Education, Parenting, Relationships, and Christ: Patterns for Life

Patterns for Life: An Orthodox Reflection on Charlotte Mason Education

by Lisa Rose and Laura E. Wolfe

Kansas Dad and I don't often buy each other gifts, even for Christmas and birthdays, but on a date night he noticed me eyeing this book and deciding not to buy it. He snuck back to the bookstore and bought it for me. I hadn't wanted to spend so much money on a book about Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education because we are nearing the end of our homeschooling days. 

I cannot tell you how glad I am Kansas Dad went back for it. This book is not only my favorite Charlotte Mason book ever, but honestly a book I think might be the best parenting book I've ever read. I now recommend this book repeatedly in my Charlotte Mason groups and think any new Charlotte Mason family should read it and Know and Tell as early in their homeschooling journey as possible.

The authors of this book are Orthodox, but their understanding of Charlotte Mason's philosophy and how it intersects with a life of faith is a Catholic one. Catholic readers will probably understand most of the religious references, more than Protestant ones, but I think the book is valuable for all Christians.

The authors believe there haven't been many books that clearly explain Charlotte Mason's ideas for modern readers. You can now easily find her original writings. One of my favorites to recommend is Karen Glass's Mind to Mind, in which she abridges Charlotte Mason's most important book, Towards a Philosophy of Education. There have actually been quite a few books written on Charlotte Mason's methods, most of which I've read, but I agree that Rose and Wolfe have done it more thoroughly and more beautifully than any of the others.

Modern society's methods and goals for education flow from and lead to a consumerist mentality that is completely at odds with the Christian ideas of the human person and the goals of a Godly life. The authors see Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education as an ideal alternative. In the first half of the book, they explain Charlotte Mason's philosophy of the human person and education. In the second half of the book, they show how that philosophy leads to methods we can employ as parents and educators. They also address some timely difficulties like the use of technology by our children and in our homes.

They spend a significant amount of time explaining the difference between the system of modern education, which the authors reject, and the "patterns for life" they have found in Charlotte Mason's philosophy shaped by their faith.

We want the instruction manual that tells us the exact steps to take, the exact books to read, the exact curriculum to use to produce the products that we want. That is precisely what Charlotte Mason refuses to give us. Instead, she models a slow, deliberate, and compelling way to think about our children, and this is why she differentiates between a 'system' of education and a 'method' of education. (pp. 17-18)

Charlotte Mason recognizes that children are "born persons." They have been created as unique individuals with the capacity to learn and grow. Honoring their dignity means the way of education is one of relationships and love.

As we focus on relationship, we also begin to understand that education happens from the inside out. The discovery and cultivation of relationships draws out of a person his or her own contribution to the connections formed; it brings out the music that always exists in the child as a unique person. A child's mind is the instrument of his education and as such is already functional. Our job, as parents and educators, is to help the child learn how to use this instrument to the best of his ability, how to keep it in tune, conforming to the pattern set forth for its use, all the while remembering the purpose of letting his particular melody sound forth. (p. 19)

One of the aspects I appreciate most about this book is the nuanced explanations and examples. They explain and model the ideal, but also encourage us to be compassionate with ourselves when we think we have failed.

There is a treasure in our hearts: the picture of a perfect homeschool day, the perfect homeschool week, the perfect homeschool year. It is precious and longed for. But it rarely, if ever, actually materializes. You must keep this in mind when you read these pages, or any parenting or education book for that matter. We are clay in the Potter's hands, not a finished project. And even when we are broken, He continues to work with us to His glory. (p. 156)

They also hold firm against the influencers and curriculum providers who lead us to believe their way is the best way for everyone. God has called us as individuals and families, and his will for our lives and those of our children may not be the same as his will for others. 

Rose and Wolfe have an intimate and thorough understanding of Charlotte Mason's philosophy and methods. They admire her and show how we can follow Mason's precepts today, but they do not idolize her or take all of her statements as Truth. They have carefully considered every aspect and clearly articulate areas where Mason's understanding was incomplete or where we have simply learned more about how the world works and how to be in relationship with one another. 

I whole-heartedly recommend this book. It's everything I ever wanted to say about Charlotte Mason and home education today.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Kansas Dad bought this book for me. Links to Amazon and Bookshop are affiliate links.

July 2021 Book Reports

The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World by Séverine Autesserre - link to my post (library copy)

While the Kettle's On poetry by Melissa Fite Johnson - I read this book to complete my local library's 2021 reading challenge. I needed a Kansas Notable book. It's a small book of poetry centered on modern life. There were a few poems I enjoyed, most especially "Ode to Washing Dishes" and "Something about a Walk." (library copy)

Alone by Megan E. Freeman - In this middle grade free verse novel, a twelve year old girl wakes up to find herself alone in her small town. She learns to fend for herself, leaning heavily on a neighbor's sweet and protective dog. It's marvelous, and apparently worth reading more than once since my own twelve year old swiped it from my stack to re-read it. The ending wraps everything up a bit too quickly, but my older daughter pointed out the reasons behind her predicament are not the point. It's all about her own development and growth. (library copy)

