Category Archives: Language Arts

Spelling with Charlotte Mason’s Dictation Method

Posted on February 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Guest Post by Sheila Carroll

Are you a cracker-jack speller? Or, does the subject of spelling produce a groan? Most people struggle with spelling.  Likely it is because they were not taught to picture the word before spelling it.

Charlotte Mason, an English educational reformer, had one of the best ideas I have come across of teaching children to spell by seeing the words before they spell them.  Ms. Mason felt that the secret of spelling lay in the habit of visualizing words from memory.   Continue reading →

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Posted in Language Arts, Sheila Carroll, Spelling

Copywork Jumpstarts Your Child’s Spelling

Posted on February 15, 2012 | 1 Comment

by Sheila Carrol

Homeschool families know the value of good penmanship and many introduce copywork as an aid to good writing. But, did you know that copywork can also help your child be an outstanding speller?

What is Copywork?

Copywork is copying out by hand from a written source. The value of copywork is to instill the mechanics of great writing. Children learn proper grammar, spelling and Continue reading →

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Posted in Application, Language Arts, Sheila Carroll, Spelling

Simple Language Arts Ideas

Posted on November 18, 2009 | Leave a comment

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by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Narration is the process of telling back what has been learned or read. Narrations are usually done orally, but as the child grows older (around age 12) and his writing skills increase, the narrations can be written as well. Narration can also be accomplished creatively: painting, drawing, sculpting, play-acting, etc. Continue reading →

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Posted in Application, Deborah Taylor-Hough, Language Arts

What is a Living Book?

Posted on February 1, 2008 | Leave a comment

by Sheila Carroll

What is a living book? Charlotte Mason said a living book is one that is “well put” and “well told” (Parents and Children, p. 263).

In other words, in a living book:

  1. The language used powerfully and beautifully expresses the ideas of its author
  2. The narrative — whether fiction or non-fiction — holds together in a compelling and memorable way.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Application, Books, Language Arts, Literature, living books, Sheila Carroll

Defining Twaddle

Posted on May 30, 2007 | 7 Comments

by Catherine Levison

Because Charlotte Mason strongly recommended the avoidance of twaddle, parents are often concerned about what it is and how they can successfully avoid it in the context of education. Continue reading →

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Posted in Catherine Levison, Language Arts, Literature, Twaddle