 So I’ll be honest, when I first heard “Charlotte Mason,” I thought it was a Pinterest aesthetic. You know—lace curtains, watercolor quotes, fresh-pressed nature journals, maybe a goat in the backyard nibbling on a vintage tea towel. And look—I like pretty things. I really do. But I also live in the real world, where breakfast is often just pop-tarts and the toddler is doing somersaults on the couch while I try to remember which child I was supposed to be reading to. So who was Charlotte Mason, anyway? Okay. Tiny history detour (I promise I’ll keep it short because I know someone’s already climbing on the kitchen counter right now). Charlotte Mason was a christian British educator in the late 1800s and early 1900s who believed kids are whole people—not just little buckets to dump information into. She spent her life developing an approach to education that was centered on habits, character, nature, and “living books.” She taught that kids learn best when they’re given rich ideas to chew on—not just facts to memorize. And also? She didn’t believe in cramming in 7 hours of school a day. Bless. Her. So what is Charlotte Mason homeschooling, exactly? At its core, Charlotte Mason homeschooling is about feasting on beautiful ideas through books, nature, art, and real-life conversations. It’s slow and intentional and sometimes a little wild (in a muddy-boots-and-frogs-in-pockets kind of way). Here’s the basic gist:
We’re not hardcore Charlotte Mason purists over here BUT I do believe her style of education has so much to pull from and we’ve borrowed a few things from her style. We love the nature walks that turn into bug hunts. Or reading a chapter of a really good story instead of doing ten pages of a workbook. I have Sam narrate back to me the stories we read but its not that serious. If you’re coming from public school—or you’re Type A (like so many moms I know)—Charlotte Mason might feel a little… too soft at first. Like, “What do you mean we’re just reading and going outside and talking about art?” But if you’re craving a slower, more connected kind of learning—it’s worth exploring. It’s not about perfection. Or adding more. Honestly, it gave me permission to do less—and still feel like we were actually learning. Deeply. And no, you don’t need to buy watercolor paints or go to the woods every day. You don’t need to churn your own butter or start pressing wildflowers between pages of Pride and Prejudice. Start small. Read a story. Step outside. Look at a flower. Wonder out loud. That’s it. That’s the vibe. And on the hard days (because oh yes, there will be hard days), just know this: You’re doing just fine. You’re loving your kids. You’re building something slow and sacred and lasting. You’ve got this. 💛 Lori To know God and to make Him know P.S Find all sorts of Charlotte Mason curriculums here! You can also find a direct link to her 20 points. Go check it out now! Also, are you still interested in homeschooling but really still don't know what it is. Go check out my eBook, it's all about how to start homeschooling. 
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 My love affair with classical education started many years ago, when I first started going to the Great Homeschool Convention. My absolute favorite session was when Martin Cothran from Memoria Press read a chapter from Anna Kerenina and 200 people discussed it in a classical way. I was enamored by the depth we were able to achieve in such a large group. I went home and read the 900 page book myself.
And it was AMAZING. So in full honesty, I have always known we would use the classical model in homeschool. No other method seemed like it would be the right fit. Ok, so the big question… What is classical education? Classical education is a method that teaches kids how to think by teaching and following three stages of learning: memorize (Grammar), understand (Logic), and express (Rhetoric). It’s all about building a strong foundation with facts, then helping kids connect ideas, and finally teaching them to communicate clearly—through great books, big questions, and meaningful conversations. These 3 stages together are called the Trivium. Which sounds vaguely medieval and a little intimidating. But once I actually looked into it, it made SO. MUCH. SENSE. It’s basically teaching kids how to think, not just what to think. And I love that. Ok so let's look at each of these 3 stages of the Trivium:
What does this actually look like in our house? Well… some days it looks like joining our Classical Conversations (CC) group once a week, coming home feeling inspired (and slightly overwhelmed), and then re-listening to the week's memory work in the car while everyone’s eating Veggie Straws. Other days, it’s just singing skip-counting songs while folding laundry. Or reading a library book about Ancient Rome, and then watching a random but surprisingly educational YouTube video about gladiators. It’s messy. It’s flexible. And honestly, it’s kind of beautiful. I won’t pretend I have it all together. I’ve definitely forgotten which week we’re on in our CC guide more times than I want to admit. Some weeks we do memory work in the car, other weeks I completely forget to print the maps. Some days it’s just math and a read-aloud and calling it good. Other days the kids ask big questions and we chase rabbit trails and somehow that feels more valuable than anything I planned. If you’re thinking about classical homeschooling and you feel like you have to have a Great Books list printed out, a Latin curriculum ordered, and a 10-year plan ready to go—I just want to say: you don’t. Start small. Try one thing. Play a song. Read a book. Watch a video. Let curiosity lead you. You don’t have to do all the things at once. Honestly, you shouldn’t. A few memory songs, some good stories, and a lot of grace? That’s classical homeschooling, too. And no—you don’t need to know Latin. Unless you want to. (In which case, I fully support your nerdiness and also need your help translating something from my CC guide.) You’re doing great. Keep going. With you in the mess + the magic, Lori To know God and to make Him known Want some ideas on Classical curriculums? Click here to see what we recommend!  Aka the question every single person asks when you say you homeschool. You know the one.
