Principle 3: Authority and Docility The principles of Authority on the one hand and Docility on the other are natural, necessary, and fundamental. Principle 4: The Sacredness of Personality These principles (i.e. authority and docility) are limited by the respect due to the personality of children which may not be encroached upon whether by the direct use of fear or…
Read More
On Principles 1, 2 & 20: The Defining Issue
Principle 1: Children are Born Persons “No sooner doth the truth…. come into the soul’s sight, but the soul knows her to be he, first and old acquaintance.” “The consequence of truth is great, therefore the judgment of it must not be negligent.” Reference: Volume 6, Chapter 2 Here Charlotte quotes Benjamin Whichcote, who was the founding father of Cambridge…
Read More
On Education: Charlotte Mason
Where do I even begin? For the better part of twelve years I have been writing (and reading and podcasting and speaking) about Charlotte Mason. I’d like to think I’ve hit that 10,000 hours expert level of knowledge about her but truth be told there is still much to learn. I’m being totally serious when I say Charlotte is in my…
Read More
On Nature: The Great Outdoors
“Never be within doors when you can rightly be without.” It’s one of the first Charlotte Mason adages I learned by heart. I use it all the time to this day. I bet it’ll be one of those sayings my kids will remember when they’re fifty and say with a smile – albeit a slight roll of the eyes –…
Read More
To the Pre-School Mom
While becoming a parent is the true beginning of the journey, the preschool years bring a certain amount of well, uncertainty…for those of us who embark on the adventure of homeschooling. When is “the beginning” of their education? What should education look like in the early years? The culture tells us more is better, and the sooner the better. But Charlotte Mason…
Read More