I remember hearing about the Benge missionary biography series, Christian Heroes: Then and Now, when my kids were little, and filing them away into the "someday" category. 

But recently, something happened that made me want to read them...now. 

Why We're Reading Missionary Biographies in our Homeschool

On a vacation with friends a few months ago, we were talking about the state of the world. My wise friend told me about George Muller, and how he trusted God with every penny and every detail of his life. One morning, Muller didn't have any food to feed the 100+ orphans in one of his orphanages. All of the children sat down at a table and prayed over empty plates, thanking the Lord for providing for them. Just then, there was a knock at the door. A baker had been up all night baking bread, feeling convicted by God that the children in the orphanage needed it. As the bread was being dispersed, a milk-cart driver knocked on the door. His cart had broken down nearby, and instead of letting all the milk go to waste, he thought perhaps the orphans could use it. 

This is the anecdote from George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans that convinced me we, that I, needed to, read these books. We are called to seek out the goodness of God, and these books remind me that no matter what is happening in the world, the promise is that He will never leave us or forsake us. 

Recently, I teamed up with YWAM publishing to offer you a customized bundle of these life-changing books. I'm so excited to be a part of this great deal! 

Christian Heroes: Then and Now Bundle 

Making the decision about which titles to buy can be daunting. I had actually added and removed several of these from my shopping cart earlier in the year! It was providential for my friend to talk about George Muller so that I had a definite place to start with this series. 

I was able to choose 5 books that I thought you might enjoy, and that I want to read, as well. You can get this bundle of 5 books for $30, which is $19 less than usual, and you'll get free shipping as well. 

When I chose books, I wanted to keep in mind that my friend Tricia at Juice Box Homeschool also has a bundle of books available. I chose different titles so that, if you'd like, you can get two bundles without repeating any titles. 

5 Missionary Biographies

George Muller- Like I mentioned above, George Muller was our introduction to this series. Muller had a troubled youth, but while attending a Bible meeting with a friend, it hit him that God's word had to be true and that his duty should be to serve the Lord. He decided to become a missionary, but God had other plans by keeping him close to home to serve as a director of many orphanages. God's provision in each area of his life is what stands out to me so much in this biography. 

Lottie Moon- This missionary began her life in a well-to-do family two decades before the Civil War began. Although she was indifferent to her family's faith as a child, her faith grew as a teenager. Lottie joined her sister as a missionary in China and went on to spend 40 years serving as a humble missionary in the country. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer- My lacking education never taught me about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor, theologian, and World War II hero. Bonhoeffer was a young man when the Nazi party rose to power in 1933, and was immediately opposed to it. Bonhoeffer led underground seminaries while Nazis persecuted Christians and those who didn't comply with the regime's rules. After years of clandestine resistance and even spying, Bonhoeffer was captured by the Nazi's and executed. 

Sundar Singh- Singh became a devout Christian as a teenager, despite growing up in a Hindu family. He risked his life by hiking over the Himalaya mountains to bring the Good News of Christ to the people of Tibet. 

Betty Greene-  Greene was a part of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots program during World War II, using her love of Jesus and of flight to serve others. She participated in a dangerous, experimental high altitude flights. After the war, Greene began a new ministry, Mission Aviation Fellowship. 

While I could never do these beautifully-written books justice in just a few paragraphs, I hope you'll consider adding them into your homeschool! This bundle offer is good through July 31st. 

When I first started teaching at a private Charlotte Mason school, one of the first, and most daunting, tasks, was setting up a timeline in my classroom. I took one look at the beautiful timelines in other classrooms, and I immediately shied away from this endeavor. It went to the bottom of my to-do list, until a kind aid who had set one up before came into my classroom to put up the important date and figures.

This beautiful timeline was a helpful tool for us all year long. I loved getting to remind my students of an historical figure just by pointing to the wall, or to help them get acquainted with a time period in history by talking about the people who inhabited it. 

Since those days in my classroom, I've wanted to have a history timeline in our own homeschool room, but not surprisingly, I once again felt overwhelmed by it. That's why I was thrilled to try out the Printable Essential Timeline Library by Homeschool in the Woods. 

What is a History Timeline? 

A history timeline can either be displayed on a wall or tucked inside a notebook. It often contains pictures and a description of the person from history, and they are placed in an organized way upon the timeline (either on the wall or in a notebook). 

