Charlotte Mason Method

“Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.” Charlotte Mason

Those following the Charlotte Mason Method for their delivery of education support the ethos developed by Mason that promotes learning to happen with books, experiences, nature, ideas and the environment.
The idea is to educate the whole child, not just the mind.
Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy abides by the twenty principles that she developed.
These principles were developed from her many years of teaching through observations of the children.
There is a strong sense of 'relations' through the work of Mason, with the British educator proposing that children have four main relations/key relationships:
- with themselves
- with others
- with the environment
- and with God
Working on these relational areas, Mason proposed the child will nurture self knowledge and respect, create important connections, build a strong connection to nature and the universe and opens the pathway to a relationship with God. .
There is a strong sense of 'ideas' over 'facts' - Mason was more interested in the relations formed through learning, which ideas "clicked" and deepened the learning.
The way in which this curriculum is taught is through "living books" - books by experts about their passions - tailored to the child's geographical and cultural context, with some form of "narration".
Children are encouraged to "narrate" back what they are learning, promoting and developing rich language.
Lessons are kept short to allow for the child to fully engage within a timeframe that suits them.
There is a balance between hands on learning and book learning.

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