Cultivating Grace

Lara Molettiere

Homeschool, Home, and Heart inspiration. Soli Deo Gloria! everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com

  1. APR 29

    Charlotte Mason Motherhood and Giveaway

    Motherhood and Charlotte Mason Have you heard of the term ‘mother culture’ while perusing your favorite Facebook group? If you’re wondering what the mother culture definition is and where it came from and you are teaching your children at home, STOP what you are doing right now and continue reading. It’s critical to your well-being and future. It may even prevent homeschool burnout! Now that I have your attention, let’s get to its definition. Don’t forget to scroll to the end to enter to win a $100 giftcard! What makes Charlotte Mason Motherhood unique? ‘Mother culture’ is a term coined by an author simply known as A. in an article edited by Charlotte Mason in a parent’s magazine Parent’s Review (Volume 3) during the early 1890’s. The word ‘culture’ is defined as ‘manifestations of human intellectual achievement’. This may cause you to pause, but bear with me for a moment. We obviously know what ‘mother’ means, so let’s combine both words together and put it simply, it means a mother who grows her mind through education. Are you, my fellow homeschool mom, expanding your mind? If not, you are missing out -- yet, it's never too late! There are so many possible areas of discovery! For example, did you have any hobbies that you haven’t explored since becoming a mother? Maybe you tended a garden every year before the kids were born but now the weeds have overtaken the soil? Or, maybe you loved reading a certain book genre and now find yourself only reading children's books like Goodnight Moon? Your children are learning and growing in leaps and bounds. Your husband’s skill sets in his profession and personal life are soaring. Yet, you are SO focused on raising the kids that you forgot about someone. Yourself. If you must know, I was guilty of this very thing. When the children were younger, I put all my efforts and time into them. I lived vicariously through their activities, strengths, and abilities. Yet, I was not cultivating my own interests and talents. My Charlotte Mason Motherhood Story Here’s my story. Before earning the title ‘mom’ over a decade ago, I absolutely loved anything technology-based. I spent hours at night on the computer after my full-time project management job building a website from scratch. Yet, now that I was a stay at home mom, I had left behind most of my technical achievements. Then, about three years ago, something profound happened. I noticed the kids were getting more independent with school work and piano. When I would try to show my daughter how to play a chord or finish a math equation, she repeatedly answered, “Mom, I can do it myself!”. This was my light bulb moment! My children were building their own skill sets with confidence and poise -- but I wasn’t! I had invested all of my time into their lives, but not my own. Charlotte was right -- Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life. It was time to start picking up my passions again and educating myself. So, I ordered business and goal-oriented books from the library online. I perused the best videos online to learn how to create websites using new tools. It was time to dust off my storybook and begin a new chapter! How to Cultivate Motherhood in Your Home This is exactly what Charlotte Mason’s directives for mothers is referring to -- fostering our own desires and passions, for a little time each day. Even if it’s just for a half hour! Charlotte gave us a great example to follow with her own habits of reading and study. A., who I think we'd all love to know a bit better, asked the wisest woman and best role model she knew her secret to private time even with bad health and busy schedule. This lady's saving grace was reading books. She would always keep 3 titles available: a stiff book, an easy book, and a novel. When she was free for a few minutes, this intellectual woman took time to refresh herself. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a community-supported resource and we’re delighted that you found us! To receive new posts/resources and support Lara’s work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Your Charlotte Mason Motherhood Story Are you taking time for yourself? What new habit can you form today? What skill sets would you like to acquire? Get online now and order a fascinating biography, a fun read, and a factual book either at the library or at your favorite virtual bookstore. But, if your answer is ‘there’s no time’, I believe Charlotte would certainly respond to you with a polite rebut something like -- You can. You ought. You will. In this electronic era, there’s no reason why we can't flourish in our own tutelage. Remember, your family can glean ideas from your continuing education as well. They want to hear your passions and -- it just might cultivate a seed or two in your children. So, today is a new day, my friend. If you're not sure where to start, begin your new journey with finding three new best friends -- books. Look for an easy read, a bit harder read, and a more intentional book. You’ll be inspired, encouraged, and motivated to keep moving forward and develop your own motherhood story. Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. 2026 Mother’s Day Giveaway Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re anything like me, you know that moms don’t always make time to celebrate themselves. Whether you’re a work-from-home mom, a homeschool mama juggling lesson plans and laundry, or just someone who gives everything to her family every single day — this one is for you. That’s why I’ve teamed up with a wonderful group of bloggers to bring you a special Mother’s Day Giveaway, and I think you’re going to love it. We’re giving away five $100 gift cards — and the best part is that you get to choose which store yours is for. Whatever makes your heart happy, this gift card is yours to spend exactly the way you want. The giveaway runs from April 29th through May 8th, so you’ll want to get your entries in before it closes at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on May 8th. To enter, simply use the KingSumo form below. There are several entry options because each blogger in this group has contributed to make this giveaway possible — and the more entries you complete, the better your chances of winning! We hope this is a little bright spot in your May, mama. You deserve it. 💗 Giveaway ends May 8th at 11:59pm Pacific Time. Winners will be drawn and emailed the following business day, Monday, May 11th. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim the prize. By entering this giveaway you will be added to the email lists of the participating bloggers. You must live in the United States or Canada to be eligible to win. Must be 18+ to win. Please be sure to read the Terms & Conditions upon entering the giveaway. Click Here to Go to the Giveaway Form Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

