Over the years of our homeschooling journey, my perception about schooling my children at home has changed. I've written about this change in several posts. One of the main reasons for my change of thought has been that when we started homeschooling, my thought was that I was preparing my children to one day go to school. The plan was to homeschool them until the last child went to school and then put them in school and go back to teach. My goal has changed now, and I hope to homeschool long term if that is the way God leads us.
When I began this journey thinking they were going to "real school" one day, I tried to follow the plans of "real school." I chose curriculum that was more like "real school" and I tried to create a structure of our day that would be like a school structure. As my goals have changed, one educational philosophy I have become more and more "in tune" with is Charlotte Mason. Just recently I have been learning more and more about her philosophy of education. A friend of mine has been schooling with this philosophy from the beginning and has loaned me some books. I just recently finished reading For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay.
I must say, I think this is a parenting book, no just a book about educational philosophy. The author (who happens to be the daughter of Francis Schaeffer, the Christian author) goes over the basic points of Charlotte Mason's philosophy and expounds on them. She relates these points to things that can be done in the home and in the classroom to teach children. The book is not primarily for homechoolers, as Charlotte Mason's philosophy is not primarily for homeschoolers. In fact, Charlotte Mason believed every child had the right to this type of education, and she started schools that would teach children in this way.
I cannot imagine how a philosophy of education such as this could work in our school systems today because of the focus on test scores that we have and because of the sheer number of children that teachers are expected to educate at a time in a classroom.
The two main focuses that I am drawn to in Charlotte Mason's philosophy is education as a lifestyle, and letting children be children and learn through play and "gentle" teaching. I am convinced the longer I am homeschool that my children often learn much more from our "lifestyle of learning" than from what I sit down and teach them in a book. In other words, if I am constantly providing quality materials and experiences, they are going to learn much more from those things than from completing pages ion a workbook. I am also convinced that our children need time to be children. Imposing upon them the stress of adult lives by having every moment of their day planned and scheduled is doing them a great disservice. Children learn through play, and they need lots of free and unstructured time to develop that learning.
I highly, highly recommend this book even if you do not follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy. There are some wonderful ideas for gently teaching and parenting your children.
If you'd like to see other books I've read recently, you can check out my reading list for 2008.
Comments
Oct. 16, 2008 - I agree with you...
Posted by proverbsmomof3
I have read this book also and found it very good. I also have enjoyed the Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. I am trying to read The Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte Mason, but it has taken a while. Thanks for sharing your review.
Oct. 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by CandyFoote
I was so happy that you popped in over at my blog.
Stop by again soon.
Candy