Born in Britain in 1842, Charlotte Mason as an educator and writer. She focused her life’s work on studying and nurturing the curiosity and love of learning in the children around her. Although Charlotte never married and did not have children of her own, she soon realized that parents needed some help in understanding the best way to bring up children.
She wrote and lectured about just that–the best way to raise children. In addition to respecting children as whole entities, she advocated exposing children from a young age to a variety of subjects. This involved reading–but not just any books! Living books were the key to a rich understanding of the world around them. She encouraged study of the world through nature walks, collecting bugs, outdoor play, listening to beautiful music, gazing at a splendid work of art, and learning about history through the lives of adventurers, heroes, and saints.
She also highly valued the practice of virtues and didn’t begrudge even small children the belief that they were able to practice virtue and good habits of character. This certainly involved the above activities, but also lessons in obedience, diligence, attention, and honesty.
The best judge of whether her method was successful is seeing how widely known and loved it is across the world. Parents, often homeschooling, are drawn to her method by its gentleness, beauty, and balance. It seeks to bond parent and child in a love of learning and a wonder for the world around them.
