The Charlotte Mason method has at its core the belief that children deserve to be respected and that they learn best from real-life situations. According to Charlotte Mason, children should be given time to play, create, and be involved in real-life situations from which they can learn. Students of the Charlotte Mason method take nature walks, visit art museums, and learn geography, history, and literature from "living books," books that make these subjects come alive.
Typical Charlotte Mason Schedule
Homeschoolers using the Charlotte Mason method strive to keep variety in their schedules. They generally do academics in the morning and try to "rest the child's mind" by stitching between easy and challenging tasks and between active and passive tasks. The charlotte Mason method stresses the importance of spending lots of time outdoors (usually in the afternoon), and students are encouraged to keep a nature journal. They also look for the most interesting learning materials available and avoid anything boring. Fridays are reserved for field trips.
- 9-9:20: a.m. Math
- 9:20-9:40 a.m. Handwriting
- 9:40-10:00 a.m. History
- 10-11:00 a.m. Read-aloud literature
- 11-noon Lunch
- Noon. Drill (e.g., multiplication tables, ABCs, state capitals, any rote learning)
- 12:20-12:40 p.m. Science
- 12:40-1:00 p.m. Grammar
- 1-1:20 p.m. Latin or music or art appreciation or poetry or P.E.
- 1:20-2:00 p.m. Map work and read-aloud work by children
- Afternoons are spent outdoors, enjoying nature.