The Charlotte Mason Show | A Homeschool Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

God's desire is for us to take time for rest, to enjoy our family, to reconnect with Him and one another, have time for fun, developing new interests, skills, and pursuing our Divine Curiosity and the passions and purposes God puts on our and our children's hearts. In this episode, Jeannie and Shiela discuss ending your school year well, bringing closure in a way that fuels a sense of accomplishment and encourages a love for and confidence in the learning that was acquired. You will find ideas for wrapping up the school year, scheduling your summer, and chronicling the joys, successes, fun, funny, and praiseworthy moments of the last year for your own sense of accomplishment.

About Jeannie

Jeannie Fulbright, a 24-year veteran homeschooler, is the author of the #1 best-selling, multi award-winning Apologia Young Explorer science series: Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics, Botany, Zoology, and Anatomy & Physiology. She is also the author of the action-packed historical time travel book series Rumble Tumbles Through Time, as well as preschool science books and activity kits, the Charlotte Mason Heirloom Planner, and many high-quality Charlotte Mason based products. Jeannie and her husband Jeff became empty nesters in 2019. All four of their children all went to the University of Georgia on scholarship (homeschooling works!). For more than 20 years Jeannie has traveled around the country speaking to homeschoolers at conventions, covering a plethora of topics from Charlotte Mason to marriage and prayer. 

About Shiela

Shiela Catanzarite is an author, speaker, editor, and communication coach. She's a 20-year Charlotte Mason veteran homeschooler and has worked as Jeannie Fulbright’s editor and designer for 20 years helping develop Jeannie’s award-winning Apologia science curriculum and most recently her Charlotte Mason products published through Jeannie Fulbright Press. Shiela is the author of the newly published Living Verse Language Arts in Poetry and is finishing up her second book in the series Living Verse Language Arts in Scripture, to be released spring 2024.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in Special Education and a master’s degree in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary, Shiela has been teaching language arts in some capacity for 40+ years. Her passion remains helping students understand the elements of language and how to use these elements artfully to communicate effectively. Shiela is currently a language communication coach, working one-on-one with students who have language learning and communication challenges. She also writes curriculum for her private middle and high school English language communication classes that focus on writing and speaking.

Both of Shiela's and her husband Bruce’s daughters attended private universities on scholarship and went on to pursue graduate studies in medicine and global business. She attributes their love for learning and academic achievement to homeschooling with Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and methodology.

Connect

Jeannie Fulbright | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok | Pinterest | Website

Shiela Catanzarite | Website | Instagram | Instagram

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website

Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

View full show notes on the blog.

The middle months are those wonderful summer months when most of us have ended our formal academic year and are taking a break to travel, see family and enjoy a lighter, more laid-back schedule. Though most of us are vacationing, we don’t want to take a complete break from learning. In fact, some of the most impactful, enjoyable learning happens in these months—and sometimes while on vacation! Making the most of the middle months is simply looking at June, July and August and seeing what learning opportunities are embedded there. It’s about learning differently and often in ways that are more carefree and fun for your family. There are many different educational topics and opportunities unique to the summer months that won’t be available when formal homeschooling starts back in the fall. With a little review and a little planning, you can ensure your family experiences the best the middle months have to offer.

About Shiela

Shiela Catanzarite is an author, speaker, editor, and communication coach. She's a 20-year Charlotte Mason veteran homeschooler and has worked as Jeannie Fulbright’s editor and designer for 20 years helping develop Jeannie’s award-winning Apologia science curriculum and most recently her Charlotte Mason products published through Jeannie Fulbright Press. Shiela is the author of the newly published Living Verse Language Arts in Poetry and is finishing up her second book in the series Living Verse Language Arts in Scripture, to be released spring 2024.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in Special Education and a master’s degree in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary, Shiela has been teaching language arts in some capacity for 40+ years. Her passion remains helping students understand the elements of language and how to use these elements artfully to communicate effectively. Shiela is currently a language communication coach, working one-on-one with students who have language learning and communication challenges. She also writes curriculum for her private middle and high school English language communication classes that focus on writing and speaking.

Both of Shiela's and her husband Bruce’s daughters attended private universities on scholarship and went on to pursue graduate studies in medicine and global business. She attributes their love for learning and academic achievement to homeschooling with Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and methodology.

Resources

S9 E3 | Vision: Beginning with the Ends in Mind

S9 E10 | Homeschooling Out and About

Connect

Shiela Catanzarite | Website | Instagram | Instagram | Email

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website 

Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

View full show notes on the blog.