    6 min

  2. FEB 25

    Revisiting: Beauty as a Vessel for Truth

    There are some discussions that are evergreen and periodically need to be shared again. The incredible resources we have access to to shower our children in beauty via art, architecture, online explorations of other places in the world, poetry, etc. give us no viable excuses. We simply must make the time to show them the many wonders God Himself created and that have been created by His goodness through the creatures who bear His Image. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy listening to this wonderful discussion with Dallas. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Recommended Resources:  Theology and the Arts  Home Education  Mornings in Florence  This Beautiful Truth  Seeing the Form (Glory of the Lord)  Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art The Purpose of Beauty in a Charlotte Mason Education To experience beauty is to experience a deep-seated yes to being, even in its finitude and its moments of tragedy, and such an affirmation is possible only if being is grounded, born by a reality that is absolute in value and meaning. In short, the experience of finite beauty and a spiritual being implies the unavoidable although perhaps from the medically unconscious co-affirmation of an infinite beauty, the reality that we call God. – Richard Viladesau, Theology and the Arts. Lara:Welcome, friends. Today, we are having a very fun chat with our friend Dallas Nachtigall from Bestowing the Brush about beauty as a vessel for truth. Dallas, will you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you? Dallas:Hello, thank you much, Lara, for having me on. I am honored once again to talk to you. I am Dallas Nachtigall. I am owner of Bestowing the Brush. You’ve probably seen me on Instagram. I like to talk about art, about drawing specifically. I love that discipline, but I love to talk about theology and art as well. When Lara asked me to come on and talk about this topic, I said a hearty yes, because it is just right up my alley. I’m very thrilled to get to talk about this and get to just take this idea apart and put it back together again. Lara:I love that. We are both fans of Charlotte Mason. Charlotte Mason really rebelled against the common educational thoughts of her time, and greatly influenced by her fate, she developed what I consider to be a remarkable educational philosophy that is still admired by many people today. A major focus of her educational method includes beauty through art, music, great literature and even rhetoric. Today, we’re going to discuss how beauty is a vessel for Truth with a capital T. In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we are told: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” I love that. It’s just so big. Dallas:It is. That really speaks to God’s… His strength and he’s ever-present. He’s omnipotent. He’s everywhere at one time. Lara:Yes. He is. I think it shows too how much He loves us that He does make things beautiful. He brings beauty from the ashes, and he gives us all these little glimpses of just how much he delights in us by the things that he gives us in nature, the relationships that he gives us, the way that he gives us peace, even when the world may be crazy like it is right now. We’re going to dive in, and we’re going to talk first about what makes something beautiful. This is one of those things, I think, that people get caught up in. “Well, what really is beauty? What is art? What makes art beautiful?” Especially in the Charlotte Mason tradition, it’s not just art, but it’s art. It’s music. It’s even math. We have order versus chaos or music versus noise. If you’ve got preschoolers, that could be intermingled. Then you’ve got art versus post-modernism. As an artist, what really stands out to you? What makes something aesthetically beautiful? Dallas:In my opinion, Lara, I think that beauty has an order to it. Beauty has a set of before-determined principles that make it beautiful, and God has written these into the world with what He’s created. We can look at the creation, and we can say it’s beautiful, first of all, because God made it, but second of all, that it follows His created order, its colors, and its proportions are very pleasing to our eyes. I believe that good art will mirror and reflect that which is created. It may not be a total copying of the creation, but it’s directly modeled after creation. Whether that means that it’s a representation of a landscape or something in nature or taking the principle of something being very pleasing in thirds on a canvas, or that there is hierarchy, that there’s something larger, and that there’s something repeated somewhere, that there’s perspective going on. There’s light and dark. There are all these different