Charlotte Mason’s method of education impacts our lives on many levels. This episode of short topics includes ideas for collections from our physical world, ideas for getting more out of books beyond the usual narration that expands our intellectual world, and some of the many, many benefits we who use her method have in common with others that we would not have shared before to widen our social world.

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School Education (Volume 3), Chapter XVI, pp. 174-180

“To make collections of wild flowers for the several months, press them, and mount them neatly on squares of cartridge paper, with the English name, habitat, and date of finding of each, affords much happy occupation and, at the same time, much useful training: better still is it to accustom children to make careful brush drawings of the flowers that interest them, of the whole plant where possible.” (1/52)

“To make collections of leaves and flowers, pressed and mounted, and arranged according to their form, affords much pleasure, and, what is better, valuable training in the noticing of differences and resemblances. Patterns for this sort of classification of leaves and flowers will be found in every little book of elementary botany.” (1/63-64)

“I would not teach them any botany which should necessitate the pulling of flowers to bits ; much less should they be permitted to injure or destroy any (not noxious) form of animal life.” (1/62)

“Neatness is akin to order, but is not quite the same thing: it implies not only ‘a place for everything, and everything in its place,’ but everything in a suitable place, so as to produce a good effect ; in fact, taste comes into play.” (1/130)

“This, of getting ideas out of them, is by no means all we must do with books. ‘In all labour there is profit,’ at any rate in some labour ; and the labour of thought is what his book must induce in the child. He must generalise, classify, infer, judge, visualise, discriminate, labour in one way or another, with that capable mind of his, until the substance of his book is assimilated or rejected, according as he shall determine ; for the determination rests with him and not with his teacher.” (3/179)

“There is much difference between intelligent reading, which the pupil should do in silence, and a mere parrot-like cramming up of contents; and it is not a bad test of education to be able to give the points of a description, the sequence of a series of incidents, the links in a chain of argument, correctly, after a single careful reading.” (3/180)

“This is only one way to use books: others are to enumerate the statements in a given paragraph or chapter; to analyse a chapter, to divide it into paragraphs under proper headings, to tabulate and classify series ; to trace cause to consequence and consequence to cause; to discern character and perceive how character and circumstance interact ; to get lessons of life and conduct, or the living knowledge which makes for science, out of books ; all this is possible for school boys and girls, and until they have begun to use books for themselve.s in such ways, they can hardly be said to have begun their education.” (3/180)

Winter Weed Finder, Dorcas Miller

The feast Charlotte Mason spread for the children included generous portions of history, geography, and modern language, but in the upper forms the news of the day was another important aspect for study. How do we navigate the current events in our turbulent, partisan, and often shocking times? Liz, Emily, and Nicole discuss the purpose of current events in the program, as well as sources of news and applications of world events in the education of our children.

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“There has seldom been a time in recent years in which the events of the day would not give an interesting parallel to some event of the past. [Recent news stories are] full of incidents which might…help a teacher to present the past as a more living reality. The things that are going on round us in the world are real: these are in everyone’s mouth : they touch many families directly : the linking of past and present by the teacher relieves the flatness of past events and makes them stand out as actual and distinct. … undoubtedly where children are taught to understand the nature of the political and national struggles which are going on round us, and the principles which underlie them, they are far more likely to grow up to understand what was involved in the history of the past.” (Sing, Rev. Canon. Parents’ Review 10, p. 758)

“He must have a living relationship with the present, its historic movement, its science, literature, art, social needs and aspirations. In fact, he must have a wide outlook, intimate relations all round” (3/162)

And having these relationships prevents our students from “leave[ing] school with no ideas, [about our present time] hopelessly ignorant of what is taking place in the great world outside,” (Mais, S. P. B. English In The Public Schools. Parents’ Review 25, p. 101)

“We must read our newspaper, of course––newspapers on both sides; but he who founds upon his newspaper is an ignorant patriot and an illiberal citizen. His opinions are no more than parrot-like repetitions of other men’s sayings; whereas he who dwells with dutiful interest upon the history of his own country, distressed over her ignominies, proud when she has shown herself great; who has pondered the history of another great empire––admiring the temperate justice with which its distant colonies were administered, and scrutinising the causes of its fall––he gradually acquires some insight as to the meaning of national life. He is able to express an opinion which is not a mere echo, and gains convictions which will certainly be of use to his country, even if they are known only to the people about his own fireside.”  (4/2/75)

“The child’s range of sympathy must be widened, his love must go out to far and near, rich and poor; distress abroad and distress at home should appeal to him equally; and always he should give some manner of help at real cost to himself.  [and she points out that one way this is facilitated is that] When he is old enough, the object-lessons of the newspapers should be brought before him.” (2/266)

“One of the most effectual methods of inculcating patriotism in the home is judicious newspaper reading. (Stephens, Winifred. Patriotism In Education. Parents’ Review 18, p. 101.)

