Why the Charlotte Mason Method for a Twice-Exceptional Child
Welcome back to the conversation! Today, we're delving into the heart of our homeschooling journey and sharing why the Charlotte Mason method became our guiding philosophy, especially in nurturing the unique potential of our children as individuals. This was particularly important to us for supporting our twice-exceptional child, though I believe that all children should be taught as individuals. His needs are just a little more outside the box of what is supported in a typical classroom. Let's explore the factors that led us to embrace this approach.
1. Separating Skills
Often tasks are assigned to children that are actually combining multiple skills together. Writing a summary of a story that was just read involves comprehending and recalling what was read as well as various writing skills, such as handwriting and spelling. When there is a gap in abilities, sometimes a twice-exceptional child’s abilities are masked. For example, they have a high oral comprehension and are able to make connections, understand vocabulary, etc. but be limited by difficulties in writing. As a result, their written summary may be very simplistic and not represent what they actually took away from a lesson. Teaching at home allows us to split these “combined” assignments into their component parts and work on each part individually. This is the suggested method in a Charlotte Mason education for young learners - they do an oral narration for lessons such as history or Bible studies and work on reading, handwriting, dictation, etc. separately. As a parent-teacher, we can write for our child when it is not the critical skill being developed in the lesson and this allows them to focus on other skills. This is not practical or possible in a typical classroom setting. This can be applied to other lessons as well, such as allowing oral responses for math, allowing responses in different media such as drawings or Lego builds to demonstrate their understanding of their lessons. This is a standard method in a Charlotte Mason education, which means one less thing for a parent-teacher to adapt to suit their learner.
2. The Breadth of Knowledge
For our dyslexic and gifted learner, a broad knowledge base is a potent tool for reading comprehension. The Charlotte Mason method aligns perfectly with this need. It emphasizes the acquisition of diverse knowledge, far exceeding the scope of a traditional public school curriculum. We aim to provide our child with a rich education to enrich their understanding of the world. This broad knowledge base will serve as an aid to their reading comprehension and also increase their enjoyment and delight in the world as we study beautiful music, art, natural history, geography, and a wide range of literature, in addition to core skills of reading, writing, and math and more traditional topics such as history and biology.
3. Personalized Skill Development
A child's learning journey encompasses various skill areas – reading, handwriting, writing skills, and math. All children’s abilities tend to vary across these domains, but the disparities can be particularly pronounced in 2e learners. The traditional school setting struggled to accommodate our son’s abilities, offering us a "wait to fail" scenario before the school would provide more intervention. At home, we have the flexibility to tailor our approach, focusing on developing each skill area at each child’s unique pace. This is important for all children, but particularly for students who need extra support or acceleration. Timed lessons also help us keep the emphasis on effort, not just accomplishment. (More on that another time!)
4. Embracing Intense Interests
2e children often approach their interests with intense enthusiasm. The Charlotte Mason method's provision of ample free time for exploration aligns perfectly with their deep curiosity. It encourages them to dive into their passions with vigor, fostering a lifelong love for learning.
5. Habit Training and Growth Mindset
Habit training is a crucial aspect of Charlotte Mason's philosophy. It offers the perfect space for our child to develop practical strategies for coping with perfectionism and strong emotions. We believe in nurturing the whole child, including virtues like orderliness, kindness, and attention to detail, which traditional schools might overlook.
6. Prioritizing Outdoor and Physical Activity
Self-regulation is key, especially for 2e learners. Our homeschooling approach values outdoor and physical activity as tools for achieving balance and focus. By engaging in exercise before learning or as a break between lessons, we've discovered that our minds are better prepared for the day's challenges.
7. Mindful Scheduling and Adequate Breaks
Scheduling is intentional. We're mindful of task variety to prevent mental fatigue. The Charlotte Mason method encourages alternating lesson types, ensuring our child doesn't become overwhelmed with consecutive lessons that draw on the same skill set, such as having two writing-intensive subjects back-to-back. Music, art, handicrafts, and diverse lessons within subjects provide essential breaks.
8. Nutritious Food and Sufficient Time to Eat
Eating nutritious meals at home ensures our child's health and focus. Rushed school lunches often left our child hungry as he would prioritize socializing over eating. Now, they have ample time to enjoy balanced meals, promoting both physical and mental well-being.
9. Ample Sleep and Rest
Homeschooling grants us the flexibility to prioritize sleep and rest. Our children can sleep in as needed and take rest breaks, which is especially helpful during cold and flu season!
10. Screen Time Balance
We've reduced screen time significantly - it is practically non-existent in our house. (For real, the TVs are gone!) Charlotte Mason's approach values experiential learning over excessive screen use. This shift has contributed to a more tranquil and focused learning environment. Our local schools rely a lot on individual, computer-based learning, even in kindergarten. This might be fine and even helpful for some learners, but it left our child overstimulated and made it difficult for him to self-regulate.
11. Environment as a Learning Tool
At home, we have control over our environment. We set up spaces that invite exploration, with accessible books, engaging materials, and cozy surroundings. It promotes a calm, inspiring atmosphere for learning and living.
12. Working to Potential
No longer bound by state benchmarks, we focus on our child's potential. Progress is celebrated, whether faster or slower than (arbitrary?) standards. Our child can work at their unique pace, ensuring a truly personalized education. Working to a benchmark can be a real source of failure for gifted children, who are celebrated for meeting the benchmark, but not often encouraged to push beyond to excel to their potential. This can lead to an unwillingness to try new things due to fears of failure, kids goofing off in class because they are bored, and a lack of self-discipline because they’ve not been presented with challenging material.
13. No Constant Reminders of Being Different
Traditional schools often label 2e children as different - maybe not explicitly, but through action. When our son was in public school, he was being pulled out of the classroom multiple times per day for acceleration or extra support. Our homeschool allows our child to be themselves without feeling that they’re different from their peers. They're free to embrace their strengths and grow at their own pace without comparison to others.
14. Less Anxious Environment
This was a secondary benefit that I really wasn’t expecting. Schooling our child at home eliminates the need for active shooter drills or exposure to sensitive topics like suicide prevention, providing a safer and more secure learning atmosphere. This is particularly noticeable for children who may struggle with anxiety. Don’t get me wrong - I understand why those are in place, but it doesn’t make their effects any less real.
The Charlotte Mason method has become our guiding philosophy on this remarkable journey. It embraces our children's unique potential, nurturing their curiosity and celebrating their growth. It's a path where individuality is celebrated, and the pursuit of knowledge is an adventure. My hope is that we can maintain that curiosity, that excitement that young learners have naturally by supporting them at their own pace - whether that means acceleration and deep-diving into little details or providing extra support and encouragement.
Have you explored alternative homeschooling methods for your exceptional child? I’d love to hear your insights and experiences in the comments below. Let's support and inspire one another as we navigate helping our children become their best selves. 🌟📚🍃
