As I am praying desperately to bring my boys home again, I realized that I have neglected to continue my own education on Charlotte Mason’s educational ideas. I realized this yesterday, and since have been back to studying my Charlotte Mason Study Guide by Penny Gardner. I printed this out when I first purchased the download edition, and put it into a three-ring notebook.
I am an active reader: I read with a pen in one hand and a highlighter on my lap. I take notes in the margins. I do this with my Bible, and with any other books which I intend to glean knowledge from (and remember it). I am doing this reading with D1 in mind, knowing that CM’s methods were perfectly suited for children who learn outside the ‘normal’ ways. High quality literature, short, intentional lessons serving dual purposes, plenty of fresh air and outdoor learning time… all of these things benefit my sons. They would benefit my daughters also, if I were able to get them back into the homeschool setting again.
I am ready to learn to homeschool differently. I am willing to let my sons create their own way, rather than cram them both into the same box…. that same box that everyone THINKS they should be in but doesn’t fit them. I need to know how to do this.
How did you begin Charlotte Mason’s methods with your special needs child? My son has a good attention span but cannot sit still very long (making it appear as if he has a short attention span. He cannot do much in the way of writing… Copying a simple sentence on a piece of paper is akin to torture for him. He has a fantastic memory but also has language processing delays, so I expect narration may be challenging for him. We will start small. I know this. I still feel like I need someone to tell me Do Step One, then Do Step Two.
So, am I weird, normal, expecting too much, too needy?? 
I could use some comments here ladies!
I don’t actually use Charlotte Mason.. but I love the ideas and have read quite about her methods. I think it is terrific that you are considering homeschooling again and I think that anything you do one on one outside the educational box will be beneficial to them.
Are they at all auditory? With my oldest son we listened to tapes and cds all the time. He knows SO much from this and he has a fantastic ability to listen to something and understand it (ie. sermons). The reason we started doing this was because he was not interested at all in reading (way back in 1st grade). He is a fine reader now.. but his preferred method is auditory (hence the permanent ipod attached to his skull).
So I think that starting small with whatever method and finding out WHAT works for YOUR child! is the thing to do. You already know some things that don’t so don’t let even us homeschoolers tell you it has to look a certain way. Use Charlotte Mason in freedom.. not bondage!
I don’t know much about Charlotte Mason or her methods. I do remember sitting in a lecture given by Susan Wise Bauer and she was talking about narration. I remember her saying, “If your first grader is complaining that it hurts after writing one sentence it is because it does.” That was encouraging for me.
I am sorry I am not more help.