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha - This book was mentioned in an alumni magazine I read recently, and I grabbed it from the library. I'm always keeping a look-out for books set around the world for our high school geography studies, especially ones written by people who are within the culture. (The author has lived in both the US and South Korea as well as Hong Kong. The book weaves together the stories and lives of a group of young women living in the same apartment building in South Korea. It's not a particularly flattering depiction of life there, but the women grow into new dreams as they support each other, strengthening their relationships and recognition of their worth. In any book written from different characters' points of view, it can be a little confusing to remember who is telling the story at any given time, but this one is pretty clear. The plot is subtle. At first I was disappointed in the ending, but the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated it. There's a little too much talk of intimacy, not generally not in a flattering way, for me to want to share it with my high school students, but I enjoyed it. (library copy)

That Quail, Robert by Margaret A. Stanger - This little book introduces a quail who moved into a house, becoming one of the family. It would work for a family read-aloud, but it's not as much fun as (copy from PaperBackSwap.com)

New Worlds to Conquer by Richard Halliburton - Halliburton is always a delight to read, though also always obviously playing to the 1920s audience in his depictions of indigenous peoples and cultures, as well as happy to include anything that hinted of scandal and the ridiculous. This book includes a story of a friend who accidentally surfed nude into an unsuspecting group of nuns and their female students on a picnic outing. In this book, he writes about his exploits in Central and South America, many of which are included in his Book of Marvels. I began reading thinking I might include this book on our high school list of geography books for the Americas, but I decided against it. As much as I might have enjoyed reading it, there were far too many instances of 1920s racism for me to want to hand it off to one of my students as an official school book. If one of my high schoolers sees it on my shelf and wants to read it, I'll allow it, but there's no need to assign it for narration. (purchased used at a library sale)

Wood, Water, and Wild Things: Learning Craft and Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town by Hannah Kirshner - link to my post (library copy)

Ourselves Book 1 by Charlotte Mason - I only read the first part of the book, because I was thinking of assigning it to my older daughter this year. It's a great easy introduction to habit and character formation. I'll write more about it when I read the second book...which may be next year. (purchased copy)

Creator and Creation by Mary O. Daly - link to my post (purchased copy)

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Amazon, Bookshop, and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Fuel for the Mind

I will be sitting in my van or a waiting room and, glancing at my book, realize those few moments of waiting are now precious time to dive back into a world away from my own. How odd it seemed to me that this Kansan stay-at-home mom was so enthralled with the world of biogeography and the intricate arguments for various methods of the dispersal of species on the land masses of the world. This is not a topic necessary for my homeschooling preparations, for my daily tasks, or for my spiritual growth. What I think about the author's arguments will have no impact on my career (or his), yet it's certainly one of the books I've enjoyed most this year.

As I was reading through my friend's rich and thoughtful blog, Abandon Hopefully Homeschooling, on Charlotte Mason's Twenty Principles, I was reminded of how well Mason articulates the reason for this expansion of my spirit when I pick up my current book. On Principle 8: On Education as Life, my friend writes:

The mind wants to think, and it wants to think a LOT, but it has to have things to think about.

The same need for things to think about is present in every mind, including my own. While most of the books I read focus on education, or spiritual growth, or reading something ahead of the kids, there is great value in reading something fascinating and challenging just because it is fascinating and challenging.

July and August 2016 Book Reports

Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen - link to my post. (Kindle edition)

The Bee-Friendly Garden by Kate Frey and Gretchen LeBuhn - link to my post. (book review for Blogging for Books)

The 101 Damatians by Dodie Smith is a delightful story; I'm sorry I never read it as a child myself. This will either be a family read-aloud for us or First Daughter will read it during her independent reading. I'm dismayed the Amazon link says it's "abridged" as the book I read from the library has the same cover, though it doesn't say it's abridged anywhere. I may invest in the Audible book, just to see if there's a noticeable difference. (library copy)

Hilary McKay's Lulu series - link to my post. (library copies)

Julian, Secret Agent by Ann Cameron is an early reader, and one in a series. Julian and his best friend start a detective agency with his little brother and learn it's best not to jump to conclusions. His father takes their escapades in stride and allows them the freedom to explore and investigate in a way that's probably impossible in today's world, but commendable. This will be an option for Second Daughter in her reading aloud to me. (library copy)

A Traveller in Rome by H. V. Morton - link to my post. (borrowed copy)

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford is a humorous easy chapter book about a girl who avoids reading her assigned book the entire summer and the events that transpire the last afternoon. It's not clear to me that Moxy learns or changes much in the short book, though she does eventually read Stuart Little. It's odd that there's a much younger boy (she's 9 and he's 6) who has a "crush" on her, follows her around and does whatever she says, a boy she considers her "boyfriend." For those who are concerned about such things, she does live with her mom and stepfather, though it doesn't say anything about divorce. My girls want to read this book, because they've seen it around the house, and I will let them, but I wouldn't offer it during the school year and I won't mention it's the first in a series. (library book)

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book edited by Anita Silvey is a series of brief essays, some only a few sentences, of a successful person from a variety of careers, though there are lots of writers and illustrators, sharing a childhood memory of a book that impacted their lives. A variety of books are features, not all of them even written for children. Many of the stories reinforce Charlotte Mason's insistence on a broad feast of excellent books, as people draw different strengths and ideas from different books at different times. Each essay includes a full page excerpt, often with illustrations, from the featured book as well as a brief introduction to the book or series (in teeny tiny print) from the editor. One of my favorite stories told how Dr. Seuss had given up publishing his first children's book and was on his way home to burn it when he met a college acquaintance who just happened to be newly assigned to the children's book arm of his publishing house. Book lists appear at the end, but there are others I like more. (library book)