 Last year, we began keeping a book of centuries. This was so helpful to get a grasp on the times throughout history, but it was a little tricky to keep up with and even harder to keep organized. 

Related: Charlotte Mason History: A Simple Approach

The Printable Essential Timeline Library

The Printable Essential Timeline Library came as zip files. One of the files included a list of all of the historical figures and dates included in the timeline. I printed this out first to give me an idea of what to include on our timeline wall. 

This timeline library includes almost 1,500 important figures and events to place on a timeline, beginning with creation and ending in modern times. These can be printed out either wall-sized or notebook-sized (or of course, both!) 

The Homeschool in the Woods website has been really helpful when it comes to learning about setting up and using our history timeline. 

Setting Up Our Timeline

It was easy to unzip and get all of the files. I did struggle a little figuring out which items to print out for the timeline I envisioned. The wall sized images weren't big enough to be seen on the wall, so I chose the file marked "figures with text." 

When I first printed them out, they were too large for my wall (I used the side of a bulkhead in our basement). So, I printed them 5x7 size, and then selected "shrink to fit." This was perfect!

Then, I cut out all of my pictures and backed them with cardstock. I didn't have to do this last step, but I knew that it would look nicer for the long term to do this. 

Choosing the timeframe for our timeline was tricky. I decided to use 12 inches for 500 years. This would work depending on how many items you want to put up, and how big your space is. Currently, since we've only studied ancient history, we aren't going to need a huge space for our timeline. I did leave us some room to grow, though!

Helpful Materials

I wasn't sure what would make the best line for our Printable Essential Timeline Library. Yarn seemed like a good idea, until I realized I would have to staple it into the wall, and my husband, the dry-wall mender, wasn't very fond of that idea. So, I found black craft tape at a hobby store (it's similar to washi tape) and this solved the problem. I also bought double-stick tape to help hang up the pictures. 

I found a straight-edge cutter was helpful for getting the pictures ready to hang, too. The cardstock was left over from another project, and any color you have on hand would do! 

Using Homeschool In The Woods History Timeline

Our new timeline has been so helpful for history lessons! I'm already realizing that it's a useful tool for review.  When I added a new figure and discussed it with my daughter, we talked about what we had learned about that person and where he or she fit into the history curriculum we use.  As we continue to keep our history timeline notebook, I'll print out figures to paste in there as a beautiful record of what we've learned together. 

If this sounds like a good fit for you homeschool, use the discount code 10off50 for $10 off $50 at Homeschool in the Woods.

The early years with each of my children has been delightful. We spend lots of time outside, read great books, and I simply follow my child's lead when it comes to academics. This laid-back approach to the early years is the reason that I think people confuse Charlotte Mason homeschooling as unschooling. During the early years, there ARE some similarities, but when a child turns six, the two paths diverge like that famous one in a snowy wood. 

So, let's take a look into how Charlotte Mason homeschooling and unschooling are not the same. 

Related: The Complete Charlotte Mason Preschool Guide

What is Charlotte Mason Homeschooling?

In case you're new around here, let's take a moment to talk about Charlotte Mason homeschooling. This is a homeschool philosophy that was assembled by British educator, Charlotte Mason, in the late 1800's/early 1900's. Mason dedicated her life to studying philosophy, psychology, and Christianity. In turn, her philosophy combines all three.  The cornerstone of her ideas is that children are born persons, meaning that they are inherently people from the start, not waiting to become them at some point in time. Because children are inherently persons, this changes the way we educate them. 

• We don't try to stuff them with facts or dumb down knowledge for them, because they are capable learners
• We use beautifully written, inspiring books to educate them, rather than worksheets or lectures because they desire knowledge
• We trust that a child can make sense of what they've read, and require them to narrate what they've listened to or read in order to help them process it
• We view a child as a spiritual being, and therefore should be in touch with God and His creation
• We think that living books and ideas represent education as a life, but Charlotte Mason said that education is a discipline (habit training) and an atmosphere (the daily happenings that educate)

Related: Education is a Life Course from Thinking Love Podcast

While this is a quick overview, you can find lots more resources on my site. The bottom line, and most important purpose of this post, is that Charlotte Mason's philosophy is intentional. She gives examples of rigorous curricula and sets high standards for children's learning, experiences, and habits. 

What is Unschooling? 

I recruited my friend Katrina from Rule this Roost to come share a little about unschooling with us, since I'm no expert! 

