In a Charlotte Mason inspired homeschool we include our home as one of the teachers.
Charlotte Mason said, Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.”
She highlighted the importance of the home atmosphere, not just what the home looked like, but also the atmosphere created by your interactions.
So as you are organizing your own Charlotte Mason Homeschool space, here are a few things to consider:
1. Decide What to Include
A Charlotte Mason Homeschool should have art displayed (The Peaceful Press elementary resources include beautiful art prints), a plant or pet to care for, and access to books and handcrafting tools. We offered easy access to watercolor paints, nature guides, magnifying glass, binoculars, math manipulatives, and other objects that enhanced our learning. You can find some of our favorite homeschool supplies in our Amazon storefront.
2. Declutter to Minimize Distractions
Remove unnecessary items from the space to make room for learning tools. While you are in the homeschool years, you might keep distracting toys in another space and highlight beautiful books, maps, bird posters, plants, and other items that support your educational endeavors. We homeschooled for many years in our dining room. We kept school supplies in a nearby coat closet and rotated our art, timeline cards, and maps on our magnetic chalkboard. Minimize distractions by keeping only what fosters your family values.
3. Create a Cozy Learning Space
We spent morning time in our living room with a basket of my resource books set beside my comfy chair. My children would sit on the couch or at the table, working on Peaceful Press copywork while I read aloud. Some families do morning time while their children are eating breakfast at the dining room table. Choose which will be best for your family, and then assemble your daily materials in a basket or cart.
4. Assemble a Morning Basket
In my morning basket was my Peaceful Press parent guide, Peaceful Press morning menus, which included our art, Bible verses, and poetry, our read-aloud, history books, science books, and my Bible. I also included other memory work such as math flashcards, Native American, Saints, or Kings and Queens of England cards, and anything else we were currently studying.
5. Utilize Creative Storage Solutions
I didn't want to confuse and distract my children by having too many tools visible, so we kept math manipulatives, handcraft supplies, and a microscope in a nearby closet, and had a small caddy on a nearby sideboard with daily use items such as nature guides, watercolor paints, and pencils. Over our years of homeschooling we amassed a huge library of books, but in the last several years we just kept a single bookshelf with the featured choices for that school year and the remaining books were kept in a separate space.
We also kept toys, handcrafts, and tools in labeled bins or baskets to eliminate searching and helps us be prepared for each project.
6. Include Cozy Furniture and Living Books
We utilized a table and chairs for daily seatwork and had a comfy couch for reading together. We had numerous bookshelves and most often organized the books by subject. We included art books, poetry, science and nature books, maps, biographies, and more. You can download a master list of the books we use in the Peaceful Preschool curriculum here.
7. Implement Daily Rhythms
Establish a consistent schedule for homeschooling activities to create structure and routine. Include breaks, snacks, and physical activity to keep students engaged and focused throughout the day. Teach your children how to put away supplies when they are done with a project, and include practical life skills such as wiping down the school table, organizing and sharpening pencils, preparing a snack, and other life skills in your daily routine.
Each of our Peaceful Press homeschool guides include practical life skills or you can grab our Chore and Routine pack for more guidance.
8. Incorporate Nature
Position the homeschool area near a window to maximize natural light and calming nature views. Add indoor plants to purify the air and offer the joy of caring for a living thing. If possible, add an indoor pet or small animal as part of your living science.
"Every child should have three things every day: something to think about, something to do, and something to love."
Charlotte Mason
These tips can create a well-organized and inspiring Charlotte Mason homeschool space that promotes learning, creativity, and productivity.