CMP Review 2026-04-06

April 6, 2026

What would be the Charlotte Mason approach to a pre-algebra lesson?

That’s the question I asked myself every single day as I developed the first book in the Simply Charlotte Mason Junior Math Series. Of course there were many considerations, but one factor stood above of the rest: the importance of the idea.

What is an idea? It’s “more than an image or a picture,” says Charlotte Mason. “It is, so to speak, a spiritual germ endowed with vital force—with power, that is, to grow, and to produce after its kind. It is the very nature of an idea to grow.”

That was my guiding principle as I developed each lesson: to uncover the idea — the living idea — behind each element of mathematics that comprises pre-algebra. My goal was to help students find not just static procedures but rather living principles that would spark their imagination and curiosity.

But education is not only about living ideas. Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. So the discipline of habit and the atmosphere of the real world are an ever-present undercurrent throughout the entire book.

I taught my three children math at home from birth to the end of high school. Each child was unique and approached the subject differently. I learned so much by walking with them through the journey of discovery for the past 20 years. This is the book that I wish I had when I was teaching them. I’m glad I can now share it with you. Find it here.

@artmiddlekauff