As we looked back at our own education and began to consider what we wanted for Bee, Bear, and Squirt, we stumbled upon Charlotte Mason’s first volume, Home Education. Her words and ideals spoke to us profoundly. I won’t try to summarize all of the wisdom in that and her other 5 volumes, but I will say that it promised a more holistic and organic educational experience than we had ever dreamed of. It is truly an educational philosophy as opposed to a method or curriculum. For the best information about Mason (aside from reading her volumes yourself) or to get in on the conversation, you can visit the Charlotte Mason Institute
There were aspects of my own education that I wanted to preserve for Bee, Bear, and Squirt. It was important and enriching for me to grow up with my always experimenting father – we had albino mice for pets when I was young… because having your own lab in the basement is just part of life… even when you are an adult with a full time job, a part time job, and a family to raise. It was vital to be read to every day. A Mason education provides plenty of this.
There were aspects that I wanted to correct, also. Along with so many other students, I struggled with foreign language education. I could never memorize all of the vocabulary and conjugations let alone figure out how to use them! Mason outlined a more immersive foundation that is supported by modern research. I have found no other method that provides the non-fluent educator with the knowledge of how to effectively explore another language with the student.
I also never really “got” history. It all seemed so disconnected… with yet more memorization. How does American history fit into the rest of world history? How did precolonial British history lead us to the Revolution? Mason connected it all together without the reliance on memorization.
Additionally, I struggled as an asynchronous learner and we saw at an early age that Bee would be sitting in the same boat. I am now seeing that Bear likely will be challenged with a learning difference. Yet again, Mason spoke to my concerns by providing the student with plenty of flexibility to learn at their appropriate level in each subject. She did this both through her form structure (rather than grade levels) and by encouraging the educator to adapt and adjust books and expectations based on each student’s needs.
Posts on this topic:
Charlotte Mason and a Modern Science Education
The Personhood of a Young Perfectionist
Spring Cleaning at Bonaventure Academy
Mason and the Anxious Child, Part 1
Mason and the Anxious Child, Part 2
Mason and the Anxious Child, Part 3
Ingredients and Process for Interpreting Mason in the Special Needs Home
A Qualitative Look at Leaf Pigments using Paper or Thin Layer Chromatography
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