For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School

This book is a great reminder of the reasons we teach. It helps us focus on the children's needs, opening up their minds and imaginations to the wonders of life and the world around them. I cannot recommend this book more highly. It is a gem.

Great insight on Charlotte Mason's ideas and principles

The quality of the book itself was good. The content is great and I highly recommend this book to any parent.

I’ve read this book and very frequently given it to those who are interested in Charlotte Mason, home schooling or education in general. The author lays out such an excellent and accessible vision for education that will show you a completely paradigm shifting approach to life. She uses her own experiences with the cottage schools and her own children and lovingly takes you by the hand to lay out for you all the riches you never knew were possible.Watch out though! This books is absolutely the gateway to reading Charlotte Mason herself and you may find yourself in need of more shelf space!

This book is life giving. It makes you feel hope and wonder towards education and its purpose.

This book reveals the incredible wisdom and philosophy of education formed by Charlotte Mason, a teacher in England around the turn of the 20th century. Susan gives you a good grasp of Mason's principles that I have followed in homeschooling for 25 years, but these same principles can (and should!) apply to private and public education. Education is about lighting that fire, not filling the bucket. If you want your child to be full of information, this is not the educational philosophy for you. To quote Charlotte Mason, "It doesn't matter how much they know, but how much they care." CM viewed children as real persons, and her educational system reflects that. This is not un-schooling, though there are some commonalities, such as delight in learning. This is not classical education, though there are some commonalities, such as reading great books. But CM's philosophy of education, in my opinion, far surpasses un-schooling and classical education. It offers a balance of structure and freedom, and you will never find your children mechanically memorizing anything without understanding (which I consider inhumane). Rather than just select curriculum and homeschool, why not develop a solid philosophy of education that will be a rudder to your ship through the years, and will help you make all your curriculum choices? I can't recommend this book enough.

This was the first book that I read when considering homeschooling my elementary-aged children. It's important to understand what this book is and what it is not.First, this book is NOT a step-by-step, "how to homeschool." It will not provide resources, curriculum options, schedules, etc. For that, you can turn to a book like "The Well-Trained Mind."Instead, what this book offers is primarily two things: (1) a philosophy of a child-centric education, particularly an ideal elementary education; (2) a summary of Charlotte Mason's philosophy on education. When I say "child-centric," I mean that the author's perspective is that education must be founded on the principle that each child is uniquely created by God and therefore is worthy of respect. Children should be treated as intelligent creatures and fed the best educational experiences possible --- they should be reading the best literature, listening to the best music, viewing the best art, experiencing nature whenever possible. Much of their day should be filled with play, preferably outdoor play, where they can experience for themselves God's creation. The author's philosophy is inspired by Charlotte Mason, and her extensive writing on education. For readers who want an introduction to Charlotte Mason's writings, this book provides numerous excerpts from Mason's volumes.The book also serves as a reminder of the true purpose of education, as a life and habit. Children should be inspired to become life-long learners.While the book could use some editing, as it does not naturally flow between and within chapters, it is an essential read for parents, whether homeschooling or not, who are passionate about providing a quality education to their children.

This was such a great resource for me as a new homeschooling mom. I first listened on audible and then bought the physical copy, to reread and mark in.

A great book for any homeschooler or those who have any interest in the quality of their child's education.

This is a great book to introduce Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy. If you're not Christian, you'll have to skip over some sections, ignore some lines. It still has a lot to offer.

If you have influence over any young people, this book is for you! It has so much to offer everyone from the early years educator to the homeschooler, it does focus a lot on Charlotte Mason and her philosophies so if you've been considering a Charlotte Mason style education for your children this is an excellent place to begin but don't let this fact stop you from reading it no matter the educational style you are considering or have chosen. This is one I will come back to again and again over the years.

The book came promptly and was in excellent condition. The book itself has been very useful for guiding our understanding on homeschooling.I highly recommend this book for anyone considering homeschooling or even interested in their child's education outside of public school.

Awesome book!