How I’m Using Generations Homeschool Curriculum the Charlotte Mason Way
I’m breaking all the rules!
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Generations Homeschool Curriculum the Charlotte Mason Way
If you’ve been around here a while, you know I’m a huge fan of combining rich literature with meaningful history lessons. This year, we’re diving into the Generations World History curriculum, but with a bit of a twist—I'm stretching it out over two years instead of one. Yep, I’m slowing it all down so we can savor the learning in a more Charlotte Mason homeschool kind of way.
So if you’re curious how I’m adapting the Generations homeschool curriculum to fit our Charlotte Mason style, you’re in the right place. Let’s chat!
Why I Chose the Generations Homeschool Curriculum
First things first—I genuinely love the Generations history books. They’re well-written, Christ-centered, and packed with truth. When I flipped through the World History volumes, I could tell right away that it was something I wanted to use with my kids.
But here’s the thing: it’s designed as a one-year curriculum, and honestly, that felt a bit rushed for the kind of homeschool rhythm we have in our home. Those two textbooks are both over 500 pages each, which seemed like too much, too fast.
I knew if I tried to plow through it in just one year, we’d miss out on the deep discussions, the living books, and the joy that comes with truly connecting to the material.
And that’s not how I want to teach the next (and final) 4 years of my son’s homeschool years.
I wanted to take a different approach and lean into that Charlotte Mason style of teaching that I know works well with my upcoming 9th grader.
Making It Work With Charlotte Mason Homeschool Methods
As a new Charlotte Mason homeschool mama, I’m passionate about slowing down and allowing my child to form real connections with what they’re learning. That means shorter lessons, rich living books, narration, and lots of time to reflect.
So I looked at the Generations homeschool curriculum and thought: what if I just… took my time?
What if I broke it up and spread it out over two years, giving us the freedom to add in living books, nature study, map work, art appreciation, and the gentle pace that Charlotte Mason encouraged?
Spoiler: that’s exactly what I’m doing.
I know it’s supposed to be a two year curriculum, and I know it’s breaking the rules.
I am a rule follower to a T. This is new territory for me as a homeschool mom.
VERY new territory.
Adding Living Books: The Heart of Charlotte Mason Curriculum
One of the biggest benefits of slowing down is being able to add in living books—something Charlotte Mason called “twaddle-free” literature. The days we are not reading the textbooks, I’ll be adding in the living books. We will study back and forth between living books and the first textbook. I will have an upcoming video talking all about the living books I’m going to be using with these two Generations history textbooks.
For each major time period, I pull together a handful of well-written books that:
Tell a compelling story,
Are rich in literary quality,
And focus on real people or events.
So while the Generations text provides the spine and structure, the living books bring the heart. And that’s where real learning sticks. We’ve had some of our best conversations not from the textbook itself, but from the historical novels and biographies we read alongside it.
Some of our recent favorites have included:
The Cat of Bubastes
God King
Hittite Warrior
The Dragon and the Raven
These are the kinds of books that make my kids want to keep reading—even after the lesson is “done.”
How I stretched Generations World History into 2 years
To make the Generations World History curriculum work for our slower, Charlotte Mason-inspired pace, I simply took the original weekly schedule—designed to be completed in 36 weeks—and stretched each week’s content over the course of two weeks. This adjustment naturally turned the one-year curriculum into a two-year program, giving us the weeks of study each year.
It was such a simple tweak, but it made all the difference. Now we have space for deeper discussions, meaningful narration, and the flexibility to add in living books and enrichment activities without feeling rushed. It fits our homeschool rhythm perfectly and gives me 180 days for each book.
I even planned it all out into my Simple Plan planner (by Mardel).
The first book, Preparing the World for Jesus is from Creation to the death and resurrection of Christ.
The second book, Taking the World for Jesus is from the death and resurrection of Christ to modern day.
Using the preplanned pages in the front of the workbook for parents and teachers that comes with this curriculum, I was able to make each “week” into 2 weeks in my planner, making 36 weeks for each textbook. Originally, the curriculum has you doing both books in 36 weeks. By making each one week into two weeks, I was able to double the schedule to span it over two full school years.
Planning out the books I’m going to use for each textbook.
Why This Blend Works for Us
This blended approach—using the Generations homeschool curriculum as a backbone while layering in Charlotte Mason curriculum elements—has truly brought the best of both worlds to our homeschool.
Here’s what I love about it:
We’re still anchored in a biblical worldview.
My kids are learning how to think, not just memorize.
We’re not rushed. We savor.
There’s space for creativity, curiosity, and deep connections.
And let’s be honest: slowing down is a sanity-saver for me, too. I don’t feel like I’m constantly trying to “keep up.” Instead, we’re moving at a pace that respects the childhood my child is living right now.
Plus I get to keep the 4 year history cycle that I want.
However, I’ve locked myself into this if I give it a go for 9th grade. So this approach makes me somewhat nervous. I can’t go back once I start.
Breaking up Generations History (more about how I’m breaking this up)
Encouragement for Other Charlotte Mason Homeschool Moms
If you’re looking at a curriculum like Generations and thinking, “I love this, but I’m not sure it fits my Charlotte Mason homeschool,” let me encourage you: it’s okay to make it your own.
You can adapt it.
You can slow it down.
You can make room for living books, narration, and all the beauty that comes with this style of learning.
The truth is, Charlotte Mason wasn’t against structure—she just believed in letting education be a life. When you pair that philosophy with strong, truth-based curriculum like Generations, you really can create something powerful and lasting.
So that’s how we’re doing it this year—and probably next year, too! We’re taking the Generations World History curriculum, breaking it up over two years, and adding in all the goodness of a Charlotte Mason homeschool.
It’s not about checking all the boxes. It’s about forming relationships—with ideas, with truth, and with the people and stories of history.
And honestly? I’m so excited to keep going.
Until next time,
Soli Deo Gloria,
Mandy
