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A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
Karen Andreola believes you can experience the joy-filled homeschool of your dreams! This modern classic is written by the homeschool mom who first carried Charlotte Mason's writings to America in her suitcase in 1987. Karen and her husband Dean arranged for Miss Mason's books to be republished for a new generation of parents and educators and kept them in print for 25 years! After 10 years of study - living out Miss Mason's principles in a practical way with her own children, Karen wrote A Charlotte Mason Personal Reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning TM. 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 Christian principles of education offer a way to learn, and a way to live! A Charlotte Mason Companion offers you 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. Some Chapters Many Homeschool parents and teachers read Karen's trusted purple book every year Since its debut in 1998, A Charlotte Mason Companion continues to be one of the most often referred to books in the homeschool world. Plenty of encouragement, wisdom, and gentle instruction await you in this beautifully written & illustrated modern classic from one of America s true homeschool pioneers! Have you already read the Companion? You may also enjoy reading Karen s Mother Culture ®: For a Happy Homeschool .
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
456 people are currently reading
2908 people want to read
About the author
Karen Andreola
17 books135 followersKaren Andreola is the author of Mother Culture®: For a Happy Homeschool; A Charlotte Mason Companion; Pocketful of Pinecones; Lessons at Blackberry Inn; and Story Starters. She home educated her 3 children K-12.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
September 4, 2012
This book is not for the faint of heart or head, or at least the methods discussed in here aren't.
Charlotte Mason, as a christian and lover of children, held strongly to the belief that children are given more intellect than we credit them with. Her original series (Home Education) are full of her thoughts and philosophies that education is something more than to do lists to cram into children's brains during their years of development. She believed that we are called to equip children with the ability to think and to reason and deduct, to "raise them in the way the way that they should go" by helping them to gain independent minds. Mason suggested that such education requires careful and thoughtful guidance on the part of the mother or guardian of the child, a necessary call to action not often taken up.
I thought Andreola did a superb job of summarizing Mason's books, though not replacing them, all while adding modern day thoughts and comparisons for more insight. As any female book-lover, I've read Pride and Prejudice with no problem, but Mason's old English mixed with such heavy thoughts can be a lot to digest so I found Andreola's summarization and insights to be helpful.
I'll probably refer to this one as a thought provoker every year.
Charlotte Mason, as a christian and lover of children, held strongly to the belief that children are given more intellect than we credit them with. Her original series (Home Education) are full of her thoughts and philosophies that education is something more than to do lists to cram into children's brains during their years of development. She believed that we are called to equip children with the ability to think and to reason and deduct, to "raise them in the way the way that they should go" by helping them to gain independent minds. Mason suggested that such education requires careful and thoughtful guidance on the part of the mother or guardian of the child, a necessary call to action not often taken up.
I thought Andreola did a superb job of summarizing Mason's books, though not replacing them, all while adding modern day thoughts and comparisons for more insight. As any female book-lover, I've read Pride and Prejudice with no problem, but Mason's old English mixed with such heavy thoughts can be a lot to digest so I found Andreola's summarization and insights to be helpful.
I'll probably refer to this one as a thought provoker every year.
July 27, 2017
I had mixed feelings about this book. I picked it up because I was interested in learning about the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling, which I didn't know anything about. It did a good job capturing my interest in the method, although I doubt I'll ever follow it exactly--I'll probably just use a few pieces here and there. Karen Andreola is certainly passionate about "Charlotte" and every word she ever said. I was so interested in the subject that I was actually riveted by this book.
That said, the book itself is not actually riveting, and caused me to roll my eyes so much they might be permanently lodged in the back of my head. This book was published in the '90s, only 20 years ago, but it might as well have been a hundred years ago. I'm guessing Andreola is one of those exasperating people who thinks Victorian England is the pinnacle of human society and our degraded culture can't possibly ever live up to it. (She did say something along the lines of, "In times past, people were more cultured than they are now." Good grief; there have always been cultured and uncultured people in every age of the world.) She seems to be trying to be Victorian in her writing style, and sometimes it's downright silly. Not that Victorians themselves were silly--just that a modern author writing in such an old-fashioned style seems a little holier-than-thou. Also, it doesn't seem like she really gets what it's like to be a modern mom.
