Have you heard of the British educator Charlotte Mason (1842-1923)? My sister and I are both interested in homeschooling our children and have long been curious about her philosophy. We recently began a monthly study of her educational principles using this guide. Charlotte Mason is quite popular in some circles of homeschoolers, but maybe you’ve never heard of her. Or maybe, like me, you’ve heard her name, but don’t know a lot about her life and legacy. If you’re looking for a quick run-down you’ve come to the right place.

Who was Charlotte Mason?

Charlotte Mason was born in 1842 in a small town in Wales. She was an only child mainly educated at home and orphaned at the age of sixteen. [Update: While researching for this post I had trouble finding information about Mason’s early life, but today I came across an article about her parentage, which may be of interest. 15/08/2018]

Mason earned a teaching certificate from the Home and Colonial Society and taught at Davison School in Worthing, England for more than ten years. During this time she began to develop her philosophy of education. She also wrote a series of geography books.

Mason was invited to lecture at the Bishop Otter Teacher Training College and ended up working there for more than five years. A series of lectures aimed at parents was later published.

Mason co-founded the Parents Education Union (later “National” was added, forming the acronym PNEU) and published a monthly periodical called the “Parents’ Review.”

In 1891 Mason moved to Ambleside in the Lake District, where she started the House of Education, a training school for governesses. Meanwhile Henrietta Franklin founded the first Parents’ Review School (later Parents’ Union School) where children were taught according to Mason’s philosophy and methods. More of these schools sprang up and the House of Education became a training college to supply them with teachers. Mason’s influence grew as these teachers also went into the English public school system and Mason oversaw a global correspondence school.

Charlotte Mason published a total of six volumes on education. Although she never had children of her own she spent decades observing children and developing her principles.

What was Charlotte Mason’s philosophy?

I hesitate to summarize Mason’s philosophy in a paragraph because I’m just beginning my study of her writings and many people have spent years delving into them, so I’ll simply make a few brief comments.

Charlotte Mason believed that all children —  not only those in the upper classes — should receive a liberal education based on a broad curriculum. She insisted that “children are born persons” and should interact directly with ideas, through literature, art, and nature, rather than being given dumbed-down material (“twaddle”). A Charlotte Mason education is based on “living books” (well-written works of fiction or non-fiction) rather than textbooks or workbooks. The PNEU motto is “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.”

If you’re intrigued by Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, I urge you to read her Twenty Principles, which you can find online (for example, here).

What triggered the Charlotte Mason revival?

As public education became more secular, Charlotte Mason’s teachings with their Christian worldview were left behind.

In the 1970s Susan Schaeffer Macauley rediscovered Charlotte Mason and introduced her to a new generation of parents in her book For the Children’s Sake (1984). While living in England Dean and Karen Andreola also came across her method and had her six volumes of writings republished in 1989.

Thanks to Macauley and the Andreolas Charlotte Mason’s philosophy has enjoyed a resurgence, especially among North American homeschoolers. (See, for instance, the free Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum at Ambleside Online.)

Sources

• “Who Was Charlotte Mason?” via Simply Charlotte Mason
• “Charlotte Mason: British Educator and Pioneer” via A Charlotte Mason Education for Homeschooling Families
• “Charlotte Mason: The Person” via A Charlotte Mason Home
• “Charlotte Mason” via Lead Out Education
• “Who Was Charlotte Mason?” by Anne White via Ambleside Online
• “Charlotte Mason” via Wikipedia

Featured image: Snowdonia National Park in Wales, near Charlotte Mason’s birth place (photo by Mitchell Orr on Unsplash)