Charlotte Mason was dedicated to improving children’s education. She was a British educator, home schooled herself, who created one of the first methods of homeschooling. She lived from 1842 to 1923, and stressed that children’s education should be based in nature and the outdoor world, and that children should be outdoors rather than indoors whenever possible. She believed that children under 12 needed to be outside every day for a minimum of 5 hours, and that older children should spend at least one afternoon a week outdoors.
Her philosophy allowed for children to wander and explore outside, discovering new things and bringing found objects back to parents for more instruction. The lessons were spontaneous, each from one of the child’s outdoor discoveries. Her motto for students was simply, “I am, I can, I ought, I will.”
Charlotte Mason believed that ordinary textbooks were too dry and boring for children to learn from. She preferred what she called “living” books, or books written on the subject by someone enthusiastic about it, in a more informal, conversational style. She also insisted that after a child read something, he or she then explain back what was read either by narration, writing or drawing the concepts. This ensures that the child has understood what was read, and can relay it back in his or own words, using her or her own ideas.
The Charlotte Mason method follows her belief that grammar, spelling and math are best taught, first in concept, then in detail. Spelling was practiced by a child copying phrases or lines of poetry, so that it was first reinforced within great, profound works, and then taken apart letter by letter. Grammar was taught in the same way, through speaking and writing, before the individual concepts were presented. And math concepts were stressed before the child even began working math problems on paper.
Grades are not important, and not used in the Charlotte Mason program. Grades introduce the idea of competition which she believed can only hinder education. And there’s a strong emphasis on poetry, fine arts and oral communication. It’s a very flexible home school program that allows the child to make discoveries and then explore them with a parent’s help, rather than having the parent introduce concepts and then explain them.
The chief criticism of the Charlotte Mason method is its lack of structure, though the parents do provide structure even while the children explore.
If spontaneity, intuitive learning, art and nature are important to you and your child, the Charlotte Mason method could be ideal. Additionally, there are is no curriculum that must be purchased, making the Charlotte Mason method an inexpensive choice.
