A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning

The media could not be loaded. This is a must read for all homeschools and all parents in general! It is a how to on how to homeschool using the Charlotte Mason method, but it is also a wonderful resource for all parents. I keep going back to chapters about sibling relations and a child’s will… so much good information!

Been homeschooling for years now and in doing a review last year of my teaching strategies (in terms of what was working well with my children and what was not) I had to go back to the chalkboard.I began to research all of the Homeschooling Approaches I could find and Charlotte Mason seemed/s to be a perfect fit for our family.Incorporating and exercising as much as I could understand of the CM Approach, I began to see some results, but I still needed more input as to how this "thing" REALLY worked.After purchasing this book, I can say that I am really starting to "get it" now. CM allows for so much flexibility and there are no dead ends to any (lesson) topic. CM focuses on the specialness and wonder of each child and her approach is clearly guided from the motive of their godliness, security, betterment and love.Karen Andreola 'gets it' and I am SO grateful that she is sharing her understanding, experiences and insights in her CM research, visits to the CM college, and in rearing she and her husband's own children with this teaching methodology.Mrs. Andreola makes me excited about teaching my children CM, which is completely out of the box, Biblically based/inclined, fun, and FAR MORE effective than any other method I have yet to come across. My children love CM and so do I.The possibilities to your child's learning are limitless using this methodolgy. It brings the saying, "Learning is its own reward," to life. You learn that you don't need to bribe your kids with stickers/incentives, or berate them get them to study and to learn. Follow this methodolgy and they will BEG you to teach them more, as THEY begin to teach themselves.Get this book for a better understanding of the CM approach and shake off the stress of homeschooling. I am a witness and my children are living testimonies as to how one can enable their own children to learn better and RETAIN more. All instruction and learning really do begin at home.

I’ve read it twice already. We’ve been homeschooling for 8 years. I have a 13 year old, 8 year old, and 2 year old at home full time. If you are homeschooling it is a must read. Charlotte Mason is very firmly Christian, but the techniques outlined in the book are easily applied to all children. I had not heard of Charlotte Mason until recently and this book confirms everything I believe about educating children. Children are not empty vessels to be filled, they are their own persons, with emotions and thoughts of their own. I have argued many times with people who believe in the “empty vessel” of a child.This book also emphasizes self learning (not unschooling) and ample outdoor exploration. Before reading this book, my children were scheduled 2 outdoor times per day of 1 hour. I have extended the length of time to include nature journaling.If you believe lessons should be shorter and make personal connections with the child, this book will resonate with you. It covers how to handle main subjects, how to track progress, and how to instill long term retention through self learning/personal connections with the content or subject at hand. Hands down the best homeschool book I have purchased. I have been recommending it to all homeschooling parents I know. It’s life changing.No bookstore, library, etc had it within an hours drive from us. I plan to donate copies to local libraries and homeschool groups.

I read this book years ago. The author does a very good job of explaining Charlotte Mason’s method of teaching. My wife and I incorporated many of her ideas when we were homeschooling our children. I also used a lot of her ideas in my 3rd grade classroom.I have given a copy to many young mothers who are interested in homeschooling.

I was hoping this would be in a digital format since I have most of my books on my tablet, but I’ve changed my mind! This is a book that needs to be in your hands with post it notes and tabs with highlights! The reflections in this book are a perfect way for home educators to make truly make it a companion. Can’t wait to make all my markings 😁!

This book is amazing for any homeschool parent interested in Charlotte Mason who feels overwhelmed by reading “the pink books”. Karen has gleaned most of the important information from “the pink books” and placed it in this easy to read book. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it!

This is our second year homeschooling. Of course, Charlotte Mason comes up often in homeschool circles and I was looking for an overview of the techniques used by Ms. Mason. This book provided it. I feel that I am a better home educator for having read it. My copy is full of dog ears, highlighter marks, and is heavily underlined. I definitely recommend purchasing “A Charlotte Mason Companion” if you are hoping to understand her methods better and apply them to your homeschool.The only reason I rated the book 4 stars is that it is very prescriptive, and Euro-centric. If you follow the method and plan laid out in its pages to a T your children will know a lot about the ancient Greeks, British literature, and the paintings of the Monet…but they will know next to nothing of Indigenious legends, American slave narratives, or the prints of Hokusai. It is understandable that a Victorian English educator would neglect to think globally. We 21st century educators have the resources to offer our children the very best thoughts in the world (not just Europe) however. It is easy enough to round out the education advocated for in this book, and so it is still a useful tool to any homeschooling parent.

I've read many books on child rearing, education, discipline, etc., and this is the one I recommend to all parents