About Charlotte Mason
| Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education is best summarized by eighteen principles given at the beginning of each of her books. Two key mottos are:
"Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life" and
"Education is the science of relations." She believed that children were born persons and should be respected as such. She also believed that they should also be taught the Way of the Will and the Way of Reason. Her motto for her students was
"I am, I can, I ought, I will."
If you ever are interested in reading Charlotte Mason's own words,
then consider taking the time to study her Original
Home Schooling Series (6 volumes). Volumes 1 and 6 deal specifically
with curriculum and her suggestions on how to teach students at
home. Those who wish to study her methods and read actual reports
from her home school parents and teachers should consider the
PR Articles
(very slow to load so be patient). These contain a wealth of practical,
intellectual and theoretical studies in education and the philosophy
of schooling at home or government schools.
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Charlotte
Mason (1842 – 1923) |
Charlotte Mason Inspired Curriculum
There are many ways to home school using the methods suggested
by Charlotte Mason. Some people create their own program
using her suggestions towards a curriculum found throughout
Volume 6 of her original home schooling series. Other's
prefer to follow the guidelines espoused by Susan
Schaeffer-McCauley, Karen Andreola, Penny Gardner, or
Catherine Levinson as detailed in their popular books written
about her life and her method. Some people choose to
incorporate some of her methods (copy work or narration) but
prefer to follow a traditional or classical curriculum scope and
sequence.
There are three websites that offer a complete Charlotte Mason
inspired curriculum: Ambleside
Online, Simply
Charlotte Mason, and Mater
Ambilis (for Catholic users). All three websites offer
their curriculum guide for free.
What Are Characteristics of a CM-inspired Curriculum?
Many people believe they are following Charlotte Mason's
methods when in reality they are not. They often
misinterpret her writings and falsely believe that simply by
reading lots of classical books, practicing narration, attending
to copy work, observing nature, listening to poetry and classical
music, that they are teaching their children the Charlotte Mason
way. While these subjects and disciplines are a hallmark of
the CM Method, many families forget that the bulk of her
philosophy dealt with the Way of the Reason and the Way of the
Will. Therefore, it is very important to consider habit
training and character education as key components of a Charlotte
Mason education. In fact, they form the cornerstone of her
method. With training the mind and the will, the student
will never learn to "attend" to their studies, to
discipline their mind to receive instruction, and to grow in their
knowledge and understanding of the world around them. It is
vitally important to remember that Charlotte Mason believed in
educating the entire person: mind, body and soul. This
whole learning method is in direct contrast to the ideas found in
many neo-classical curriculums, which seek to instill knowledge to
the mind only. It is my belief that to experience CM at it's
fullest, one must embrace her methods completely and spend a great
deal of time study her actual writings, reviewing her PNEU
Programmes and reading through the volumes of articles written
to the Parent's Review
magazine. It is through in-depth study that one comes to
recognize just how superior a Charlotte Mason education is and how
instrumental it functions in the teaching of the entire
person. Charlotte Mason wrote, "children are born
persons," and to teach only the mind, limits the potential
and comprehensive nature we can experience as fully human beings.
I encourage you to read and study to learn more about Charlotte
Mason's method and the educational philosophy she espouses.
**Next: Resources
Copyright 1998-2010. Carol Hepburn.
