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| Kate Greenaway! |
Here are your favorite school planning posts:
I am off to Wonder Together 2015 in St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada and then to spend a few days with some good, good friends. I can’t wait.
How many sets of the 6-volume series does a girl need? I have, ummm, more than one. So to celebrate the new school year, I’d like to give a set away. After all, these books of Mason’s would be the best teacher-training for the new school year. I like what Henrietta Franklin, Honorary Organizing Secretary of the PNEU in Mason’s day, said:
“It is a truism to say that, in teaching, our chief attention should be given to methods rather than to subjects.”
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| CM’s 6 volume set in good++ condition |
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So happy I found this blog! This is my first year using Charlotte Mason. I believe this is truly the path we are suppose to use. Thank you! My children are 13, 11, 9, 7.
My greatest challenge is having six children in 9 years. More than that, five of them are boys, which can be a bit chaotic at times (SO much noise and acitvity). Do you have any advice on planning for peace when there are lots of boys? This year I will be teaching four out of six children,three are boys 10, 9 and 5. Any wisdom would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much for this beautiful blog. I am constantly inspired.
What has really helped me during planning season 😉 is taking it term by term instead of trying to plan the whole year at once. I try to take a week off where I can sit down and plan without interruptions. The topic I would like you to write about would be more on the idea of keeping the peace at home and keeping the atmosphere. Sometimes it's hard to cut things without feeling guilty or that you will miss something.
Hi Nancy, thanks so much for sharing your advice on this blog. I've enjoyed reading it for the last year or so, since introduced to it by Bethany S (my sister-in-law, the CM evangelist). Your post on "cutting back until there is peace in the home" was timely for us and we are putting it into practice as best we can. Still learning to "just say no" to many opportunities! Idea for a future post: How do we encourage narration in the spirit of enjoyment with a child for whom it is like pulling teeth? Thanks for the blog and for doing the CM volume giveaway. 🙂
I make sure to write my ideas down as I think them through the end of the school year and beginning of summer. Then I don't have to try to remember now in August as I sit down for the final planning. Great retreat Saturday, Nancy. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself.
I am beginning my second year of homeschooling but first year of CM. I think this year will be more about forming good habits in myself than anything else. Thank you for sharing your experiences and wisdom with us.
An entire CM collection? Swoon!! So timely as I seek to organize for this school year and live a generally more intentional, orderly and punctual life.
This is my first year doing any sort of preparation for a school year (my oldest is nearly 5) so I have no advice to offer. But I would love to see some more posts about learning a foreign language/culture as I used to be a high school French teacher 🙂 Thanks, Nancy!
I enjoy reading about what you are reading 🙂 Of course, I also like to read about your response to things we are learning in TBG!
My best tip would be to attend a conference before starting to plan. New inspiration and vision is always a good thing. Thank you, Nancy, for inspiring those of us in attendance at Wonder Together. It was an excellent day!
My advice for planning is to thoroughly plan before school starts but be prepared to use the first two weeks as a trial run and know that more than likely you will need to make little changes.
Change things up. We don't really break much during the summer–We live in Texas and it is just too hot to do much else, we might as well be inside reading good books! We take breaks as needed throughout the year when the weather is nice. But I find that changing things up the end of August or beginning of Septeber really helps keep us from getting into a bordom rut. It could just be a major schedule revision or finishing everything and starting fresh with all new books.
Change things up. We don't really break much during the summer–We live in Texas and it is just too hot to do much else, we might as well be inside reading good books! We take breaks as needed throughout the year when the weather is nice. But I find that changing things up the end of August or beginning of Septeber really helps keep us from getting into a bordom rut. It could just be a major schedule revision or finishing everything and starting fresh with all new books.
The best tip I have is pre-reading my kids' school books. Sometimes hard to get through all of them, but I always do better with them when I do.
I have a checklist of repeatable planning/prep tasks and I work on them but by bit over the summer. Also I start about halfway through the year looking for next years books.
Send a prayer tonight that your get together would go well tomorrow, Nancy. Bless you.
Thanks for the opportunity to own a set of CM's volumes that I could hold! They would be wonderful in helping me plan to guide a CM book study 🙂
As for planning the learning year: I take a few mornings in August (with strong coffee) to plan the overall vision of our learning terms. History focus, science, we decide which nearby park we'll adopt for our Nature Studies for year, etc. However, I learned two years ago to shift my daily planning (what pages to assign in reading, which composition to listen to for the week) to a Sunday evening. This weekly, fine-tuned, planning helps to account for any of life's unplanned adventures.
Ooh, I'm late to this but got to enter! I haven't ever even seen a set in person, and would LOVE to have them.
I would love to hear more of your thoughts on the ideas of Charlotte Mason as expressed in her volumes. I love to hear what others have learned from her writings, especially those that are not as commonly written about!
