The New Mason Jar with Cindy Rollins explores the application of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy to the atmosphere, discipline, and life of our homes and schools. We cover Charlotte’s timeless principles as they work themselves out in our real and modern lives. Interviewing seasoned moms who have cherished Charlotte’s works while raising real children in real families, we endeavor to lay a foundation of hope and possibility for our listeners. However imperfectly.
S7E95: Karen Glass on “Much May Be Done with Sparrows”
Today on The New Mason Jar podcast, Cindy and Dawn talk with Karen Glass, veteran homeschool mom, member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory, and author of a number of excellent Charlotte Mason education books Why is Karen’s new book, Much May Be Done with Sparrows, different from the other works that she has written? Who is this book for, and how did it come to be? What is a “chap book”? How the essay titles, quotes from Charlotte Mason’s works, and Karen’s own thoughts interact in this work Please visit https://thenewmasonjar.com/095/ to view all the show notes for this episode including links to all the resources mentioned.
10/24/2024 • 48 minutes, 50 seconds
S7E94: Fall Nature Study with Jeannette Tulis
On The New Mason Jar this week, Cindy sits down for another conversation about nature study with Jeannette Tulis, this time focusing on autumn What can we look for when we go out to do nature study in the fall? Look for seeds and fruits Look for autumn wildflowers Examine leaf scars on trees as leaves drop Find resources that help identify your local flora and fauna Jeannette’s list of books and resources is found below Please visit https://thenewmasonjar.com/094/ to view all the show notes for this episode including links to all the resources mentioned.
10/10/2024 • 30 minutes, 46 seconds
S7E93: The Beauty of Math in the Charlotte Mason Paradigm with Denise Gaskins
On The New Mason Jar podcast this week, we bring you a conversation Cindy and Dawn had with Denise Gaskins, veteran homeschool mom of five and math coach How Denise first learned about Charlotte Mason What is the foundation of mathematics in Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy? What Denise's mathematics background is and how she taught math with her own children How do captain ideas apply to the subject of mathematics? What can parents do when we feel ill-equipped to teach math in a CM way? How can we bring curiosity to our mathematics exercises? How to bring the habit of attention to math through playful exploration Please visit https://thenewmasonjar.com/093/ to view all the show notes for this episode including links to all the resources mentioned.
9/26/2024 • 48 minutes, 46 seconds
S7E92: Story, Rhyme, and Song with Kay Pelham
Today on The New Mason Jar podcast, Cindy and Dawn talk with returning guest, Kay Pelham, veteran homeschool mom, piano teacher, and instructor of “Story, Rhyme, and Song” How Kay started teaching classes for other homeschool children Why it is so important for Kay to pass on the Charlotte Mason principles to other parents What Kay’s classes are like and why she incorporates nursery rhymes and folk songs What are some of Kay’s favorites from each category of story, rhyme, and song? What has been the response to Kay’s classes? To view all the quotes, links, and books mentioned in this episode, please visit our website at https://thenewmasonjar.com/092/.
9/12/2024 • 46 minutes, 9 seconds
S7E91: Remix - Growing up in a Charlotte Mason Home with Caitlin Bruce Beauchamp
This week we are pleased to bring you another remix episode from Season 1, this time with guest Caitlin Bruce Beauchamp, daughter of Lynn Bruce and an AmblesideOnline graduate How Caitlin came to embrace Charlotte Mason's methods as an adult and foster parent What Caitlin remembers most about her homeschool and growing up experience What subjects were Caitlin's nemeses in school How narration prepared Caitlin so well for college How growing up with a Charlotte Mason education informed Caitlin's family life today A few of Caitlin's favorite books of all time To view all the links and books mentioned in this episode, please visit our show notes page on our website at https://thenewmasonjar.com/091.
8/29/2024 • 45 minutes, 54 seconds
S7E90: Remix Episode – Have a Happier Homeschool with Lynn Bruce (S1E5)
This week we bring you a special re-air of an episode from Season 1 with guest Lynn Bruce, a founding member of AmblesideOnline Advisory. Lynn has now gone to be with the Lord, so we share this episode in honor of her memory and with gratitude for her friendship and wisdom. How Lynn learned about Charlotte Mason and become interested in her philosophy Practical ideas from Lynn about how to have a positive homeschool experience Making the most of working on your own schedule and keeping it in sight Practicing the routine before starting the school year Working on the habit of attention before school started Having mutual respect as a foundation Being more aware of a child’s physical state Doing morning time with prayer, singing, and the “riches” To view full show notes with all links and books mentioned, as well as how to connect with our hosts, please visit https://thenewmasonjar.com/090/.