Another issue I had with the book was the meandering style. I was hoping for a book similar to The Well-Trained Mind, with samples of what a Charlotte Mason family's day might look like, suggestions for each subject, and a little more defining of the actual philosophy of the Charlotte Mason method. Of course, the Charlotte Mason method isn't as rigid as classical education, but the book could still give a few more concrete ideas rather than ethereal musings about what a good person your child will be after keeping a Nature Notebook.
I also thought the book was unnecessarily religious. I know that Andreola wouldn't agree with this criticism, because apparently Christianity is VITAL to the Charlotte Mason method, but I really think that non-Christian families could really benefit from the method and might be turned off by the extreme Christian language in this book. I'm actually a very religious person myself, but I don't need someone telling me how important religion is in a book about homeschooling.
One of the best words for this book is inefficient. Andreola just doesn't make good use of the nearly 400 pages allotted to her. She excuses her lack of organization and focus by introducing the book as just a few little musings about her homeschool journey. So, okay, she knows that it has this problem, but she doesn't want to fix it. (I guess she doesn't see a need for that because we're all supposed to be reading Charlotte Mason's six volumes on education. I'm guessing Mason was even more prone to waxing poetic than Andreola is.) I don't need useless chapters on how to crochet authentic Victorian lace (who on earth would turn to a homeschooling book for crochet patterns?!); I'd much rather have a chapter with helpful suggestions on how to teach math. It's almost unbelievable to me how few mentions of math even made it into the book, much less an entire chapter. (But what is math compared to the oh-so-important subject of autumn crafts??) Science doesn't seem to merit its own chapter either, unless you count all the time spent on passive nature observation. Sure, nature observation provides plenty of science lessons for a 5-year-old, but shouldn't a 14-year-old or even a 9-year-old be exposed to a wider variety of scientific concepts?
There are plenty of other small things I have to gripe about, but I'll just leave it there. I have to wonder how I even got through a book that annoyed me so thoroughly, but I have to conclude that 1) My current interest in homeschooling books carried me through, and 2) this is one of those books where it's sort of fun to argue with it in my head. (Is that bad?) I don't think I would recommend it, but I wouldn't call it a bad book. I just hope there's a better guide to the Charlotte Mason homeschooling method out there for those who plan to follow the method.
That said, the book itself is not actually riveting, and caused me to roll my eyes so much they might be permanently lodged in the back of my head. This book was published in the '90s, only 20 years ago, but it might as well have been a hundred years ago. I'm guessing Andreola is one of those exasperating people who thinks Victorian England is the pinnacle of human society and our degraded culture can't possibly ever live up to it. (She did say something along the lines of, "In times past, people were more cultured than they are now." Good grief; there have always been cultured and uncultured people in every age of the world.) She seems to be trying to be Victorian in her writing style, and sometimes it's downright silly. Not that Victorians themselves were silly--just that a modern author writing in such an old-fashioned style seems a little holier-than-thou. Also, it doesn't seem like she really gets what it's like to be a modern mom.
Another issue I had with the book was the meandering style. I was hoping for a book similar to The Well-Trained Mind, with samples of what a Charlotte Mason family's day might look like, suggestions for each subject, and a little more defining of the actual philosophy of the Charlotte Mason method. Of course, the Charlotte Mason method isn't as rigid as classical education, but the book could still give a few more concrete ideas rather than ethereal musings about what a good person your child will be after keeping a Nature Notebook.
I also thought the book was unnecessarily religious. I know that Andreola wouldn't agree with this criticism, because apparently Christianity is VITAL to the Charlotte Mason method, but I really think that non-Christian families could really benefit from the method and might be turned off by the extreme Christian language in this book. I'm actually a very religious person myself, but I don't need someone telling me how important religion is in a book about homeschooling.