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene - link to my post. (owned copy)

Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite de Angeli - link to my post. (PDF copy from publisher, complimentary copy of the book when published)

At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald is the story of a young boy named Diamond who is befriended by the North Wind. He learns to trust in her even when he knows she sometimes causes what seems to be evil. In our favorite chapter, Diamond observes (and understands) two horses conversing in horse language. The reader in our audio version sounded a bit like a grandmother which was a bit confusing to me when the narrator became a part of the story and was obviously male. The children didn't seem to mind, though, perhaps because they've listened to their mother read just about anything aloud to them. (audio book from Audible)

Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look is a early reader chapter book, one of a series about a young Chinese American girl who loves performing magic tricks, adores her brother, and has a delightful family. It's cute and sweet and one I'd be happy for my young readers to enjoy. (library book)

Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott - I started to read this aloud to the kids from my Kindle when we were stranded outside Sequoia National Park. They were drawn in right away by the dog in the first chapter. We finished the book on Librivox. The girls (8 and 9) loved this book the most. First Son, I think, anticipated the ending and found it a little too "girlish" for his taste (though he loved Little Men last year). I found the Librivox reader a little perplexing in her pacing, but the children didn't seem to notice anything odd about it. I hadn't read this one myself before. It was fairly moralistic and the ending was predictable (but I still loved that predictable ending). (free Kindle book, free Librivox recording)

For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and Towards A Philosophy of Education (Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series) by Charlotte Mason were read with my Start Here book club. We spent nearly 18 months reading through the study and I neglected to take extensive notes on the books. For the Children's Sake is an excellent introduction to Charlotte Mason and her principles. I recommend it for people who are new to Charlotte Mason, especially if her original volumes are intimidating. (purchased copy of For the Children's Sake at some long unknown time and place, purchased used copy of Towards a Philosophy of Education)

Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo - link to my post. (purchased used on Amazon)

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens - link to my post. (read for free on the Kindle, but I have an old used copy for First Son to read purchased at a library book sale)

Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin - link to my post. (library copy)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne - There was really no way to avoid reading this book, which is really the script of a play. It was weird to read a Harry Potter play. The plot and character development are limited in a script; so much of that happens on stage. Many of the characters seemed like they were there just for show (especially Ron). Kansas Dad had trouble imagining Harry having so much difficulty relating to his son, but I personally think that could be managed. Really, though, I'd prefer to see this play performed. Maybe one day we will. (purchased copy, with a generous gift card from my godparents)

The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe by Roland Smith is recommended by RC History for volume 2. First Daughter read it independently and I read it just ahead of her. It seemed to do a good job of describing the trials and hardships of the journey without being too explicit for younger readers. The dog's point of view is also a benefit for more reluctant readers. It does present spirit animals (of a Native American tribe) as real and instrumental in the story, if that concerns anyone. We were fine with that as a literary technique. I linked above to the RC History website (an affiliate link), but the book is also available from Amazon (another affiliate link). (library copy)

Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael D. O'Brien - In this fictional apocalypse, a Jewish convert priest does spiritual battle with an Anti-Christ who has risen to great political power in Europe. What does evil look like in the present world? How are we deceived by evil masquerading as doing good? How do we cultivate faith when the world seems so terrible? There is only minimal resolution in the book and I read recently there is a new book in the series. (parish library copy)

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester - link to my post. (library copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Transforming Your Life through the Eucharist by John A. Kane (June 2016)
• Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (August 2016, listening with the children) 
• My Several Worlds by Pearl S. Buck (August 2016)
• The Peterkin Papers by Lucretia P. Hale (August 2016, reading aloud to the children)
• Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (August 2016, with First Son)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). 

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks - another affiliate link.

Any links to RC History and PaperBackSwap are affiliate links.

Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

Geography as a Panorama of Delight

In volume 6, Towards A Philosophy of Education, Charlotte Mason describes how her philosophy of education governs the manner of teaching specific subjects. I happened to be reading this chapter recently for my Start Here book club and was struck specifically by the section on Geography.

She bemoans the "current" geography courses of her time

The whole tendency of modern Geography, as taught in our schools, is to strip the unfortunate planet which has been assigned to us as our abode and environment of every trace of mystery and beauty.

[snip]

No more may children conceive themselves climbing Mont Blanc or Mount Everest, skating on the Fiords of Norway or swimming in a gondola at Venice. These are not the things that matter, but only how and where and why money is to be made under local conditions on the earth's surface. It is doubtful whether this kind of teaching is even lucrative because the mind works on great ideas, and, upon these, works to great ends.

I'm not sure how schools teach geography now, if they teach it at all, but Mason argues eloquently for its inclusion in every child's education:

Perhaps no knowledge is more delightful than such an intimacy with the earth's surface, region by region, as should enable the map of any region to unfold a panorama of delight, disclosing not only mountains, rivers, frontiers, the great features we know as 'Geography,' but associations, occupations, some parts of the past and much of the present, of every part of this beautiful earth.

