Product Description

A thorough chapter-by-chapter overview of the inspiring teaching principles of Christian educator Charlotte Mason, this book reveals the practical day by day method of how to teach "the Charlotte Mason way". The author offers friendly advice, and humor, along with the joys and struggles of real homeschool life. The book covers education, parenting, homeschooling and lots of encouraging advice for mothers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26166 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews

Well -Written Introduction to the Charlotte Mason Philosophy
This is a beautifully written and thorough introduction to the Charlotte Mason philosophy. What makes Karen Andreola's book so magnificent is that she not only tells you what to do and how to do it, she tells you WHY!!! That made all the difference to me. She also demonstrates a very strong command of the English language, writing with spectacular elegance and ease.

Andreola has also taken a very personal approach in this book. You feel as if you are taking tea with a trusted friend as she reveals her personal testimonies, and narratives. I thought this was a crucial underlying strength in this work, because I found Charlotte Mason's philosophies to be complicated and arcane at first glance; whereas reading this book quiets your spirit and makes this an enjoyable journey. I also found tactful admonition for the preconceived notions I conjured up about Charlotte Mason and her so-called "gentle learning" approach. Take my advice, don't believe everything you hear on a chat board. Peruse this marvelous overview to get the facts, and then make up your mind as to whether this makes sense for your home school.

Immensely enjoyable and valuable guide. Karen Andreola truly is the perfect Charlotte Mason "Companion"!

5 Stars.

Wonderful reading---inspiring and practical!
As a homeschooling family living on a single income, I'm very careful about what I buy---I can honestly say that this book of Karen Andreola's is by far the best money I've spent on homeschooling in years! When the book first arrived in the mail, I was thrilled with just the look and feel of it. But once I started reading, I thought I'd never stop! It was liking finding a cool, soothing drink of water in the middle of a parched and arid land.... I had to force myself to slow down so I could savor it and truly enjoy the book. Each chapter details another aspect of home life and educational ideas. Whether you're looking for practical ideas for teaching your children fine arts, or wondering about seasonal craft and nature activities for younger children, you'll find those treasures in this book. I was inspired to start studying Shakespeare with my eleven-year-old daughter after reading this book. My daughter loved our field trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and I don't think I ever would've thought of introducing my children to The Bard at such a young age. We're also listening to classical music more frequently, and I was so excited when my daughter told me one day, "Listen, Mom! It's Vivaldi's Four Seasons---it's the Autumn section... my favorite!" Wow... I don't think I had even heard of Vivaldi when I was eleven. A Charlotte Mason Companion is truly an inspiring book for the seasoned and experienced homeschooler or the new home educator trying to grasp an overview of what education should be.

not just information but thoughtful and profound essays
After reading some of this authors' magazine columns, I read this book as my introduction to the Charlotte Mason method of home education. Overall the tone of the book is very serious. This is not a fast read by any means. It is not difficult to understand but I found that I was savoring the words and reading it slowly. Some of Andreola's statements were so profound that they made me stop to ponder the ideas. At the end of each chapter is a listing of questions for further thought or discussion. These would be great to use for group discussion such as at a homeschooling support group meeting.

Andreola is very interested in the Charlotte Mason method and her passion for the method comes through clearly. She is very thorough in her discussions about ways to put into practice Ms. Mason's theories. One of my favorite things about this book is that first and foremost it focuses on the importance of a happy and healthy home and family life for raising children. The backbone here is teaching the children respect, values, and virtues. Once those foundations are in place then it is time for introducing "school subjects".

All the components of the over 100-year-old Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling is here: using living books instead of textbooks, using narration instead of testing, teaching reading, writing, music, nature study, poetry, history and music. This book is so well written. It is not a quick read manual of how to implement the Charlotte Mason method; it is a well-thought out series of essays and personal reflections. Many times while reading the book I wanted to highlight passages and makes notes in the borders. This is a book to buy and keep for future reference. Even if you are homeschooling with Charlotte Mason's method as an inspiration this book is useful. The book heavily refers to Christianity but if that is not your belief system I feel you can still apply everything to your homeschooling, just ignore the references to Christianity.

Andreola repeatedly states that she didn't intend this book to be a replacement of Charlotte Mason's original books and she urges the reader to go on to read Mason's books as well. I think Andreola's book is a great introduction and if you want more then go on to read Mason's works.

Addendum: This addendum is being written 18 months after my original review was posted. Even after reading this book I felt a little confused about the day to day planning of how to homeschool with this method. This missing link was bridged by attending a workshop given by another author/homeschooling parent named Catherine Levison, which was an oral presentation of the information presented her book called "More Charlotte Mason Education". If you want a quick read that focuses on the bare bones of how to do the Charlotte Mason method (not theory) then I suggest reading "More Charlotte Mason Education".

If you are looking for a faster read about the theory of Charlotte Mason education then I'd recommend either Catherine Levison's "A Charlotte Mason Education" or Susan Schaeffer Macaulay's "For the Children's Sake". Andreola's book "A Charlotte Mason Companion" is wonderful reading when you have the time and desire to ponder over her thought-provoking passages.

I am now in a book discussion group where we are reading Andreola's "A Charlotte Mason Companion" together and discussing it. We read the sections aloud and stop to discuss our thoughts, and when the chapter is finished, we discuss the questions that Andreola provides at the end of every chapter. This discussion group has been enjoyable and an invaluable source of support and fellowship between other mothers homeschooling using the Charlotte Mason method.