“He who reads history in this way, not to pass examinations, nor to obtain culture, nor even for his own pleasure (delightful as such reading is), but because he knows it to be his duty to his country to have some intelligent knowledge of the past, of other lands as well as of his own, must add solid worth to the nation that owns him. It is something to prepare for the uses of the State a just, liberal, and enlightened patriotism in the breast of a single citizen.” (4/2/75)

“We can only plead again that partial knowledge and ignorance breed fear, where true comprehension and sufficient pains in explanation would cast it out. But there are other dangers. The candour and broad-mindedness of young people would be injured, some think, by the study of events of which in the nature of things they will only hear one side. The nationality, politics, and even religion, of their parents or teachers will so affect the view taken of the passing day that in recording its events to the child, only one narrow aspect will reach them. 

Well, better that than none at all; though where children are allowed to listen to rational conversation on current topics instead of having all the talk brought down to their level, they may on the contrary learn to respect many points of view” (Pennethorne, R. A,. The Teaching Of Contemporary History. Parents’ Review 12, p. 275-76.)

“But we may run no needless risks, and must keep a quiet, matter-of-fact tone in speaking of fire, shipwreck, or any terror.  (3/185)

“Calumny, we all know, is the speaking of injurious words about other people. We must keep our tongues from evil-speaking, lying, and slandering; and Wesley says that to speak evil of another when it is true is to slander, and when it is false, is to lie. Such things as these, about the people we have dealings with, are lightly said, often without intention; but two things have happened––our neighbour’s character has received a wound; and Truth, perhaps the most beautiful inmate of the House of Heart, has also received a hurt at our hands.” (4/1/152-153)

“The class of literature to which I refer will be obvious to everybody. I mean that sort of paper, daily or weekly or monthly, which is conducted on purely commercial principles, and consists of isolated scraps of a sensational or scandalous or gossipy nature, each paper endeavouring to outbid its rivals by an intenser appeal to the gape and itch of an idle or prurient curiosity. Such papers propose to themselves no object of enlightenment or culture : they are bent simply upon hitting and indulging the vulgar taste, and therefore by an inevitable law upon accentuating and debasing it.” (Mills, J. Saxon. Character and the Modern Press. Parents’ Review 7, p. 282)

“This is the opportunity to keep the young people informed upon the topics of the day,––who has made a weighty speech; who has written a book, what its merits and defects; what wars and rumours of wars are there; who has painted a good picture, and what are the characteristics of his style. The Times newspaper and a good weekly or monthly review will furnish material for talk every day in the week. The father who opens the talk need not be afraid he will have to sustain a monologue; indeed, he had better avoid prosing; and nothing is more delightful than the eager way the children toss the ball to and fro. They want to know the inns and outs of everything, recollect something which illustrates the point, and inevitably corner the thing talked about for investigation––is it “right,” or “wrong,” “good,” or “bad”; while the parents display their tact in leading their children to form just opinions without laying down the law for them. The boys and girls are engaged with the past, both in their school-work and their home reading, and any effort to bring them abreast of the times is gratifying to them; and it has a vivifying effect on their studies.” (5/231)

“Now every argument for the teaching of history as a whole applies doubly to the history of our own times. … No great movement, no convulsion of nations or of society is sudden; the causes of to-day’s events must be sought, not only in last year’s, but in yesterday’s, and to-day’s doings are profoundly affecting to-morrow.” (Pennethorne, R. A. The Teaching of Contemporary History. Parents’ Review 12, p. 273)

The World and Everything In It Podcast

The New Paper Newsletter

Prisoners of Geography

Episode 107: Forming Informed Opinions

Charlotte Mason did not limit persons and knew the scope of a child’s education was limitless in its potential for each individual. This episode of Charlotte Mason in Our Homes interviews Caroline Chermely whose son was born at 25 weeks causing multiple deficiencies and life-long limitations. Two terms of a Charlotte Mason approach has resulted in undeniable growth and possibilities now. Whether you personally must cope with a child having “special needs,” or not, this mom shares ideas with immense lessons and ramifications for every child applicable in every home.

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“If we have not proved that a child is born a person with a mind as complete and as beautiful as his beautiful little body, we can at least show that he always has all the mind he requires for his occasions; that is, that his mind is the instrument of his education and that his education does not produce his mind.” (6/36)

For the Children’s Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

Did Charlotte Mason have a rhyme or reason to her broad and varied feast or, was it just a collection of unrelated topics? Far from a mishmash, the more the whole feast is pursued, in all its varied subjects, the more it all fits as a whole. Emily, Liz, and Nicole have an animated conversation exploring just how connected this wide feast really is.