Level 1B of Mater Amabilis (first grade) suggests a family geography study which, while it seems fantastic, has also seemed overwhelming to me every time I've approached first grade (currently with my third student) so I've always just skipped it. This year, I thought I'd try using  A Child's Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People - From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China by Heather Alexander, which I bought used after loving A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them in the Sky by Micheal Driscoll from the same series. I've been reading two or three pages with Second Daughter about once a week. She's narrated it acceptably and never complained about it, but after reading the description of geography from Charlotte Mason and, especially, comparing it to First Son's Level 3 geography book, Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels (which is really two books and will be read over two years), I realized A Child's Introduction to the World just doesn't live up to the ideal. Rather than delving deeply into a few places, it skims the surface of everything. Too often, it spouts off a list of facts rather than inviting the child into a country's life.

I've decided, therefore, to set Second Daughter's geography study aside for now. Instead, we're going to increase the time we spend on her greatest current love, birds and The Burgess Bird Book For Children. (I have this one, which is lovely but quite pricey.)

In a couple of years, I'll have one last shot at first grade with Second Son. Perhaps I can gather myself together for the recommended family geography that year!

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). I like to use the little I earn on the blog to purchase birthday and Christmas gifts.

September 2015 Book Reports

Mind to Mind: An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason and Karen Glass - Read my review. (promotional copy from the author)

The Children's Charter by Mother Mary Loyola was written for catechists of First Communicants. Always searching for the imagined better sacrament preparation materials, I gingerly read my inter-library loan copy as it nearly crumbled in my hands, hardly believing the lending library would send it out. Thank goodness it survived! If you haven't read anything on preparing students for First Communion, you might find much good advice here. (It is available in newer copies, as you'll see if you follow the link to Amazon.) I intend to incorporate at least one new idea into Second Daughter's preparation next year. This is not, however, a book to read aloud with your First Communicant. (The Good Shepherd and His Little Lambs Study Edition: A First Communion Story-Primer is my favorite so far, which I purchased from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts.) (inter-library loan)

The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone and How Early Americans Took to the Road by Cheryl Harness is recommended in Connecting with History (find it here at RC History's store). Enjoyable and informative. I love the timelines at the bottom of the pages of these Harness books because they help me place events in the context of world events. First Son (in sixth grade) is reading this book independently, mostly for fun and without narrating it. (library copy)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo - Read my review. (library copy)

Helena by Evelyn Waugh - Read my review. (library copy)

The Father Brown Reader II: More Stories from Chesterton adapted by Nancy Carpentier Brown is a companion volume to The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton which I started reading to the children when my parents were in town because they (my parents, not the children) love to watch a television series about Father Brown. The second volume is more serious in that in contains stories of murders rather than just thefts. Additionally, there is a suicide. My children were confused by that idea at first. Apparently, it's the first time they noticed a suicide in a book I've read to them. (It may be the first suicide; I can't recall another.) A few times, too, I had to walk my eight year old through the conclusion as often it is not explicitly written out. (read aloud to the children, borrowed from a friend)

The Extraordinary Journeys: Around the World in Eighty Days (Oxford World's Classics) by Jules Verne, translated by William Butcher - Read my review. (purchased copy used on Amazon)

How to Babysit a Leopard: and Other True Stories from Our Travels Across Six Continents by Ted and Betsy Lewin is a new book from these renown picture book authors and illustrators. It's a collection of bits and pieces from their journals, dating back decades in their lives together of travel and adventure. Illustrated with drawings and photographs, it's a fantastic example of observation and sketching I'd like to encourage in my children's nature journals as they grow. It may be best to wait until children have matured a little before sharing the book. Experiences described include a shaman's prophetic trance and blood gushing at a bull fight, among other things. The authors mostly refrain from making too many environmental or disparaging comments (about minority or majority populations), but there are some. This will be a book First Son can choose this year for independent reading (sixth grade) and I would have been comfortable with him reading it last year. I think it could appeal to boys and girls. (library copy)


Books in Progress (and date started)

• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Good Poems ed by Garrison Keillor (October 2014) 
• For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (January 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit (February 2015, listening with the children on LibriVox)
• Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (February 2015)
• Towards A Philosophy Of Education (Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series) by Charlotte Mason (May 2015)
• Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass (June 2015)
• Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott (September 2015)
• Laudato Si -- On Care for Our Common Home by Pope Francis (September 2015, with our parish's adult education class)

Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). My homeschooling budget is always grateful for any purchases. 

Links to RC History are affiliate links.

Links to Sacred Heart Books and Gifts are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

Mind to Mind Giveaway Winner!

Here's my Rafflecopter. He's much cuter than that one you can insert onto the blog.

First Daughter likes to help with everything.

And the winner is...

Congratulations, Sally! I've sent you an email asking for your mailing address.

I hope the rest of you have a chance to read Mind to Mind.

Book Review and a Giveaway(!): Mind to Mind

Mind to Mind: An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education by Charlotte Mason and Karen Glass

Karen Glass, a member of the Advisory at AmblesideOnline, has abridged Charlotte Mason's sixth volume, Towards A Philosophy Of Education, in an effort to provide a clear and concise summary of Mason's most comprehensive book.

