Writer specialising in nature, rural life and seasonal rhythms

Experienced UK-based writer specialising in nature, countryside, and seasonal living with experience writing for digital nature and educational publications.

Keeping A Nature Journal and Other Things

As a veteran Charlotte Mason homeschooling mum, I kept a nature journal alongside my daughters. We went on weekly nature walks and I found that by keeping a nature journal, it encouraged them to do the same.
Through this practice, I became attuned to the seasonal rhythms of year. I began to notice slight changes and developments such as a shift in the light, the fresh green shoots of the spring daffodils pushing up through the frozen earth or the first hint of a tightly wound fiddle of a fern....

Fall Charlotte Mason Nature Study: The Homeschool Mom's Guide

This comprehensive guide to Fall Charlotte Mason Nature Study includes activities and resources for family learning.


As August gives way to September and summer slowly slips away to allow autumn to wrap us up in its brilliant display of color, mother turns her attention to planning her fall homeschool.


In our Charlotte Mason homeschools, autumn is a time of fresh starts, fresh plans and new hope for the forthcoming year.

As the season shifts and the days begin to draw in, it seems natur...

Homeschool Nature Study for Teens: Tips For Learning And Fun

Is nature study still relevant for your homeschooled teen? Yes! It plays a crucial role in developing observation skills and much more…


Trust me! I have homeschooled two teens and I have grappled with the temptation to throw aside nature study and the arts in favor of a more bookish education. I even succumbed to the temptation once for a couple of weeks, but it just didn’t sit well in my soul or with the Charlotte Mason ethos that we had lived by for so many years.


I’m pleased to say that...

The Charlotte Mason Method for Homeschooling High School

My daughters have long since graduated our homeschool and have both successfully completed university degrees in the UK. Throughout their homeschooling years we were very much a Charlotte Mason homeschool and we continued to observe the Charlotte Mason Method of learning throughout their high school years.


Many parents feel that they have to sacrifice their Charlotte Mason (CM) homeschool when they transition from their elementary years into high school. But that simply is not the case. The C...

Nature Study And High School Science: A Complete Guide

It is often the case that once our homeschooled children reach their teens, nature study is pushed aside. Perhaps we think that because our children are now in high school, learning should be more textbook based. But the opposite is true!

Don’t believe me?


This article has quotes from the Royal Geographical Society on the importance of field work in higher learning – that goes way above high school learning!


In fact, there are academic journals and papers written about the importance of...

Lessons At Blackberry Inn : Adventures With the Gentle Art of Learning

This month I’m looking at the lovely encouraging book Lessons At Blackberry Inn by Karen Andreola. This is the sequel to Pocketful Of Pinecones which I previously reviewed. If that review piqued your interest enough to buy or borrow a copy of the book, I have no doubt that you are hooked and cannot wait to go back in time and visit with Carol once more!

Once again, this book looks at life through Carol’s eyes, a homemaker from the 1930’s. We left Carol in Pocketful Of Pinecones having relocat...

The Winter Homeschool

Happy New Year from all of us here at Curriculum Choice! The Curriculum Choice authors are back with a wealth of inspiration for your homeschools this winter. We present The Winter Homeschool!

By now, most of us will be in the throes of winter weather. The days are shorter, the temperatures dipping below what can be called comfortable and for some of us, knee deep in snow and ice. I know that for some, winter can be a hard season to love.


In our own home, we have often found winter to be a...

Pocketful of Pinecones - A Charlotte Mason Based Nature Study

Are you a Charlotte Mason homeschooler? Are you looking for a gentle approach to nature study? Then check out Pocketful of Pinecones by veteran homeschooler and renowned interpreter of the Charlotte Mason method of education, Karen Andreola!


This book is basically a teachers ‘how-to’ guide to implementing nature study Charlotte Mason style. It has been written as a heartwarming story which draws the reader right into the daily lives and happenings of the characters. Every time I read this boo...

Preparing for the New Homeschool Year

Preparing for the new homeschool year…the busyness of the festive season has subsided, and you have waved your house guests goodbye. The wrappings have been popped into the recycling and the excess food carefully packaged up and stored in the freezer, ready for some quick, no-fuss meals later in the month.


It’s not quite time to get back to lessons so now is a good time to carve out a little quiet time for yourself while the children are playing with their new toys and turn your thoughts towa...

The Patriotic Homeschool

In a rapidly changing world that can, at times, be frightening and hard to figure out, we become more aware of who we are, what we stand for, and what we value. What about the patriotic homeschool? How can we pass on and nurture a patriotic spirit in our children?

I am a British homeschooling mum and I love my country and our values. I believe in freedom of speech, in taking a stand against evil, of speaking out against actions that go against what others before us have fought so hard for and p...