I would love to hear how to teach older children with infants and toddlers in the home and also a look into the day of using CM ideas with a preschool aged child!
Ohhh I would love this! Perhaps my back to school tip should be to acquire all the CM volumes! 🙂
How fun it would be to have these in my hands to read instead of on the computer!!
How fun! Thank you for the opportunity to win! Prayer, and lots of it, is key to planning a new homeschool year at our house!
Same thing the lady above me said, I would love as much help with elementary reading books and hands on advice as you can give!!! 🙂
I am excited preparing for our upcoming school year. I would be very interested in reading a compilation of your favorite living books for elementary aged children.
It took me a good two months to plan for the upcoming school year and I still have a few books on order and a little bit of tweaking to do of our weekly schedule. The best advice I would give is to limit the number of changes you make each school year. You’ve been meaning to add poetry and drama and a quiet hour and a nature walk and….pick one thing to add each term (or for the year). There’s no rush.
I would love to read more about persevering through hard years and mother culture.
I'd like to read more about CM in the high school years, esp when it comes to preparing for college. Awesome giveaway, thanks for the chance!
It would be awesome to have a copy of these on my bookshelves!! My best tip for the beginning of the school year is not to expect too much of yourself too soon! It's easy to plan and over-schedule by accident and end up feeling flustered and like you're not getting anywhere when in fact you are exactly where you're supposed to be – at home with your children! 🙂
This is an amazing giveaway! I really enjoy your blog. Anything on practically incorporating CM in the everyday. Looking forward to meeting you at Wonder Together.
My children aren't of official school age yet, but I love perusing your blog (and the comments!) to glean all I can now. I've been reading CM's works slowly online and would love to own a real set! I would love to hear more about schooling with multiple ages, and with toddlers in the mix, as I already find myself wondering how people do it! 🙂
Hi I love your blog it helps me to be still, and to learn and teach from a place of stillness These books would change my life and I would love to win them thanks for the opportunity and even more gratitude for the time you take to create this space.
Ease into your school year. Don't start all your subjects the first week. Have your first day back on a Wednesday rather than a Monday. This will help everyone, including Mom, adjust to the new schedule.
I'd like to read more about how to incorporate CM's ideas when you don't have servants preparing your meals and taking care of your babies!
What a wonderful giveaway! Both of my children are under 6, so I don't have any planning tips. I'm currently in the midst of soaking up all I can of Charlotte's methods. I'd like to read more about education ourselves as a precursor to educating our children.
I have studied CM in the past but have never read all her writings. This would be great. Now, as far as my planing goes, what I like to do is write down on a 12 month calendar all the holidays, birthdays, etc. Then I note any field trips or projects down. From there I'll start planning our studies. Some are seasonal some are not. Then I get in to the detailed planning. Personally I do this by week. That makes it simple for me to move things around trips, doctor appointments and the like.
Hi Nancy- I would love to hear more about combining schedules for young children that are close in age. Thank you!
I would love to read more about CM methods in the high school years! 🙂
I enjoy reading about your everyday day adventures and the resources you come up with. Always encouraging.
I tweeted but couldn't figure out how to copy the tweet url while on a mobile device. Boo.
Boy, this post was timely, as I am right in the middle of trying to figure out my chaotic world! Leave it to my good, thoughtful friend to forward this to me just when I needed it most. Also, I only have Kindle versions of these, so I'd love to own the REAL books!! Thanks for all you do–and so enjoyed meeting you in Arkansas, by the way.
Best tip would be to first figure out the goals you have for each child before planning you year. Also remeber everyday is a new day and if something isn't working give yourself the freedom to change it tomorrow and not wait until the next semester. I would love to hear more about homeschooling multiples and practically giving each the time they need.
I would also like to hear more about how to juggle housework and school. My children are still young and I feel, most days, like I spend all day trying to keep up with housework. I have "keep cutting back until there is peace in your home" in the back of my head, but I just don't know how to cut back more. Also, how to get started with CM (I will have a 6 and 8 year old 'doing school' this year) while a toddler and preschooler need attention.
Heather
I need these!
I would love to hear about the flow of education into all of life. I still feel like we have "school" time and "life" time and it always seems like too much "school" time.
What a blessing it would be to receive Charlotte Mason's volumes!
I would love to read more about the early years of a CM education. More specifically, how to encourage narrations from a young learner.
Your blog is a blessing and encouragement!
My best planning advice is to make a list of all the daily subjects for days 1-5 on one sheet of paper and a list of all the weekly subjects on the same page. Then plug in the material to cover the weekend before the new week begins. I also add in story time for my youngest so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle, workout time for me, and a space for a daily extra which might be a field trip, U.S. History (which we cover for our state laws), or a playdate or whatever. It took me two years to get my planning sheet right for us and now that it is, it makes my life so much easier. Especially when I am gentle with myself! (That part is still a work in progress!) Thank you for the chance to win these books…I would love to own a set.
