5 Reasons I Love Charlotte Mason (and My Friends at Ambleside Online)

I can't send him to school. That was one of the first thoughts I had while holding my minutes-old son seven years ago. Ten fingers, ten toes, and homeschooling. Three years later, we gave into societal (read: familial) pressure and entered Benjamin in a lovely Montessori preschool one street over from our home. I quickly realized I wasn't okay with missing sweet moments in my young son's life. Fortunately, after six months of schooling, Benjamin decided he'd had enough and became a preschool dropout. We were so proud.

Not far into my quest for the perfect curriculum, I came upon a quote by 19th century, British-born educator Charlotte Mason. This single statement summed up my hopes and dreams for our homeschooling adventure: "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." I began reading about her tried-and-true Christian-based principles that promoted whole literature (no textbooks), narration, poetry, nature study, appreciation of the arts, and so many more glorious and oft-forgotten subjects. I then stumbled upon a free curriculum offered by Ambleside Online (a group of parents who believe wholeheartedly in Charlotte Mason's methods). They've put together booklists and schedules for each year containing some of the most beautiful works of literature ever written (and not a textbook in the mix). Charlotte Mason and the generous people behind Ambleside Online: I love them all.

So without further ado, here are 5 reasons I love Charlotte Mason:

1.  We spend our days reading great literature. Charlotte Mason shared my love of good literature, as well as my detestation of junk (Ms. Mason called it twaddle). Ambleside Online provides a booklist of twaddle-free works for each school year, including extracurricular reading (we're reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder).

2.  We like the flora and the fauna. I want my children to be able to identify plants and animals of all kinds. Visions of Gene Stratton-Porter's The Harvester, The Keeper of the Bees, and A Girl of the Limberlost dance through my head. (If you haven't read these books, please RUN to the library now.) Ms. Mason emphasized the importance of nature study through casual exploration—something children engage in naturally. Children are encouraged to keep detailed nature notebooks (these may include nature drawings, nature-inspired poetry and prose, and anything inspired by the God-is-great wonderment of the great outdoors).

The flora

3.  My 7-year-old son thinks Shakespeare is cool. I made it through college and secured an English degree having only read Romeo and Juliet and a handful of the great bard's sonnets. Benjamin and I have read several of Shakespeare’s stories from Edith Nesbit’s Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children. His favorites include The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, and his most beloved MacBeth.

4.  Short lessons are happy lessons. Charlotte Mason advocated the study of a great many subjects covered in conveniently short lessons (15-20 minutes per subject for early grades) during the morning hours. Benjamin and Annie spend their afternoons and evenings exploring our acre yard, playing Peter Pan, listening to family read alouds (we're currently reading all things Edward Eager), practicing violin, and generally engaging in the beauty of childhood.

Native American and Joan of Arc

5. Well-rounded education makes well-rounded people. Because the Charlotte Mason method advocates short lessons, there's plenty of time to include a plethora of subjects. For example, our Year 2 lessons include math (we're using Ray's Arithmetic), music appreciation (last night, Benjamin was telling Jeff about Handel's Messiah), art appreciation, reading instruction (we're using Pathway Readers), history (we're currently studying America's beginnings and 11th century England), Shakespeare, bible study, geography, poetry (currently Walter De La Mare), nature study, and literature (right now, we're reading Pilgrim's Progress and Understood Betsy).

I feel monumentally blessed to be led by a woman with such a loving respect for God and children. She once wrote, "Truly parents are happy people—to have God's children lent to them...I love my children dearly." We're just embarking on our homeschooling journey with Charlotte Mason. And I know that in the beginning of our third year, I still have so much to learn. We all do. And that's the beauty of it.


For a free online curriculum following Charlotte Mason's methods, visit Ambleside Online: http://www.amblesideonline.org/

For books about Charlotte Mason's method:


The Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison
More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison