Thoughts on Philosophy of Education introduction section 3

In this third section of the introduction, Charlotte lists points that distinguish a Charlotte Mason education which up until this time had been unrecognized or disregarded by the educational system. She goes into great detail as to how she came to some of the conclusions which led her to develope her philosophy of education. While observing children in the two schools where she was teaching, as well as some children of a friend of hers, she began to see that “the mind of a child takes or rejects according to its needs.” That whether the mind was taking in or rejecting an idea it was functioning for its own nourishment and it, just like the rest of the body, requires sustenance. The difference is that the mind is not something weighed or measured but it is spiritual so the food must be spiritual too. In other words, ideas. Children have a God given appetite for knowledge. We call it curiosity. She asks the question “can not people get along with little knowledge?” and comes to the conclusion, after observing her friends young children, that to the child who had not been turned off by “spiritual malnutrition”, the whole world barely had enough to satisfy a child’s desire to know. The next question she pondered is “what then is knowledge?” and states that “something only becomes knowledge to a person which he has assimilated, which his mind has acted upon”. Just like physical hunger is not satisfied until we take in food and our body begins the process of digestion. Charlotte believed that every child, no matter what “social class” they were from, could learn in the same way. That true education happens when “mind appeals to mind and thought begets thought.” Every child deserves to be exposed to great thinkers through great literature. She makes the point that books that focus on entertaining can be delightful and can have some profit but should not be considered “education” in which the main concern is knowledge. That in “light” reading the mind doesn’t work to set aside the information so that what is read truly becomes knowledge. What I thought of here is a book that was a good story but that didn’t introduce “new information” for one to think about. Charlotte felt that every person has a natural delight in “literary form” until we are “educated out of it.” We need to think of children as capable as adults are in regards to their ability to deal with knowledge. They have natural curiosity with an amazing ability to remember and an unlimited power of attention. I wondered about this “power of attention” that she speaks of, especially with an ADD or ADHD child, so I looked up the definition of attention. It is the “act of applying the mind to something.” I have seen my ADHD daughter be captured by a ladybug or a spider building a web, and focus intently on it, long after I have moved on from observing it. It seems if we capture the attention of a child through their natural desire to “know” with great thought, written by great thinkers, the mind will begin to digest these thoughts through a process of rehearsing what was read. The result will be that he “knows” or it has become a part of him. Something mentioned in the intro that I have been drawn to is this: “the mind can know nothing save what it can produce in the form of an answer to a question put to the mind by itself.” She makes the point that when we want to remember a conversation or say an accident we witnessed, we go over it in our mind. The mind asks itself what next? This same function is what the mind does with any knew knowledge. In the last few paragraphs, Charlotte outlines what she will present in the following text in regards to her educational philosophy highlighting that we should view children not unlike ourselves and offer them the best education using the best literature possible. That this knowledge will nourish their minds just as food nourishes the body. That children are naturally curious and prefer knowledge to be given in literary form over lectures and they have a natural ability to deal with this knowledge. She concludes that children educated in this manner will be capable, develop character, countenance, initiative, and a sense of responsibility and are “good and thoughtful citizens."

Thoughts from Charlotte Mason's vol. 6 pp.1-8

Happy Sunday to you all,
I would like to share my thoughts on what I have read this week. I am in no way an expert on Charlottes writings I am just sharing what I took from the readings. Feel free to comment as you wish and discuss any thing that sparks your interest through the week. I will be reading Section 3 (p. 8-21) of the introduction this week and posting my thoughts next Sunday.
Blessings
Jodi

The introduction begins by Charlotte admiring the valour and devotion of the men in WWI and draws the conclusion that this stems from being educated properly. She points out the wrong thinking of the thousands of men who wouldn't support the war effort and thus remained home. She states that the mark of the educated is that they are "enabled to generous impulse", patriotism, and seeing beyond their own interests and questions what the educational system is providing when people don't have these qualities. The error of the system, she says, is the wrong conception formed of what the mind is and how it functions. There was a popular "theory" in her day dealing with the development of "faculties." This belief was that a thought is no more than a function of the brain. The educational system of her day was watering down curricula, teachers lecturing etc. with the ascertain that "it does not matter what a child learns but only how he learns it". I love this next thought so I will quote it in Charlotte's words-"If we teach much and children learn little we comfort ourselves with the idea that we are "developing this or that faculty". In the long run she says that the nation that understands that knowledge, which differs from training, is the daily food of the mind, will have a bright future. I have begun to understand her thinking about educating for vocation. That just training our children for solely earning a living doesn't improve their character or qualify them to serve as a productive member of society. We need to realize that just as the body needs food, so does the mind and that we want to give our children an education that nourishes his mind as well as training him physically and vocationally. Charlotte believed that all children could learn this way and succeed.

