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If you have ever wondered what the Charlotte Mason method is about, or if you are implementing it in the best way or not, then look no further than Cindy West's new ebook called "Charlotte Mason Homeschooling in 18 Easy Step-by-Step Lessons." New Workbook from Shining Dawn Books I first encountered this book about a month ago when someone mentioned it on Facebook. I bought a copy because I wanted to see if there were an easy introduction to CM that didn't overwhelm a newbie with information. The answer was -- YES -- this is an easy introduction to CM that doesn't overwhelm. More than that, it's a great reminder and tool for veterans like myself to remember the important hallmarks of the CM method, and even gentle helps for re-introducing the bits that often fall by the wayside, like music appreciation or art. It further inspired me in the planning of the online courses I run under the name of Dreaming Spires Home Learning -- to choose living books, to encourag...

It's one of the frequently asked question by newbie homeschoolers, or people thinking about taking on the responsibility/fun/adventure of doing so: How do you find time for yourself if the kids are around all day? Here's my thoughts about finding time/space for just such moments: I call it my "purple space". The colour for the stage of my life right now is characterised by the color purple.  Not like "Color Purple" of Alice Walker's novel of that name, though by the end of this post, you may think there are analogies between the two concepts. My purple is literally the color. I color-code my belongings. My iPhone case, my Bible, Kindle cover, MP3 player and its case, the shell on my laptop, my water bottles, and even my eyeglasses, are all purple.* These are a few of my favorite (purple) things I am purple in our household because it's noticeable at the bottom of my bottomless handbag, but it's not flashy. I'm purple because it's sometime...

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Here in the UK, we haven’t sprung our clocks forward yet, but the signs of spring are definitely upon us. As the followers of the Charlotte Mason method, nature study is supposed to be a big part of our homeschool curriculum. We’re not always very good at it, but this time of year, it seems that we can’t help but notice the changes all around us. This week, we’ve been particularly revelling in the annual sightings of frogs in our pond, a frenzy of their little slimy bodies in piles, usually sitting atop a grapefruit-sized lump of spotted clear jelly. It’s during this mating period that I am strict with what my kids can do with the garden pond, ie, absolutely nothing! Don’t touch! Don’t poke! Don’t ferry buckets of its water to your paddling pool! Frogs have always been a fascination of mine, ever since I was 4 years old. One of my earliest memories is the day I kissed over thirty toads. The endangered Houston toad - just look at those kissable lips!! I lived in Houston, Texas, at the t...

Back in December, Rocky discovered a bright green caterpillar on the floor of our kitchen. We scoured the internet and our butterfly identification books, but couldn't pinpoint the species of caterpillar we had suddenly decided to adopt.  It was an important detail to pin down: different species require different plants for food. At first, wee hedged our bets with some bramble, grass, and nettles, but fortunately, we soon found out what it was through a very helpful website run by Steve Ogden, called Wildlife Insight. Angle Shades Moth Caterpillar So apparently, we were on the right track with our brambles and nettles, and before long, we had a cocoon! According to Steve's site, it would be about 20 days until we got a moth. The jar sat on a shelf in my kitchen, in front of my cookbooks. I looked in on the cocoon every day, in between our full-on attention with our new puppy. This is a bit more exciting than a cocoon! But lo and behold, on the 18th of January, the one-inch long...

Today, I met one of my homeschooling heroes: Sally Clarkson Sally is the author of numerous books, some about homeschooling and some about mothering and child-rearing with spiritual vision. My favourite of all was Educating the Wholehearted Child, which she co-authored with her husband, Clay, but that's a really hard decision to make because I also love Seasons of a Mother's Heart, Mission of Motherhood, and their devotional guide called Our 24 Family Ways. Sally's Homeschooling Books, through the Years She has a new book coming out in January called Own Your Own Way, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. So, what does one do when one meets a hero? First, you meet them at the train station and make them walk a mile up a steep hill. It's in the bright sunshine on a crisp and glorious autumn day, so that's all right! Then, you place in her hands a steaming mug of Yorkshire Gold tea, served in a Blenheim Palace mug. Next, you chat about her children's endeavo...

I was recently interviewed on FB for a home-edder's blog about homeschooling, especially to encourage newbies. I thought it might be worth reproducing here. Who am I?  I was born in Texas, but now live near Oxfordshire. I have a PhD in literature, a PGCE in secondary education (English), and formerly taught in private girls' schools in Oxford. Now, I homeschool my four kids who range from 7 to 14, examine for Cambridge International at iGCSE and A-level, and run my own online tutorial business for homeschooled students throughout the world (called Dreaming Spires Home Learning: links below). Blown away in the Orkneys Why did I start homeschooling? My interest in homeschooling started when my eldest was about 3 1/2 -- she was a late-summer baby, and Oxfordshire changed its entry policy to start children in the YEAR they turned 5 instead of the TERM they turned 5, so she was due to start when she had just turned 4. Being American, where children start in the September AFTER they ...