Charlotte
Mason Philosophy
Charlotte
Mason had a a concern that students develop
a lifetime love of learning. She based her philosophy
on the Latin word for education, "educare,"
which means "to feed and nourish."
This nourishment was achieved through a wide curriculum
using a variety of books. Her method provides
a generous education. It is based on core subjects
and incorporates the fine arts. Children deal
directly with the best books, music and art. The
children are trained in the practice of narration,
or telling back what they've learned. The emphasis
is always placed on what the children do know
rather than what they do not know. This
training in essay-style examination effectively
prepares children for adulthood and success in
college.
Her material covers an extensive amount of topics
including: the formation of good habits, keeping
a Nature Diary, and preparing a handmade Book
of the Centuries. Charlotte Mason advocates the
avoidance of twaddle, or what we might call "dumbed
down" literature, and replaces twaddle with
classic literature and noble poetry. Her method
also includes a unique style of dictation and
spelling.
"Twaddle
Free" and "Living Books"
"Twaddle"
and "living books" are terms from Charlotte
Mason's educational philosophies. Charlotte Mason
was an educator in England during the previous
century, and her methods are currently experiencing
a rebirth among American home schools.
 |
Twaddle = dumbed down literature; absence
of meaning |
|
Living Books = books that are well-written
and engaging---they absorb the reader---the
narrative and characters "come alive";
living books are the opposite of cold, dry
textbooks. |
"Upon the knowledge of these great matters--History,
Literature, Nature, Science, Art--the Mind feeds
and grows. It assimilates such knowledge as the
body assimilates food, and the person becomes
what is called magnanimous, that is, a person
of great mind, wide interests, incapable of occupying
himself much about petty, personal matters. What
a pity to lose sight of such a possibility for
the sake of miserable scraps of information about
persons and things that have little connection
with one another and little connection with ourselves!"
--Charlotte Mason (Vol. 4, p. 78 -- The Original
Homeschooling Series)
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