CMP Review 2026-09-15

September 15, 2026

Swedish Drill has always been an area of relative interest to me. After all, Charlotte Mason herself wrote, “For physical training nothing is so good as Ling’s Swedish Drill,” and that’s quite an endorsement. However, whenever I tried to dig deeper, I kept running into obstacles. I usually encountered reasons NOT to pursue Swedish Drill today, rather than reasons to embrace it in our time.

That was, until this past April. I went to a small Charlotte Mason retreat in Arkansas. One of the breakout sessions was “Swedish Drill” by Melissa Petermann. Naturally, I was interested. Perhaps Petermann had answers. There was only one way to find out. With a mostly open mind, though tinged by a hint of skepticism, I jumped right in.

That was when it clicked. I realized that Melissa Petermann had the answers. “Please, will you share your ideas on Charlotte Mason Poetry?” I asked. Thankfully, now she has. Have you heard good things about Swedish Drill, but also had doubts like me? Read or hear Petermann’s new article here Your homeschool may never be the same again.

@artmiddlekauff