While technically eclectic homeschoolers, we usually call ourselves “Charlotte Mason Inspired”. I have always felt that Charlotte Mason’s ideas fit the most closely with the values I hold about education. If you are trying to lean about homeschooling it can feel like falling down a rabbit hole! Hopefully reading about why we chose this type of homeschooling will help you narrow down what you want for your own family, and why.
In this post I am going to go a bit more in depth about what made us choose this type of homeschooling for our family. I have written another post about why we chose to homeschool in the first place, which you can find here: https://www.hodgepodgehomesteading.com/2023/04/28/why-we-chose-to-homeschool-our-children/
I have also written a brief overview of a few different types of homeschooling, if you are coming at this for the first time and are wondering what on earth I am talking about!
What is Charlotte Mason Homeschooling?
An absolute bare bones definition is that it is a variation on a classical education that strongly emphasizes a joy in learning, time in nature, good habits, and takes account of child development.
One of the ideas that drew me to this style of learning is the use of “living books”. Instead of the dry approach often found in textbooks, Ms. Mason insisted on books written by people passionate about the subject. Historical novels, biographies, and good works of literature are also included.
A large portion of the more sit down subjects are taught through the use of excellent books. This appealed very strongly to me, as a life-long reader. It draws you in to what you are learning, gives it context in a way that memorized facts never can, and increases vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Another key difference is in what the child does with that knowledge next. After reading that day’s chapter, your child will learn to narrate what they have heard/read to you. This starts out verbally in the early years, and progresses to written when they are ready. (Narration, how to do it well and why we do it is a fascinating subject in and of itself.)
Ms. Mason also encourages things like learning languages, exposure to the arts, and a more thorough exposure to history, all things that I wanted for my children’s education.
A strong emphasis is also placed on time in nature being essential for children. Time to revisit familiar places, in all seasons and weather. Time to explore leisurely, not to be hurried and directed by an adult. This was also something that really resonated with me. Partially from a big picture perspective, in that I believe that we need children to fiercely love this beautiful world if we want them to grow up to be good stewards of it. Also on a more personal scale though, in that my children have always been the most at peace outdoors.
She is also well known for her respect for children as full people. This is another topic that I could go on about at length, but the respect for both children’s stages of development and their intrinsic value as humans was an essential foundation for me, no matter the type of education.
Finally, I appreciated her perspective on homeschooling as a way of life, not a separate part of the day. She viewed the habits you help them build, the handicrafts and life skills you teach, their health, and the times to themselves to think or be creative as non-negotiable parts of homeschooling. These weren’t extras to squeeze in after the “real” schoolwork was done. She saw the connectedness of what we teach, how we talk to them, the rhythms of our days as part of a whole. This is one of the major pillars of homeschooling to me.
Why Does it Matter?
As wonderful as information and ideas are, they aren’t all of what makes up a person. Parenting and educating go hand in hand for me, and my goal is to help build adults who not only have the knowledge they need, but the skills, habits, and seeds of good character that will help them through life. My goal is to give them as many advantages I can in life, and some of them look like the types of habits that make adulting easier.
I want to spread a feast of wonderful knowledge in front of my children. I want them to keep hold of their innate desire to learn, and I want to raise good humans. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.
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