The Charlotte Mason Method
Narration, Copywork, and Studied Dictation
Charlotte Mason was a British educator from the 1800s. She dedicated her life to children and their education.
Ms. Mason was ahead of her time. She was a true advocate for children and their needs. Their spiritual needs. Their education needs. Their emotional needs. And their physical needs.
Based on my study of Ms. Charlotte Mason, I believe that she valued:
- A personal relation with the God of the Scriptures
- Discovery of one’s passion (applicable to children and parents)
- Ownership of one’s education
- Close up observation and study of nature to the benefit of the mind, body, and soul
- A consistent, rigorous, yet stress free approach to education
- Quality over quantity
- Habit training for children and adults
- Meeting children where they are and not overwhelming them
- Letting children engage directly with information as soon as they are ready
- Words, words, words
Ms. Mason had methods relevant to all areas of study, but it is her approach to teaching writing that has resonated with me the most. Simply put, the Charlotte Mason method of teaching young children to write is amazing because:
- It breaks writing into its various skills.
- It gently teaches children to master each skill separately.
- It gives students the time and the opportunity to develop proficiency in each skill before requiring them to use them simultaneously.