Okay. Let’s just go ahead and say it together: “But what about socialization?”😅 If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that, I could probably buy a year’s worth of printer ink and crunchy snacks. Maybe even a coffee I don’t have to reheat five times. Here’s the thing. I used to worry about that too. Like, deeply. When we were just starting out, I remember lying awake at night thinking, “What if my kids turn out weird?” (Spoiler: they really are already weird, but in the best kind of way.) So I mean, I get why people ask. It’s not a bad question, really. I mean, we’re used to seeing kids in big groups at school every day, and that feels like socialization. It’s loud, and it’s structured, and there’s recess and lunch tables and group projects and birthday cupcakes with the wrong kind of frosting. It’s what we ALL consider the norm. So pulling your kids out of that can feel…risky. But here’s what I’ve learned: Socialization doesn’t have to look like a classroom full of 28 kids born in the same calendar year. In fact, I’m kinda glad it doesn’t. Because if we are really, really honest about it, thats not actual true socialization. Socialization in homeschool is very different. And honestly? I love that about it. My kids hang out with toddlers and teens and grandparents and new babies and yes, other homeschoolers too. One of their favorite people they see is Rita from church. They make friends at co-op, church, sports, library programs, and in line at Jungle Jims when we’re all melting down and someone’s baby throws a snack cup. These kids and I have real conversations. We’re not just managing behavior for six hours a day—we’re living life together. And yeah, sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes I’m like, “Wow, we need to work on interrupting” or “Can you please not ask the neighbor if they believe in the Loch Ness Monster at 8 a.m.?” But I really believe this is the best type learning. They are literally watching me model life for them. Learning how to talk to people of all ages, how to listen, how to be bored and make up games, how to apologize when they mess up, how to be themselves without the pressure of fitting in or following some 3rd grade lunchroom hierarchy. And honestly? I’m learning too. I’m learning to stop comparing. I’m learning to trust that connection doesn’t have to be crowded. I’m learning that “socialization” might just mean raising kind, curious, slightly awkward humans who know how to hold a conversation and make the best out of a rained-out park day. So yeah. If you’re wondering if your homeschooled kid will be okay socially? I just wanna say: You’re not crazy for thinking about it. It’s okay to be unsure. But I promise, you’re not ruining them. They’ll find their people. You will too. And if not—come over. We’ll be your people. ❤️ Lori To know God and to make Him known  Today we're talking about… learning styles.
Let’s just go ahead and say it — figuring out how your kid learns can feel like a mystery wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a tantrum. One day they love worksheets. The next day they sob over a pencil like it betrayed them. The third their recall over a book they just read was the best you've ever heard! But then the following day they can't read. If you’ve been wondering: “Do I have a visual learner? Or auditory? Or maybe they just learn by osmosis while chewing on a crayon?” You’re not alone. We’ve been there. Honestly, we’re still there sometimes. 😅 But here’s what I’ve been learning the messy, slow way — your kid does have a natural way they take in information. And when you pay attention to it (instead of just doing what the book says)... things just click more. 👀 Visual Learners These are the kids who love pictures, charts, color-coded anything. They might:
What helps:
Curriculum Ideas: 👂 Auditory Learners These kiddos are all about sound. They remember what they heard, not what they read. They might:
What helps:
Curriculum ideas:
✋ Kinesthetic Learners These are the movers. The touchers. The kids who have to get their hands on something to figure it out. They might:
What helps:
Curriculum ideas So How Do You Figure Out What They Are? Here’s what worked for us: Just… watch them. Seriously. Don’t overthink it. Sit back and notice:
And spoiler: most kids are a mix. Mine? Totally auditory and kinesthetic. So we do lots of fidget toys and songs with hand movements and sometimes snacks. Because why not. You don’t have to put your kid in a box. You’re just figuring out what helps them connect with the material better. And that’s not cheating. That’s teaching. Final Thought:There’s no perfect style. No perfect curriculum. No perfect anything. Just a mama doing her best with the kids God gave her. So take a breath. Watch your child. Adjust as you go. You’re doing better than you think. —Lori 💛 To know God and to make Him known  Hey friend — Deschooling.