One of the best words for this book is inefficient. Andreola just doesn't make good use of the nearly 400 pages allotted to her. She excuses her lack of organization and focus by introducing the book as just a few little musings about her homeschool journey. So, okay, she knows that it has this problem, but she doesn't want to fix it. (I guess she doesn't see a need for that because we're all supposed to be reading Charlotte Mason's six volumes on education. I'm guessing Mason was even more prone to waxing poetic than Andreola is.) I don't need useless chapters on how to crochet authentic Victorian lace (who on earth would turn to a homeschooling book for crochet patterns?!); I'd much rather have a chapter with helpful suggestions on how to teach math. It's almost unbelievable to me how few mentions of math even made it into the book, much less an entire chapter. (But what is math compared to the oh-so-important subject of autumn crafts??) Science doesn't seem to merit its own chapter either, unless you count all the time spent on passive nature observation. Sure, nature observation provides plenty of science lessons for a 5-year-old, but shouldn't a 14-year-old or even a 9-year-old be exposed to a wider variety of scientific concepts?
There are plenty of other small things I have to gripe about, but I'll just leave it there. I have to wonder how I even got through a book that annoyed me so thoroughly, but I have to conclude that 1) My current interest in homeschooling books carried me through, and 2) this is one of those books where it's sort of fun to argue with it in my head. (Is that bad?) I don't think I would recommend it, but I wouldn't call it a bad book. I just hope there's a better guide to the Charlotte Mason homeschooling method out there for those who plan to follow the method.
August 30, 2009
I'm about half way through this book. I've liked several ideas it contains. But there are several comments I see as either old-fashioned, or unreasonable. The book in many respects is Victorian. (I do like most victorian things) The Victorian illustrations throughout are charming.
Something I've liked so far:
Every child everyday needs:
1. Something to love
2. Something to do
3. Something to think about.
I like how Mason stresses the thought that we, along with our children need to feast on IDEAS. Children must be presented with a table full of ideas to feast upon. IT is the parents/teachers job to provide the ideas and inspiration, and the child's job to form their own relationship with the ideas.
Charlotte maintains that Education is the science of relations. Reading a text book about something I have no relation to will mean nothing to me. The dry facts will soon fall out of my head. But if I read WHOLE books, LIVING books that give me an emotional relationship with the subject, the ideas will be real, and I will be able to understand.
In Charlotte Mason style education, you have lessons in the morning, while afternoons are left free for you to pursue your own interests and passions.
I've heard that Charlotte Mason education is very compatible with Thomas Jefferson Education, so I will continue to enjoy learning more about it and deciding which ideas and methods I wish to employ in my own home.
Something I've liked so far:
Every child everyday needs:
1. Something to love
2. Something to do
3. Something to think about.
I like how Mason stresses the thought that we, along with our children need to feast on IDEAS. Children must be presented with a table full of ideas to feast upon. IT is the parents/teachers job to provide the ideas and inspiration, and the child's job to form their own relationship with the ideas.
Charlotte maintains that Education is the science of relations. Reading a text book about something I have no relation to will mean nothing to me. The dry facts will soon fall out of my head. But if I read WHOLE books, LIVING books that give me an emotional relationship with the subject, the ideas will be real, and I will be able to understand.
In Charlotte Mason style education, you have lessons in the morning, while afternoons are left free for you to pursue your own interests and passions.
I've heard that Charlotte Mason education is very compatible with Thomas Jefferson Education, so I will continue to enjoy learning more about it and deciding which ideas and methods I wish to employ in my own home.
February 2, 2018
I'm not sure that I'll ever be truly done with this amazingly inspiring companion. As long as I'm home educating I believe I will keep dipping into it for encouragement and wisdom.
October 1, 2025
This volume is a treasure trove of encouragement, practical ideas, and personal reflections that illustrate how the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason is practically implemented in today’s home. With Karen Andreola’s warm and conversational tone, readers are drawn in to catch a glimpse of what education as “an atmosphere, a discipline, a life” looks like practically. Covering areas of living books, poetry & Shakespeare, nature study, art & music appreciation, and special seasonal experiences, it paints a beautiful picture of a joyful approach to home education that is entirely doable for the parents, no matter your season or setting.