A Charlotte Mason aficionado might gasp at an abridgement, but I think Ms. Glass has done a great service to the modern educator, at home or in a school. Her website states:

If you cannot bear to think of reading anything less than every word Charlotte Mason wrote in her original volume, this abridgment is not for you. (I confess that I fall into that category, myself.) But if you have tried to read Charlotte Mason’s volumes and found the Victorian-style prose hard going, or simply lack the time to tackle the long books, this shorter version may be exactly what you need.

Very carefully, Ms. Glass has removed references to events and people unfamiliar today while maintaining the heart of Mason's philosophy and exhortations. She has not altered any of Charlotte Mason's words, merely removed some of them. Though I am not an expert, I could find no instance where the removal of words altered Mason's assertions. Mind to Mind flows seamlessly without jarring instances where the reader notices something missing. In addition, Ms. Glass also added helpful chapter divisions and introductory paragraphs. Some sections of complete text appear in one of the three appendices.

I read Towards a Philosophy of Education years ago when my oldest was just beginning school. With four young children and a part-time job, my ability to concentrate suffered greatly. A book like Mind to Mind would have introduced me to the philosophy of Charlotte Mason without wading through as much text. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in an introduction to Charlotte Mason. After reading Mind to Mind, it would be a smooth transition to read not only the complete text of Towards a Philosophy of Education, but any of Charlotte Mason's five other volumes.

Giveaway

With the permission of the author, I have decided to give away my review copy of Mind to Mind. It's the one I read and the cover looks like it's been carried around a bit, but the pages are clean and I didn't write or underline it in. If you'd like to enter, just leave a comment below (make sure I can contact you) before midnight Central time on Monday telling me why you'd like to read Mind to Mind. Friends and family are welcome to enter, but US addresses only. I'll use a sophisticated method to choose a winner (writing names on pieces of paper and letting my one non-literate child pull one out of a bowl).

Mind to Mind officially releases tomorrow, September 4, but I see Amazon is already shipping copies, so you can order now and have your copy in hand before my giveaway is over and the Matchbook price for the Kindle is $0, so you could start reading the e-book within a few minutes.


I received a free copy of this book from the author for an honest review. Links to Amazon are affiliate links, but links to the author's website are not.

Seven Quick Takes Vol 10: Invest in Kleenex

-- 1 --

The picture above is of the sock monkeys my sister bought for all the grandkids at Christmas. These were made by a woman who went to high school with my sister who now has an Etsy shop. I've forgotten the name, but I'm sure I can find it for you if you're interested. The kids adore these monkeys. The three four-year-old boys were a little rough on them and you may notice a few sock monkey injuries in the picture, but they had fun! Second Son's is now one of his steady bedtime companions.

-- 2 --

This is what happens when I give my niece permission to photo bomb the sock monkey picture.

-- 3 --

We have been juggling sickness since coming home from our holiday trip to Illinois, but the most recent round began two Mondays ago with First Daughter. Everyone took turns, the next getting sick as the previous one started on the upswing. Second Son fell particularly ill with a fever that lasted over five days. He still has a cough, but seems to finally be recovering. (I was pretty worried about him; he's so skinny and he ate so little! Thankfully, he doesn't seem to have lost too much weight.)

-- 4 --

The kids are feeling better, but I am still suffering. I had a terrific ear infection a week ago Tuesday. I can't remember my ear hurting so much. Kansas Dad sent me to the doctor, though not in time to prevent the ear drum from rupturing (if there was any hope of that). I'm hoping it will heal on its own, but I'm at day ten and still have muffled hearing on that side along with constant ringing. I'll have to call the doctor on Monday, I think, if it's not noticeably better.

-- 5 --

A week after the ear drum rupture, I woke up without a voice. I told Kansas Dad it was only right I be dumb while deaf. Not much reading aloud happened this week. The older kids have been keeping up with their independent lessons, but kindergarten and our all-together lessons have been patchy. I told them not to worry; we'll just have school through the summer so we don't miss anything. Ha!

-- 6 --

In good news, I used some of the missing read-aloud time to complete my thought process for our Lenten cross so I could actually make it. Post to come!

-- 7 --

Somehow I managed to convince eight ladies to meet once a month to talk about Charlotte Mason's 20 Principles using Brandy Vencel's Start Here. Luckily, our first meeting was the night before I lost my voice. As the person who proposed the study, I am the de facto leader (though not a confident one, even when I have a voice).  The first meeting was really fun. We mostly just introduced ourselves and talked. We'll tackle the first principle next month. (Yes, I think the meeting had something to do with losing my voice. I always talk too much at those things which is a good reason not to trust me as a leader. I think I was going to lose my voice anyway; it just hastened it.)

Join in Seven Quick Takes at This Ain't the Lyceum.

Why We Memorize Poetry

About six months ago (maybe longer), a friend asked me why the children and I memorize poetry and I'm ashamed to admit I did not have a good answer. I've been considering the question ever since. I searched a bit online to find that very few people articulate exactly why children should memorize poetry. One otherwise wonderful book on how to teach a love of poetry neglected memorization entirely. Yet it seems right to me that we not just read poetry, but that we memorize poetry.

