For the Children's Sake Read Along: Ch 5 continued
History, geography, literature, citizenship, composition, music, science, art... the life of education has to include the whole of our humanness
At the beginning of Chapter 5 we looked at the three sorts of knowledge that Charlotte Mason believed were proper to a child: the knowledge of God, the knowledge of Man and the knowledge of the Universe. (see here for that article) Macaulay continues with this theme for the remainder of the chapter and in this article we will explore the Knowledge of Man: Putting a Child in Touch with the Human Race.
History
Mason believed that History was a vital part of education & we need to know what's happened before our time so that we can be accurate judges of what's going on today. To offer a liberal and generous diet of History to children helps to give weight to their decisions, make their actions well-reasoned and their conduct stable. She linked unrest in a society to a lack of stability in its people.
Our aim in teaching history should be honesty and knowledge of the truth. We make a mistake when we translate the past into our own terms. History isn’t simple.
It is a great thing to possess a pageant of history in the background of one's thoughts. We may not be able to recall this or that circumstance, but, 'the imagination is warmed'; we know that there is a great deal to be said on both sides of every question and are saved from crudities in opinion and rashness in action. The present becomes enriched for us with the wealth of all that has gone before.
History should be taught chronologically and literature should tie in with the period studied where possible
Give the child leisure to explore an age in detail; choose a period of history that actually introduces them to the people who lived then
Include source material as much as possible e.g. books, artifacts, maps, diaries
Use narrative living history books - I wrote about living books here; get the child to narrate after a reading
Have the child make a graphic portrayal to help with chronological details (around age 9/10 years), draw & label maps. Some examples:
The quotation below is from a Parents review article I read that discusses the use of fiction in history and from what I've seen in my own children it certainly rings true.
My kids love history and have read copious amounts of G.A, Henty, Rosemary Sutcliff, Cynthia Harnett, Sir Walter Scott, and other historical fiction writers and this has given them good background knowledge for works of historical nonfiction. I noticed this when it came to them reading Churchill's A History of the English-Speaking Peoples which can be difficult unless you have some knowledge of English history.
Literature
‘We must remember to separate the teaching of the reading skill from that of the place of true literature in the child’s curriculum.’ FTCS, Pg. 111
Literature gives us the opportunity of developing relationships with other people, places and times. It furnishes our minds with the kind of imaginative impressions that come from wide reading and some familiarity with historic precedents. Literature enables us to get into the other man’s shoes.
Home education allows a non-reader to experience this kind of relationship with the past by being read to. A non-reader or one who isn’t fluent enough to read well, isn’t confined to dumbed down versions of history, or any other ‘subject’ for that matter. Children should be given the best literature.
Moral & Citizenship
Plutarch, read aloud by the parent/teacher, was introduced to children around the age of 10 years. I wrote an article for Afterthoughts some years ago about using Plutarch’s Lives. Charlotte Mason placed the study of Plutarch under the umbrella of citizenship & morals. Plutarch doesn’t label the actions of his people as good or bad but leaves it to his readers to make that judgement. Anne White has written free guides for the study of Plutarch which can be used with children aged about 10 years and up.
Macaulay discusses the differences we face now when it comes to morals compared to the times in which Charlotte Mason lived. My eldest and youngest are 16 years apart and there are moral issues in our culture now that I never dreamed of having to think about with my older kids. Whatever educational situation we choose for our children, we need to give them a centre of gravity away from the current secular culture.
Composition
Children respond to each subject with a narration; in the younger years this is done orally i.e. oral composition
Early writing shouldn’t be hindered by worry about details such as spelling & punctuation
Oral narration starts at 6 years of age - the parent/teacher listens to the child’s re-tellings; written narration begins about 9/10 years of age (some children will be ready sooner, others later)
The child interacts with the author & makes his own connections; we don’t have to set up activities to do this for them
Art & Music
One of the main aims for including Art and Music in the curriculum is that of cultivating the aesthetic sense. Six reproductions by a single artist are chosen and studied over a period of about 12 weeks. The child looks at one, observing it closely, the picture is then turned face down & the child describes what he saw. Then he turns it over and checks the picture again. This is called ‘picture study.’ Over the course of a term they will become familiar with the artist’s style. A sketch from memory is also something that was practiced. When I introduced Marc Chagall’s work to my youngest daughter and she did some artwork & a sculpture in response.
Music appreciation is a part of a Charlotte Mason education regardless of whether a child plays an instrument or not. Good music is chosen and listened to. Beethoven, Mendelsohn, Bach…Hymns & folksongs are introduced as well.
Science
Where science does not teach a child to wonder and admire it has perhaps no educative value.
A Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason
'I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused - a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love - then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, it has lasting meaning. It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.'
- Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder, 1956
Science begins with nature study - children learn to observe & pay attention. ‘‘You see, but you do not observe.” - Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson
Like other parts of the curriculum living books are used where possible; science textbooks have a place depending on their quality; narrative science books include biographies of scientists, inventors etc.
Outdoor life is encouraged; children keep a nature notebook (see my blog post for images of notebooks kept in Charlotte Mason schools)
'...as science took a technological turn and as education began preparing students for work rather than for leisure, for the factory rather than for the parlor, the school itself came to resemble the factory, losing its idiosyncratic, intimate, and moral character...’ - David Hicks, Norms & Nobility
Geography
Current events, history, literature, travel & adventure books are intertwined with the study of geography. A couple of fairly recent geography-related books that we enjoyed & which intertwined with history were Prisoners of Geography & the author’s follow up book, The Power of Geography, published in 2021
Choose books which breathe life into real people living in these different places. There are many good stories that can relate to the study of geography. Let the children study good maps…Let them draw and describe the reading…FTCS, pg. 141
Physical Development & Handicrafts
It’s not a luxury to become & stay fit. We are to see it as a duty for not just our children but ourselves; make it a part of your life
Mason was unusual for her time as she advocated that boys and girls should share the same activities both physically and in handicraft and work
Life skills - cooking, working with various materials, caring for the home, looking after animals
Handicrafts and life skills take time and intentionality, but they are just as important as all the other things we teach. A friend of mine said that she wasn’t required to help out at home during her teen years. Her mum said her study was more important, so she never learnt to look after a home, cook, clean, mend, etc. She was quite unprepared for motherhood & regretted her lack in these areas
I haven’t covered everything in this chapter but we have one more chapter to go through and then I’ll provide some links that are more specific to the different topics we’ve covered. For the Children’s Sake is an introduction to Charlotte Mason & her method. Her six volumes are free to read online and reading them is the best way to understand and implement her method. (The Topical Charlotte Mason Series has been put into modern English and might be a good place to start.) If there’s anything in particular you would like me to elaborate on, let me know in the comments or by replying directly to this email.