Charlotte Mason facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charlotte Mason
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| Born | 1 January 1842 Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales
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| Died | 16 January 1923 (aged 81) Ambleside, England
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| Alma mater | Home and Colonial Society |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Employer | Bishop Otter Teacher Training College, self-employed |
Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason (born January 1, 1842 – died January 16, 1923) was a famous British educator. She lived in England around the early 1900s. Charlotte Mason believed that all children should have a wide and interesting education. She thought learning should be fun and help kids grow into good people. Her ideas are very popular today, especially in Christian schools and among families who homeschool.
Contents
About Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason was born in a small village called Garth in Wales. This area is now part of the city of Bangor. She was an only child and learned most things at home from her parents.
Charlotte taught at Davison School in Worthing, England, for over ten years. During this time, she started to develop her big idea: that everyone should get a "liberal education." This means a broad education that helps you think for yourself.
In 1874, she worked at the Bishop Otter Teacher Training College. She was a Senior Governess there until 1878. She gave many talks about teaching young children. These talks were later put into her first book, Home Education, published in 1886.
Between 1880 and 1892, Charlotte Mason wrote a popular series of geography books. These books helped students learn about different places.
- Elementary Geography: Book I for Standard II (1881)
- The British Empire and the Great Divisions of the Globe: Book II for Standard III (1882)
- The Counties of England: Book III for Standard IV (1881)
- The Countries of Europe Their Scenery and Peoples: Book IV for Standard V (1883)
- The Old and New World: Asia, Africa, America, Australia: Book V (1884)
She also helped start the Parents' National Educational Union (PNEU). This group gave parents ideas and tools for teaching their children at home. She also started and edited a magazine called Parents' Review. This magazine helped her stay in touch with PNEU members.
In 1890, she met Henrietta Franklin. Henrietta was very inspired by Charlotte's ideas. By 1892, Henrietta had opened the first school in London based on Mason's teaching methods. Henrietta helped the PNEU grow a lot. She traveled to many countries to share Charlotte's ideas.
Life in Ambleside
In 1891, Charlotte Mason moved to Ambleside, England. There, she opened the House of Education. This was a special school to train teachers and governesses. These were people who taught young children.
By 1892, the Parents' Educational Union became the Parents' National Educational Union (PNEU). A school called the Parents' Union School was also started. Children at this school learned using Charlotte Mason's unique teaching ideas.
Charlotte Mason wrote several other books to explain her education theories.
- Parents and Children: This book is a collection of her articles and essays.
- School Education: This book explains her methods for teaching children aged 9 to 12.
- Ourselves: Published in 1904, this book was written for children. It helped them learn about themselves and develop good character. The first part is for kids under 16.
- Formation of Character: This book came out in 1905. It showed how her teaching methods help children build strong, good character traits. She believed that if children are given good instruction and opportunities, their character will grow well.
- Towards A Philosophy of Education: This was Charlotte Mason's last book, published in 1923. It talks about how her ideas can be used for high school students. Many people who study her work suggest starting with this book.
Besides her geography series and education books, Charlotte Mason also wrote a six-book series called The Saviour of the World. These books were poems about the life and teachings of Jesus.
Over the years, many other schools started using Charlotte Mason's ideas. The Ambleside school became a college to train teachers for all the new Parents' Union Schools. It also helped British parents teaching their children overseas.
After Charlotte Mason passed away, her training school became Charlotte Mason College. Today, the buildings are part of the University of Cumbria. There is also a museum there.
Her Education Ideas
Charlotte Mason's main ideas about education can be summed up by two sayings. One is "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." The other is "Education is the science of relations."
She believed that children are born as complete people and should be treated with respect. She also thought children should learn to use their will and reason. Her motto for students was "I am, I can, I ought, I will."
Mason believed that children naturally love to learn. She created ways to help this love grow by making learning fun and positive. She thought children should be given the best ideas, which she called 'mind-food.' This meant giving them inspiring stories and good thoughts. Her approach focuses on the child and uses a wide range of subjects. It also emphasizes understanding ideas more than just memorizing facts.
Charlotte Mason strongly believed in reading high-quality books. She called these "living books." These are books that make you think and spark your imagination.
Scouting Connection
Charlotte Mason was one of the first people to see how useful Scouting could be for children. In 1905, she added Aids to Scouting by Robert Baden-Powell to her school's lessons. Later, Baden-Powell himself said that a teacher trained by Mason helped him see the educational power of Scouting. This led to his book Scouting for Boys and the start of the worldwide Scouting movement.
Mason and her teachers even created their own Parents' Union Scouts. This was for boys and girls who were homeschooled or went to P.N.E.U. schools. When the Girl Guides started, Mason suggested that her P.U. Scouts join the national Scouting and Guiding groups.
Publications
Charlotte Mason wrote many books, mostly about education and geography.
- Home Education Series - Vol 1, Home Education
- Home Education Series - Vol 2, Parents and Children
- Home Education Series - Vol 3, School Education
- Home Education Series - Vol 4, Ourselves
- Home Education Series - Vol 5, Formation of Character
- Home Education Series - Vol 6, Towards a Philosophy of Education
- Elementary Geography
- An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education: A Liberal Education for All
- Home education
- Parents and children
- Poetry: The Savior of the World
- Scale How Meditations
- Parents' Review Articles Archive
See also
In Spanish: Charlotte Mason para niños
