Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Digging Deeper

We love Ambleside Online. The curriculum itself is amazing. AO offers a well-rounded education with beautiful book lists. Their website is amazing, the forums offer great support, and it's all free! But they will be the first to tell you, all of that does not a Charlotte Mason education make.

I've read a few books here and there concerning Miss Mason's philosophies but I haven't really studied them. So now that I'm pretty comfortable with the scheduling aspect of Ambleside I'm going to dig a little deeper.

In the Ambleside Online forums, there is an ongoing study of Charlotte Mason's principles. I started the study but as life would have it, I have gotten behind. The way the study is set up you can start at any time, so I'm going to restart that one.

I've also discovered podcasts! These are so easy to listen to while completing chores. They definitely make folding laundry more bearable! Here's a few I've listened to as of late!

Cindy Rollins blogs at the Circe Institute and has a series of podcasts called The Mason Jar. As she states on her blog, "All Charlotte Mason, all the time." Thirty years and nine children make her an excellent mentor.



"A Delectable Education" is managed by Emily Kiser, Liz Cottrill, and Nicole Williams. They have a great ongoing series of podcasts but I'm particularly partial to their "Charlotte Mason 101" series.

The (Skoh-lay) Sisters include Pam Barnhill, Brandy Vencel, and Mystie Winkler. These ladies are seasoned homeschoolers, however, they tend to center their home education on a blend between CM and classical approach to education. Wondering the difference? Simply put, a classical education focuses more on presenting and memorizing facts whereas, CM focuses more on presenting the ideas. Still, there's lots of interesting stuff at Schole Sisters.


Pam Barnhill also has a blog with a few different podcasts. One of them being Your Morning Basket. I love these! As I'm trying to incorporate a morning time this next term, these podcasts really speak to me. Different topics are covered through interviews with some amazing people!


Pam's next set of podcasts at The Homeschool Snapshots Podcast offer a glimpse into other homeschooler's lives. It covers things we all worry about, and the things they are doing in their homes.




So those are the podcasts I've been frequenting as of late. As I find more I will add them! Happy listening!