It sounds like some weird detox plan or something crunchy you'd see on Pinterest next to a sourdough starter... but no. It's real. And it’s kinda important. And this is one of those topics that you don't realize you have to talk about until things are happening and then you're left wishing you had talked about it with someone. So here we are... talking. So I'm going to take you on a thought experiment. Imagine this: You have finally decided to pull your children out of public school, and are PUMPED to just hop right into homeschooling. And you do it. Like... okay, you're grabbing curriculum, buying ALL the pretty notebooks, and doing the thing. Except — It's. A. Mess. You're stressed. Your kids are confused. Nobody is learning anything except how fast you can both cry before 9am. Like what is happening?? What's happening is you are still trying to do school like school. So what is deschooling? Okay, short version? Deschooling is the time you and your kid take to unlearn the “rules” of traditional school — before you dive into homeschooling. It’s a reset. A deep breath. A whole mindset shift. Instead of schedules and checklists and assignments and bells, you just… live life together. Read books. Play outside. Have conversations. Get bored. Be together. And I know. It feels weird. Like, "Shouldn’t we be DOING something?? Like actual school stuff??" Nope. You’re doing it. This part IS the work. Why most of us skip it (and why we shouldn’t) Honestly? We skip it because it feels lazy. Or wrong. Or like we’re falling behind. But deschooling isn’t about doing nothing — it’s about re-orienting everything. You're building trust. You're re-connecting. You're reminding your kid (and yourself) that learning doesn’t only happen at a desk with a worksheet. You're showing them that home is safe and that learning can be joyful. That you’re not trying to be the school they left — you’re building something better, together. So how do you actually do it? Well there’s no magic formula. (Sorry. I wish there was.) But here's some super helpful tips:
So back to that thought experiment. I bet it's a little more real than you care to admit. Take a breath. You don’t have to replicate what didn’t work. This is your time to rest, reconnect, and remember why you chose this path in the first place. Also remember your kid isn’t broken. You’re not failing. You’re both just healing. Because that’s really what deschooling is — a season of healing. One last thing... If you’re just getting started and your days feel weird and hard and a little too quiet or a little too chaotic — that’s okay. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just deschooling. And that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be. We’re in this together. -💛 Lori To Know God and to Make Him Known  Okay, real talk? I used to think a “real homeschool routine” meant color-coded blocks and laminated checklists and waking up at 6:00 AM with a smile. Spoiler: it doesn’t. And I don’t. 😅 I’ve tried to make quite a few versions of “the perfect daily homeschool schedule” and honestly… most of them lasted about a week. Two weeks if I was in a Pinterest mood. I'm not very good with sticking to a super strict schedule. The more detailed I've made them, the easier it seemed to fail. But I’ve learned a few things the hard way (is there any other way?) and I wanted to share what’s working for us right now. Because building a homeschool routine that actually works is less about structure and more about grace. 1. Start With Anchors, Not Hours I don’t plan by the clock. I plan more by the moments of the day. We eat breakfast — then we do our first subject. We clean up lunch and the youngest goes down for a nap — then it’s read-aloud time. Dinner’s in the oven — that’s when I finally do the dishes I've ignored all day. Routines built around natural parts of the day feel way easier to stick to. 2. Pick 3 Priorities (And Let the Rest Be Bonus) Some days we get math, reading, and CC memory work done. Some days it’s just math and a meltdown... If I’ve hit our 3 core things, I call it a win. I do also try to make sure Sam reads at least 1 book by himself at bedtime, before he goes to sleep. The extras? Art, music, baking, nature walks — they happen when they happen. And they’re lovely. But they’re not required for me to feel like “we did school.” And I feel like when you let these things happen more naturally, they tend to happen more often. 3. Make Room for Life Doctor’s appointments, toddler chaos, weird moods, cereal for dinner — they ALL count. Your homeschool routine isn’t meant to replace real life. It’s meant to fit inside it. One big thing I do, is I purposely do not make any plans for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This allows us to have more spontaneity for fun things in our routine. 4. Keep It Short and Sweet Little kids don’t need hours of seat work. And you know big kids don’t either, honestly. Short lessons, movement breaks, snacks, and grace. Lots of grace. You know when your kids need a break. Don't feel like you have to keep pushing them to finish something just because you have to. It really is ok if you’re still figuring it out how to plan your homeschool day (like I am every year, honestly), you’re not behind. You’re just building something real. Something sustainable. And something that leaves space for both learning and living. You’ve got this. ❤️ Lori To Know God and To Make Him Known Homeschooling, as we understand it, has been around since the 60’s. It started as a response to research from the time that showed children were not learning well and nor were truly prepared for the future. Guys, they were realizing the flaws of the government education system in the 60's! Our problems are not new...
