A Charlotte Mason Education - ISSN: 1527-1277
Vol. 3, No. 1 -- November 2001
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Copyright (C) 2001 Deborah Taylor-Hough. All rights reserved.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
-- "Dear Readers"
-- Charlotte Mason Quote-able
-- Book Selection ~ Part Two
-- Awakening the Soul of Children
-- A Day in the Life ...
-- Letters to the Editor / Readers' Tips
-- Assorted Information (archives, retrieving back issues, etc.)

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Dear Readers ...

I can hardly believe that the current issue of The Charlotte Mason
Monthly marks the beginning of our third year of publication.
Where did the time go? If you missed the first two years worth
of the CM-Monthly, you can still order back issues via email
autoresponder by sending an email containing any message

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You'll receive a Table of Contents detailing each back issue along
with instructions for retrieving each previous edition of the newsletter.


Simply Yours,

Debi
(Deborah Taylor-Hough)
DSimple@aol.com
Editor, CM-Monthly Email Newsletter
Author of "Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a
Month" and "A Simple Choice: A Practical Guide to Saving Your
Time, Money and Sanity"
Click here

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CHARLOTTE MASON QUOTE-ABLE

"In ... nature study, we attach great significance to recognition,
believing that the power to recognise and name a plant or stone
or constellation involves classification and includes a good deal
of knowledge. To know a plant by its gesture and habitat, its
time and its way of flowering and fruiting; a bird by its flight and
song and its times of coming and going; to know when, year after
year, you may come upon the redstart and the pied fly-catcher,
means a good deal of interested observation, and of ... the material
of science."

--Charlotte Mason, "School Education," (Vol. 3)
From the Original Homeschooling Series (six volume set)
Click here

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BOOK SELECTION -- Part Two
Copyright 2001 Catherine Levison
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Christianity.com/CMason/


Book lists and catalogs will not always solve the problem of how to find books to match the topic you want to cover. While it can be satisfying to choose a topic and then go looking for interesting books that will sufficiently cover it -- you may find it can be far more difficult and more time consuming than you had planned. All of us have had this disappointment, perhaps most commonly at the library when it becomes apparent that everyone else in town is studying our topic.

It comes down to this: Should you decide on a topic and then go looking for the right books? Or, can you eliminate this obstacle by becoming so skilled at book collecting that you have a great assortment of quality books at your fingertips? To accomplish this, you'll have to let go of any borderline neurotic impulses to cover everything you think the public school is covering (but really isn't). You'll have to adopt Charlotte Mason's philosophy that "the best thought the world possesses is stored in books; we must open books to children, the best books; our own concern is abundant provision and orderly serving." (Vol. 6, p. 26)


ASCERTAINING VALUE

That brings up the most important point -- there is a skill to be learned. You need to learn to ascertain the value of a book at every opportunity, at a moment's notice. That is the key to a great collection. In other words, it could be considered your job to locate interesting books, and, because it's a little like searching for a needle in a haystack, you have to always be looking. Think of yourself as a hunter, your eyes always aware of your surroundings. Every trip to the thrift store, garage sale or your Aunt Hilda's attic may result in the find of a lifetime. With effort, your collection will grow. Simultaneously, you should begin to eliminate the worthless books from your shelves, thus making room for your living and whole books.


BOOK COLLECTORS ANONYMOUS

Can you overdo it? Yes and no. If you find your long-lost talent is book collecting and take to it with a zeal (or obsession) that makes for family trouble such as "sneaking" books in behind your spouse's back, raiding the savings account (again!) or going without meals, then, yes, you are overdoing it. But for most of us I don't know that we could ever have too many beautifully written books on a wide variety of subjects. This is our goal according to Miss Mason, "We owe it to every child to put him in communication with the great minds that he may get at the great thoughts; with the minds, that is, of those who have left us great works; and the only vital method of education appears to be that children should read worthy books, many worthy books."

Not every attempt to locate a living book will be successful. I have left many stores without a book under my arm. Congratulate yourself when this happens, it indicates that you have become more selective. When I finally locate a living book that I can't live without, I buy it whether I was planning to cover that topic or not. Possibly, one of my high school students will read it independently and even if I don't get around to using it during school it is still worthy enough
to sit on my shelf and wait, if necessary for the following generation.