themes that God has set into the world that make us really awe at His power and His design. Lara:There’s an awe that is missing in our current culture. People have become so self-centered. I don’t mean selfish, but they literally are focused on themselves, and so it makes it hard to look out and hard to look up and hard to look around when you’re looking in. Dallas:Absolutely. Lara:It’s important for us to appreciate the gifts that we’re given, to love the things that the Lord has given to us as blessings, obviously, not to the point like we’re putting them up on a pedestal, not like a druid loves a tree. It’s important, I think, for us to remember that we are supposed to be awed. One of the things that our society has done, as we have gotten so busy, is that we have forgotten that part of worship is being in awe. It talks about fear and trembling, not necessarily because you’re afraid, but because you are just so awed by the power, by the grace, by the mercy. I think part of looking at art is also admiring, worshiping, loving the Lord for who He is and what He is, and recognizing how much He loves us through the beauty that He gives us. I think it’s just something that we have lost a little bit as a culture. I feel like if we could go backward a little bit and appreciate art more like the people that were back there staring at the frescoes as Giotto was painting them, or watching Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I mean, can you imagine? That would be incredible. We have these… Reflections, I think, is the perfect term for that. These reflections of creation that really reflect the awesomeness of our creator, and that’s amazing. That gets into our next point like, how it makes us respond. Do you think that how a particular piece of art or music or literature causes us to respond, does that tell us whether or not it’s really something that’s beautiful? Dallas:I think it can, but I think it also matters how you’ve cultivated in your students, drawing their attention to beauty and truth in all areas of life. I often find that it really can reflect the character of the person who is looking at the art and what they’re interested in and what their motivations are to hear them talk about the art, because someone can get something completely different out of the piece of art than someone else. I always think of that scripture to the clean, all things are clean, the idea that to the pure, all things are clean. Even as we’re raising our children and teaching them, we can have a magnanimous outlook on people and on life, and we can have an optimistic outlook on life that is life-giving, and that we are drawn to the light so we automatically see the light, and we see worthy and good ideas coming from art that maybe someone else is blind to. I also think that there is an aspect of art, and it’s so weird to talk about it because it really is something that’s spiritually conveyed somehow. Lara:Yes. Dallas:That’s the weird thing about art is that you’re sharing in this common expression that the artist has made, so you’re like almost in the room with them, getting to know them a little bit and hearing from them. I believe that there is art that is really not worthy of our time, and there is art that is worthy of our time. I like something that Ruskin says here. He says this in The Laws of Fesole. He says, “The art of man is the expression of his rational and disciplined delight in the forms and laws of the creation of which he forms a part.” I really liked that because it is a rational, disciplined delight that this artist has, and he is expressing that, and he’s a part of the creation. Not only is he looking at the creation, he is also a part of the creation. It’s almost like he has this responsibility to show beauty and to show his disciplined delight in the creation that God has given to us. Lara:I love that so much. I think that’s absolutely perfect. For us, for our family, a lot of times if we’re looking at different artworks, or if I’m previewing things to show the boys, I feel like one of my go-to filters is, “Is it raising our minds to things above, or is it pulling us towards worldly things”, which is very much with Philippians 4:8. There’s another John Ruskin quote that I really like that applies to that, but it says “fine art is that in which the hand, the head and the heart of man go together.” That says it right there. Lara:If you’re looking at a piece of artwork, trying to decide if it’s something that’s right for your family to view, or if it’s something you want hanging on your walls, or if it’s a piece of music, you want your children listening to the lyrics of, and music is a big thing in our family. I was shocked when I finally hit the age where I realized what a lot of the lyrics in the songs I grew up with said. It’s al

