“Only One Way to Use Books”
Each school year presents its own particular challenge. We survived learning to read with only a few battle scars. Then we clawed our way from one-sentence, grudging narrations to fluent paragraphs. But this year, with a fourth and fifth grader on my hands, I find myself circling back to the beginning. I want to teach…
Geography at the Little Library
“The Water Rat was restless, and he did not know exactly why. To all appearance the summer’s pomp was still at fullest height…But the constant chorus of the orchards and hedges had shrunk to a casual evensong from a few yet unwearied performers…and there was a feeling in the air of change and departure…One gets…
Don’t Just “Trust the Process”
“Trust the process!” I’ve heard veteran homeschool mamas blithely chirp. I think I know what they mean—much of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy seems radical compared to today’s educational methods. Are we wise to buck the establishment? And on Monday morning when our starry-eyed efforts end in tears all round we can only cling to faith that…
Plan Your Homeschool Year at the Little Library
Every year, I face the same quandary. I choose a Charlotte Mason curriculum and vow to follow it without veering from the path. “Think how much time and energy I’ll save,” I counsel myself. “I can relax by the pool all summer instead of wrestling with agonizing book choices.” As August approaches, I sit down…
Pennsylvania History at the Little Library
Last year I left a little space in my school plans for Pennsylvania history, knowing I’d have to tackle this required subject at some point. With only a month left in the school year, I dutifully scanned my library shelves for useful books. One huge stack later, I was raring to read. So much American…
Homeschool Notebooking: A Peek At Our Pages
I wrote last time about the joy, peace, and freedom I’ve been finding lately in our homeschool journey, and especially how notebooking is becoming a valuable and pleasant part of our learning. Since then I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting and am feeling more enthusiastic than ever about this most natural-feeling way of engaging…
The Magical Secret of Homeschooling
Simplicity. Consistency. Quietness. Freedom. These words whisper to me over and over as winter reluctantly yields to spring. Only three months left in this school year. Things haven’t quite turned out as I planned. Yet, maybe, just maybe, that’s okay. I started this school year confident in my well-chosen Charlotte Mason curriculum, our studies scheduled…
Story School: On the Road with Childcraft
Most summers my anxiety level surges as the new school year approaches, but this August I felt strangely peaceful. Three years into homeschooling, we just opened the books and took off, no big deal. I didn’t fret about curriculum choices or methods. Armed with a consult from A Delectable Education, my school year was planned,…
Little House, Lent, and Looking for Spring
Whew, we made it to March! After the beauty and bounty of Christmas, I’m always eager for January’s simplicity– decorations cleared away, piles hauled to the thrift store, treats sequestered in dark pantry corners. But then after all that…February can feel pretty flat. Will winter ever end? What can we look forward to now? Shall…
Twenty-Four Books Until Christmas
“What are those?!” one daughter whispered to another from the depths of my closet. They stood mesmerized before a basketful of brightly wrapped packages. “It looks like books!” “Yes, I think it’s books!” Our customary tradition when it comes to Christmas picture books goes something like this: we make a mad rush to the library…
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Little Library in the Big Woods 