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“But I should like to say to any parents who may doubt the need for such and such a book set, that, to omit it is to leave out a link in the chain by which all hang together.” (Charlotte Mason, Parents’ Review 23, p. 503)

“Many people did not realise that Miss Mason’s ideal was to give each human being a chance of expanding in all directions. Almost unconciously children working in the school felt this themselves.” (Miss Pennethorne)

“And since it is so essential to all arts, I think it is of the utmost importance that the teaching of crafts, drawing, art appreciation, and design, should all be in the hands of the same person; they all interlock so completely and are so inter-dependent that they cannot be separated ; and how very carefully the syllabus of the Parents’ Union School is arranged, so that they shall progress hand in hand, is not always readily appreciated, even by those of us who have been in close contact with the methods of the Parents’ National Educational Union for some years, and who fail to realise that the scheme in handicraft and art is as comprehensive as that in Literature, History and Science. (K. Minn, Parents’ Review 47, pp. 329-330)”

“What is education after all? An answer lies in the phrase––Education is the Science of Relations. … What we are concerned with is the fact that we personally have relations with all that there is in the present, all that there has been in the past, and all that there will be in the future––with all above us and all about us…” (3/186-87)

“…the fact is, that a few broad essential principles cover the whole field, and these once fully laid hold of, it is as easy and natural to act upon them as it is to act upon our knowledge of such facts as that fire burns and water flows.” (1/10)

“…When we remember, as she always did, that ‘knowledge is truth,’ we know at once that no part of truth can be omitted without wrecking the whole. And in some wonderful way, P.U.S. children do realise that knowledge is a balanced whole; that Scripture, history, geography, botany and all the others are actually different facets of the same thing. Indeed it may be that herein lies the chief characteristic of a PNEU school; for it is merely another way of saying that children have a wide curriculum and that they get at knowledge for themselves and for its own sake. All this results in a real enjoyment and love of knowledge which is most delightful to witness…

“What is the secret of this? I do not know. What we cannot do with Midd Mason’s ideal is to reduce it to its lowest terms, and just in so far as we try to, so far we misrepresent it, and misunderstand it. But some of the secret undoubtedly lies in the Programmes of Work; the longer we work from those wonderful programmes, the more we realise how well balanced they are; how satisfying to the hungry mind; how the subjects dovetail; how difficult it is to teach history only in history time, how it will ‘flow over’ into geography, literature, or even into such unexpected channels as arithmetic or botany.” (Miss Wix, Miss Mason’s Ideal: Its Breadth and Balance)

“Let us always keep all the Forms and all the books in our minds, when we are asked questions about the school work, and make the details of the letterpress on the Programme our own as well. The school cannot be judged by one book or one subject. Every book and every subject has a niche to fill. It cannot stand alone, nor can it be omitted from the Programme without weakening the whole ‘organism.'” (Miss Kitching, Parents’ Review 36, p. 417)

“Let us hope that this may help to convince some that many subjects do all help each other and fit in together, and are not simply ‘more work,’ but rather less.” (Miss Pennethorne, Parents’ Review 26, p. 584)

“And finally, we must not let the Zeitgeist have the last word, or we shall be dropping now one subject, now another, according to the need of the moment, not realising that sooner or later we shall have to make good our omissions. The Board of Education became aware in 1915 that there was no European History taught in the schools, and quickly issued an important paper for official use. They also realised in 1924 that few schools were teaching Colonial Hisotry, and they appointed an able Director, who issued a manifesto with notes of lessons, to remedy this defect…The P.U.S. children, thanks to the wisdom and foresight of Miss Mason, had no need for sudden changes in their programmes, for these subjects were all provided for, and always had been.” (Miss Kitching, Parents’ Review 36, p. 417)

“What we have to do is to gather together and order our resources ; to put the first thing foremost and all things in sequence, and to see that education is neither more nor less than the practical application of our philosophy.”(2/119)

“See to it for your children that they do get the whole education planned to expand each one–not a few Terms in Forms IB. and A.–the mere threshold of the Temple of Learning and Life. No one understands our work who had not trodden the way with it till the goal is reached.” (Miss Pennethorne, Parents’ Review 36, p. 544)

“Integration [is] simple enough to understand. It means merely that all our bits of knowledge should be seen to be parts of wholes. A surgeon learns by dissection, but his knowledge is of use only to whole bodies, living men and women. So in school we learn by subjects, by lessons, in bits and pieces, but these should be fitted in, first to their own context, and then later on to the whole human scene as far as we are able to comprehend it…there is no comprehension at all until our bits of knowledge have a time and place, a context assigned to them. Even the youngest can be encouraged to say when and where things happen, and later on people and events should always be related to their environment. This principle will be readily accepted in historical subjects, and it is clearly the object of Century Books. But in other subjects it is important for the child to see where a life or work belongs.” (Parents’ Review 66, pp. 154-156)

“‘Isn’t it fun, mother, learning all these things? Everything seems to fit into something else.’ The boy had not found out the whole secret; everything fitted into something within himself.” (6/157

Miss Mason’s Ideal: Its Breadth and Balance, Miss Wix (Skip down to page 143)

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P.U.S. Exam Pamphlet

Not only did Charlotte Mason include abundant novel reading in her curriculum feast and reference novels and characters from them continuously throughout her own writing, but she believed they were valuable for everyone–not just students. This week’s episode is a book discussion of Middlemarch by George Eliot, a novel she references and an author she admired. Whether you have read this novel or not, join in to hear not just what we thought of it, but how it reveals much about our Charlotte Mason education.

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Middlemarch, George Eliot