Simple Wonders
By Jessica
Jessica Smith (CFLE-P) discusses the parallels between the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy, and scientific research. Most importantly, parents will learn how to apply these big ideas in simple ways to create a home-based education for their family.
Simple WondersMay 24, 2023
16 | Education is an Atmosphere (Relationships with People)
Charlotte Mason famously stated that parents and teachers have three instruments available to educate children: atmosphere, discipline, and life.
What did Charlotte mean by "atmosphere?" She explains: “When we say that "education is an atmosphere," we do not mean that a child should be isolated in what may be called a 'child-environment' especially adapted and prepared, but that we should take into account the educational value of his natural home atmosphere, both as regards persons and things, and should let him live freely among his proper conditions. It stultifies a child to bring down his world to the child's level.”
In this episode I discuss why children learn better when in mixed-age classrooms, and what they learn from the natural relationships of their family and community. Finally, I discuss how children form a relationship with God and how we can nurture an atmosphere that invites the Spirit.
15 | The Ideal Parenting Style
Children need love and discipline to reach their full potential. But what happens when parents exert too much control and not enough love? Or the opposite: too much love and not enough authority? What does a balance of love and control look like? Today we’ll discuss the ideal balance: authoritative parenting. Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2023/05/05/the-ideal-parenting-style/
14 | Punished By Rewards with Alfie Kohn
Charlotte Mason advised that we shouldn’t use external motivators to make children learn. She said “[grades], prizes, places, rewards, punishments, praise, blame, or other inducements are not necessary to secure attention, which is voluntary, immediate and surprisingly perfect” without them. ( A Philosophy of Education, p. 7.)
But is this true today? Are rewards really that bad? How will our kids behave and learn if we don’t give them a little incentive to motivate them? And what can we do instead? To help answer these questions I’ve asked Alfie Kohn to chat with me today.
Alfie Kohn is the author of fourteen books on education, parenting, and human behavior, including PUNISHED BY REWARDS (1993/2018), THE SCHOOLS OUR CHILDREN DESERVE (1999), UNCONDITIONAL PARENTING (2005), THE HOMEWORK MYTH (2006), and THE MYTH OF THE SPOILED CHILD (2014). He has written for most of the leading education periodicals and has appeared twice on “Oprah.” Time magazine described him as “perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades and test scores.” A strong supporter of public schooling, Kohn works with educators and parents, speaking regularly at national conferences. He lives (actually) in the Boston area and (virtually) at www.alfiekohn.org.
13 | Rewards, Praise, and Punishments
We can't discuss the big idea of authority without addressing rewards and punishments. Do they actually contribute to our goal of developing moral, disciplined, and curious kids? What are the temporal and spiritual effects of extrinsic motivation? And if we shouldn't use extrinsic motivators, what is the better way to motivate children? I'll answer these questions and more on this episode.
Check back next week for a bonus episode with Alfie Kohn, the author of Punished by Rewards!
12 | Authority and Docility
In this episode I’ll discuss the big idea of authority: what it is, why it's important, and how parents can maintain loving authority in their homes. The principles of authority and docility are important enough that Charlotte Mason placed them as principles 3 and 4 in her 20 principles of education:
“The principles of authority on the one hand, and of obedience on the other, are natural, necessary and fundamental; but--
These principles are limited by the respect due to the personality of children, which must not be encroached upon whether by the direct use of fear or love, suggestion or influence, or by undue play upon any one natural desire.
11 | Creating an Atmosphere of Love and Learning with Dr. Russell Osguthorpe
As I've studied attachment and love, I've wondered how they affect children's learning. So I asked Dr. Russell Osguthorpe, an expert in both attachment and learning, to come on the podcast to discuss the connection between the two. In this episode we discuss how attachment affects behavior and learning, and how parents can create an atmosphere of love that invites deep, meaningful learning.
Dr. Osguthorpe taught at Brigham Young University for multiple years. He has multiple degrees from Brigham Young University, including a PhD in Instructional Psychology. He is a former director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and a professor in the Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology at BYU. He is also a former general president of the Sunday School for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is also an author and has written multiple books, including “Filled With His Love.”
Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2023/03/03/creating-an-atmosphere-of-love-and-learning-w-dr-russell-osguthorpe/
10 | Love + Attachment (Part 2)
Many of the behavioral problems parents face, during all generations of time, all stem from one thing: attachment. A healthy attachment to a parent affects everything from learning to to self-regulation. But why is attachment so important? How do we nurture a healthy attachment with our children? And how do we know if our attachment is suffering?
In this episode I'll answer these questions and more as we explore the big idea of attachment.
Show notes: https://simplewonders.org/2023/02/15/love-attachment-part-2/
9 | Love + Attachment (Part 1)
Why is it so difficult to teach my own children?
It feels like my child is emotionally distant. How can I repair our relationship?
Why has my child become so defiant?
Although these parenting issues may seem unrelated, they all have one thing in common: attachment. Unconditional love is the foundation for parenting and teaching because loving relationships are what keep our children's hearts tender and teachable. This episode is part one of two episodes where we discuss the big idea of love and attachment and how it affects our authority as parents and teachers.
