Simply Charlotte Mason

A commercial implementation of Charlotte Mason methodology, designed for families who want authentic CM education with professional production values and open-and-go usability.

Last updated: 2026-04-20 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Charlotte Mason, commercial implementation
Worldview	Christian (Protestant, non-denominational)
Grades	K-12
Formats	Physical books, digital resources, curriculum guides
Cost tier	Mid-high ($300-$700 per grade)
Parent intensity	4
ESA-common	Yes
Accredited	No
Established	2005
Website	simplycharlottemason.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	Notes
Academic rigor	4	Strong CM implementation, solid academic progression
Ease of teaching	4	More accessible than Ambleside; good parent training
Content quality	4	Well-curated books, excellent supplementary materials
Flexibility	4	Clear method; easy to family-cycle
Value for money	4	Reasonable for scope
Worldview scope	3	Explicitly Protestant Christian
Visual/design	4	Clean, professional production
Support resources	5	Extensive training resources, free resources, community

Who the publisher is

Simply Charlotte Mason was founded in 2005 by Sonya Shafer, a homeschooling author who wanted to make Charlotte Mason's methodology accessible to families who lacked the time to study Mason's six-volume original writings. The publisher offers a Charlotte Mason curriculum in commercial form, complete with guides, recommended book lists, and integrated materials, while maintaining genuine fidelity to Mason's pedagogy.

The company has grown into a substantial Charlotte Mason resource hub. Beyond its curriculum packages, Simply Charlotte Mason publishes standalone teacher-training courses, podcasts, conferences, and extensive free resources. The publisher's website includes thousands of free articles explaining CM methodology, making it a de facto encyclopedia for new CM practitioners.

The business model balances free content (extensive) with paid curriculum packages. This is intentional, the free resources build the audience, and families who want the convenience of ready-made packages purchase the curriculum. The approach has worked; Simply Charlotte Mason is among the most recognized CM curricula in the market.

Cathy Duffy's review gives Simply Charlotte Mason high marks and notes its accessibility for families new to Charlotte Mason. HSLDA recognizes the publisher as a representative Christian Charlotte Mason option.

The Christian framing is explicit. Protestant evangelical, specifically, with Bible study integrated into the curriculum rhythm. Unlike Ambleside, which retains Mason's original Anglican-flavored Christianity, Simply Charlotte Mason uses contemporary American evangelical framing. This distinction matters for families with specific denominational concerns.

The family-cycle approach, teaching multiple children of different ages together on the same history and geography topics, is central to Simply Charlotte Mason's practical identity. The curriculum is organized around this multi-age approach rather than strict single-grade packages, making it appealing to families with several children.

The core pedagogy

Simply Charlotte Mason implements Charlotte Mason methodology in a commercial form that compromises less than one might expect. The core elements, short lessons, living books, narration, nature study, habit training, composer and artist studies, are preserved in their authentic form. Daily schedules, weekly rhythms, and term structures follow Mason's recommendations.

What Simply Charlotte Mason adds is parent scaffolding. Where Ambleside expects parents to learn narration methodology by reading Mason's original writings, Simply Charlotte Mason provides training videos, written guides, and sample lessons. Where Ambleside leaves book sourcing entirely to the family, Simply Charlotte Mason sells many of the recommended books directly or through partner retailers.

The family-cycle approach organizes history instruction around six-year cycles that all children in the family follow together. A six-year-old and a twelve-year-old might study the same era simultaneously, but with different books and different expectations for output. This reduces parent prep time substantially for multi-child families.

Bible and character study are woven into the curriculum. Daily readings from Scripture and corresponding hymn study are standard. The publisher does not treat Christianity as a separate subject but as foundational to the educational approach.

Language arts follows a distinctive Simply Charlotte Mason approach that integrates phonics, copywork, spelling, and grammar across grade levels. The publisher's reading program ("Delightful Reading") uses Mason's methods for early literacy.

Math is not included. The publisher recommends Math-U-See, Singapore, or other separately-purchased programs.

Upper-grade students transition gradually from parent-led to self-directed work. By high school, students are doing substantial independent reading and writing, with parent involvement in discussion and feedback.

A day in the life

A typical fourth-grade day with Simply Charlotte Mason begins with family Bible study and hymn singing (15-20 minutes). Family read-aloud from the history or literature selection follows (30-40 minutes), with narration from each child at age-appropriate levels.