While a book is waiting for use, it decorates my home. Older, antique, books have a beauty all their own that hardly needs embellishing. I collect bookends and doilies, so any flat surface becomes a book shelf. Newer books also have a great look. It isn't often that a book that is so ugly it needs to be tucked away out of sight. There are books covering the topic of how to store book collections such as, "At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live and Care for Their Libraries," by Estelle Ellis and Caroline Seebohm. Also available is, "A Passion for Books," by Terry Glaspey.

Decorating with books also helps with the "out of sight, out of mind problem" I've had with home schooling products I've purchased. When you see it, dust it, and generally live with it everyday, it's easier to remember to use it in school.

The end result of a good collection is that you can plan a study of a person, century, country or ocean based on the books you own. In fact having great books around can inspire you to cover topics that you might not have otherwise considered. Please don't misunderstand, I am not suggesting you become a slave to your collection. On the contrary, you would always be free to cover something like European history without owning a single book on it.


ONE MAN, ONE COUNTRY

When collecting books one idea to keep in mind is Charlotte Mason's suggestion that we cover one man or one country for a long amount of time with a substantial book rather than the textbook style of covering massive amounts of history in short snippets. I agree with her that to know something well and retain at least some information on it, it's better to really dive in, pay attention and spend serious time on it.

The outcome of studying one man for one year would be: An awareness of the country he lived in, what the people around him were like, what the political structure was, or whether they lived well or suffered under tyranny, plagues, economical devastation, chronic wars or a caste system. I believe spending substantial time results in retained knowledge.

Without a doubt one of the best explanations of Charlotte Mason's philosophy of books was written by J. P. Inman who stated it this way. "She was a great believer in Big Books. Great literature speaks for itself and an author is his own best expounder. The poet and the writer can speak directly to the soul of the child. What cannot be understood directly can well wait for another time. A great author writes not that he may be expounded, but that he may ring a bell in the secret chambers of the heart."


... To be continued ...
Coming next in Part Three: Textbooks and "Living" Textbooks


SUBMITTED BY: Catherine Levison
--Catherine is a home schooling parent with over a decade of experience. She's the mother of five children, a grandmother, and the author of the popular book, "A Charlotte Mason Education: A How-To Manual," the sequel, "More Charlotte Mason Education" and the newly released book, "A Literary Education" (Champion Press, 2001). Catherine resides with her family in the Seattle/Tacoma area. She's also a regular contributor to the Bright-Kids ezine (mailto:join-bright-kids@ds.xc.org). For more of Catherine's articles, visit: http://sites.silaspartners.com/cmason

Catherine Levison's books and audiotapes can be browsed at.

BOOKS
1) A Charlotte Mason Education
2) More Charlotte Mason Education
3) A Literary Education

AUDIO WORKSHOPS
1) An Overview of the Charlotte Mason Method
2) The Language Arts for (Almost) Free
3) History and Science
4) Balancing Act: To Structure or Not to Structure


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A DAY IN THE LIFE ...
(A look into a CM-Monthly reader's home/school day.)
Submitted by: Bette Holleman


Although I have been a home educator for nine years, I am new to the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Last year, my kids had a hard time working their way through dry textbooks and workbooks, many of which insulted their intelligence or did not challenge them to think beyond the busy work on their pages. As I studied the CM method, I found that it was just the thing my kids needed to get them out of their rut. As a busy mother of five working from home, it has been a boon for me as well.

We now start our day at 8am with a Bible reading, followed by a history/geography/social studies lesson in a program I use from Highlights for Children called "Top Secret" and "Which Way USA." We are also learning about astronomy from books written by H.A. Rey of "Curious George" fame.

The kids then do their individual reading assignments and narrate back what they've read to me.

We still use Rod and Staff text books for math, but they are well written and comprehensive. The kids really look forward to the assignments. We study piano, guitar and art on video one day a week, and work independently the rest of the week.

For nature studies, I am having the kids observe different insects and plants in the yard, and tell me about their behaviors and conditions.

We are done for the day at noon, and the kids have quiet time (no TV or computer) for one hour after lunch. They then have three hours of free time before dinner.

We are only about six weeks into the CM method, but I see that it will be a perfect fit for our family, and the kids are getting much more out of their studies and are so much more enthusiastic about school each day.