There is culture shift happening. More and more parents, religious or not, are realizing that they are able to raise AND educate their own children. We have all grown up in the “age of experts” and are slowly starting to realize, that we are actually the experts of our own children. I'm sure the growth of homeschooling today would just blow the minds of those homeschoolers that came before us. It's an exciting time to start homeschooling! Lori To Know God and To Make Him Known My new eBook is available for purchase for JUST $5! It is a simple, how-to guide on how to get started homeschooling today. How To Start Homeschooling With the End in Mind will help you:
 In Indiana, July 1st marks the start of the NEW SCHOOL YEAR. I don't even know how time went so fast to get us here, but here we are. We will be starting school today. And while I am still working on what curriculum and rhythm looks like, we are getting started with a few things. One thing that will be different this year, is we will be walking a little bit in step with my sisters-in-law family. And we don't know exactly what that looks like yet. Also, she's new to homeschooling like me, so we're going to take advantage of learning things together. One thing we are doing together this year is co-op which is going to be so great! Moving along to the purpose of today's blog! Each week I will blog what is coming up in our week, both academically and activities. This is definitely an accountability thing. If I put it out into the internet, my follow though will be better, right? So, anyways, this year I have actually tried to map out a bit what our day looks like. One thing that has been so hard for me is getting into good routines here at home. It's hard for ME to stay on track. AND it's been hard for me to cut back on some of our tv habits. I will say, I've worked pretty hard on cutting out electronic devices, which I have been fairly successful at. Sams behavior has been all the better for it. Now we just need to adjust how much tv we're actually watching. Like this thing does not need to be on all day. Ok, this is what we have on deck for activities this week. It's going to be a pretty slow week: Monday- Start our new routine. Tuesday- Woods and Books creek play in the morning Wednesday- Regular homeschool day Thursday- Holiday! No school. Friday- Regular homeschool day Saturday- Regular homeschool day Sunday- Church For anything curriculum this week, we are focusing mostly on reading right. Sam is VERY VERY ready to read. So, my goal is to ramp up reading times. Later this week I will post what our daily schedule looks like and give an update on how well I'm following through. Eventually we will be adding in other subjects. Reading list: Proverbs- 1 chapter each morning at breakfast Winnie the Pooh- Finish at least 3 chapters Bob Books- Officially move past the first 5 books. Sam has struggled with remembering certain key words, such as the word and. It's been a month or so since we last read any of these books. So, I am hoping some of these reading word issues have resolved themselves. Bible memory: Deuteronomy. 6:5 Thats it for now friends! Have a lovely week! Lori To Know God and To Make Him Known This is not a post about how to make mom friends. Thats a tough one that I HAVE NOT figured out yet. But this is a post about getting plugged into community. Because that's a must. We are not meant to walk life alone, and fellowship with other likeminded people is a great cup filling thing for our lives.