Younger children do short individual lessons: phonics (15 minutes), copywork (10 minutes), math (20-30 minutes, separate program). Older children work on their own reading assignments and writing.

Nature study (20-30 minutes) either as outdoor observation or as study from a nature book. Picture study (10 minutes) showing reproductions of artwork and inviting narration. Composer study (listening time, 10 minutes).

Afternoon blocks include handicrafts, free play, and independent reading. The curriculum intentionally leaves afternoon time lighter for family life.

The rhythm scales smoothly across multi-age families. A kindergartner, a third-grader, and a seventh-grader can share the read-aloud hour while working on independently age-appropriate assignments for writing and math.

What they do exceptionally well

Parent training is Simply Charlotte Mason's distinguishing strength. The free and paid training resources make Charlotte Mason methodology accessible to parents who would otherwise struggle with the learning curve. Videos, written guides, podcasts, and sample lessons combine into the most comprehensive CM parent-education ecosystem available commercially.

The family-cycle approach solves a real problem for multi-child families. Instead of running separate curricula for each child, parents can teach history and literature together while differentiating age-appropriate work. This is both educationally sound (younger siblings absorb content from older siblings' work) and practically efficient.

Production quality is high. Books, guides, and digital resources are professionally produced with readable typography and attractive design. The publisher's website is modern and navigable, a significant contrast to Ambleside's dated interface.

Community and customer support are substantial. Phone support, responsive email, active forums, and regional conferences provide depth of support that rivals the best-staffed homeschool publishers.

What they do poorly

The Christian framing is explicit and non-removable. Bible study is not optional, it is structural. Families wanting a CM approach without Christian content cannot easily use Simply Charlotte Mason without substantial rewriting.

The family-cycle approach, while efficient, can create frustration for families whose children's interests or abilities diverge significantly. A gifted seventh-grader studying the same history era as a struggling fourth-grader may find the shared read-aloud unfulfilling.

Math is not included, and the publisher's recommendations favor Math-U-See, which is Christian-affiliated. Families wanting secular math pairings need to independently select.

Costs accumulate across a long year. While individual package prices are reasonable, the full curriculum with books, separate math, and supplementary resources can reach $700-$1,000 per grade, especially in the early years when books and materials are less reusable across children.

The curriculum emphasizes traditional Mason pedagogy with less adaptation for contemporary considerations around learning differences, diverse representation, or progressive values than newer secular CM programs.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Simply Charlotte Mason if: You want authentic Charlotte Mason education with commercial production values; you are comfortable with explicit Protestant Christian framing; you have multiple children benefiting from family-cycle approach; you want strong parent training resources.
• Skip Simply Charlotte Mason if: You need secular framing (choose Blossom & Root or Build Your Library instead); you prefer single-child rather than family-cycle structure; you want ultra-budget approach (Ambleside is free); you want explicit progressive editorial stance.

Cost honest assessment

Simply Charlotte Mason curriculum packages run $300-$700 per grade level for the family-cycle approach, covering history, geography, and literature spine. Additional subjects (Bible, nature study, composer study) are often included or available as modestly-priced add-ons.

Math is separate ($50-$200). Books not included in packages add $100-$300. Art and nature supplies add $50-$100.

Realistic annual total: $500-$900 per family (not per child, because of family-cycle sharing), which is competitive with single-child literature-based curricula and substantially less than running separate BookShark or Sonlight packages for each child.

Used materials resell well, and the family-cycle structure means one year's books serve all children in sequence rather than requiring fresh purchases annually.

ESA eligibility notes

Simply Charlotte Mason is available through major ESA marketplaces including ClassWallet and Merit as of April 2026. Coverage across ESA states is broad, benefiting from the publisher's established commercial presence.

Verify with your state ESA marketplace, though broad coverage is typical.

Alternatives

• Ambleside Online. Would choose Ambleside over Simply Charlotte Mason if budget is the primary constraint and you are willing to learn methodology from original sources.
• A Gentle Feast. Would choose A Gentle Feast over Simply Charlotte Mason if you want a more aesthetically polished modern CM experience with family-cycle approach.
• Blossom & Root. Would choose Blossom & Root over Simply Charlotte Mason if you need secular framing in CM-influenced curriculum.

How we verified this

Our editorial team reviewed Simply Charlotte Mason's free resource library, sample curriculum materials, and training content. Pricing and scope confirmed directly from simplycharlottemason.com. Community input via Charlotte Mason homeschool forums and Cathy Duffy Reviews.