    43 min

  3. JAN 6

    Getting College Ready: A Busy Parent's P.L.A.N. to a Debt-Free Degree

    As the homeschooling mother of two teens higher education is something we are thinking and talking about a lot. We want our children to have access to whatever education they need to do well in the career path to which they are called. But not at the expense of their future. I was 40 when my student loans were finally paid off. The final amount was significantly more than what my poorly-educated-in-fiscal-matters self co-signed on for and it caused us a lot of stress over the years. We don’t want to tie the hands of our children in that way and have been looking at all the ways we can help them achieve their career goals without debt. That just happens to be the specialty of Shellee Howard and her company, College Ready! Whether your child need to pursue a 4-year degree followed by graduate school or wants to go the route of trade school, Shellee can help you get there without crushing debt. I hope you find our conversation helpful and hopeful! Schedule your complimentary 30-minute Are You College Ready chat here! About Shellee and College Ready Shellee Howard is the founder and CEO of College Ready, a college admissions and financial strategy consulting firm that helps families send their students to college without losing their mind or their money. After guiding her oldest son into Harvard as a Biology pre-med major and her second to graduate debt-free from the University of Alabama, she turned her hard-won experience into a proven, purpose-driven system. Over the past 18 years, College Ready students have earned more than $80 million in scholarships through personalized strategies and Passion with a Purpose community-impact projects. A two-time bestselling author, international speaker, and global education advocate, Shellee has been featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and Inside Success TV’s Next Level CEO with Daymond John. She was just named 2026 Global Educational Consultant of the year. Shellee’s book: The College Admissions PLAN Simplified: A Busy Parent’s P.L.A.N. to a Debt-Free Degree Complimentary 30 Minute Are You College Ready Consult Find College Ready online: College Ready Website College Ready Facebook Shellee Facebook Instagram TikTok: collegereadyplan X (Twitter) Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min