52 books in 52 weeks challenge

Well, I just found this challenge on another friends blog and have decided to give it a shot. The challenge is to read one book a week for 52 weeks and then post a review of the book you read each week. The challenge started January 1, 2010 so I am entering in at week four. The new week starts on Sunday and you can join at any time. Here is the link to the site if anyone is interested in participating. Sounds like fun.
http://www.read52booksin 52weeks.com

Tea Time

One of my most favorite things in the world is tea time. It is a time to relax and unwind. I love the smell of tea. Whether I brew it in a pot or by the cup, the aroma soothes my soul. I typically have a cup of tea a day either in the afternoon or evening, with or without my children, who also enjoy tea time. Some days we just enjoy the cup of tea while we are finishing school work and some days we have time for a longer break and have sweet treats along with the tea. A few weeks back we invited a friend and her young son over for tea. I set a small table up for the children using a tea set that was received as a Christmas gift. We had cookies and scones (which I am embarrassed to say I burned) along with our tea and conversation. It was a wonderful afternoon. (even with the burnt scones) I have also had the blessing of have tea in a "tea room". This, is in my opinion, the ultimate tea experience. I have been to several tea rooms and each one is different but the end result is the same. That wonderful, mellow, feeling of relaxation that comes from taking a respite from your daily routine to pamper your self. For my birthday, my tea loving friend gave me a book entitled "The Tea Lovers Devotional". It is filled with scripture and uplifting devotions accompanied by tea hints or quotes. The other day the topic was looking at things in the positive. I loved the last line.....remember in just a few moments bread and water can be turned into toast and tea. So, next time you are feeling down or stressed, go, boil some water and savor a cup of tea. Sip it slowly and reflect on all of the blessings God has given you in your life.....it works.....

Proverbs 3:1-8

My son, do not forge my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart

for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.

This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Winter Time Nature Study

I have to admit, the city girl has begun to enjoy nature study. But what to do when the weather is cold, wet, or snowy? If it is a day that we don't feel like braving the elements, rather than totally abandoning our nature notebooks we get out the field guides and choose something that is not native to our area. Another thing we enjoy, is reading a "living" nature book like Pocketful of Pine Cones, Girl of the Limberlost, or one of the Burgess books and draw what flora or fauna is mentioned in that chapter. We get out the field guides and look up our find just as if we went outside to search it out. It kills two...ahem..."birds" with one stone, so to speak, kiddos keep up with their nature study while mom gets to sit beside the wonderfully, warm wood stove.

Scrap Tip

This is a tip for any of you that attend organized "scrap" sessions outside of your home. I read about this tip online from some seasoned scrapbookers. When you know you will be participating in an event like this, set aside some time a few weeks prior to the "scrap" to choose which photos you will use and then choose the layout, papers & embellishments for the page and put it all into a clear plastic folder with a "page map" or description of what you want the finished page to look like. Assemble as many pages you think you will do at the event. Then when you arrive take out your packets and scrap away. I have found that I have been more productive when I have done this. You can get ideas for layouts on line for free. One of my favorite sites is www.pagemaps.com
You can print out a new page of layouts each month.

Charlotte Mason Readings

I have been inspired to begin some reading in 'A Philosophy of Education' vol. 6 by Charlotte Mason. This week I am planning on reading The Introduction from page 1-8, after which I will post some thoughts and reflections that I have had. I am hoping to learn more from this great educator and then apply my "education" to my own homeschool. This is a project that I have desired to do for several years now. I want to set the example of continued learning for my children.

Scrapbooking

I must now confess that I am a "scrapbooker". I am currently working on two identical albums of Britni. One for us to keep and one for her to take with her into adulthood. This has turned out to be a huge project and I am now wondering if it will all fit into the album. This weekend I attended a "scrap"... aka a meeting of like minded "scrappers" to work on "scrapping" together. I had a great time. It is so inspiring to work alongside such talented women and glean from them and the fellowship with my sisters in Christ is refreshing. My goal is to get these two albums done before Britni graduates. We shall see!
Happy Scrapping

Back to Basics

Well, it has been over 6 months since I updated this blog. My intention is to keep up with this throughout the New Year. We will be graduating Britni in the Spring. Abigail is working in her Five In A Row, learning the phonetic alphabet and learning to write numbers. Today we started back to school after a long holiday break. It was good to get back into a routine. We are studying WWI/the great depression era. I am reading The Grapes of Wrath and A Farewell to Arms as our read-alouds with Britni. I am not sure about recommending these books. I have had to do a great deal of on the spot editing. I guess I chose them because they are supposed to be great classics. I was supposed to read them both in high school but didn't. I am glad I did not read them then. The story line is interesting in both books, so far, but I will give a full review when we finish them.