Especially for moms in the early years of homeschooling, Karen’s voice of seasoned experience is a great encouragement. The barrier for these same moms is that the book is pretty long and at times seems repetitive. I found a lot of value in it, but I think it would be made even stronger with some better organizational editing.
Especially for moms in the early years of homeschooling, Karen’s voice of seasoned experience is a great encouragement. The barrier for these same moms is that the book is pretty long and at times seems repetitive. I found a lot of value in it, but I think it would be made even stronger with some better organizational editing.
June 21, 2025
As a new Chartlotte Mason mom, this book has been extremely helpful. I highlighted many passages! I have it on the shelf by my schoolbooks, as I know this will be a handy reference book.
set-aside
May 31, 20205/22/20
Seems like I just can't get this one finished in one stretch; here I am again to attempt to finish what I started last year. Uffda. :-D
2/5/19
I'm starting this book again, this time with a highlighter, and a more sunny outlook. I look forward to going through it and doing it justice this time around. :-)
2/25/18
This book had good ideas for implementing Charlotte Mason's method in one's home and homeschool. I gained some new perspective while reading this, and have appreciated the information. She also included lots of things that she did in her own family, and anecdotes from their lives together.
It took me forever to read, though. In all fairness, it's a weighty book. With lots of sections. On lots of topics. It was a little tough for me. I should have highlighted and taken notes. That probably would have made it easier.
Seems like I just can't get this one finished in one stretch; here I am again to attempt to finish what I started last year. Uffda. :-D
2/5/19
I'm starting this book again, this time with a highlighter, and a more sunny outlook. I look forward to going through it and doing it justice this time around. :-)
2/25/18
This book had good ideas for implementing Charlotte Mason's method in one's home and homeschool. I gained some new perspective while reading this, and have appreciated the information. She also included lots of things that she did in her own family, and anecdotes from their lives together.
It took me forever to read, though. In all fairness, it's a weighty book. With lots of sections. On lots of topics. It was a little tough for me. I should have highlighted and taken notes. That probably would have made it easier.
June 23, 2020
My feelings toward the book are biased by the fact that I am a secular homeschool mom. Religion is very important to Mrs. Andreola and Charlotte Mason, although I believe it’s possible to have a beautiful education without religion being the focal point. I love 90% of Miss Mason’s ideas: living books, narration, nature study, short lessons.
I found the chapter of Mrs. White and Mrs. Brown to be most helpful, although the chapter on fall crafts was very interesting. For the most part though, I couldn’t get a good feel of how to apply Andreola’s suggestions to my own homeschool.
I am glad I read it, but I’m not sure I will come back to it.
I found the chapter of Mrs. White and Mrs. Brown to be most helpful, although the chapter on fall crafts was very interesting. For the most part though, I couldn’t get a good feel of how to apply Andreola’s suggestions to my own homeschool.
I am glad I read it, but I’m not sure I will come back to it.
February 16, 2009
I had such a hard time getting through this book. It was slow and all touchy-feely and was way too much work to figure out what I wanted to know. Which was- what did Charlotte think about this or that or how did she suggest teaching __________?
I like the Catherine Levison books SO much better. They're easier to read and give the basic information quickly (read organized) - no need to flip here, then there, then somewhere else.
This book might work for someone who really wanted to feel warm and fuzzy and take a lot of time thinking through guided questions.
I like the Catherine Levison books SO much better. They're easier to read and give the basic information quickly (read organized) - no need to flip here, then there, then somewhere else.
This book might work for someone who really wanted to feel warm and fuzzy and take a lot of time thinking through guided questions.
October 15, 2020
An easier to read approach to Charlotte Mason. It helped me define some terms and gain some tips and inspiration. This will be a helpful resource to pull from in areas I need inspiration during the planning process.