You know, the whole socialization thing is a big myth in homeschooling. Honestly, even if you don't get plugged into any type of "community" you can still have highly socialized kids. Unless you are locking your children in the house, you children will be socialized. I do think we all need to reframe our mindsets of how we are interacting in the world. We can't think of socialization as just about peer-to-peer interaction. While this is important for some social skills, we really don't spend much time in life socializing with direct peers. Some of the people I enjoy talking to the most in life are the older ladies at my church. By definition, they would not be considered in my peer group. So think about where you go and spend the most time. Places like:
When we socialize while out and about, we teach our children to socialize everywhere they go. We are teaching them kindness, empathy, and how to be in the moment. We are teaching them to think outside of themselves and think about the others around them. Teaching our children to say hello to the shelf worker at the grocery store is teaching them in real time that person isn't just a bad stranger but a human who deserves a little kindness too. These are learning moments that simply have a much harder time happening in the public schools. Sidenote, not saying stranger danger isn't real. Just saying we shouldn't always be in stranger danger mode. We should be aware of our surroundings but not every stranger is someone we should be afraid of. Connecting with other homeschooling families Connection, connection, connection. There really is no one way to plug in as you start homeschooling. While none of things are required, I do highly recommend them: Co-op This is a way to learn with others. There are so many positives. Co-ops come in many shapes and sizes. Depending on the area you are in, you will have the ability to shop around for a co-op that fits your family's rhythm. Some things to know about c-ops:
Convention Got to a convention. This is a fantastic way to see a large assortment of curriculums and resources at one time. While convention is fantastic for this it is also overwhelming at the exact same time because there are so many options. My suggestion would be to attend convention with the goal of just learning and NOT purchasing anything. Chances are all those great convention sales will also be offered at other times of the year. Do not let fomo get the best of you. The thing with conventions is they offer chances to go to workshops that will teach you different aspects of homeschooling. Groups -Moms Clubs -Nature Clubs -Library Activities -Forest Schools -Start your own group Find community! Join a local co-op, nature group, moms club. There really are so many different options. We need connection, somehow, somewhere. Utilizing online forums and social media communities Social media is a mixed bag. While it is great for seeing what other moms are doing, it can be hard to withstand the peer pressure of it all. Social media can make us feel like we aren’t doing enough or doing the right things. Facebook groups can offer a lot of support. One great thing about FB groups is that you can find a group that is catered specifically to the way you want to homeschool. Want a classical education group? There’s 10 for that. Want one that is all about secular homeschool? There are groups for you. Want a group that helps find good Christian curriculums and resources? There are a lot of groups for your as well. Forums Here’s the plug for my group! Join me over at Journey2Homeschool community! This is your place to find like-minded parents trying to figure out homeschooling too. Forums are great because they are out of the social media space and tend to mimic real life more. There aren't a bunch of third-party rules we have to follow and stuff like that. We decide what kind of group we want. Support Groups HSLDA offers a page that lists the different support groups by state. This is a fantastic starting point for you to actually find local groups. Especially if you are NOT on Facebook. Click here to go straight to their page! Ok, that was a lot to absorb. Becoming a part of community is hard but important for us all! Until next time friends! Lori To Know God and To Make Him Known I think 20-30 years ago, this question was not on any parents' radar. What does worldview matter? The world did not seem so topsy-turvey and it felt like everyone was on the same page, more or less, about reality. It does not seem that way today. One of the things that has happened is the worldview of our society has shifted. What we thought was not important before actually was. What is a worldview? A worldview is a philosophy that guides and informs our decisions and judgements in life. Depending on who you ask, there are many worldviews. What are these different worldviews? Here is a very quick, overview of 5 of them: Naturalism- This is the view that there are only natural laws and forces. There is nothing supernatural. Pantheism- This is the view that the world and universe around us IS god. All of reality is god. It is all supernatural. Theism- This is the belief that the world exists because of one god being. You find the manifestation of the worldview in the different world religions. Each religion has its own set of rules and constructs on reality and who god is. (Biblical worldview falls in this category. I have placed little g's within the definitions due to my statements also encompassing the gods of other religions.) Post-Modernism- This view believes there are multiple truths, everyone can see reality their own way. We can create reality into what we want it to be because each of us holds our own truth. The only absolute truth is that there are no absolute truths. (This is the worldview that runs rampant through our society today. There are statistics coming out showing it affects everyone, even Christians who proclaim to hold a biblical worldview.) Modernism- This one could be called humanism. It sees the world in a scientific, empirical way. The truth of reality can only be seen in the physical world around us, in humans themselves, in the data that we create. (This is the worldview that got us to post-modernism.) Incorporating worldview education into curriculum Worldviews are going to be built into the curriculum that you are using. This is why children are coming out of the public-school systems with a post-modern worldview. They are being taught there isn’t just one truth, we all hold our truth. As you look into the different companies, check out the belief statements of the companies. They will tell you what they believe in, where they stand, and what they hope the student will believe by the end of schooling. On my website, as you are searching through the different curriculums, I have labeled which curriculums are secular to help make some parents searching a little easier. Nurturing critical thinking and open-mindedness Now one thing that is very important, we can’t teach kids in a bubble. They must know what the different beliefs are so that they can make informed choices as adults and converse with others who think differently than them well. It is simply not enough to tell children that others just think different than us and that's ok. Thats post-modern thought. While picking a well-rounded curriculum is important (one that teaches an appropriate worldview) remember it is just a tool. It is also up to us parents to ensure our children are thinking through tough subjects and thoughts critically and well. Lead by example, allow them to observe and engage them in hard conversations that give them a chance to think critically and apply their developing worldview. If you found any of this helpful, let me know! Lori To Know God and To Make Him Known |
AuthorLori Lacey is the owner and creator of Journey2Homeschool. Archives
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