Real Living Life Blog
Living Geography Off to Rainbow
Here goes more Living Geography curriculum to Rainbow Resource Center in Illinois! You can purchase Living Geography and many other great books at Rainbow, or here at Real Living Life. Cathy Duffy Homeschool Review says:”The Living Geography Curriculum set is a huge improvement over trying to use Charlotte Mason’s original work, and even more so…
Do the Next Thing
A friend put this poem on a group chat. It may be written by Elizabeth Elliot, but I am not entirely sure. BUT, I DO know someone who said something very similar… Do the Next Thing. From an old English parsonage down by the seaThere came in the twilight a message to me;Its quaint Saxon…
Stone Fox Book Review
Stone Fox by JR Gardiner age 9 Little Willy lives on a potato farm. Little Willy’s grandfather would wake him up every morning very early. But one morning he didn’t wake him up. So he investigated. And he found his grandfather wanted to die. Then he didn’t know what to do. He called the…
How to Do History
PHILOSOPHY. History, is one of the most important subjects in a Living Education to focus on. Charlotte ranks Bible lessons as paramount, with history coming in next. It pairs with Literature, Bible, Geography, and to a degree Science, Math, Art, and Music. This is why Charlotte Mason said it was the pivot on which her…
Keep it Simple. Avoiding Too Much of a Good Thing.
In a Charlotte Mason Education you as the table-setter can begin your journey with the simple idea of bringing a natural meal to your children. It sounds beautiful and natural- and it is. But sometimes with the myriad of posts, blogs, information, instagram, web sites, chatter, chatter, “I do this, you should too”… well it…
A Side Benefit of Narration- Public Speaking
I often wondered if my children would be able to speak in public since we were in a home learning setting and didn’t have opportunity for speaking to an audience. I didn’t enroll them in a coop or other setting to practice public speaking. Actually, I did, but we only made it a couple weeks-…
Keep it Simple—Reading Lessons
Learning to read can be done simply. It takes two things: time and patience. You don’t need fancy programs. Just good ‘ol persistence. Keep a mindset of consistent practice over a long period of time. Some children take off quickly and some need more time, and that is perfectly normal. Keep it light, engaging, and…
Keep it Simple—History
Don’t over complicate history. You don’t need comprehension questions, tedious, purposeless memorization, or quizzes. Like the post I did on narration and many other CM subjects, I want you to see that history doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. Keep it simple- because… it is.——♦♦——Find a Living Book.Read. Done.
Coming Soon my Calendar of Firsts for you!
It’s done- back from the printer. It turned out so beautifully! Just how I wanted it. It is what I used for my kids- just with a nice cover and much better binding than the rings I used to hold my home-made journals together with. It will soon be available for purchase, just in time…
Book Review: Soul Care
Soul Care by Rob Reimer Tired Moms Book Rating: 5 pager This book is a life changer. It is a must read for every Christian. I will definitely read this book more than once. That is probably short enough and to the point, but…here is some more explanation. Lately I’ve read many books on Christian living,…
Participating in Memorial Day
I used to spend Memorial Day at home doing projects, cleaning, gardening, yard work, or sometimes, we’d go on a weekend vacation or over to extended family. Memorial Day was… a holiday.About 6-7 years ago, I changed direction. We go to a memorial service at a local cemetery. What brought about my change in direction?…
Book Review: Strange New World
Strange New World Book ReviewA age 17 Strange New World by Carl Truman seeks to point out how people’s thinking has changed. Now days we often run into pride related topics whether it’s in school or anywhere else. Strange New World explains why this is and tells us that even though this might seem like…
To Say it Out Loud or Not
To say it Out Loud or Not. Occasionally as you are reading a book aloud to your child, or in a poetry selection if the book was published a few years back, you’ll come across words that have evolved in meaning over time. For example pussy, gay, and ass are words that in the past…
Modern Art’s New Clothes
About 12 years ago as I sat planning picture study lessons, I evaluated where we were and what we had done. We had studied some of the older classic painters as we travelled along the line of history—Giotto, Van Eyck, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Bouguereau, Millet, Degas, Constable, Stuart, Copley, David, Homer… This time period is a…
Book Review: Jayber Crow
Jayber Crow by Wendell BerryBook review by A. age 17 Jayber Crow is a book about the life of a boy that grew up in a small town near a river. It tells many stories about the town and the people that lived there. Some of the stories in the book are very touching. Although…
First Reading Lessons coming this fall -UPDATE They’re Here! REAL Update
This is the third go around for this post. The first post was that First Reading Lessons were coming. That post has some quotes and such below – that’s the original article. Then I added an Update this summer just in the title – that the lessons are here. Now I’m adding the behind the…
Used Curriculum Shop- End of 2023 Sale!
Used Curriculum Shop- End of 2023 SaleSTARTS TOMORROW!!!!! (Saturday Dec 16) The Used Curriculum Shop is overflowing with lots of curriculum. Thank you to those who have donated!There are new Sonlight Teachers manuals, Memoria Press guides, Saxon, MUSee, BJU Reading, grammar and history, Abeka, Classical Conversations guides…Pictures below. There is A LOT more than is…
Nature Journals For the Long Haul
Often the words charming, delightful, reverent, joyful, peaceful, even sacred accompany descriptions of Nature Journaling in a Charlotte Mason Education. Bright walks, invigorating fresh air, beauty for every eye with subject matter abounding, is bound to make for refreshment and mind feeding. Take, for example, this quote from Charlotte Mason, “As soon as he is…
Subject List for Early Elementary/Form 1a
This is taken pretty directly from CM, I added Service Projects and Handiwork (chores). The items with * are things that we do during Together Time (the whole family). Form 1a= age 7-9 / grade 2-3 Bible *-Old Testament-New Testament Literature-imagination stories like fables, fairy tales, and legends-poetry (read)* History-own country-charts of the lives of…
CM Craftsmanship
Using a Living Charlotte Mason Education is a craft. To implement it, we approach learning in our homes as a craftsman would approach his medium. I’m using the definition of the word craft as in making something, forming something – not the other definitions as crafty being deceitful or a craft as in a…