  4. 2025-12-13

    Christmas Poetry Readings

    Christmas Poetry Readings This year we are sharing 3 beloved Christmas poems. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy being part of your homeschool journey. We look forward to another wonderful year of creating delightful homeschools together. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! PS - At the bottom of this post we've shared some of our favorite Christmas poetry books as well as a printable of these poems for your family to enjoy, so don't miss them. There's a bonus Chocolate gingerbread  recipe we hope you find as scrumptious as we do! I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Good King Wenceslas by John Mason Neale Good King Wenceslas look’d out,     On the Feast of Stephen; When the snow lay round about,     Deep, and crisp, and even: Brightly shone the moon that night,     Though the frost was cruel, When a poor man came in sight,     Gath’ring winter fuel. “Hither page and stand by me,     If thou know’st it, telling, Yonder peasant, who is he?     Where and what his dwelling?” “Sire, he lives a good league hence.     Underneath the mountain; Right against the forest fence,     By Saint Agnes’ fountain.” “Bring me flesh,and bring me wine,     Bring me pine-logs hither: Thouand I will see him dine,     When we bear them thither.” Page and monarch forth they went,     Forth they went together; Through the rudewind’s wild lament,     And the bitter weather. “Sire, the night is darker now,     And the wind blows stronger; Fails my heart, I know now how,     I can go no longer.” “Mark my footsteps, good my page;     Tread thou in them boldly; Thou shalt find the winter’s rage     Freeze thy blood less coldly.” In his master’s steps he trod,     Where the snow lay dinted; Heat was in the very sod     Which the Saint had printed. Therefore, Christian men, be sure,     Wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor,     Shall yourselves find blessing. Christmas Bells has an incredibly beautiful story that accompanies it and it is beautifully told in the movie I Heard the Bells. It’s one of our family’s favorite Advent movies. Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I heard the bells on Christmas DayTheir old, familiar carols play,    And wild and sweet    The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all Christendom    Had rolled along    The unbroken songOf peace on earth, good-will to men! Till ringing, singing on its way,The world revolved from night to day,    A voice, a chime,    A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Then from each black, accursed mouthThe cannon thundered in the South,    And with the sound     The carols drownedOf peace on earth, good-will to men! It was as if an earthquake rentThe hearth-stones of a continent,    And made forlorn    The households bornOf peace on earth, good-will to men! And in despair I bowed my head;"There is no peace on earth," I said;    "For hate is strong,    And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;    The Wrong shall fail,    The Right prevail,With peace on earth, good-will to men." Christmas Eve by Christina Rosetti Christmas hath a darknessBrighter than the blazing noon,Christmas hath a chillnessWarmer than the heat of June,Christmas hath a beautyLovelier than the world can show:For Christmas bringeth Jesus,Brought for us so low. Earth, strike up your music,Birds that sing and bells that ring;Heaven hath answering musicFor all Angels soon to sing:Earth, put on your whitestBridal robe of spotless snow:For Christmas bringeth Jesus,Brought for us so low. Print your Christmas Poetry and a fun cookie recipe here! Click the image or this link to download your printable poetry and recipe. The Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever for Poetry Tea Time Christmas Poetry Resources Waiting on the Word  A Family Christmas  Helen Steiner Rice: A Collection of Christmas Poetry  A Cup of Christmas Tea  A Child's Christmas in Wales Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

    8 min
  5. Homeschooling Well through Medical Challenges

    2025-09-04

    Homeschooling Well through Medical Challenges

    We are very thankful to be able to share this conversation with Amy from Humility and Doxology with you today! Amy has been sharing about her family’s journey through pediatric cancer online for the last two years (in addition to all her wonderful homeschool content). Today she is sharing Isaac’s story and practical tips for for both the families facing medical challenges and the families who want to support them. About Amy: Amy and her husband John are 2nd-generation homeschoolers to five children from 10 to 20 years old, including two homeschool graduates! The Sloan family adventures together in NC where they pursue a restfully-classical education filled with books, conversation, and not-so-occasional nerdiness. If you hang out with her for any length of time you’ll quickly learn that she loves overflowing book stacks, giant mugs of coffee, beautiful memory work, and silly memes. Amy encourages homeschoolers through her “Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology” podcast.Amy says that the best education is the one that leads to a humble view of one’s self and a glorified view of the beauty of God. She encourages homeschooling mamas that faithful consistency and wonder-filled exploration are not mutually exclusive. Her family’s homeschool prioritizes relationships over checklists, and she believes that beautiful words are more valuable to memorize than inventories of facts. Ultimately, Amy is convinced that Gospel truth alone saves us from endlessly striving and the fear, worry, and anxiety of wondering if we (and our homeschools) are enough. Find Amy online: Website: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/humilityanddoxology Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humilityanddoxology Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumilityAndDoxology/ Podcast: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/homeschool-conversations/ Everyday Graces Homeschool is a community-supported resource and we’re delighted that you found us! To receive new posts/resources and support Lara’s work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. If you’d like to support Lara and Everyday Graces Homeschool but a monthly subscription isn’t a good fit, you can gift Lara a cup of tea here . Thanks so much! Show notes: Death Be Not Proud by John Donne Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Organizations Icing Smiles NEGU Team Impact Oliver Patch Project Book Recommendations In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God Bedlam in the Backseat Life Among the Savages Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min

  6. 2025-08-26

    The Legacy of a Home Library

    We are delighted to share this workshop and printable journal with you! Everyday Graces Homeschool is a community-supported resource and we’re delighted that you found us! To receive new posts/resources and support Lara’s work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Library Building Journal Free Printable Curriculum Posts from Everyday Graces Homeschool Book List Posts from Everyday Graces Homeschool Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min

