching reading?
Teaching writing?
History:
I have really enjoyed the Delectable Education podcasts and am interested in integrating the history streams. I would love a little more fleshing out of that topic and how it practically works.
Fine Arts:
What are some handicraft ideas?
What are some good handicrafts for boys?
What if you as a dad don't like doing handicrafts?
How do I do composer study?
Natural History/Nature Study/Science:
How do I do nature study?
Math:
I am curious about math!
Special Concerns
Any advice on teaching with special learning needs, like dyslexia?
Teaching Multiple Ages
I would like some strategies for engaging and teaching children of varying ages.
Scheduling And Curriculum
Curriculum:
What are some good resources for forming your own CM school year/education?
What are some good curriculum, maybe not CM, that can be adapted well to fit into a CM approach?
Scheduling:
What does a Typical CM day look like?
How do I go about scheduling a day, making sure I'm covering enough for my 7 year old, especially with a 2 year old and newborn in August?
Co-ops and Extra Curricular Activities:
Do people doing CM method tend to do less extra curricula’s, outside classes?
What do you think about potentially doing more formal classes/co-ops (i.e. classical conversations, other academic co-ops) versus doing more things at home or with groups that are formed more organically?
What are some good resources for forming your own CM school year/education?
What are some good curriculum, maybe not CM, that can be adapted well to fit into a CM approach?
Scheduling:
What does a Typical CM day look like?
How do I go about scheduling a day, making sure I'm covering enough for my 7 year old, especially with a 2 year old and newborn in August?
Co-ops and Extra Curricular Activities:
Do people doing CM method tend to do less extra curricula’s, outside classes?
What do you think about potentially doing more formal classes/co-ops (i.e. classical conversations, other academic co-ops) versus doing more things at home or with groups that are formed more organically?
Early Years ( Birth-6)
What age is appropriate to start homeschooling?
What activities are best in the early years to help stimulate learning and form a strong foundation for the homeschooling experience?
I am curious about toys and what we can surmise about what toys Mason would've thought best.
What activities are best in the early years to help stimulate learning and form a strong foundation for the homeschooling experience?
I am curious about toys and what we can surmise about what toys Mason would've thought best.
Middle School and High School
What does a CM approach look like as kids get older? (i.e. science, math, nature study)
How do I prepare for junior high and high school? I am most interested in learning how to transition into the older grades using CM's methods all the way through high school, particularly in writing and college prep.
Charlotte Mason didn't live in a time period with SATs, ACTs and college life.....will this curriculum be enough for college? This way of doing school is so outside the box for me. I want to make sure it really works!!
How do I prepare for junior high and high school? I am most interested in learning how to transition into the older grades using CM's methods all the way through high school, particularly in writing and college prep.
Charlotte Mason didn't live in a time period with SATs, ACTs and college life.....will this curriculum be enough for college? This way of doing school is so outside the box for me. I want to make sure it really works!!