8/15/2024 • 44 minutes, 34 seconds
S7E89: Q&A No. 8, LIVE with Cindy and Dawn
Welcome to this special Q&A episode recorded live with Cindy's 2024 Summer Discipleship group In this episode we hear questions from participants and answers from Cindy Rollins, Dawn Duran, and Jeannette Tulis Lisa asks, "What about summers? Should we work hard to give our kids a 'real' summer break?" Tanya asks, "What kinds of books are best for the very young and are not considered twaddle?" Ellie asks, "How do I know how high is too high of a reading level for reading aloud? What can we do when children seem not to be engaging with a book?" Arlene asks, "How can we approach art study with children when the subject in the painting is scantily clad or nude?" Gretchen asks, "What advice do you have for those trying to balance pursuing knowledge for ourselves with trying to help our students earn the credits they need to go on to higher education?" Books and Links Mentioned: It’s not too late to join the The 2024 Back to School Conference: Heart to Heart which is happening this week! Recordings of past sessions are all available after they have gone live. Sign up today at MorningTimeforMoms.com. It is not for nothing that the old painters, however diverse their ideas in other matters, all fixed upon one quality as proper to the pattern Mother. The Madonna, no matter out of whose canvas she looks at you, is always serene. This is a great truth, and we should do well to hang our walls with the Madonnas of all the early Masters if the lesson, taught through the eye, would reach with calming influence to the heart. Charlotte Mason, School Education, p. 33 …knowledge…is no longer sacred and secular, great and trivial, practical and theoretical. All knowledge, dealt out to us in such portions as we are ready for, is sacred; knowledge is, perhaps, a beautiful whole, a great unity, embracing God and man and the universe, but having many parts which are not comparable with one another in the sense of less or more, because all are necessary and each has its functions. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education, p. 324 Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy’s Facebook Cindy’s Instagram Dawn’s Swedish Drill website Dawn’s A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn’s Substack
8/1/2024 • 37 minutes, 20 seconds
S7E88: Starting a Charlotte Mason Co-op with Jess Smith
On this week’s episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn talk with Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom of three boys, Jess Smith How Jess first heard about Charlotte Mason’s philosophy How did Jess and her friends come to start a co-op using Mason’s methods? Why a small co-op of just two families can still be a great fit How Jess kept their focus on the principles Some ways to cover many subjects without burdening families How to deal with conflict in a group setting One thesis, which is, perhaps, new, that Education is the Science of Relations, appears to me to solve the question of curricula, as showing that the object of education is to put a child in living touch as much as may be of the life of Nature and of thought. Add to this one or two keys to self knowledge, and the educated youth goes forth with some idea of self management, with some pursuits, and many vital interests. Charlotte Mason, Home Education, Preface Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Material World by Peter Menzel D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths by Igri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire The 2024 Back to School Conference: Heart to Heart Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy’s Facebook Cindy’s Instagram Dawn’s Swedish Drill website Dawn’s A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn’s Substack Almighty God, Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer for the Care of Children, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 829
7/18/2024 • 40 minutes, 56 seconds
S7E87: Co-ops and Charlotte Mason with April and Anna
We kick off this new season of The New Mason Jar with a conversation Cindy and Dawn had with homeschool friends April Weyland and Anna Whiteside How Anna and April first found out about Charlotte Mason How the transition to a Charlotte Mason curriculum worked for Anna Why April decided it was time for them to leave their old coop and start using CM principles How Anna started her own CM coop with a few more like-minded families How April tried to keep the curriculum challenging while balancing learning difficulties Anna’s tips on carrying over these ideas into a coop setting that isn’t strictly Charlotte Mason No doubt we do give intellectual food, but too little of it: let us have courage and we shall be surprised, as we are now and then, at the amount of intellectual strong meat almost any child will take at a meal and digest at his leisure. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education Books and Links Mentioned: For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Know and Tell by Karen Glass The 2024 Back to School Conference: Heart to Heart Find Cindy and Dawn: Morning Time for Moms Cindy’s Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy’s Facebook Cindy’s Instagram Dawn’s Swedish Drill website Dawn’s A Reasoned Patriotism website Dawn’s Substack But education should be a science of proportion, and any one subject that assumes undue importance does so at the expense of other subjects which a child’s mind should deal with. Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education