CMP Review 2026-05-05

May 5, 2026

Vintage writing desk scene with a black fountain pen, a dip pen, ink bottle, and handwritten letters on a wooden surface.

In 1917, Charlotte Mason faced many obstacles while attempting to obtain a fair hearing for her ideas. She believed that she had identified certain principles heretofore unknown or ignored that could revolutionize education. But many people were reluctant to consider her claims.

One common obstacle was the tendency to merge or subordinate Mason’s ideas into some other system of education. In 1912 The Montessori Method was first published in English, and then as now, many people were quick to claim that Mason and Montessori were simply two sides of the same coin, and that their ideas could be combined.

After Mason had written two letters to The Times, “a thoughtful letter” was published by a reader who was eager to identify similarities between Mason and Montessori. This prompted Mason’s third and final 1917 letter on the topic of “A Liberal Education for All.”

It seems that not too much has changed since 1917. In our time, many are reluctant to even consider that Mason’s ideas could be new, powerful, and enduring. Surely, so many assert, they are merely variations on someone else’s ideas, whether Plato or Montessori.

To readers in 1917 as well as in 2026 the best response is probably Mason’s own words. Her third letter is as relevant and compelling today as it was a century ago. Read or hear it here.

@artmiddlekauff