I am not expert on poetry memorization or Charlotte Mason's philosophy and methods, but here are the reasons we memorize poetry here on the Range.

It is impressive. One day, my children will be adults (God willing) and may naturally respond with a bit of poetry at just the right moment to impress someone. Or they might make me look like an awesome teacher as they proudly recite for a grandmother or aunt. This is not a good reason to ask your children to memorize poetry. It will happen anyway.

It is fun. Ask any child who has learned Daddy Fell Into the Pond by Alfred Noyes and you will understand. My children love to recite this poem (especially for their father) and continue to do so even when giggling so hard they can barely speak. If he ever does fall into a pond, I only hope they hesitate long enough to pull him out before reciting it. (I found this poem in Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected For Boys and Girls, a wonderful treasure I have requested many times from the library.)

It helps develop better memorization and observational skills. According to Laura M. Berquist in The Harp and Laurel Wreath:

Little children are good at memorization; they pick up jumping-rope rhymes and doggerel verses without effort. Encourage this inclination and ability by having the children memorize fine poetry, among other things. This will strengthen the imagination and memory, as well as prepare the children for the subsequent stages of intellectual development. Since poetry draws attention to specific aspects of experience, regular exposure to poetry will reinforce children's observational powers.

I don't follow Ms. Berquist's instructions in teaching my children poetry or leading them in the memorization of poems, but I think it makes sense that the continual attempt to memorize what we hear must improve our ability to do so (or at the very least, decrease the progression of our inability to do so). I have seen in my own children their tendency to notice things after we have read a poem about them. A book of autumn poetry strategically read calls their attention to the change of seasons outside their own window. (If I were a true Romantic, we'd read such poetry outside, but the wind here on the Range makes outside lessons impractical on a regular basis.)

It is instructive. I haven't read Charlotte Mason's fourth book (Ourselves), but I found these quotes at Ambleside Online, where you can read the full text of her books:

History and biography are full of instruction in righteousness; but what is properly called literature, that is, poetry, essays, the drama, and novels, is perhaps the most useful for our moral instruction, because the authors bring their insight to bear in a way they would hesitate to employ when writing about actual persons.

and

So nice a critic as Matthew Arnold tells us that poetry is a criticism of life; so it is, both a criticism and an inspiration; and most of us carry in our minds tags of verse which shape our conduct more than we know.

We build a repertoire of rhythm, rhyme, and vocabulary, much of which is otherwise absent from our everyday conversations. With well-chosen lines of poetry nestled in their hearts and heads, children are more likely to remember what words mean. They are able to recognize similar phrases and rhythms when reading unfamiliar poems or other works of literature. Later, when we are ready to study such things as meter and poetic forms, they will have "a working knowledge of poetry." (Maryellen St. Cyr in When Children Love to Learn) I have no evidence for this; but I believe it is true.

A memorized poem becomes an old friend. Many of the poems we have memorized are common, found in various anthologies. When we come across one we know in a book of poetry, the children are delighted. Their faces light up and they will often happily start singing or saying the poem along with me. First Son will also sometimes recognize a poet's name and immediately lines from a memorized poem will spring to mind. Brandy wrote along similar lines on her blog:

After our first term of poetry memorization, I learned to like poetry. Now, after doing this for a couple years, I would almost say that I love it! The only thing I changed was adding memorization. In addition to this, my children initially seemed neutral, but now they claim they "love" poetry. It is hard to love poetry if you haven't learned to love individual poems and poets, and that is the possibility which memorization holds out to us.

The children come to possess something, in a very real way, when it is memorized. This struck me while perusing Susan Schaeffer Macaulay's The Value of Charlotte Mason's Work for Today in When Children Love to Learn. She says:

Memorizing is another way children can possess knowledge and beauty. They respond to the cadences, the words, the thoughts.

Once it has been memorized, the beauty and truth and greatness of a poem belongs to the child. As they consider it over time, it becomes a part of them and one lens they can use to view the world.

Children learn to recite. Reciting poems gives children the opportunity to speak aloud without having to think of what to say. Practicing a poem allows them to learn how to enunciate and embellish and it allows children to incorporate theatrical play. In her first volume, Home Education, Charlotte Mason says:

All children have it in them to recite; it is an imprisoned gift waiting to be delivered, like Ariel from the pine. In this most thoughtful and methodical volume we are possessed of the fit incantations. Use them duly, and out of the woodenness of even the most commonplace child steps forth the child-artist, a delicate sprite, who shall make you laugh and make you weep.

We empower children. Reciting poetry does not require electricity or outside entertainment. It can be calming or comforting in times of stress. With a heart full of much-loved poetry memorized, children can entertain themselves while waiting at a doctor's office, while on a road trip, or while waiting for a turn at the drinking fountain. They can include it in their imaginative play. (Robert Louis Stevenson's poetry is wonderful for imaginative play.) When I was in middle school, I was thrown from a horse and injured my back. I remember being terribly frightened. Singing poetry helped calm me and passed the time while we waited for x-ray results and emergency rooms and doctors to assess the situation. (I wish I'd known more poetry to help pass the six days I spent in a hospital bed awaiting a brace.)

