We consider ourselves to be a classically educating family following the principles of Charlotte Mason. Curious about Charlotte Mason and Christian Classical Education? Here are some of my favorite resources:
We use Ambleside Online as the framework to our curriculum. Their website has a wealth of information for the Charlotte Mason homeschooler, even if you don't use their curriculum in its entirety. Start with their FAQ page. There is also a Discussion Forum available for users of the AO curriculum with lots of lively discussion on various aspects of the curriculum, Charlotte Mason's original writings, book discussions for mom, and lots of other fun stuff.
Some of my Favorite Charlotte Mason Blogs, Websites, and Audio Resources:
Afterthoughts (if you're new to CM, start with the 31 Days of Charlotte Mason series here)
A Peaceful Day
Charlotte Mason Help
Fisher Academy International
Sage Parnassus
Joyous Lessons
Journey and Destination
Education is a Life
Silvia Cachia
A Sabbath Mood Homeschool - excellent series on scheduling in CM schools here.
Joyful Shepherdess - excellent series on teaching children how to read CM style beginning here
Wildflowers and Marbles - excellent series on CM style language arts here
There are not many specifically CM podcasts or audio resources out there, but you can purchase the audio recordings from the one-and-only 2005 Ambleside Online conference. More information here, purchase link for audio here. Absolutely worth every penny. CiRCE now has a Charlotte Mason themed podcast available, hosted by Cindy Rollins. (More info below).
Christian Classical Education Blogs, Websites, and Audio:
In the past year or so, I have come to really appreciate the CiRCE Institute. The CiRCE Institute promotes Christian classical education. "Classical Education" can mean a lot of things in this day and age, and some interpretations of classical education aren't really compatible with what Charlotte Mason was trying to do. However, the form of classical education being discussed over at CiRCE is very much compatible with CM. Definitely worth the time to check out their resources if you really want to dig deep. I like to follow their blog, listen to their podcasts (especially look for the new Mason Jar podcast) and watch the videos in their library, and have purchased their conference recordings for the past couple of years too.
A couple of other blogs I like that are written by homeschooling mamas who follow a classical approach:
Simply Convivial
Amongst Lovely Things
Expanding Wisdom
Books:
Start with this one: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer MacCauley - this is a succinct but excellent overview to the Charlotte Mason philosophy and method of education.
When Children Love to Learn by Elaine Cooper - Charlotte Mason applied to the school setting, but with plenty of insights for a homeschooling family as well.
Don't miss out on Charlotte Mason's own writings: The Original Homeschooling Series (6 volumes). You can purchase printed books on Amazon or read them for free on the Ambleside Online website. In addition to Charlotte's very own words, Ambleside also has options for paraphrases in modern language as well as selections from her writings arranged topically. If you're feeling kind of intimidated or want a guided refresher, check out Brandy's study guide, Start Here .
The Living Page by Laurie Bestvater - I highly recommend this one once you have familiarized yourself with Charlotte's principles and methods in general. Beautiful book about keeping 'notebooks' and journals within the CM framework.
Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah McKenzie - Get the whole bundle - the ebook, the companion journal, and the audio companion. This would be fantastic for a homeschooler of any persuasion, but since Sarah is coming from a classical mindset it is especially applicable to folks like us. :)
The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain - Short but rich overview of the historical liberal arts tradition, with considerations on how to apply this to our modern educational setting. More applicable to the school setting, really, as the authors are both teachers at a classical school, but still a very good and fairly accessible overview to what the liberal arts ARE. I read it right after having finished Charlotte Mason's School Education and saw connections galore.
Consider This by Karen Glass - Fantastic. Karen Glass explores the foundations of the classical tradition and explains how Charlotte Mason's ideas fit right in. Very accessible and even more inspiring.
Minds More Awake by Anne White - A lovely addition to the Charlotte Mason canon form another of the original Ambleside Online Advisory Members.