Unschooling is a homeschooling approach that doesn’t lend itself to any single curriculum, however that’s not to say that it doesn’t have structure or goals. In unschooling, the child chooses what areas he or she wants to pursue and the parent provides resources and guidance while the child dives into the topic.

 There is no time limit on how long a child can spend learning about a certain topic and there isn’t a test or exam when that topic has been exhausted. If a child loves learning about outer space and wants to learn about the planets, the parent might take him the library for books on the topic, buy a beginner telescope or find documentaries on the subject. The parents’ job is very important for successful unschooling. Unschooling is more of a way of life than anything and will look very different in each family.

 Unschooling.org gives some principles that I'm paraphrasing for you here: 

• Children are naturally learners
• Interest drives learning
• Learning is a by-product of play and pursuing passions
• A parent's role is not to teach, but to connect with their child

Comparing Charlotte Mason and Unschoooling

These two philosophies both revolve around the fact that children are capable and interested learners. Both methods don't try to stuff a child full of knowledge but either offer up the knowledge, or help them explore it themselves.

This is really where the similarities stop, though. In the early years and during free time, a child is encouraged to follow their interests, but the ideas behind how and why a child learn are different. 

Related: Children are Born Persons

Contrasting Charlotte Mason and Unschooling

Teacher led vs. child led- While unschooling is child led, Charlotte Mason is teacher led. A set curriculum is laid out before the child, and books are chosen to be read out loud or by the child alone. Since unschooling relies on a child's interests, the child chooses the books, or the family relies on a method called "strewing," in which books are casually left around the home and children can pick them up when they wish. 

Formal learning vs play- In the early years, Charlotte Mason's philosophy relies on play and exploration, but during formal lessons, which begin at six, play is not the sole means of learning. With unschooling, however, learning happens because of play, and this extends beyond the early years. 

Narration vs. no assignments- In Charlotte Mason's method, narration is used to solidify what a child learned from a book, and also to quickly assess if a child understands. In unschooling, when children read a book, they are trusted to make meaning from it on their own, and any follow-ups regarding the book are child-led vs. parent-assigned. 

Schedule vs. no schedule- Depending on how devoted you are to following Ms. Mason's ways, a Charlotte Mason education uses a schedule to guide homeschool lessons. There are pages and pages of schedules that Charlotte Mason used which many people follow or use as a guideline! In contrast, unschooling doesn't use a strict schedule and often counts on the child to manage their time or guide their days. 

Choosing a homeschool philosophy that's right for your family is important, so I thought clarifying the differences between these two popular methods would be helpful.  If you're interested in learning more about Charlotte Mason's philosophy, join the Thinking Love Podcast in their Education is a Life course for practical and philosophical applications of this method of education. 

Sign up below to get a free Charlotte Mason scheduling pack sent to your inbox! 

Morning time is our favorite time of the homeschool day. We meet together every morning and read the Bible, a devotional, picture books, poetry, and more. As you can probably tell based off of that abundant description, keeping everything organized can be a challenge. I had a chance to try out a new, heavy-duty tote by Mollie Ollie and it has been perfect for our morning time!

Related: Morning Time with 1Thrive Wall Organizers

The Problem With a Morning Basket

We have a beautiful basket that we use to store morning time supplies, but I noticed that our books were getting damaged. Every time I put them in the basket, they would bump up against each other, and corner of a cover here or a page there would get dented or ripped. This is hard for any book lover to handle. 

My husband installed some front facing shelves for us in our morning time space, giving us a little more storage. But I realized that I don't reach for those books as often, partly because they look so pretty arranged just so, and also because it's a bit out of my reach from where I sit at morning time. 

So again, our morning time storage problems were 1) the books were getting damaged and 2) they weren't super accessible. 

Mollie Ollie Storage Tote

We were gifted Mollie Ollie's storage tote, and it solves both of our big morning time problems, and more!

This tote is made of heavy-duty felt, so it's really durable, but also looks nice in our morning time area. The inside of the tote is a great size! We could use it with or without the organizing insert, but using the insert gives us three compartments for our books. This makes the books easier to find because I can see them from the top, and reach them easily without dinging any corners or pages. 

On the outside, there are little pockets and zipper pockets that hold our smaller morning time items like pens, crayons, and scissors. This is so helpful because we can never find these when we need them!

