CMP Review 2026-04-28

April 28, 2026

In the Charlotte Mason method, many lessons in vintage and modern time tables are scheduled to last 20 minutes. Many others are scheduled for 30 minutes. We all know that several things have to happen during those time blocks — at a minimum, a reading and a narration. But how is that time block to be divided? It’s a practical question that I’ve had as a home educator: when should the reading end and the narration begin?

Last week we shared Mason’s first 1917 letter to The Times on the theme of “A Liberal Education for All.” Her letter must have created a stir, as it provoked at least one critical response and one positive response, both of which were apparently published in The Times. Mason was not passive in the face of criticism; she believed strongly that her method provided children with what they needed, and she was not shy about defending it.

Fortunately for us, Mason is a writer whose point-by-point refutations invariably turn into positive presentations about her method. Her second 1917 letter to The Times is no exception. I am grateful for the critic’s letter, because it prompted Mason to share testimonies and anecdotes about her philosophy in practice that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

And as a special bonus, one of those testimonies answers the question I’ve had for so many years: how do you break up those 20-minute or 30-minute time blocks into reading and narration? Follow this link and see.

@artmiddlekauff