There is a kind of formation that happens when we give ourselves to daily reading—not to consume information, but to be shaped. Reading Scholé Everyday and For the Children’s Sake slowly over the last few weeks has begun to recalibrate me as both a mother and a teacher. These books have slowed me down, sharpened my sense of responsibility, and reminded me that education—like discipleship—is formed through attention, habit, and love over time.
What struck me most as I read was that Charlotte Mason never speaks of education as something we apply to children. She speaks of it as something we enter. Long before she asks us to consider lessons or methods, she asks us to consider atmosphere, habit, and the formation of the person standing before us. In that sense, my reading has felt less like professional development and more like quiet re-education.
From the Press: Giotto di Bondone and Geoffrey Chaucer
This picture study was a pleasure to write as it allowed me to focus on a pivotal shift in medieval art—when sacred images began to show weight, space, and human emotion. Giotto’s work marks an important movement away from purely symbolic representation toward a more embodied and narrative approach to religious art.
The Giotto picture study introduces students to his major works and artistic legacy, helping them see how form, gesture, and composition were used to communicate theological truth.
Like all Echoes of Beauty picture studies, this guide includes 11 weekly lessons designed to encourage careful observation and thoughtful discussion. It pairs well with Nocturne, the Middle Ages volume of The Symphony of History (especially Term 1), but can also be used as a standalone picture study.
And today I’m releasing Geoffrey Chaucer Poetry Study!
I enjoyed preparing this poetry study, as it offered a clear window into medieval life through Chaucer’s language, humor, and storytelling. His work helps students encounter the social structure, values, and everyday concerns of the Middle Ages through verse.
The Chaucer poetry study introduces students to selected passages from The Canterbury Tales, providing historical and literary context while gently supporting engagement with Middle English.
This guide also includes 11 weekly lessons with curated selections and guiding thoughts. It pairs naturally with Nocturne (particularly Term 2) but may also be used as a standalone poetry study for upper elementary and middle school students.
Use code CHAUCER10 for 10% of Geoffrey Chaucer through Sunday 2/8!
Charlotte’s corner
In my past newsletters I have shared snippets of a Charlotte Mason education, focusing on her philosophy —> structure —> formation (you can read those here). This month we highlight how this is done–habit. Habit is the architecture behind a Charlotte Mason education; it is the backbone of a discipleship education. Habit is formation. She writes that education is “the science of relations,” but habits are the very pathways that allow those relations to take root. One of my favorite Charlotte Mason quotes encourages us: What you would have the man become, that you must train the child to be. This echoes the very heart of our call to parenthood, “train up a child in the way he should go.” (Prov 22:6) It is not behaviour management, it is training; forming paths the soul can walk without strain.
Habits, in a Charlotte Mason education, are formed deliberately, laid early, and maintained consistently. Habits then become a groove for the soul–formation.
This is where Miss Mason’s genius really shines: habit formation strengthens the will, allowing it to attend to daily tasks, freeing the mind to higher work, such as moral reasoning and relationship with knowledge.
Under the Laurel Tree: What we’ve been enjoying
I recently shared on Instagram how I sometimes struggle with how to implement nature study and make the most of our nature walks. I put together these simple nature walk prompts and my boys were much more engaged on our walk. I simply cut them out and let them choose which focus they wanted, then handed them the slip of paper so they could reference it on our walk. When we returned home we took ten minutes to add what we noticed on our walk to our nature notebooks. This nature walk prompt has 4 specifically for winter and 4 for budding spring. I hope it can be helpful for you as well!
I recently started this Bible study method and I am really enjoying it! I will be sharing more on it next week on my Instagram but suffice to say it is so encouraging to see the coherency of Scripture.
We’ve been reading this as a family book club (different than a read aloud). We served treats and had a fun discussion on the “hero’s journey.” If you’re looking for an adventure read with The Hobbit feels, read this one!
Beauty to Behold
A Pyrrhic Dance by Lawrence Alma-Tadema
This painting was one of our recent picture studies from Lawrence Alma-Tadema picture study and one thing that struck me as beautiful was the way in which this dovetailed with our study of the ancient world–immediately my oldest son recognized the Doric column and shared some interesting facts about the purpose and structure of these practical columns. My other boys were fascinated by the artist’s ability to make it appear as if a fierce battle (very fitting for the ancient world) is about to happen and yet the audience, and their almost bored expressions, belies that this is not, in fact, a battle. It is a cultural dance and once you realize that the whole scene changes. I also see so much beauty in Alma-Tadema’s ability to capture the very texture of marble and stone.
Mother’s Encouragement,
“We seek to do things rightly, which is truth; to do things well, which is beauty; and to do them with praise and thanksgiving, which is goodness.” from Scholé Everyday
May this be our aim and our heart as we do the faithful and quiet work at home
For the feast and the forming of hearts,
~Tiffany
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