Kind Regards,
Bette Holleman
Modesto, CA

**Editor's Note: We encourage contributions from readers of the CM-Monthly. If you'd like to share what A-Day-in-the-Life of your home looks like, mailto:DSimple@aol.com with "CM-Day" in the subject line. Looking forward to hearing about your home/school educational days! ~Debi, editor of the CM-Monthly

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AWAKENING THE SOUL OF OUR CHILDREN
Copyright 2001 Penny Gardner
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
mailto:pennygar@aol.com


A liberal education awakens the soul of a child. Liberal means a full and generous curriculum. After a thirty-year experiment, educationalist Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) said, "I believe the ardour for knowledge in the children of this mining village is a phenomenon that indicates new possibilities_ To find that the children of a mining population were equally responsive -- as were children of educated parents -- seemed to open a new hope for the world. It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living." (A Philosophy of Education, p. xxv)

In England during Mason's lifetime, coal miner's children were considered unworthy of true education. They were typically given the minimum education to make them good future coal miners. But this was not the case in schools following Miss Mason's program. There the motto was "a liberal education for all." This reminds us of modern-day Dr. DeMille, President of George Wythe College, who speaks of three levels of education. Charlotte Mason's liberal education is equivalent to leadership education. Both of these philosophies depend on children developing their own relationship with greatness.

Great literature, poetry, art, and music, as well as foreign languages, science, history, math, meaningful handicrafts, and firsthand experience in nature are some components of a generous curriculum. Charlotte wanted children to read what she called "living" books. A living book is one that passes original ideas from the author, who is passionate about his subject, to the reader. It provides material for intellectual growth and moral development. It contains rich vocabulary and subtle meaning that the reader has to dig for. A living book is one that makes you a better person for having read it.

Awakening the soul also requires the gift of time. The child should not be rushed into academics until he is ready. Then he needs time to ponder the things he is exposed to through his liberal education. Short lessons keep the child's attention, thereby avoiding bad habits of inattention and dawdling. Short lessons leave the child time to develop relations with many people and things. The child has time to play, use his imagination, develop a hobby or craft, and enjoy nature.

Music and art masterpieces awaken the child's soul. Charlotte Mason and her associates were the ones who started music appreciation in schools. They believed that any child is capable of forming a lifelong love of music even in if he can't play an instrument or carry a tune. Art appreciation exposes the child to masterpieces thereby enriching his life. The parent or teacher should not get between fine art or literature and the child; the child needs to be allowed to develop his own relationship with the work. The arts, including great literature and poetry, touch the child's soul.

Here is an anecdote about the lasting influence of a liberal education as reported to Charlotte Mason by a school mistress: "Seven or eight boys of ten to twelve years of age, not having the money for the tram fare (their all had been spent upon the tickets of admission), tramped stoutly eight miles out and eight miles home again that they might see acted on the stage Twelfth Night; which they themselves had read and acted the term before. That is the effect of one great book, an effect that will be lifelong, manifesting itself in many ways." (Story of Charlotte Mason, p. 136)

Our children may not have to walk 16 miles to attend a play but we hope to see their souls touched as deeply by a liberal education, as were the boys in this story. Through the years, Miss Mason's ideas have influenced individuals and education in general. Today the movement is stronger than ever with home educators and private schools following, in varying degrees, this philosophy of a liberal education. Try some of her timeless ideas to awaken the souls of your children.


SUBMITTED BY: Penny Gardner
--Penny leads a long running Charlotte Mason support group in Utah. She's also the author of the popular books: The Charlotte Mason Study Guide, The Nine Note Recorder Method, and Easy Duets for Christians. Visit Penny online at: http://members.aol.com/pennygar/

Penny Gardner 's books can be browsed at:
1) The Charlotte Mason Study Guide
2) The Nine Note Recorder Method
3) Easy Duets for Christians

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READERS' TIPS
(Feel free to share any helpful tips or ideas with other readers.)
mailto:dsimple@aol.com


Re: Source for inexpensive art prints
A few years ago at Borders, I found calendars of Monet and Renoir prints. We used these for our picture study, not necessarily using them in order; I allowed the children to take turns choosing which picture we would study next. It worked wonderfully. I just wish I could find every artist I wanted to study in a calendar form!
--Melissa A.

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