November 1, 2019
Helpful and practical! Will reference back to this many times, I'm sure!
August 2, 2012
Encouraging, doable homeschooling model for moms--gentle--like Isaiah that says, "He gently leads those who are with young."
Charlotte Mason was a revolutionary in England in the education of children, with incredible and astonishing success. While she taught in a school setting, this book equips homeschool moms how to use her model in the home school.
Was extremely helpful to me, allowing me the luxury of true quality time with my kids, the "gentle art of learning," nature walks, letting a child's curiosity be encouraged. This, to me, most closely resembles the Hebrew model of discipleship...relational....constant....as in Deuteronomy 6:7, AMP "You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up."
Charlotte Mason was a revolutionary in England in the education of children, with incredible and astonishing success. While she taught in a school setting, this book equips homeschool moms how to use her model in the home school.
Was extremely helpful to me, allowing me the luxury of true quality time with my kids, the "gentle art of learning," nature walks, letting a child's curiosity be encouraged. This, to me, most closely resembles the Hebrew model of discipleship...relational....constant....as in Deuteronomy 6:7, AMP "You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up."
November 15, 2018
The first half of this book is great. When she discusses the Charlotte Mason ideas, I really enjoyed it and learned quite a bit. The second half of the book where she discusses how she applies the principles is much more tedious. I felt like I was sifting through buckets of sand to find a pearl or two of good information. All of that being said, I will use what I learned and appreciated the pearls I gained. I would still read the book if I had it to do over again—I would just allow myself to skip over more sections or chapters.
April 10, 2015
The author's tone grated on me through this entire book. Plus, the author unjustly presents Charlotte Mason's methods through a very tight & conservative Christian viewpoint. The author is not transparent enough to differentiate between HER personal views and the recommendations of Charlotte Mason herself.
July 19, 2021
A very meaty book that delves deep into nearly all aspects of a Charlotte Mason education. I have started this book four separate times before finally being able to read it through, largely because there is so much information to absorb.
"Charlotte's teaching approach aims at reaching the heart of the child, quickening his curiosity, vitalizing his mind and imagination, satisfying his need for play and physical activity, and providing him with opportunities for character development and good deeds."
I love the Charlotte Mason method of home schooling, and I get excited whenever I think about it or plan our upcoming term or year. This book is a phenomenal resource and I cannot reccomend it highly enough to anyone interested in Charlotte Mason's methods, or even to anyone considering homeschool in general. I plan on referring back to this book for many, many years to come.
"Charlotte's teaching approach aims at reaching the heart of the child, quickening his curiosity, vitalizing his mind and imagination, satisfying his need for play and physical activity, and providing him with opportunities for character development and good deeds."
I love the Charlotte Mason method of home schooling, and I get excited whenever I think about it or plan our upcoming term or year. This book is a phenomenal resource and I cannot reccomend it highly enough to anyone interested in Charlotte Mason's methods, or even to anyone considering homeschool in general. I plan on referring back to this book for many, many years to come.
May 11, 2023
This was a great summary of Charlotte Mason's education principles without actually reading her works on Home Education. It was a delight and full of inspiration and ideas for creating a home where learning thrives.
January 21, 2024
The best book on education I have ever read. I borrowed it from the library, but I am going to purchase my own copy to keep in our personally library. Read it! And make haste! You will regret the years before you read it.
December 6, 2021
Lovely and joyful, this book makes you feel like you've just made friends with the author! It gave me many things to think about regarding homeschooling, and inspired me to use a few of her ideas already with my preschooler.
April 27, 2023
S1V1L1
November 1, 2025
A wonderful reference for all things Charlotte Mason!
September 12, 2020
An invaluable resource for homeschool parents!
August 31, 2025
I chose this book as my daily summer read- taking in a chapter or two each day. It is a very full book! I appreciated her review of Charlotte Mason principles in addition to sharing her own approach on what carrying out those principles looked like in her family. In some chapters she shares her approach in very detailed steps! I took many notes throughout and added book recommendations to my TBR list. I anticipate returning to some of these ideas in the years to come!
