The Idyll Challenge

An idyll is defined as “a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace and contentment.” In Charlotte Mason’s 1912 article entitled “Three Educational Idylls,” she includes a footnote in which she recommends that educators implementing her method should read her volumes every two years.

I think this recommendation is relevant to fathers of homeschooling families using Mason’s methods. Therefore, I am launching “The Idyll Challenge,” which is an invitation for men to intentionally join me in a plan to read Mason’s entire six-volume set in 24 months beginning on August 1. The Idyll Challenge has several unique features:

1. It is for men only.
2. It is expected that most participants will never have read Mason’s volumes.
3. The order in which we will read the volumes is customized based on the way I think men would like to learn Charlotte Mason’s method.
4. The approach is designed to minimize the time requirement while maximizing accountability.
5. We will read approximately 90 pages per month. You can do the reading whenever you want. For example, You can read 3 pages per day, or you can read all 90 pages in a single sitting.
6. We will meet online once per month for exactly 60 minutes for a live discussion. We will never go beyond the 60 minute allotted time. The only preparation required is that you do the reading and come with three things: one question you had about the reading, one thing you disagree with in the reading, and one thing you would like to do based on the reading.
7. No books with pink covers are allowed. If your edition of the volumes has a pink cover, you are strongly encouraged to re-cover the book. Tips on how to do so are available on request.

The Idyll Challenge begins on August 1. If you would like to join, please email me or reply with a comment to this post.