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Our image of homeschooling has changes drastically in the last century. When we hear the word homeschooling, we no longer see a picture of five or six children sitting a round a table scribbling away as a stern mother watches over them and lectures. Today, we have a variety of different ways to practice homeschooling that include outdoor activities, arts and crafts, sports and the use of advanced technology. The Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling certainly is not the most modern of homeschooling philosophies but it remains to be one of the most popular. In this article, I will guide you through some of milestones of the Charlotte Mason Method.

Charlotte Mason began to develop her ideas as a passionate mother dedicated to the effective education of her children. She founded the homeschooling movement in the early 1900′s and invested a lifetime in improving the quality of education for children. Her vision was to create a comprehensive and adaptable educational program that focused on core subjects with an emphasis on literature, classical music and fine arts. Charlotte Mason kept her audience in mind and worked hard to keep the program interesting for children.

Mason incorporates what she called ‘Living Books’ into the program, in place of dry factual textbooks often found in public schools. ‘Living Books’ are held in high value for Mason. Living books should be written by persons with passion for a particular subject. Also, the books should be written in conversational or narrative style. Books must be ‘alive’ and engaging in order to inspire a similar enthusiasm in the child. Mason shuns ‘twaddle,’ which are books or information that are dumbed down for children, insulting their intelligence and squashing their enthusiasm.

An important part of Mason’s program includes reading literature and narrating. Children must become proficient at narrating in their own words what they have read. The narration can be oral, written or even expressed in drawings. Narrating after reading helps to ensure comprehension. Younger children can narrate orally or through drawings but by ten years old, the child should be able to narrate a story by writing. Narration ensures that the child has synthesized the reading, organized the information in their mind and determined how best to communicate this information.

Mason advocates the use of ‘Nature Diaries.’ After a short and interesting lesson, the child is asked to observe Nature and draw what they perceive. This helps students develop a sense of respect for the environment. Regular nature study also paves the way for meaningful science instruction. Children should be encouraged to spend a significant amount of time outdoors so they can develop a relationship with nature and a love for it. If you ask your children to start a nature diary, let them know that the diary can include prose, pictures and poetry.

Children educated the Charlotte Mason way must not only develop literary, scientific and mathematical skills, but also excel in building good character and discipline. Mason was a firm believer that children must learn to govern themselves and develop a sense of inner discipline. Parents and teachers play an important role here, for they must guide children towards the development of good habits. Some of habits Mason encourages parents and teachers to nurture in children are: respect, patience, cleanliness and timeliness. Mason stated that it often takes four to six weeks for one of these skills to solidify as a habit. Parents who want to incorporate The Charlotte Mason method into their homeschooling program should try to implement as many of these practices as they can.

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