Simply Charlotte Mason

Simply Charlotte Mason guides families through a six-year history cycle where multiple ages study together using living books rather than dry textbooks, making it ideal for parents who want to combine grades while following Charlotte Mason's philosophy without creating their own lesson plans from scratch. The curriculum divides into History Studies (Bible, world history, and geography combined), Enrichment Studies (literature, poetry, handicrafts, and foreign language), and Individual Student Lessons for subjects like math and language arts that need one-on-one teaching. This Christian-worldview approach requires gathering numerous library books and free downloads, with daily lesson plans guiding you through which passages to read and discuss. Most lessons involve 20-30 minute read-alouds followed by narration, where children retell what they learned in their own words, keeping parent prep time minimal since the guides tell you exactly what to read each day. The family-together approach means you'll spend most of your morning reading aloud to all your children simultaneously for subjects like history and Bible while they work independently on math and writing. The curriculum requires purchasing or borrowing many living books throughout the year, and families teaching multiple grades appreciate cycling through the same six-year history sequence together rather than managing different time periods. Parents value the detailed daily plans that eliminate decision fatigue, though some find the six-year cycle moves slowly through history and the required book lists can feel overwhelming to gather. The curriculum emphasizes learning for love of learning rather than grades or tests, which appeals to Charlotte Mason purists but may concern parents wanting more assessment. Consider whether your family prefers structured, book-heavy days and has library access or budget for numerous titles, as the reading-intensive approach differs from more hands-on or open-ended Charlotte Mason implementations like Ambleside Online.