A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning (Karen Andreola)

A Charlotte Mason Companion

Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning 

A wealth of insight, practical advice, and narratives, all of which are designed to illustrate how the ideas of Charlotte Mason – famed turn-of-the-century educator – actually work in real life and education. With warmth and humor, Karen Andreola weaves together her own stories of the joys and struggles of educating her children, seeking to use Charlotte Mason’s high ideals and principles.

This resourceful book will assist you to recognize a “living book”; use narration; teach reading, spelling and composition; appreciate great art, poetry, and classical music; establish helpful habits; create a loving and learning home atmosphere, and more.

Now you can realize the joy filled homeschool of your dreams! This modern classic is written by Karen Andreola – the homeschool mom who first carried Charlotte Mason’s writings to America in her suitcase in 1987. Miss Mason’s books were soon republished for a new generation. After ten years of intense study and successful application of Miss Mason’s principles with her own children, Karen wrote this valuable volume.

A Charlotte Mason Education in today’s homeschool

Today’s parents can now see what a Charlotte Mason education looks like in a contemporary setting while gleaning from its many benefits. Charlotte Mason’s principles of education are not only a way of learning but also a way of life.

A Charlotte Mason Companion gives you powerful tools to create an extraordinary learning experience. At the turn of every page, you will meet a practical idea and the inspiration to carry it out. Topics on using good books, heroes in history, poetry, art and music appreciation, nature study, the atmosphere of home, the discipline of habit, keeping up enthusiasm, (to name a few) are referred to again and again by Karen’s readers.

It is one of the most trusted and often quoted books in the home school world since 1998. Plenty of encouragement, wisdom and gentle instruction await you in this beautifully written and beautifully illustrated book.

About the Author

Karen Andreola republished Charlotte Mason’s 6 vol. Original Homeschooling Series in 1988. The modern day Charlotte Mason movement has been based largely on Karen’s practical interpretations and writings. She was editor of the Parents’ Review Magazine for Home Training and Culture for many years.  Karen is also one of America’s most respected homeschool product reviewers. Her other books include Pocketful of Pinecones and Lessons at Blackberry Inn.  She did a modern revision of Mary Hale’s classic Beautiful Girlhood. Ladies will enjoy reading her inspiring blog: Moments with Mother Culture: http://momentswithmotherculture.com

Table of Contents

1. What Drew Me to a Charlotte Mason Education
2. A Living God for a Living Education
3. What is Education?
4. Education is a Science of Relations
5. Self-Education
6. The Atmosphere of Home
7. Bickerings
8. A Page from my Journal
9. The Happiness of Habit
10. The Way of the Will
11. Inconstant Kitty
12. Living Books
13. How We Use Whole Books
14. Narration: The Art of Knowing
15. Tips on Narration
16. More Queries About Narration
17. Teaching Composition
18. Kernels of Wisdom
19. Reading by Sound and Sight
20. The Three Period Lesson
21. Vocabulary
22. The Servant Spelling
23. Simply Grammar
24. Hero-Admiration as a Factor in Education
25. Picture Study
26. Music Appreciation
27. Greek Myth
28. Once Upon a Time – Fact or Fairy Tales
29. Approach to Poetry
30. Shakespeare: A Mother’s Secret Resource
31. Charles Dickens from a Mother’s Point of View
32. History
33. Nature Study
34. Nature for City Children
35. Neighborhood Nature Study
36. Magnanimity and Enthusiasm
37. Picnics Any Time at All
38. Summer Senses for Country Folk
39. Ready, Set, Go!
40. Old-Fashioned Sand Play
41. Autumn Diversions
42. Snowflakes and Black Velvet
43. Victoria Lace or Favorite Lace Edging
44. School Motto
45. A New Grading Method: Motivation by Admiration, Hope, and Love
46. Mother Culture
47. Charlotte Mason Support Groups, Then and Now
48. Two Testimonies: Mrs. Brown and Mrs. White Tell Their Stories
49. Parting Words