Other Uses

When I shared this tote on Instagram, people chimed in with their great ideas for using this tote. It could be used for Mom's books and projects, and be taken with her on the go. It would be great for schooling in the summer, to take books outside or on a road trip. And of course, it could be used in the homeschool room or a child's room. 

I am not an affiliate, but wanted to share this great product with you! You can find it here.

I've shared my Amazon Affiliate store with you in this post. You can learn more about affiliate links in my policies.

Let's Clarify Assessment

An assessment might conjure up images of a half-sheet of wide-ruled paper passed out before a spelling test. Sure, that's one form of assessment, but  assessments aren't necessarily tests. An assessment can be anything that gives you an idea of your child's understanding.

In public schools, I often did quick little assessments on a scrap of paper, asking students to tell me what they learned in a lesson, or by asking them to put their heads down to measure their understanding based on the number of fingers they held up. These are non-traditional assessments, and that's the category that will be perfect for your homeschool.

Related: You Don't Have to be a Teacher to Homeschool

Non-Traditional Ways to Measure Homeschool Growth

Having a system of tracking progress, even in a Charlotte Mason education that avoids traditional grades, is a great way to avoid the end-of-the-year panic. You can make little investments throughout the year that will help you keep track of your child's progress.

If your state requires  reporting for homeschooling, you might be doing some of these already. And if you aren't sure what to report to the state because a Charlotte Mason education doesn't involve busy work, then read on!

1. Keep lists, lists, and more lists

This is a relatively simple way to track homeschool growth. We think we'll remember things like what books our children were reading independently at the beginning of second grade, but with a packed calendar and daily to-do's, your chances of forgetting are high. 

What books your child reads, (and what books you read to them), is just one option for list-keeping. Other possibilities are: 

• science experiments
• field trips
• nature hikes or observations
• recipes made
• songs mastered on a musical instrument
• community service projects completed
• library programs attended

When you revisit your list in the future, you are bound to see growth in the depth and richness of how you spent your time. Additionally, this makes a good option to turn into your state, depending on state requirements. 

2. Keep anecdotal notes

Anecdotal notes are little snapshots of your days. My planner has space for notes on the side of each week. I use that space to write down what we did, interesting or thoughtful comments my children made, or anything else that I think will be helpful to know in the future. This also is great for writing homeschool milestones, like "Read Frog and Toad by herself" or "Finished level 1 math today." As a bonus to tracking progress, you'll get to keep some precious memories from your homeschooling days. 

Related: Year 1 Curriculum from Home Education 

3. Narration

Charlotte Mason's idea of narration is actually a great tool for tracking our children's progress. Through it, we can tell if they're understanding and attending to the stories they read or listen to, are growing in vocabulary, and have connected with the ideas in a story. There are several ways to track narration as an assessment tool: 

• Video record narrations using a device
• Audio record narrations
• Transcribe a young child's narration
• Younger children can draw a picture for narration
• Have an older child write a narration in a copybook

4. Portfolio or Notebooks

We keep both portfolios and notebooks in different forms.  Since we don't have a lot of loose pieces of paper, we don't keep portfolios for school work, but for artwork. I bought three big portfolios, one for each of my children, on Amazon several years ago. Anytime we finish a project, or my son brings something home from Mother's Day Out, it goes into the portfolio. 

For schoolwork, I prefer to keep it all in notebooks. This gives us somewhere to write, draw pictures, or, for my son, to transcribe what he tells me. We use the notebooks from School Nest. These are colorful and laid out well, so that we can use one per subject and keep our work organized. 

5. Charlotte Mason Exams

Charlotte Mason exams are not the same as stressful, high-stake tests. It's basically an opportunity for students to share what they've learned from the books that they've read. The questions guide a student towards narration, but are a little more specific than just asking a child to narrate. An example Old Testament Bible question might be something like, "Describe how Joseph saved his family from famine." For non-narration subjects, you might have your student do a few math problems or do a science demonstration. However you choose to do exams, record everything you can either on video or on paper. 

Related: 2021 Charlotte Mason Curriculum Choices

6. Self-assessments

Sometimes I ask my children quick questions like, "What was the most interesting thing you learned today," or "What was the best part of our day?" Writing down the answers to these questions is a great way not only to track what your child has learned, but to get a glimpse into their hearts and interests. 

Do you have any assessments that work well for your family? 

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