Charlotte Mason was a Christian educator from Victorian Era England. When I first read about her in homeschooling magazines and books, I immediately decided that I wanted to adopt many of her ideas. So much of what she recommends seems to be simply good old fashioned common sense that has been forgotten and would be shunned in many educational circles today. I majored in Child Development while I attended college, and what I acquired was a far cry from Charlotte Mason philosophy.
For Charlotte Mason, education was more to do with setting an atmosphere and a healthy lifestyle for your child than about workbooks and fact memorization. Yet, her approach was not ” child centered” in the modern sense that eliminates instruction, discipline and good habits. She spoke of providing a wholesome and stimulating home environment that encouraged learning while still allowing time for the carefree happy days of childhood. Charlotte Mason would probably love the saying that “homeschooling is a lifestyle.” I thought the following list of Charlotte Mason ” do’s & dont’s” might be helpful to those who are just getting to know Charlotte Mason philosophy. As I read the list, I think so much of what she taught is probably the way many of our forefathers were taught. Her ideas may seem old-fashioned but I wouln’t be surprised if I found out that many of our grandmothers would have done the same.
~Charlotte did not recommend using textbooks but encouraged the use of whole books. She called them “Living books”