In this episode I dive deep into the spiritual aspects of relationships and how parent either harden or soften their children's hearts.
Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2023/02/03/love-attachment-part-1/
8 | Dr. Jack Beckman on Freedom Within Boundaries
Although I've been studying Mason's philosophy of education for a few years now I still had some unanswered questions about her first principle.
How does Mason's theory of child development compare to the well-known theories today? How do I respect my child's personhood and still set boundaries? What does Mason's first principle, children are born persons, look like in practice? How do I know if my child's school views children as born persons?I invited Dr. Jack Beckman to chat with me and answer a few of those questions. In this episode we discuss how Mason's philosophy compares to the well-know child development theories today, how parents can give children liberty while still setting boundaries, and what he looks for in schools that respect children as people.
Dr. Jack Beckman began his career as an Early Childhood educator in the classroom, then as an educational leader, and finally as Professor of Elementary Education at Covenant College. He is a graduate of George State University, Covenant College and Cambridge University. He is also a Fellow at the University of Cumbria, UK, where he works with a team of colleagues to develop a research agenda on the life and work of Charlotte Mason.
Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2023/01/24/freedom-within-boundaries/
7 | Children Are Born Persons
It’s important to understand principles, to have a framework, before we move on to applying her methods.
So for the rest of the season we'll be discussing the big ideas in Charlotte Mason's 20 Principles. First, Children are Born Persons.
“We believe that the first article of our P.N.E.U. educational creed—“children are born persons”—is of a revolutionary character; for what is a revolution but a complete reversal of attitude?”
Why is it so revolutionary to think of children as persons? And how does this mentality change how we parent and teach children? In this episode we'll explore what this seemingly simple phrase means, and how our current culture measures up.
Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2023/01/06/children-are-born-persons/
6 | Teaching Children of All Abilities w/ Julie Christensen
My child has a learning disability. Can I still apply Charlotte Mason’s methods?
I'm feeling like my child needs more support outside of what the school system can give; where do I start?
How do I have a peaceful homeschool when my child's challenges create so much tension?
Because her philosophy is largely based on self-education, Charlotte Mason believed that her educational methods were for everyone – children of all cultures, time periods, and all abilities. Today I’m speaking with Julie Christensen, a mother, home educator, and senior writer at Bright Horizons.
Julie has a lot of experience with Charlotte Mason’s methods and educating a child with special needs. I’m very excited to speak with her today because I know that her experiences will resonate with so many mothers, and her wisdom will benefit everyone.
5 | The Connection Between Reading and Thinking w/ Natalie Wexler
We all want our children to receive a high-quality education – one that builds knowledge and teaches them how to think. But how do we go about this? Charlotte Mason said that education should be focused on feeding children a feast of living ideas (from books) then narrating what they learn, by speaking or writing about it.
But how does Mason’s method compare to cognitive science today? And why is this method of educating children so effective? I've invited the author Natalie Wexler to discuss these questions and more on this episode.
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (Avery 2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (Jossey-Bass 2017), and a senior contributor at Forbes.com. Her articles and essays on education and other topics have appeared in The NewYork Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and on her free newsletter, Minding the Gap. She has spoken on education before a wide variety of groups and appeared on a number of TV and radio shows, including Morning Joe and NPR’s On Point and 1A. Find out more about Natalie and her work at her website, www.nataliewexler.com, or follow her on Twitter (@natwexler).
Show Notes
https://simplewonders.org/2022/12/09/the-connection-between-reading-and-thinking-w-natalie-wexler/
4 | Self-Education
What makes Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and methods different from others?
How do we nurture a love of learning in our children?
What should parents look for in a curriculum or school?
Over 100 years ago, Charlotte Mason said “Teaching, talk, and tale, however lucid or fascinating, affect nothing until self-activity be set up; that is, self-education is the only possible education; the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface of a child’s nature.”
In this episode I'll answer those questions as we explore perhaps one of Mason's most profound ideas: self-education. The secret to curious, motivated, intelligent children.
3 | Mothers Work Wonders w/ Cassie Shepherd
Families, especially mothers, are devalued in our society. We're told mothers are replaceable, that we need to modernize motherhood; but all the science says the opposite. In this episode, Cassie Shepherd and I discuss the importance of motherhood and why mothers are the best people to nurture a child's heart and mind.
Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2022/11/11/mothers-work-wonders-w-cassie-shepherd/
2 | Home-Centered Learning
In this episode, we explore the history of institutions for children and what we've learned from them. I'll discuss why home-centered learning is essential for all families and I'll share some simple strategies you can begin implementing today, no matter where your children go to school.
Show Notes: https://simplewonders.org/2022/10/24/home-centered-learning/
1 | Welcome
Welcome! This episode is the taste of what's to come with Simple Wonders. We explore the research of why "home-centered parenting" is needed and where to start. Hopefully you'll feel empowered and learn something on the way.
Trailer
Simple Wonders is a new podcast for parents who want to raise happy, curious, life-long learners. Join me, Jessica Smith, as we discuss big ideas about education and parenting and how you can apply simple strategies that will work wonders in your home.