Marriage is hard. Homeschooling is hard. Because of this, peace and joy can sometimes seem out of reach. The fact is, our ultimate role as women frequently goes unfulfilled, leaving us broken and wounded, dealing with our emptiness and loneliness in the only ways we know how. We attempt to fill the hollow hole in our hearts with the things of this world, which never satisfies. In this podcast, Jeannie shares her journey from a broken, painful marriage to transformation, wholeness, and healing through the living Word of God. She shares how to find all you need to be the wife God created you to be and experience a beautiful and fruitful marriage in a broken world. 

About Jeannie

Jeannie Fulbright, a 24-year veteran homeschooler, is the author of the #1 best-selling, multi award-winning Apologia Young Explorer science series: Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Chemistry and Physics, Botany, Zoology, and Anatomy & Physiology. She is also the author of the action-packed historical time travel book series Rumble Tumbles Through Time, as well as preschool science books and activity kits, the Charlotte Mason Heirloom Planner, and many high-quality Charlotte Mason based products. Jeannie and her husband Jeff became empty nesters in 2019. All four of their children all went to the University of Georgia on scholarship (homeschooling works!). For more than 20 years Jeannie has traveled around the country speaking to homeschoolers at conventions, covering a plethora of topics from Charlotte Mason to marriage and prayer. 

Connect

Jeannie Fulbright | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | TikTok | Pinterest | Website

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website

Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

Tuttle Twins: children’s books to help you teach your kids how the world really works

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

View full show notes on the blog.

Episode summary

Why is it valuable to have a foundational theory of education in our homeschools? And what are the outcomes that we can see in students as we follow this theory? Julie Ross and Shay Kemp discuss this and other important topics to consider from Chapter 1 of Volume 6, A Philosophy of Education in this series of Virtual Book Club discussions.

Connect

Julie Ross | Instagram

A Gentle Feast | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

A Gentle Feast: a Charlotte Mason curriculum for the entire family

Want to know more about the Charlotte Mason method? Visit www.agentlefeast.com and click on LEARN MORE to receive a FREE four-day introduction course.

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

View full show notes on the blog.

Episode summary

Plutarch and Shakespeare can both be intimidating, but they don’t have to be when you have an understanding of the benefits they bring to your homeschool! Julie talks with Rachel Lebowitz of A Charlotte Mason Plenary about why it is relevant and valuable to include their writings, and ways to make it easier for your family to use these important parts of a Charlotte Mason education.

Guest biography

Rachel Lebowitz is the owner of A Charlotte Mason Plenary, an expert on the Charlotte Mason Philosophy of Education, a Home Education Consultant, and the author of The Annotated Charlotte Mason Series and The Annotated Plutarch Series.

The philosophy behind A Charlotte Mason Plenary can be summed up in two words: Your Way. 

Rachel unabashedly reminds parents that Charlotte’s philosophy is a method, not a system, and that your homeschool should be adapted to uniquely fit your family. 

She has created an approach to homeschooling that meets families where they are in their homeschool journey, gives parents permission to forge their own path, and creates a homeschool that is uniquely tailored to each family’s needs. 

No matter your circumstances, Rachel’s trademark approach, Charlotte Mason Your Way, can help you have a more peaceful and a more productive homeschool.

Learn how her “Charlotte Mason Your Way” approach can make your homeschool more joyful and more effective.

Resources

The Annotated Plutarch Series and Picture Study Guides

Plutarch Resources Page

The Annotated Charlotte Mason Volumes

Coupon code for 15% off anything in the above categories (Plutarch & Annotated CM Volumes): AGF-CMP

CM Your Way Form Guides

The Charlotte Mason Co-op

CM Subjects Pages

Shakespeare Page

Connect

Rachel Lebowitz | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website | Facebook Group

Julie Ross | Instagram

A Gentle Feast | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

A Gentle Feast: a Charlotte Mason curriculum for the entire family

Want to know more about the Charlotte Mason method? Visit www.agentlefeast.com and click on LEARN MORE to receive a FREE four-day introduction course.

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions? We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

Episode summary

Chronic illness can be an unexpected challenge that makes many aspects of life more difficult, as today’s guest Carrie Ballentine talks about with Julie Ross. She addresses the effects on homeschooling alongside daily pain and what lessons she has learned in this season.

Guest biography

Throughout Carrie’s life, God has been teaching her that He has written her story and has a perfect and sovereign plan for her life. Having given her heart to Jesus at a young age, Carrie knew of God’s deep love for her, but it wasn’t until facing a series of difficult events that she truly began to understand this amazing love as God has drawn her into a deepening intimacy with Himself. She has also come to truly understand the truth that she can do all things through Christ who gives her strength (Philippians 4:13) as she lives each day in pain due to a chronic illness. She has found that He will always provide the grace that she needs for each and every day as He has proven Himself to be good and faithful in the midst of the hardest circumstances. 