  7. 2025-05-26

    Raising Knights

    My boys love all things having to do with Knights, battles, honor, and chivalry. I think all young boys are enamored with knights at some point. Have you ever wanted to use that to your advantage while working on character training? In an age when respect and honor seem like distant and antiquated relics, how can we equip boys to pursue valor and courageously put the needs of others before their own? Heather Haupt explores how knights historically lived out various aspects of the knights' Code of Chivalry and how boys can embody these same ideals now. When we issue the challenge and give boys the reasons why it is worth pursuing, we step forward on an incredible journey towards raising the kind of boys who, just like the knights of old, make an impact in their world now and for the rest of their lives. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Chivalry Inspired Parenting Before I get into what I thought of the book, I wanted to share Heather's inspiration for writing Knights in Training. Coming up with the idea for knight training was birthed out of a desire to be intentional in raising my boys. When I saw that their love for everything battle meshed well with my discover that chivalry was far more than how a man treats a woman. I knew I wanted to embark on a season of knight training and pursuing living by this code that for the knight’s of old was an entire way of living. Little did I realize that embarking on this initial season of knight training would alter the way we viewed our role as parents and forever shape the way my boys viewed these years of childhood. I wrote the book to really flesh out what it can look like to celebrate boys for who they are and cast a vision for a life of adventure embodying the spirit of a modern-day knight. Boys are getting a bad rap these days. Part of that stems from how we approach educating boys as well as a lack of understanding and appreciation for what makes them unique. Our world needs good men and my aim with this book is to strengthen the resolve and equip parents to reach their boys by appreciating who they are and how they are wired as well as inspire them to become the men they are meant to become. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. How Utilizing Story Enables Character Development One of the reasons I love Charlotte Mason's methods of education so much is her use of story to teach. Over the years, using story to build character has become known as developing the moral imagination. Because boys especially are dawn to all things weapon/battle/knight/hero oriented, it is imperative to give a foundation of noble character to those tendencies. We cannot educate their mind and not their hearts. As C.S. Lewis says, "Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil." Heather uses 10 principles as well as physical training and character goals to help you train up your boys. The 10 principles in Knights in Training are: * Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength. * Obey those in authority over you. * Stand against injustice and evil. * Defend and protect the weak. * Respect and honor women. * Refrain from wanton offense. * Speak truth at all times. * Be generous and willing to share. * Persevere and finish the task at hand. * Pursue excellence in all you do. When you look at the 10 core principles by themselves, they are an admirable list. But without the training, they just seem like rules. Heather has taken these principles and added action. Something boys just can't resist. This program put into use over just a few weeks has made a noticeable difference in my own sons. I cannot wait to see the fruit of our summer Knight School. Knight School To begin, Heather has you collect books for your schooling. Her list is extensive and beautiful. I've added a few of our favorites for you to explore below, too. Then gather your weapons, print and frame the Code of Chivalry, track progress, and celebrate their new identity as Knights. Each section of the book includes a Throwing Down the Gauntlet section. I love this, because in the middle ages that is how a challenge of honor was issued. There is a lot of great history woven into this book and here's why. Heather says, "I’m a history buff, so delving into some of the primary documents and really discovering how this idea of chivalry took shape and force during the middle ages was fascinating to me. Delving into the past also reminded me that there is nothing new under the sun. We see the same challenges with human nature, our bent to wander from the Lord, from the right path as well as the importance of inspiration and ideals in captivating our imagination and calling us back to the way we ought to go. When we step into the past, we discover that young men in the middle ages struggled with choosing the easy path, that younger sons in the nobility lost sight of their purpose and meaning and were tempted to take the easy path of living a life of listlessness and apathy and yet how deep down they all wanted to find purpose and meaning." The book finishes with many ideas for carrying on the training after your boy has been knighted. Character, after all, is a lifelong quest. Will you be joining us in knight school this summer? I'd love to see your quests with the hashtag #chivalrymovement. Have a grand adventure! Knight School Resources The Black Star of Kingston Charlies Choice Men of Iron The Three Questions Have You Filled a Bucket Today The Boy Knight Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

