Customer Reviews

Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Elizabeth Foss has written a lovely book which presents the best of Charlotte Mason's wisdom in an easy to read and very doable format. CM's six volume series is a daunting read, so Elizabeth's book is a must have for the busy CM homeschooler! I felt as if I were in Elizabeth's living room, having tea and gaining wisdom from someone who has had much experience in implementing the "atmosphere of learning" so important to Charlotte Mason. The reader will find nuts and bolts how-to's sprinkled throughout this beautiful book. The complete table of contents allows the reader to skip directly to any area in which one needs help quickly. There are detailed resource lists provided as well. Puzzled about how to effortlessly blend science, art, music and religion into your lifestyle of learning? Find out how in this book!

Most impressive is the huge book list at the end of the book. Every book on the list represents "Real Learning" versus what Charlotte Mason referred to as "Twaddle." Tried and true, the author, Elizabeth Foss, clearly has a handle on home education and I don't think a person out there whether homeschooling or not could read this book without being inspired with new ideas and ambitions for their children.

This book has been a gift for me as well as for my children. Now that I've had a chance to implement some of the things I've learned, I can't imagine homeschooling without "Real Learning."

Public schooling is not an option for me. This book deepened my conviction on this and even further solidified my desire to homeschool my children. Her book is able to articulate exactly WHY I want to homeschool... something I sometimes struggled to pinpoint.

She gives descriptions of "twaddle" and writes such lovely suggestions on how to order your homeschooling day that anyone who reads this will be completely pumped about it. If you are on the fence about homeschooling, this book is for you. It makes learning at home, real, attainable and desirable. It gives me hope that my kids are going to be just fine in this crazy, sensory overloaded world...

I was so inspired by this book. I think it is a must have on the bookshelves of every parent contemplating homeschooling. I have been on the fence about boxed curricula vs Charlotte Mason style and this gave me the much needed confidence to branch out on my own. I'm glad she makes the analogy of minds being considered cups to fill up according the current way we educate children. I don't want to fill up my child's mind w/'twaddle' as much as expand it to love learning long after the days they sleep under our roof. I want learning to be a way of life not an event that happens. I love this book and can't recommend it enough.

This mom of six children has tried numerous different approaches to homeschooling, and found a relaxed approach that focuses on the development of the whole child, not just his mind. In spite of this, the results are excellent in terms of education alone. She has many helpful and practical ideas, not just about lessons, but about ordering family life to encourage peaceful learning. I am going to give several copies to friends of mine who are about to start homeschooling, and make copies of her reading lists in the back.

This was one of the most refreshing reads I've experienced in a long time. This book inspired me to take my children on same nature walks and just to enjoy being with them. Treat yourself and your family by reading this book. The booklist in the back (as well as the chapter on preventing burnout) is worth the price of the book. Check out from the library first, but I guarantee you'll want to have it on the bookshelf!

Great ideas for the Charlotte Mason homeschooling family. More importantly...great ideas for meshing Mason's method and Catholic ideals. Wish this had been one of the first homeschooling books I read before starting homeschooling.

I totally enjoyed this book. As a homeschooling mother with five young children, I found this book uplifting and empowering. After reading it, I felt relieved to know that "Real learning" can and does take place in the home - even our home which is sometimes a bit chaotic!
This is a book I will refer to again and again.
Elizabeth Foss not only privides workable ideas for education in the home but words of wisdom from other mothers.

Indispensable for the home educating family regardless of the method you currently use in your home.

This books puts into words everything I want for my children through homeschooling. I will never be able to exhaust the riches of this book. If you're thinking about homeschooling or are looking for some new ideas, you must read this book!