Before the Johnsons sent me Home Education last summer, all I knew about Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy was “living books”–the idea that kids learn things like history better from interesting, well-written literature than from dry, boring textbooks. I was definitely on board! But there’s so much more to Charlotte Mason.
First of all, I was stuck by the emphasis on teaching children to observe things. I tried it out on Tommy, asking him to describe to me what he saw at the park, as we drove to church, in the backyard, etc. I determined that he’s not good at observing yet and that we need to get out of the big city (as Mason urges) so that he can actually see nature, not just buildings, from time to time!
Finally, a justification for not sending Tommy to preschool–Mason points out that “sometimes the society of his equals is too stimulating for a child.” “The clash and sparkle of our equals now and then stirs us up to health; but for everyday life, the mixed society of elders, juniors, and equals, which we get in a family, gives at the same time the most repose and the most room for individual development.”
Mason gives a lot of practical suggestions in the second half as to what lessons might look like, and she thinks that definite lessons shouldn’t start until 6 or 7. I have mixed thoughts on this–on the one hand, I agree that all-day kindergarten and sending kids off to school at 4 or 5 is more for the convenience of working parents than for the good of the child. But I personally went to kindergarten that early because I knew how to read and was ready to learn more. I think it really depends on the maturity of the child. Tommy knows many of his states and capitals, the geography of the US and parts of Africa, three alphabets, and some French vocabulary, just because those happen to be things we do by play (puzzles, music, picture books). I’m tempted to push him to start reading soon because he does seem like he’ll be ready, but Mason emphasizes that lessons should be short and sweet and not a burden to a restless child. I was amazed at how short–like 10 minutes of reading at a time! With this in mind, I’ve definitely scaled back my plans for kindergarten. (I know, it’s like 2 years down the road…but I can’t help myself from planning!)
I loved reading Mason’s suggestions for how to teach a child to read, especially that “even for their earliest reading lessons, it is unnecessary to put twaddle into the hands of children.” Her methodology is actually less phonics-based than I believe in, but it’s fun to think about. I’ve also been trying to get Tommy to do a bit of narration–telling me stories, telling back to me what happened in his Bible story, etc. She insists that we shouldn’t allow children to do slip-shod work even at the beginning, as it sets up habits (bad penmanship, etc) that will plague them for life. I could go on, but this book will certainly be reread many times as we start officially homeschooling down the road.
There are downsides–Mason actually quotes the ridiculous children-come-“trailing-clouds-of-glory” nonsense, and though she seems to admit that children have a sin nature, her theology shows the influence of 19th century liberalism. Some of her scientific rationales are kindof funny–we’ve learned a lot in biology and physiology in the past 100 years. But in general, I smirked a lot less than I underlined.
I’m excited about homeschooling, and I’m looking forward to reading more Mason (and Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, my favorite homeschooling writers) in years to come!
Thanks for your thoughts–I was excited to see this!!
Encourage Tommy to look around the city–we country mice found so much to look at while we were there!
My cousin is delving into Charlotte Mason. She will be home schooling her 2 next year. I’m glad you shared your thoughts! We are in decision mode about Aidan’s education…most especially the preschool debate!