I’m a huge fan of Jane Austen, one of the finest authors ever. Like many girls of her age, Jane was homeschooled learning reading, writing, music, dancing and foreign language from her home in the Stevenson Rectory in Hampshire, England in the early 1800s.

One of my favorite Jane Austen quotes reminds me of many homeschool mothers:

“Your mother must have been a slave to your education”-Lady Catherine de Berg, Pride and Prejudice

Indeed, we do sometimes feel like slaves to our children’s education. I hope the blog posts shared here encourage you and lighten the load, just a bit!

A woman (or gentleman) of Jane Austen’s era had many facets to her education including reading, writing, art, music, dancing and more to be considered an “accomplished woman.” I hope you enjoy these blog posts on homeschooling.

Extensive Reading

Mr. Darcy claims an accomplished woman demands, “something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.” Pride and Prejudice

Lexi offers The Phonics Road to Spelling and Reading posted at Lextin Academy of Classical Education.

Lynn presents Summers Here! Does the Learning Stop? posted at Eclectic Education.

Jenn Schwilling, who reads extensively, presents A Great Reader? posted at DaisyChain Daily Carnival.

Denise asks if a girl and a half can read a book and a half in a day and a half, then how many books can one girl read in the month of June? in Rate Puzzle: How Fast Does She Read? posted at Let’s Play Math!.

Writing and Accounts

“Writing and accounts she was taught by her father;  French by her mother.” Northanger Abbey

TristanDR makes lapbooks of her unit studies as she discusses in Our Civil War Plans posted at Our Busy Homeschool.

Here’s a neat writing exercise to try in your homeschool: A six word story. Tom DeRosa presents A Lifetime in Six Words? Possible. posted at I Want to Teach Forever.

Opinions

“At my time of life opinions are tolerably fixed. It is not likely that I should now see or hear anything to change them.” Marianne in Sense and Sensibility

Deana at The Frugal Homeschooling Mom explains some of the reasons she chose homeschooling for her family in Why Do I Homeschool?

ChristineMM of The Thinking Mother tells about a very busy spring and how that has affected her family’s leisure time as well as helping her let go of unnecessary material possessions, including homeschool curriculum and books in Material Stuff We Own

Pamela tuns a field trip into a philosophical talk about politics and economics in Flower Fields posted at Blah, Blah, Blog

Is there such a thing as “too much” socialization? Read one mom’s opinion and share yours at Lesson Pathways (Christina S.) How Much is “Too Much”? posted at Lesson Pathways Blog.

Janine write about her thoughts on the test results of her daughters in Test Results at
Why Homeschool

Leisure and Games

Jane Austen and her contemporaries spent many hours playing card games such as whist and cribbage, charades, word games and puzzles. They enhance logic and math skills.

Being able to perform mathematical tricks is a great way to build student confidence. Sol Lederman presents Terrific Tic Tac Toe Trick posted at Wild About Math!.

Have you ever taken a math field trip? Tracy Beach presents Math Learning Field Trip Ideas for Homeschoolers posted at Math Learning, Fun & Education Blog : Dreambox Learning.

Art & Music

I couldn’t decide whether to put this post under Reading or Art because it combines the two. Jane Austen would have been charmed! Maureen Spell presents Read & Do: My Heart is Like a Zoo posted at Spell Out Loud.

Summer is a nice time to try a mini co-op. Here’s a cute idea for a music co-op that is simple but fun and memorable! Plan a summer mini music co-op

Katherine found here are plenty of cultural activities available for children, even in her tiny town in Maine. sign us up! posted at No Fighting, No Biting!.

Mom can study art and be an accomplished woman! ~Kris~ presents Time for Mom: Drawing posted at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Dancing

“There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the finest refinements of polished societies.” Sir William Lucas, Pride and Prejudice

Dawn writes about her local homeschool group’s annual cotillion. It’s a wonderful idea that teaches manners and etiquette! Hold a homeschool cotillion

The Accomplished Woman

“A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing and the modern languages…” Caroline Bingley, Pride and Prejudice

Laura Grace Weldon presents Transferring Enthusiasm posted at Laura Grace Weldon. There is something vitally important transmitted when one person’s enthusiasm sets off a spark in others. This sort of spirit can’t be reproduced in any curriculum. That’s why, whenever possible, we learn from people who are passionate.

Christine Field is an accomplished woman in the field of law (no pun intended). She is offering a free year of legal representation (and a bonus) to homeschooling families as Barbara Frank Online describes in Free Legal Coverage for Homeschooling Families

e-Mom presents an excerpt from an interview with author Jill Savage Living With Less so Your Family Has More posted at C h r y s a l i s ?.

The Educated Man

“His mind is well informed, his enjoyment of books exceedingly great, his imagination lively, his  observation just and correct, and his taste delicate and pure” Elinor describing Edward Farrers in Sense and Sensibility.

C.L. Dyck presents The World as Narrative posted at Scita > Scienda. A post from Scienda guest blogger Marc Schooley — beautiful writing by an intelligent man: “The world is a narrative, not a science project.” Marc muses on hurricanes of change, the passing of his father, and the final homecoming of heaven.

Rhonda Miller discovers the bent her two sons have in their learning styles in Bent Homeschooling posted at Parent Community and Forum.

Dave Roller shares a few things he picked up (literally and figuratively) at a recent home school convention in Conventional Wisdom posted at Home School Dad.

Get your boys interested in reading Jane Austen! Robin Phillips shares how in Jane Austen for Boys: 7 Topics to Inspire Their Reading posted at Crack the Egg.

I hoped you enjoyed this Carnival of Homeschooling: All Things Austen.

Next week’s host will be Roscommon Acres.