It's good to be reminded of encouraging and helpful ideas. So this week we're bringing you a reprise of one of our most popular episodes.

We hope you enjoy the best of the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast.

Welcome to the Simply Charlotte Mason podcast. I'm Sonia Schaefer. It's that time of year again,

the season when many of us get the itch to plan our next school year. Whether you're just

starting out or you've been doing this for decades, here are five friendly reminders, just five

ideas to keep in mind as you plan your Charlotte

Mason Home School this coming year. Number one, start with the big picture, then narrow

things down from there. It's tempting to just jump right into this coming year and start

shopping for resources and figuring

out your first few days assignments. But let me encourage you to take a step back. Sometimes

it's hard to see the forest for the trees right in front of you. Sometimes it's hard to see

where you're going long term for the weekly assignments right in front of you.

Planning season is a good time to take a step back and look at the big picture. Review your

goals for your child. What is it you want to accomplish long-term and what's your plan to

get there? Start with that larger perspective and then narrow

it down one step at a time. Remind yourself of where you're headed and what the big picture

is. And then put together an overview for your upcoming year. Then divide that year into terms. What are you covering

each term? Then focus on just the first term. Once you know what you're going to cover

during that term, it's easier to plan your weekly schedule and then your days. But if you jump right into planning your weeks

and your days, you might end up busy but headed in the wrong direction. Keeping the big

picture in mind will give you confidence when other people say, oh, we're doing this this year.

You should do it too. Rather than immediately running that way,

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