“Children are born persons.”

Charlotte Mason was a nineteenth century educator and researcher who recognized children’s great capacity to learn and develop skills, talents and interests unique to them and also helpful to those around them.  Over the course of decades of studying children and their development, she wrote her findings in six volumes which are now widely read as instructional manuals for educators and parents around the world.  

Ms. Mason’s twenty principles of education began with her fundamental belief that children are people  who have the same value as any other person.  She believed that everyone could learn and that their viewpoints were valuable and their time and interests should be respected as they engaged in their pursuit of learning.  This led her to a different educational approach than was utilized at the time in her home nation of Great Britain.  

Students engaged in a Charlotte Mason style of education are given a high degree of respect and treated with great value by their educators.   Every student is treated as someone who has immense capacity to learn regardless or background and are presented with the “living ideas” accompanying any new information or concept.  Parents or educators of these students are encourated to expose students to numerous subjects from an early age to help them discover their natural interests and then work to develop those throughout life.  Her approach remains popular today and relies partially upon the pillars of:

• Short Varied Lessons - to help students build attention skills while also  exposing them to as many subject areas as possible to allow them to find the courses of study most appealing to them over time

• Narration -  “telling back” what a student has learned to help them retain and share information effectively

• Habit Building  - to help students develop traits necessary for lifelong learning

• The Presentation of “Living" Ideas - to inspire children in their academic pursuits and train them to accept or reject ideas for themselves