This is my first official year, so I don't know if I have any sage advice or tips, but our plan is to keep it simple, and our greatest desire is for our children to love learning. My oldest is five years old.
I would love to learn more about Charlotte Mason methods and high school. Thank you so much for your blog and your generous give-away!
I would love to hear about the favorite books you have used with your students over the years.
(I thought we were supposed to comment through rafflecopter but it wouldn't let me type in the box. I'm probably doing something wrong!)
When you sit down to plan and get everything on paper remember to give yourself grace in a couple of months. On that day when nothing goes 'according to plan' and you start feeling like you are behind or worse yet, think you are failing your children – remember to allow yourself some grace.
My best advice as a new homeschooler (and not following formal academics) would be to not get carried away. I love AO suggestions for early years and really believe that is the start to a good rhythm as the kids get older!
I think my biggest tip is plan a few weeks at a time. Leave a day every few weeks free for a catch up day. If you have nothing to catch up on then use it as a field trip or free day.
I would love these! I have been looking for a set. I would love to hear more about scheduling, organizing our day to be more fulfilling than draining! I have 3 boys and struggle with what to do together and separately, mostly because they are so distracted together. But our day becomes longer than necessary if they are always separated and I do a lesson 2 or 3 times that could have been done once. That also points to our need for habit training, too. I would love to hear more about practical ways to encourage and inspire habit training.
I may sound like previous commentors… I would love to hear more about late middle school and on into high school. My tip: Don't try to start off the year with every single thing the first day. 😉
I would love to hear more about how things change as your children get older. It seems to me we hear so much about the early years of a "Charlotte Mason Education", but as children grow things look a little different. My planning tip: take time. I spend several months leisurely assembling a booklist, handicraft ideas, pieces by the composer we will be getting to know. With ample time, I find I choose more judiciously what will bring us joy and help us grow, not just give us more information. By beginning before the end of the previous school year, I remember where to prune and where I hope for new growth. I pull it all together over a week near the end of the summer. I have never had an actual book by Charlotte Mason, I've only read them on my kindle, or 12 years ago when I discovered her with delight, on the computer screen! I've been dreaming of an actual book since then.
I would say read aloud everyday, start early to give yourself wiggle room in the schedule and smile in the day
I love your blog and your posts 🙂 I love reading when you're encouraging all of us to concentrate on the methods rather than the subjects! So many new moms take a while to get that when beginning the CM way of educating 🙂 I already have a set but if I win I will pass them onto one of the few gals in our homeschool support group that are interested in CM!
PS – Just so you know your planning posts have been read over and over here lately. They are so helpful! Thanks for linking them up again!
Oooo. *swoon* Kate Greenway. Have fun in Canada, Nancy! How nice to visit with friends! 🙂 My Home, Parents, Ourselves, and Philosophy are falling apart. What a GREAT giveaway! As far as what I'd like to read about, hmmm….all the others have GREAT ideas….I think multiple aged families is a biggie for me…just how to use group time well for all the different ages but balance some individual work and how does that fit in. 🙂
Oh, I would love these! My biggest tip for planning is to let myself have a break between the wrap up of one year and the planning of another. I think it helps with perspective. Thank you for your generosity!
My best planning tip is to pray over it all! Second would be to figure out how often per week something needs done and then spread those out so each day has some but not all of the subjects.
I have not officially started "schooling" my oldest will be 5 this fall. But I think my advice for myself (and maybe others) is going to be, when the time comes, "Just stop searching and start with something. Start simple and remember…less is more!"
Oh my goodness! What an amazing giveaway! Shoot…I'm not in the US (whispers….but I can pay postage if i win 😉 )
So excited, Iforget the rest 🙂 My best tip: Send the kids away, buy some chocolate, a nice big cup of tea, lovely music on and plan, plan, plan!
Oh, what an exciting giveaway! My biggest tip for planning: start early. It always takes more time then you think.
I'm sure you've already written about this so could you point me to any posts about schooling with Littles? 🙂 My children are 7, 5, almost 2 and I have one due in March! Eek! I'm thinking I'll have to do some things during Quiet Time but Mama needs Quiet Time too! 🙂 Thank you for the chance to win these!!
Time with good friends is so wonderful! I would like to read more about 'mother culture.'
I think pre planning is key! You must have everything together in order to be efficient .
I would love to read about how to schedule multiple children.
I would love to hear more ways to seamlessly incorporate home life/chores, into your schooling. And what does that look like in an average school day?
I would appreciate any wisdom you have on the differences you have seen in your family between boys and girls. I only have boys and they don't like to write as much and do 'traditional' school things as much as girls. How did you handle that difference?
I'm looking forward to the second printing of your book!
Nancy, I would love to read more about high school in your home and community. But of course, I love all your posts.
Thank you for such a nice giveaway!