In this episode of The Education Breakdown, Sarah sits down with Julie Ross, longtime educator, homeschooler, and founder of A Gentle Feast, to explore the revolutionary ideas of Charlotte Mason. They dive into Charlotte Mason’s emphasis on natural learning, rich literature, and real-world experiences.
Julie explains the concept of living books—narrative, engaging stories that ignite curiosity and foster deep thinking, unlike dry textbooks. She and Sarah also explore narration as a powerful higher-order thinking skill that helps children deeply process what they learn.
But Charlotte Mason’s philosophy goes beyond just reading—she believed children should experience the world. Sarah and Julie discuss the importance of hands-on learning: not just reading about science, but doing experiments; not just studying nature in books, but being in nature, observing and interacting with the world firsthand. They highlight why modern kids need more opportunities to see, touch, and engage with their surroundings to develop a love of learning.
If you’re a parent or homeschooler interested in learning more about Charlotte Mason or Julie’s work at A Gentle Feast, check her out at:
Instagram: @agentlefeast
YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0fjzi4FCLtZFIPOgL-ZcN7za_LZU6d-&si=YTEnhXM1j1Py61WA
Julie also created a 15% off code just for Education Breakdown listeners. It is edbreakdown15 and it is good till the end of the month.
The free Charlotte Mason course Julie mentioned https://www.thefeastlife.me/opt-in
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