    6 min

  8. 2025-05-22

    Homeschool Music Appreciation

    Homeschool Music Appreciation Made Easy I'm delighted to have my friend Mary from SQUILT Music Appreciation curriculum joining us today on the podcast! She gives us 3 easy ways to incorporate music into our homes and homeschools. SQUILT is a favorite part of our music appreciation curriculum and makes a lovely addition to morning time. You can read more about morning time here. Enjoy! Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Hi, this is Mary from Homegrown Learners and SQUILT Music Appreciation. I'm so happy to be sharing with you my thoughts about music appreciation in your home school. First, just a little bit about me. I'm the home schooling mom of two children. My daughter is 16 and a junior in high school, and my son is 12 and he is in Challenge A with classical conversations. We've been home schooling for about eight years and in my previous life I was an elementary music specialist and a private piano teacher. I guess you could say that I just have a love for all things children, all things music, and all things education in general. One of my passions is to help families easily incorporate music appreciation into your days. I know it's kind of one of those things, almost as intimidating as art instruction because we think, "How can I teach my children about this when I don't know anything about it myself?" Well, the good news is is that music appreciation is a very simple and approachable topic for you to embark upon with your children. Notice how I say with your children. You don't have to impart a bunch of knowledge to them. You're simply going to discover great music with them. One of the absolute easiest ways that you can include music appreciation in your days is just to start with a simple Pandora station. You might want to set it for maybe the Mozart Pandora station or the Bach Pandora station, and just start letting beautiful music flood your home all the time. I call this strategy immersion because you're just going to be discovering and learning about great music together. Another strategy that I found always has been very effective is to coincide your music appreciation studies with your history studies. So let's say for instance that you are talking about the American Revolution. Well then start researching music that was popular during the 1700s. Well, Beethoven was composing music in the 1700s, although it was across the Atlantic Ocean but it will still something that was going on at the same time. Just do a little bit of research about Beethoven. Maybe listen to a few of his pieces. Find a good biography. Anything that can help you make a connection with music to history. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells Another very, very simple way that we have studied music before are with some of our very favorite recordings, and these are Beethoven's Wig. We absolutely love, love, love these recording because what they do is they take a popular piece of classical music and they play it in its true form, and then they take the music and they add some silly and fun words so that your children will always remember that piece. My children, I think, have memorized almost every single volume of Beethoven's Wig, so that's another place to start. Finally, I would recommend a method that we use through my website, squiltmusic.com, and it is SQUILT which stands for Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time. Many families that I know just use this technique during their morning time and they listen to a beautiful piece of music, and there is absolutely no talking. It's exactly what it says. Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time. Make sure the piece of music is short, no more than three minutes, and encourage your children to be super quiet and just listen to that piece of music. You go ahead and do it at the same time. Then play the piece of music again and this time maybe ask your children to draw a picture based on what they heard, or ask them to talk to you about the instruments that they heard or maybe what the mood was. Or was it loud? Was it soft? Was it fast? Was it slow? Anything like that that they can start picking out of the music helps build that habit of attention and that more critical listening that we are looking for. If you're interested in knowing more about that, you can check out my curriculum at squiltmusic.com and live online lessons called SQUILT Live! Just press Play which is a membership option that features live lessons from me each month along with listening calendars, discounts and a special members only volume. The one big thing that I want you to take away from all of this is that music should be enjoyable. It shouldn't be stressful and that there's no reason why you can't start today including beautiful music in your home school. It really is as easy as just listening. So I hope that this has been encouraging to you and I hope that you will be able to include beautiful music in your home school. About Mary Mary is the homeschooling mom of 2 and an avid music educator. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership & Supervision. Her greatest desire is to equip families to learn about beautiful music with their children. Visit her at Homegrown Learners and SQUILT Music Appreciation. Homegrown Learners SQUILT Music Appreciation Facebook Instagram Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

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Homeschool, Home, and Heart inspiration. Soli Deo Gloria! everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Lara Molettiere
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Lara Molettiere
  • Show Website
    Cultivating Grace

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