Live Oak Education

Schooling utilizing the Charlotte Mason philosophy through the Junior High years, what is that like?

So many of us are asking this question. Moving forward what will the CM method look like for my student when they are older?

One of our substitutes shares her experience from helping us with our oldest students at Live Oak- 7th graders.

“I have been an English teacher and professor for over 8 years, teaching all levels from 6th grade through college years. I was able to interact with and guide a couple of wonderful students this year in form 3 at live oak, and was extremely impressed by their ability to narrate the texts we were approaching.

Without looking at the page, they were able to tell me with accurate reading comprehension what just happened in a passage of reading in an ancient text like Beowulf, including details even I would have forgotten.

It may sound strange that I was in shock and awe, but it is just that this type of text and reading comprehension is something I have not seen even at the college level with freshmen and sophomore students. These Live Oak students were doing it perhaps better than I could in detail at ages 12-14. Here we see the sumptuous fruits of narration produced in a Charlotte Mason education. Through the consistent practice of narration after reading living books, students are given the remarkable and little held ability to understand and remember what they read in detail, and it is from this initial ability to understand that they are able to spring into textual analysis, synthesis, and the comprehension of the world, their lives, and the deeply meaningful texts that have shaped the course of human history and consciousness.”

-Kristen Mayer

Kristen’s thoughtful care with the students and passion for living books has been a gift to Live Oak.

Thank you for sharing your experience Kristen!