Charlotte Mason Tea Time: A Weekly Club for Poetry, Art, & Music Appreciation

Welcome! This ongoing weekly tea time is designed to cultivate delight and appreciation for beauty and art. We will begin each class with learners sharing what snack they brought to enjoy (anything from tea and biscuits to goldfish and lemonade is just fine!) In true Charlotte Mason fashion, we will focus on one artist, composer, and poet for several weeks to gain appreciation and recognition of the artist's work. Class time will primarily consist of observing art, listening to works by our composer, hearing poetry read aloud, and having a brief discussion about each. There may be class periods where we spend a little more time on one topic, when we dive into learning about the life of the artist/poet/composer in an accurate but age-appropriate way. Classes will run about 35 minutes each week, but may be slightly longer or shorter depending on class size, length of music piece, and discussion time. Please note, this is not a high energy class. There may be long periods of time where no discussion is happening while we observe a painting or listen to music. It is a time to slow down and take our time to view, contemplate, and discuss art. Learners with the expectation of a fast paced/high energy class may be disappointed. Having taught my own children art, music, and poetry over the years, I have learned that with this age group, these topics are most attentively observed and listened to with a snack to munch on. :) Students may also have coloring or other art supplies to use freely while we listen to music. At the end of class we read our poem, then if time allows, any students who have brought a poem from home may read it to the class. This is not required, but students seem to enjoy sharing poems and hearing poems other students brought. Reading levels vary widely with this age range, so if your child is not yet comfortable with reading or reciting poetry, that is perfectly fine! 

As this is an ongoing club, learners may jump in or discontinue at any time. However, the more weeks a student is present, the more fully they will understand and appreciate our current artist, composer, and poet. Learners of all abilities are welcome. If your child is 6 years old, you may choose this class, which is more of a traditional Charlotte Mason approach to art appreciation, or my other Charlotte Mason club for ages 3-6, which is less academic and more of an introduction to art appreciation. If your child is 9 years old, you may choose this class, which is an academic approach with primarily logical thinking and discussion, or my other Charlotte Mason club for ages 9-12, in which we study the same artists & composers, but will utilize slightly more abstract thinking and discussion. With my background in developmental psychology, I do my best to gear each class towards the level that makes the most sense for that age group. But I understand every child is different. It is to your discretion what you feel is right for your child. Feel free to message me with any questions! 

For sections beginning April 6th: 
Upcoming Artist: George Seurat 
Upcoming Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Upcoming Composer: Tchaikovsky