S8E103: Composition the Charlotte Mason Way with Karen Glass
January 30, 2025
Forms V and VI: In these Forms some definite teaching in the art of composition is advisable, but not too much.
Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosophy of Education, p. 193
Show Summary:
Today on The New Mason Jar podcast, Dawn moderates a discussion between host Cindy Rollins and guest Karen Glass, veteran homeschool mom and member of the AmblesideOnline Advisory
Karen and Cindy talk about narration and composition in the Charlotte Mason paradigm, beginning with a little background on Karen’s new book, The Art of Composition
Why Cindy has always said that parents don’t need a writing program and Karen’s response
Cindy’s concern for parents to remember to focus on ideas in narration over the form of composition
Karen’s thoughts on the building blocks of narration as the foundation of writing and composition
How Karen came to see that she had developed a sort of philosophy of writing as a conversation
Cindy talks about distinguishing between narration and summaries of a text
Karen shares some encouragement for moms with struggling narrators
I have come across a program called Written Out Loud that focuses on writing by speaking and writing down creative stories (not non-fiction). I think it really falls within the realm of “having something” to say” and not focusing on the vessel/the pitcher. It also adds the “joy” of writing. My family has really enjoyed it. Possibly, not as a curriculum but as an occupation of building stories together. The only “form” to the process is understanding that each story has an arc based on Joseph Conrad’s A Hero of a Thousand Faces, which is a bit of a different focus, but while many are interested in doing the 5 paragraph essay, I am more lnterested in the real world applications of engaging one’s audience to present your information in a compelling way. So, the focus of composition to me is clarity and engagement-rhetoric/communication. AND it aprovides the audience to everyone’s writing.
I have REALLY enjoyed this podcast of having listened to true CM principles as applied to the children’s writing. It brought about all the points that resonated with my mind and heart.
One Comment
Elyzaveta Bateham
I have come across a program called Written Out Loud that focuses on writing by speaking and writing down creative stories (not non-fiction). I think it really falls within the realm of “having something” to say” and not focusing on the vessel/the pitcher. It also adds the “joy” of writing. My family has really enjoyed it. Possibly, not as a curriculum but as an occupation of building stories together. The only “form” to the process is understanding that each story has an arc based on Joseph Conrad’s A Hero of a Thousand Faces, which is a bit of a different focus, but while many are interested in doing the 5 paragraph essay, I am more lnterested in the real world applications of engaging one’s audience to present your information in a compelling way. So, the focus of composition to me is clarity and engagement-rhetoric/communication. AND it aprovides the audience to everyone’s writing.
I have REALLY enjoyed this podcast of having listened to true CM principles as applied to the children’s writing. It brought about all the points that resonated with my mind and heart.