Charlotte Mason with Leah Boden
Leah is a long-time student and practitioner of the Charlotte Mason method of education and is passionate about helping parents find their freedom within the philosophy. Leah and her husband Dave have 4 homeschooled children. She writes, speaks and podcasts using the Charlotte Mason philosophy as a springboard into her lessons on childhood, motherhood and education. Leah delights in coaching and leading others in this refreshing way of life. She is a speaker and writer for the international Wild + Free homeschooling community and creator of Modern Miss Mason.
In This Episode
I invited Leah to join me on this episode because I knew she would be a wonderful person to talk about the method and philosophy of Charlotte Mason. After 14 years Leah still carries the passion and enthusiasm that she had from the beginning.
In this episode we discussed;
- Charlotte Mason- The prolific writer, educator and her vision and impact.
- Strategically planning the year- How Leah does this and what she has learned over the years.
- Creating rhythms of rest and pause.
- What their day looks like-morning rhythms and atmosphere
- The foundations of the Charlotte Mason philosophy-
- 1. Children are born persons. They are born whole. Our role as parents is to support this.
- 2. Education is the science of relations. Relationships are what matter. How we view children, how we view education and how all of that comes together is the foundation of the philosophy.
- The power and joy of using “Living Books”
- Finding your freedom within the philosophy
- Charlotte Mason and religion- can all backgrounds and beliefs follow the method?
- Is there a lack of cultural diversity in the method?
- The secret to longevity in homeschooling
Homeschooling in the UK
At the end of the episode I asked Leah to talk a little about life and requirements for homeschoolers in the UK. I have listeners from all over the world, including the UK and some are exploring homeschooling for the first time. Is there freedom or is it regulated? What if your child wants to attend college or university in the UK?
Even though Leah and I practice different philosophies, our belief in children and learning remains the same; trust, joy in learning and relationships. We both agree that we are learning alongside our kids and our role as home educators is in supporting the beauty and passion of childhood.
Charlotte Mason Resources
Charlotte Mason Philosophy- Modern Miss Mason
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/leahvboden/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/modernmissmason/
Charlotte Mason Home Education Series
Living Books Referenced
RJ Unstead- History of the English Speaking World
Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare For Children– E. Nesbit
Charles and Mary Lamb- Tales From Shakespeare
If you want to learn more about different home educating styles check out these interviews on Classical Education- http://imhomeschooling.com/homeschooling-styles-classical-education/
Unschooling- http://imhomeschooling.com/hihtk-005-exploring-unschooling/