August 3, 2018
My brand new copy of this book is now full of highlights, underlines, and notes :). I have fallen in love with Charlotte Mason and her principles. I LOVE that she sees children as people who are capable of so much more than we often give them credit for. I love her emphasis on literature- good, "living" books, appreciation of nature, culture and our Savior, and her whole approach to "the gentle art of learning". As a homeschooling mama, Charlotte Mason's teaching philosophy is exactly what I was looking for.
Initially I thought this book was more of a summary of Charlotte Mason's books, and while she definitely quotes CM often, it really is more of an introduction and a realistic approach to implementing some of her principles. Karen's book is more of an inside look into how her family has implemented CM's principles into their homeschool life. She briefly explains some of Charlotte Mason's thoughts and quotes her often, and this book definitely made me want to study CM's own words. If you're looking into really getting a good handle on CM and her principles, you'll definitely need to supplement this book with other reading and studying; but if you're just looking for more specific ideas on how to implement the CM method in your home, or you're just learning about CM for the first time and want to get a general idea of her philosophies, this is a great resource!
Even if you're not planning on homeschooling, there is a lot of good stuff to ponder- she approaches family bickering, establishing good habits, craft ideas with your children, how to instill a love of GOOD music and art in your children, cultivating an appreciation of nature, and how to recognize the best books you can offer your children. There are plenty of ideas and concepts to apply in home life without homeschooling.
Overall, a great and inspiring resource that I'm sure I will be referring back to often :). The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because I wish there were a more updated version- this was published in 1989 and so it's definitely a little outdated when it comes to the resources available. I also wish we got a little more detail on her day-to-day schedules and applications of CM's principles- she definitely talks about a few specifics but I would have loved more! However, overall this was a really inspiring read and definitely worth the read!!
Initially I thought this book was more of a summary of Charlotte Mason's books, and while she definitely quotes CM often, it really is more of an introduction and a realistic approach to implementing some of her principles. Karen's book is more of an inside look into how her family has implemented CM's principles into their homeschool life. She briefly explains some of Charlotte Mason's thoughts and quotes her often, and this book definitely made me want to study CM's own words. If you're looking into really getting a good handle on CM and her principles, you'll definitely need to supplement this book with other reading and studying; but if you're just looking for more specific ideas on how to implement the CM method in your home, or you're just learning about CM for the first time and want to get a general idea of her philosophies, this is a great resource!
Even if you're not planning on homeschooling, there is a lot of good stuff to ponder- she approaches family bickering, establishing good habits, craft ideas with your children, how to instill a love of GOOD music and art in your children, cultivating an appreciation of nature, and how to recognize the best books you can offer your children. There are plenty of ideas and concepts to apply in home life without homeschooling.
Overall, a great and inspiring resource that I'm sure I will be referring back to often :). The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because I wish there were a more updated version- this was published in 1989 and so it's definitely a little outdated when it comes to the resources available. I also wish we got a little more detail on her day-to-day schedules and applications of CM's principles- she definitely talks about a few specifics but I would have loved more! However, overall this was a really inspiring read and definitely worth the read!!
February 9, 2009
So many experienced homeschoolers have recommended this book to me. I am really looking forward to reading it. Supposedly it feels a lot like The Well Trained Mind (which I love) but is more relaxed and gentle. I am intrigued!
OK. I've read most of it. It is a bit slow. Lots of pats on the back for loving families... we all need that! Still, I am a fan of the Well Trained Mind. That book was much more helpful to me than this book.
I would recommend A Charlotte Mason Companion to someone ready to homeschool for the first time or to anyone who is considering this exciting life change. Then read the more detailed and possibly overwhelming Well Trained Mind for exact directions on how to make it work. (Of course you will want to do it your way in the end - that is the beauty of homeschooling!)
OK. I've read most of it. It is a bit slow. Lots of pats on the back for loving families... we all need that! Still, I am a fan of the Well Trained Mind. That book was much more helpful to me than this book.
