Throughout my schoolgirl days I loved getting back to school in the fall. Not because I was looking forward to seeing my friends (I changed schools nearly every year), and not because I found the lessons to be so enriching (I found most school subjects to be dull and my teachers were mostly uninspiring); I …
Editor’s note: Aspiring educators came to the House of Education in Ambleside to learn the Charlotte Mason method. Once there, they experienced a dynamic environment of discussion and reflection under the guiding hand of Miss Mason herself. Upon graduation, they received their certificates and went out into the world to teach. Of course they loved this …
“If I stopped reading the Bible, I sometimes wonder if anyone would notice.” The statement caught me off guard and took me back a step. It flew in the face of everything I believed to be true and to be my solemn duty as a Christian man, husband, and father. “Of course people would notice,” …
“Is there, then, not need for more ‘Mother Culture’?” -A In April of 1892, the readers of The Parents’ Review were treated to a most mysterious article. Not the opening article, but the second one, beginning on page 13 of that month’s issue. Entitled “Mother Culture,” its author was never explicitly stated. It was signed merely “A.,” the pseudonym …
Editor’s Note: The December, 1910 issue of The Parents’ Review featured a two-part article by Charlotte Mason. The first part was an Advent devotional to help readers prepare for Christmas. Mason wrote that the mystery of the Incarnation was too great to rush into suddenly. So she prepared a selection of excerpts from her first volume of poetry entitled …
In 2014, I experienced Shakespeare at the Globe Theater in London. At that point, I had been teaching Shakespeare to students for over 20 years as part of their Charlotte Mason education and this encounter was a dream come true! My husband and I eagerly took our spots up front, standing with the rest of …
When I happened upon Charlotte Mason and became determined to understand the philosophy, I quickly found out it would not be a week-long crash course and quick implementation of the curriculum. At the same time, I knew I needed something for homeschool and wanted to be authentic to the philosophy. It was April of 2017, …
Editor’s Note: On August 4, 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany, and in so doing, entered the world’s first Great War. By December of 1915, more than 100,000 British soldiers had lost their lives in service to their country. That month Charlotte Mason addressed the home front in The Parents’ Review. Even while acknowledging …
Charlotte Mason’s method helps us to discover the beauty that is all around us. But does her method help us when beauty cannot be found? This is the rest of my Charlotte Mason story, recorded at the 2017 Living Education Retreat. This article is only available as audio, linked below. Special thanks to Jordan Sramek and The Rose Ensemble for …