Finally, poetry within our hearts and minds can give us the power to understand and express our feelings when we otherwise might not. When I was in high school, we read John Keats's On First Looking into Chapman's Homer and I was forever indebted to Keats. His words, written about a book, so perfectly described the way I had felt so often, I could hardly believe no one had given it to me before (which shows how little others understood me or how few people know Keats as they should, or perhaps both). With this in mind, I often try to choose poetry that I think will speak to my child about his or her own experiences. (I also ask my children to choose their own poetry, if they like.)

Then felt I like some watcher of the skies

   When a new planet swims into his ken;

Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes

   He star'd at the Pacific—and all his men

Look'd at each other with a wild surmise—

   Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

I've read this poem to my children already, though they are still too young to understand it. One day, they will, and they will know their mother better for it.

How We Memorize Poetry

Our poetry Memory Work is very easy. I read the poem aloud and the child listens. Once each day. Every day. After a while, the child starts to speak up and with seemingly little effort (though sometimes a great number of days) will recite the entire piece. We read the new poem of the day, recite one of the two most recently memorized and also recite one from longer ago. Three poems a day. That's it.

As a side note, First Daughter (who is in kindergarten this year), memorized about six poems in the first three weeks of school then promptly decided she was not interested in Memory Work. I let her make that choice. When she asks or when we start first grade, she will begin again.

But, let me again say, every effort of the kind, however unconscious, means wear and tear of brain substance. Let the child lie fallow till he is six, and then, in this matter of memorising, as in others, attempt only a little, and let the poems the child learns be simple and within the range of his own thought and imagination. At the same time, when there is so much noble poetry within a child's compass, the pity of it, that he should be allowed to learn twaddle!  [Home Education by Charlotte Mason]

A Note on Our Poetry Lessons

Our Poetry study is separate from our poetry Memory Work. Once a week, I read from a book of poems. My children love this time. When they see the poetry book in our lesson pile, they cheer. This year, we've been reading from The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry. Some of our other favorite books of poetry can be found here and here. Many picture books are also wonderful books of poetry. I recently found Water Sings Blue which is delightful!

We also read poetry as part of our history studies. For example, this year we read the wonderful Walt Whitman: Words for America in our American history studies. It included excerpts of Whitman's poems within the text and more extended or complete versions at the end. I also read from Hand in Hand: An American History Through Poetry.

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

Charlotte Mason in Towards a Philosophy of Education:

As soon as he gets words with which to communicate with us, a child lets us know that he thinks with surprising clearness and directness, that he sees with a closeness of observation that we have long lost, that he enjoys and that he sorrows with an intensity we have ceased to experience, that he loves with an abandon and a confidence which, alas, we do not share, that he imagines with a fecundity no artist among us can approach[,] that he acquires intellectual knowledge and mechanical skill at a rate so amazing, that, could the infant's rate of progress be kept up to manhood, he would surely appropriate the whole field of knowledge in a single lifetime!

This is Second Son right now. It is one of my favorite times in a child's life when everything he says is a astounding revelation, even if I can only understand a fourth of it.

What Is a Complete Sentence?

Narrations should be done in complete sentences. Questions should be answered in complete sentences. This seems like a simple requirement, but I found myself struggling to explain to First Son exactly what makes a stream of works a complete sentence rather than an incomplete one. He would consistently answer my questions starting with something like "so that..." or "fighting..." or "loving God..." (the last is his standard answer for why someone is a saint). In the beginning, when I prompted him to respond in a complete sentence, he would often look at me in dismay.

I finally resorted to examples:

"St. George fought the dragon."
"fought the dragon"

Eventually, First Son seemed to pick up on the idea and could consistently correct his phrases when I pointed out they were incomplete.

I was delighted to discover what is likely the answer to my problem in Charlotte Mason's Towards A Philosophy of Education. I imagine this particular idea is addressed in lots of other books about Charlotte Mason's methods, but somehow I missed it.

Every sentence has two parts, (1), the thing we speak of, and (2), what we say about it.

The first part of a sentence, of course, is the subject. 

How simple it would have been to say to First Son, "Who or what are you speaking about?"

Now that I think about it, I'm sure I will be saying that to him in the future.

A Comment on Charlotte Mason's Philosophy

Charlotte Mason emphasized the importance of children experiencing nature in all kinds of weather, including the rain and mud of spring. In theory, I agree with her completely.

In practice, though, I'd just like to point out that Ms. Mason did not have to do the laundry, mop the floors, or shampoo the carpet when everyone came back inside.

I Think So, Too

It's nice to find someone who can more eloquently express what I've often thought. Read Cindy Rollins on Charlotte Mason and Classical Education.

HT: Brandy at Afterthoughts

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

Charlotte Mason in Towards A Philosophy Of Education, Chapter 7:

That children like feeble and tedious oral lessons, feeble and tedious story books, does not at all prove that these are wholesome food; they like lollipops but cannot live upon them; yet there is a serious attempt in certain schools to supply the intellectual, moral, and religious needs of children by appropriate 'sweetmeats.'

My own children have only been homeschooled, so I don't have a lot of experience with what the schools are teaching, but I do know that my youngest sister (who is currently in ninth grade) has come home with some shocking books as assigned reading. The theory seems to be that they must provide something entertaining to entice the children to read. I have nothing against being entertained as we read per se, but our primary goal in education must be to educate. Sometimes, we are educating our souls and hearts to learn to be engrossed in that which is not entertaining. Sometimes, we are training our souls to be entertained by that which is wholesome.

