We are less than 6 months into fully implementing Charlotte Mason’s methods of homeschooling, and I LOVE Charlotte Mason’s concept of Mother Culture. I have always believed strongly in the importance of being a life-long learner, but following Charlotte Mason’s methods in our family has helped me be intentional in the pursuit of my own knowledge. It challenges me to not only continue reading widely, but also to learn new skills. So today I’m sharing with you my Mother Culture book list for Spring 2021.
I’m hoping that by sharing, it will not only keep me accountable and on track, but also give you some great books for your shelf and encourage you in your own pursuit of knowledge.
WHAT IS MOTHER CULTURE & WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
If you’re unfamiliar with what Mother Culture is, here’s a great quote from a PNEU article on the concept:
“The wisest woman I ever knew–the best wife, the best mother, the best mistress, the best friend–told me once, when I asked her how, with her weak health and many calls upon her time, she managed to read so much, ‘I always keep three books going–a stiff book, a moderately easy book, and a novel, and I always take up the one I feel fit for!’ That is the secret; always have something ‘going’ to grow by. If we mothers were all ‘growing’ there would be less going astray among our boys, less separation in mind from our girls.“
Parent’s Review, Vol. 3, No. 2
Mother Culture is so important because we simply cannot create an atmosphere of education if we, ourselves, are not continuously in hot pursuit of knowledge.
Our kids need to see us taking the time to read, and not just poolside summer novels, but meaty works that stretch us and grow us. They need to see us making our own connections and getting excited about new ideas “clicking” in our minds, too.
That’s where Mother Culture comes in.
MY MOTHER CULTURE READING LIST FOR SPRING 2021
Like the quote above, my goal is to always keep three books going at a time: “one stiff, one moderately easy, and a novel.” This is actually not my preference, as I tend to like reading one book to its completion before opening another. However, because the genres of reading are so different, so far it has worked out okay.
On My “Stiff” Bookshelf
My biggest reading goal for 2021 (aside from reading through the entire Bible this year) is to read all six volumes of Charlotte Mason’s Home Education series. I have heard many other homeschool moms say it’s a pretty lofty goal, but doable. My plan is to read them all through once so I can get the “big picture” of her philosophies and methodologies. Then I’ll start over and work my way through them more slowly, really ruminating on ideas and passages as I go.
You’ll also see that I’m studying Church history. It’s not an area I’ve studied on its own before (aside from doing quick research to understand the historical context for different books of the Bible), and it’s not only incredibly fascinating, but soooo valuable. I’m kicking myself that it’s taken me this long to study it!
I’m currently reading Church History in Plain Language, and it’s such a great book! I put it on the “stiff” shelf only because the subject matter is heavy, but the writing itself is extremely enjoyable. The author does a great job of telling a cohesive story of the Church.
On My “Moderately Easy” Bookshelf
My “moderately easy” shelf is a mixed bag of topics. But I’m pretty excited to dig into these books.
I plan to begin reading more about Vikings in the next couple of weeks with The Age of the Vikings. I’m trying to read my own Mother Culture books alongside Mr. Six’s history lessons so that I have a lot more context when we discuss the subject matter. A couple of months ago, I read The Sea Road about Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, and it was an absolutely fantastic historical fiction. I highly recommend it.
I’m also reading Prisoners of Geography as a suggestion from A Delectable Education. It does a great job of explaining how geography has shaped politics, economies, and world powers. It’s been a pretty interesting read so far.
And then the other books on my shelf are books intended to enrich my faith walk. They aren’t theology books, necessarily, but certainly encourage a deeper walk with Jesus in different aspects of life.
On My “Novels” Bookshelf
Ah yes, novels. I am a HUGE fan of historical fiction, so you’ll probably see that genre on my shelf most often. Here are the novels that I am so excited to get lost in over the next few months!
OTHER MOTHER CULTURE GOALS FOR SPRING 2021
In addition to the reading I’ll be doing, there are a few more goals I have that relate to a Charlotte Mason way of life. My plan for these is to get a few steps ahead of my kids, so we can kind of learn together, but I’ll be able to better instruct them if I’m a bit ahead, I think.
Continue learning to play the piano.
I only just started learning a couple of years ago, and it’s been a really slow process. I go through seasons when I’m diligent and play for 30 minutes each day. And then I don’t touch the piano for months.
I’m teaching myself to play, also, so I think that slows me down. My mother-in-law was a piano instructor for 20+ years, so I call on her for help and advice when I need it. But mostly, it’s just me sitting at the piano trying to do more than just plunk out some notes.
I’m actually currently working on learning Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. It’s a beautiful piece and I’ve heard again and again that it’s a great piece to learn and learn from.
Continue learning to knit.
The boys and I started finger-knitting last winter, and now that it’s cold again, I’ve picked it back up. I can’t do anything more complicated than a blanket right now, but I’m hoping to learn some more complicated skills.
Once I “master” finger-knitting, I’d like to learn to knit with needles. I’m literally have no idea how different the two are, but I hope to find out!