Carrie and her husband John live in Columbia, SC with their four children, Jacob (20), Anna Greer (18), Ben (14), and Lolly (11). Carrie currently homeschools two of her children, and the other two are in college each pursuing what they have always dreamed of doing.  Carrie has been leading worship and teaching God’s Word for over 20 years, and recorded an album with Called Worship entitled “Fixing Our Eyes” in 2016. She is passionate about pursuing authenticity in her relationship with God and others. She desires to come alongside women as they seek healing and wholeness found in Christ alone.

Resources mentioned

Morning Time Plans for Times of Crisis from A Gentle Feast

Use code PODCAST for 50% off your purchase of this resource

Connect

Carrie Ballentine | Instagram

Julie Ross | Instagram

A Gentle Feast | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

A Gentle Feast: a Charlotte Mason curriculum for the entire family

Want to know more about the Charlotte Mason method?  Visit www.agentlefeast.com and click on LEARN MORE to receive a FREE four-day introduction course.

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

View full show notes on the blog.

Episode summary

The challenge of moving can bring chaos to the whole family, and throwing homeschooling into the mix is a recipe for complete overwhelm!  In this episode, Julie talks with Ana Willis about how she tackled this challenge with her own family and how to make it manageable for parents and children.

Guest biography

Ana is a wife and homeschool mom of three turned homeschool blogger. She is also a women's pastor, entrepreneur, and a passionate Bible and Hebrew teacher. She loves helping homeschool moms to find joy and fulfillment in their homeschool calling. Her goal is to help moms go from stressed to blessed, nurturing a restful homeschooling through a living education, and living a beyond blessed life.

Ana studied Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has a double Bachelor's degree in Biblical and Jewish Studies from Israel College of the Bible in Jerusalem.

She is the founder of Hebrew for Homeschoolers, a course that teaches homeschool families to read, write, and speak Hebrew in only 4-10 weeks.

For the past six years, Ana has been mentoring thousands of homeschool moms through They Call Me Blessed, The Homeschool Sisterhood, and co-hosting the Charlotte Mason Inspired Online Conference.

Ana loves bringing God's people together and above all, she loves bringing people closer to God!

Resources mentioned

Morning Time Plans for Times of Crisis from A Gentle Feast

Use code PODCAST for 50% off your purchase of this resource

Connect

Ana Willis | Instagram | Website

Julie Ross | Instagram

A Gentle Feast | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Website

Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Medi-Share: an affordable Christian alternative to traditional health insurance

A Gentle Feast: a Charlotte Mason curriculum for the entire family

Want to know more about the Charlotte Mason method?  Visit www.agentlefeast.com and click on LEARN MORE to receive a FREE four-day introduction course.

Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there!

For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Homeschool Solutions Show.

View full show notes on the blog.

Join host Julie Ross as she shares a Q&A session from the beginning of the year. She will answer such questions as "what if my child doesn’t like the book we are reading?" and "how do we find our rhythm?" and more.

Want to know more about the Charlotte Mason method? Go to agentlefeast.com and click on “LEARN MORE” to receive a FREE 4 introduction day course.

ABOUT JULIE

Julie H Ross believes that every child needs a feast of living ideas to grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. As a former school teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and Assistant Director of a Homeschool Academy, Julie Ross has worked with hundreds of students and parents over the past 20 years. She has also been homeschooling her own five children for over a decade. Julie Ross developed the Charlotte Mason curriculum, A Gentle Feast, to provide parents with the tools and resources needed to provide a rich and abundant educational feast full of books, beauty, and Biblical truth. Julie lives in South Carolina. When she’s not busy homeschooling, reading children’s books, hiking, or writing curriculum, you can find her taking a nap.

CONNECT

Follow Julie on Instagram

Follow A Gentle Feast on Instagram

In this episode, Julie Ross and Shay Kemp discuss the Introduction to Volume 6 in Charlotte Mason’s series- it is packed full of great information about the philosophy and sets a great foundation for the chapters to come that are we will discuss in future Book Club episodes!

Want to know more about the Charlotte Mason method? Go to agentlefeast.com and click on “LEARN MORE” to receive a FREE 4 introduction day course.

As we are preparing to release Season 5 of the Charlotte Mason Show, we are re-airing our first five episodes from Season 1!  

In this episode, Julie Ross chats with Shay Kemp, a fellow homeschooler, about the ways that her homeschool has changed since using the philosophy, principles, and methods of Charlotte Mason. They discuss the topics of children owning their own education, flexibility within the structure of a schedule, living books, narration, and how each of these has helped their homeschooling day flow in a meaningful way as her family grows in using the methods of Charlotte Mason. Julie and Shay also share about how to begin a Charlotte Mason education with older children and ways to make that a smooth transition.