Charlotte Mason quotes A. Paterson's Across the Bridges:

The teacher ready to use the powers that his training and experience have given him works too hard while the boy's share in the struggle is too light. It is possible to make education too easy for children and to rob learning of mental discipline which often wearies but in the end produces concentration and the capacity to work alone...He is rarely left to himself with the book in his hands, forced to concentrate all his mind on the dull words before him with no one at hand to explain or make the memory work easier by little tricks of repetition and association...

Exactly. 

Later in chapter 7, Charlotte Mason says:

Their implicit contention is, given a well-educated man with cultivated imagination, trained judgment, wide interests, and he is prepared to master the intricacies of any profession; while he knows at the same time how to make use of himself, of the powers with which nature and education have endowed him for his own happiness; the delightful employment of his leisure; for the increased happiness of his neighbours and the well-being of the community; that is, such a man is able, not only to earn his living, but to live. (emphasis the author's)

Again, exactly! It is our intention to educate our children in such a way as to prepare them adequately for success in competitive colleges and even graduate programs, but our goal is to educate them so they are eager and able to seek out their own growth in knowledge, skills and wisdom, regardless of their career.

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

Charlotte Mason in Towards a Philosophy of Education:

For the mind is capable of dealing with only one kind of food; it lives, grows and is nourished upon ideas only; mere information is to it as a meal of sawdust to the body; there are no organs for the assimilation of the one more than of the other.

Later:

There is but one sphere in which the word idea never occurs, in which the conception of an idea is curiously absent, and that sphere is education! Look at any publisher's list of school books and you shall find that the books recommended are carefully dessicated, drained of the least suspicion of an idea, reduced to the driest statements of fact.

At the end of the chapter (chapter 6):

All roads lead to Rome, and all I have said is meant to enforce the fact that much and varied humane reading, as well as human thought expressed in the forms of art, is, not a luxury, a tit-bit, to be given to children now and then, but their very bread of life, which they must have in abundant portions and at regular periods. This and more is implied in the phrase, "The mind feeds on ideas and therefore children should have a generous curriculum."

Quote: Towards a Philosophy of Education

Charlotte Mason in  Towards A Philosophy Of Education:

Our chief concern for the mind or for the body is to supply a well-ordered table with abundant, appetising, nourishing and very varied food, which children deal with in their own way and for themselves. This food must be served au naturel, without the predigestion which deprives it of stimulating and nourishing properties and no sort of forcible feeding or spoon feeding may be practised. Hungry minds sit down to such a diet with the charming greediness of little children; they absorb it, assimilate it and grow thereby in a manner astonishing to those accustomed to the dull profitless ruminating so often practised in schools.

Charlotte Mason Study for Mother

I followed a couple of links to this article on teaching in the Charlotte Mason style: Becoming a Charlotte Mason Teacher. I was particularly convicted on the point on narration. I have been far too lax with narrations because they are so painful for First Son (and therefore myself). It's not that we never did narration; he did some every day, but not every lesson. That must change.

I've also been inspired to read another volume of Charlotte Mason's writings this summer. I'm considering A Philosophy of Education. I've read only her first one (Home Education). Those who have read them...is this a good choice?

Book Review: Home Education

Home Education (Charlotte Mason's Homeschooling Series) by Charlotte Mason

I don't really intend to review this book in detail. If you are interested in homeschooling and the Charlotte Mason methods, you'll want to read it yourself. Even if you're not homeschooling, I think parents of young children (under nine) would be interested in reading it. You can even read it online for free here.

I've written a bit about this book on the blog already and originally intended to write more discussions, but then I got pregnant and decided it was enough just to finish reading it. (Which I finally have!!)  You can see what I've written and quoted here. Considering my first post on it was in June 2009, I'm wondering if I should be a little embarrassed at how long it took to read the book. (In my defense, I wanted to underline and make notes in the book, which meant I needed a pencil, a tool that is still a danger when in the hands of Second Daughter as my windowsills can attest, so I had to keep the book in my bedroom where I was usually sleeping, not reading.)

A search online will bring up thousands of hits (maybe tens of thousands) on Charlotte Mason and her philosophy. Personally, I've enjoyed reading what Brandy had to say at Afterthoughts. She just finished reading Home Education herself (for the second time) and was much more coherent and reliable in her updates than I was.

Quote: Home Education

From Part VI (The Will--The Conscience--The Divine Life in the Child) in Home Education (Charlotte Mason's Homeschooling Series):

There are those, no doubt, who have not even arrived at wishing, but most of us desire to do well; what we want to know is, how to make ourselves do what we desire. And here is the line which divides the effective from the non-effective people, the great from the small, the good from the well-intentioned and respectable; it is in proportion as a man has self-controlling, self-compelling power that he is able to do, even of his own pleasure; that he can depend upon himself, and be sure of his own action in emergencies.

Later:

It is by force of will that a man can 'change his thoughts,' transfer his attention from one subject of thought to another, and that, with a shock of mental force of which he is distinctly conscious. And this is enough to save a man and to make a man, this power of making himself think only of those things which he has beforehand decided that it is good to think upon.