Have you wondered about the relationship between the Charlotte Mason vs Classical Education Methods? There seems to be an overlap between the two educational methods. Home educators that are drawn to one initially, often check out the other. Some of us who are more eclectic in our approach will draw from each what we like.
Is Charlotte Mason Classical?
Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy is often considered classical. However, it is also distinct in some ways from traditional classical education. While there are similarities, Charlotte Mason’s approach has its unique features.
Here’s an overview of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and how it relates to classical education:
Charlotte Mason’s Educational Philosophy: Charlotte Mason was a British educator in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her educational philosophy is characterized by several key principles:
- Living Books: Mason advocated the use of living books, which are well-written, engaging, and often authored by experts in the subject. These books are meant to foster a love for learning and provide students with direct contact with great ideas and real-world knowledge.
- Narration: Mason placed a strong emphasis on narration, where students retell in their own words what they have read or heard. This practice aims to develop comprehension, expression, and memory skills.
- Short Lessons: Mason recommended short, focused lessons to maintain attention and prevent mental fatigue. This approach is designed to encourage concentration and the habit of full attention.
- Nature and Outdoor Education: Mason believed in the importance of connecting children with nature and promoting outdoor education. This hands-on, experiential learning is a central part of her philosophy.
- Character Development: Mason’s approach also focused on character development, emphasizing values such as respect, integrity, and empathy.
While Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy shares some principles with classical education, it has its unique features and approaches.
It’s often considered a part of the broader classical education tradition but is also recognized as distinct in its emphasis on living books, narration, and nature-based learning.
Charlotte Mason vs Classical Education
Charlotte Mason’s philosophy shares some common elements with classical education, such as an emphasis on quality literature, the cultivation of virtuous character, and the idea of a well-rounded education. Both approaches appreciate the value of the liberal arts, fostering a love of learning, and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.
However, there are differences between Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and traditional classical education. For instance, classical education often includes the Progymnasmata exercises. These are a structured series of writing and rhetoric exercises and are less prominent in Mason’s approach.
Charlotte Mason’s focus on living books, short lessons, and nature-based learning is a departure from the traditional Classical model, which often relies on primary sources and longer, more structured lessons.
Classical Education vs. Charlotte Mason Language Arts
When it comes to language arts, there seem to be some stark differences between the two methods.
Narration, dictation, and copywork are important components of a classical education, but they are not typically included in the traditional Progymnasmata exercises. Instead, these elements are often part of a broader classical education approach known as the Charlotte Mason method or are used as separate writing and language arts activities in the curriculum.
Both approaches appreciate the value of the liberal arts, fostering a love of learning, and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.
How to Incorporate Narration, Copywork, and Dictation into a Classical Education Curriculum
Narration:
- Purpose: Narration involves having students retell or summarize a text or passage they have read. This helps develop their comprehension, oral communication, and storytelling skills.
- Placement: Narration can be used at various grade levels, typically starting in the early elementary years. It’s an effective way to ensure students understand and engage with the material they read.
- Implementation: After reading a story or passage, ask students to orally narrate what they’ve read, putting it in their own words. You can also have them write down their narrations to improve both oral and written expression.
Narration has a long history in the classical tradition of education, and it was also revived by Charlotte Mason, a British educator in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Classical and Charlotte Mason education both use narration, but they have some differences in how and why they use it. Here are some of the main points I found:
- Classical education is based on the trivium, which divides learning into three stages: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Narration is mainly used in the grammar stage, when students are expected to memorize and recite facts from various subjects. Narration helps students to store information in their memory and prepare for more advanced reasoning and expression in the later stages.
- Charlotte Mason education is based on the idea that education is the science of relations, and that students should form personal connections with the ideas they encounter in living books. Narration is used throughout the curriculum, not just in one stage, and it is not limited to factual information. Charlotte Mason also suggests different types of narration, such as paraphrasing, summarizing, analyzing, or synthesizing.
Copywork:
- Purpose: Copywork involves students copying well-written passages or sentences by hand. It helps improve penmanship, grammar, and exposure to quality writing.
- Placement: Copywork is suitable for elementary and early middle school years.
- Implementation: Provide students with passages from classic literature, historical documents, or other quality texts. They copy these passages by hand, paying attention to spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. It’s an opportunity to appreciate and internalize good writing.
- When your student is comfortable writing a whole sentence, being incorporating copywork. Have your student slowly build their attention span as well as their hand strength in writing. Start with just one sentence, gradually increasing the length of the text as your student is able. Be patient and remember short lessons are key with the Charlotte Mason Method.
Dictation:
- Purpose: Dictation involves the teacher reading a passage aloud, and students write down what they hear. It helps with spelling, punctuation, and listening skills.
- Placement: Dictation can be introduced in the early elementary years and continue through upper grades.
- Implementation: The teacher reads a passage, and students write it down exactly as it is spoken. Afterward, the students can review and correct any mistakes together, providing an opportunity to learn from errors.
- Start with a short simple sentence when your student is capable. Once your student has mastered that skill and is comfortable with dictation, keep expanding until they are comfortable writing a whole passage. Especially in the beginning, pick one skill to focus on for each lesson (ie. spelling, grammar, punctuation, handwriting etc.)
While not all of these elements are part of the original Progymnasmata exercises, they can complement a Classical Education approach and help students develop essential writing and language skills. Charlotte Mason’s method, in particular, emphasizes these practices as a way to foster a deep and meaningful engagement with literature and language.
Incorporating narration, copywork, and dictation into your curriculum can enhance students’ reading and writing abilities.
We’d love to hear!
How have you blended the Classical and Charlotte Mason approaches?
What are your favorite Language Arts resources for each?