I would recommend A Charlotte Mason Companion to someone ready to homeschool for the first time or to anyone who is considering this exciting life change. Then read the more detailed and possibly overwhelming Well Trained Mind for exact directions on how to make it work. (Of course you will want to do it your way in the end - that is the beauty of homeschooling!)
January 18, 2014
So, I decided to write a review on this one, seeing as it is more of a reference book at this point, as I home school. Just this past week I cracked it open to help me assist in my teaching of Ancient Greek history. This is a great book that helps you formalize in your mind the nuts and bolts of how and what you want to teach as you homeschool, without giving a ridged method, per say. In other words, don't try looking for lesson outlines or an ABC guideline of what to teach your kids. The title is aptly named the Charlotte Mason COMPANION. "Approach" may be a more fitting title. It is almost a necessity in my opinion, for anyone interested in pursuing the subject of home schooling in "Charlotte Mason philosophy" to have a copy of Susan Schaeffer Macaulay's book, For the Children's Sake at hand as well.
August 30, 2013
This book was absolutely amazing. It is a great handbook for raising a loving healthy family and also a great homeschool resource. There were so many things from this book that I want to remember, and I'm sure it is one of those books that will never be far from reach.
She states that "When home is ruled according to God's word, angels might be asked to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element." WOW!!
Charlotte urges us to "Give children a regular feeding of ideas through sweeping tales of history, wonderful inventions and discoveries in science, lives of great men and women, stories that radiate the moral life as well as paintings, plays, psalms, poems, symphonies, and everything else wonderful we can think of."
She states that "When home is ruled according to God's word, angels might be asked to stay with us, and they would not find themselves out of their element." WOW!!
Charlotte urges us to "Give children a regular feeding of ideas through sweeping tales of history, wonderful inventions and discoveries in science, lives of great men and women, stories that radiate the moral life as well as paintings, plays, psalms, poems, symphonies, and everything else wonderful we can think of."
May 11, 2022
Love a lot about Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education, especially for young children, but this book is a rambling, oftentimes self-righteous mess. I love Mason’s emphasis on “living” books, nature study and journaling, narration, and gentle homeschooling through books and nature. However, chapters 34-49 (literally the last 100 pages) do not need to be read unless you’ve never had a picnic or witnessed children play in a sandbox 🙄 and you really just gotta skim/power read to chapter 13 to actually understand what living books and narration entails, but I wouldn’t say it was a waste reading the first 12 chapters.
June 17, 2023
TBH I did not finish this book and probably never shall. If you want to dive into the Charlotte Mason method for homeschooling, read For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay or, better yet, Charlotte Mason’s own volumes on education. I don’t know what I excepted since the subtitle is, “personal reflections on the gentle art of learning,” but it was too much Karen Andreola’s commentary. And Karen Andreola kind of annoyed me. She just seemed like she was trying to be Victorian and write like a Victorian or something. I guess I had just seen it recommended and rated highly by fans of Charlotte Mason so I expected to like it more, but I did not!
October 15, 2023
I admittedly ended up skimming quite a few of the chapters, especially over the second half of the book. Maybe this would have been better for me to read early in the days of our CM journey, or maybe it's simply that Karen Andreola's writing style just doesn't connect for me. I honestly suspect it's the latter, as I've been known to pick For the Children's Sake back up for a reread every so often. Like Sally Clarkson, her style just isn't my cup of tea, but I'm sure I can find a good home for my copy of this book where it will be better enjoyed and perhaps help open someone else's eyes to the joy of a CM education. 😊
December 30, 2017
This is a Gem! This is going on my physical bookshelf so that in my moments of wavering vision or stuck in education rut phases, I can return to it for all the warm encouragment and sage advice this books delivers. Karen has a wonderful way of compiling the diamonds that Charlotte Mason left behind. When reading, its hard to decide whether you need to sit and stew over the depth that you're consuming or run straight away and impliment every beautiful nugget. If you're on the threshhold in education, this will change some things for you for sure.
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