Educational models

When I began homeschooling eight years ago I had no idea what an educational model was, or that there were so many. Over the years I have read everything I could get my hands on to gain insight. And I guess I have to say I haven't found one that is perfect. I do believe that classical education is the most effective educational model. That being said I don't follow it exclusively. I love Latin and it will always be a part of our studies. I love chronological history but I also think an in depth study of US history is needed. I love the Great books but I also think there are so many others that are worth reading that do not fall into this category. With my younger ones I love the Charlotte Mason model, but want more structure as they get older. So where does that put me in my educational philosophy? I guess if I were to give it a name it would be a Classical/Charlotte Mason/eclectic model. There is a great article by Susan Wise Bauer that compares the Charlotte Mason model to classical education. And where she differs with the CM Model I totally agree. You can read the article at http://www.welltrainedmind.com/charlottemason.html
I think for the younger ones learning has to be fun. It should be our goal to teach them a love of learning. And how better to do that than a nature walks, real books and learning the arts. This would never get old in our house.
So who is Charlotte Mason?
Charlotte Mason was born in England in 1842 and was educated at home. She was a devout Christian who spent her life teaching children and other women to teach using her philosophy. Charlotte loved children and believed that they should be taught with respect and gentleness. She believed in using living books, books about real people and things, and that children’s minds are fed on ideas. She also loved whole books and great literature. She would have a child narrate or “tell back” to her the story she had just read aloud thus increasing the child’s attention span and making the story his or her own. I love this approach to education and use her methods successfully with my own children.
You can read her book on line http://amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html
Also for more info on classical education visit http://www.welltrainedmind.com/activeboards.php