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At the 2023 ADE at HOME {Virtual} Conference Jono Kiser of Living Literature presented a talk entitled "Good and Dangerous Books." We've invited him onto the podcast this week to discuss why Charlotte Mason encouraged students to read literature with objectionable content, and what makes these worthy books.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Junkyard Wonders, Patricia Polacco
The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes
2024 ADE @ Home {Virtual Conference}
ADE's Patreon Community
In this episode we return to the topic of Recitation, a distinctive feature of Charlotte Mason's Method. We are focusing on practical ways to help your student develop their skills in Recitation, both the "Mechanical" and the "Sentimental" Branches.
“It will now be seen that I spoke nothing but the truth when I said that reading was an art which had its fixed laws. We have found laws for the emission of the voice, for respiration, for pronunciation, for articulation, and for punctuation ; that is to say, laws for all the material side, the technical part of the art of reading. Let us now pass on to its intellectual aspects.” (Ernest Legouvé. A Short Treatise on Reading Aloud. PR 17, p 436)
Hay said, “the first of these two branches ... can in all cases be taught, and the second beyond hints and suggestions for guidance must be left to the taste and judgment of the speaker.” (p. 33-34)
What Charlotte Mason called “the fine art of beautiful and perfect speaking.” (1/223)
“It will now be seen that I spoke nothing but the truth when I said that reading was an art which had its fixed laws. We have found laws for the emission of the voice, for respiration, for pronunciation, for articulation, and for punctuation ; that is to say, laws for all the material side, the technical part of the art of reading. Let us now pass on to its intellectual aspects.” (Ernest Legouvé. A Short Treatise on Reading Aloud. PR 17, p 436)
Hay said, “the first of these two branches ... can in all cases be taught, and the second beyond hints and suggestions for guidance must be left to the taste and judgment of the speaker.” (p. 33-34)
The Speaking Voice: Its Development and Preservation, Volume 1, Emil Behnke
The Speaking Voice: Its Development and Preservation, Volume 2, Emil Behnke
The Art of Reading and Speaking, Canon Fleming
Awaken: Living Books Conferences
Episode 179: Recitation Immersion
Episode 266: The Unity of the CM Method
Arthur Burrell's Recitation: The Children's Art
2024 ADE @ Home {Virtual Conference}
ADE's Patreon Community
This season, we are interviewing experienced Charlotte Mason moms, inviting them to tell us how they've come to "Trust the Method." In today's episode, Celeste Cruz, mom of eleven children, from infant to seniors in High School, joins us to reflect on her Charlotte Mason Journey.
"Not only confidence in themselves, but confidence in their children, is an element of the masterly inactivity, which I venture to propose to parents as a 'blue teapot' for them 'to live up to.' Believe in the relation of parent and child, and trust the children to believe in it and fulfil it on their part. They will do so if they are not worried." (3/30)
"People are naturally divided into those who read and think and those who do not read or think..." (6/31)
Awaken: Living Books Conference
Celeste's blog: Joyous Lessons
ADE's Patreon Community
Charlotte Mason's Method can seem confusing and difficult to implement, especially if we view it as a list of do's and don'ts. But when we learn to see it as a unified whole, it is revealed as a truly simple and cohesive method of education.
“Time is insufficient for teachers as well as for scholars. How then find room for a new subject ? Where place it ? What would give way for it ? The answer is easy. The art of reading can only benefit education where it adds nothing, eliminates nothing, supersedes nothing, but by assimilation is our aid to all things. It is not a tax but an aid to memory ; it does not fatigue, but relieves and supports the mind. It is to education what the gastric juice is to the nutritive process : it causes and facilitates digestion ; it is not in itself a new factor, but a component part of all the other factors.” (Short Treatise on Reading Aloud. PR 17, p 129)
"The reader will say with truth,-" I knew all this before and have always acted more or less on these principles " ; and I can only point to the unusual results we obtain through adhering not ' more or less,' but strictly to the principles and practices I have indicated. I suppose the difficulties are of the sort that Lister had to contend with ; every surgeon knew that his instruments and appurtenances should be kept clean, but the saving of millions of lives has resulted from the adoption of the great surgeon's antiseptic treatment; that is from the substitution of exact principles scrupulously applied for the rather casual ' more or less ' methods of earlier days." (6/19)
“Therefore we do not feel it is lawful in the early days of a child's life to select certain subjects for his education to the exclusion of others; … but we endeavour that he shall have relations of pleasure and intimacy established with as many as possible of the interests proper to him; not learning a slight or incomplete smattering about this or that subject, but plunging into vital knowledge, with a great field before him which in all his life he will not be able to explore.” (3/223)
"As we have already urged, there is but one right way, that is, children must do the work for themselves." (6/99)
"The children, not the teachers, are the responsible persons ; they do the work by self-effort." (6/241)
"'The mother is qualified,' says Pestalozzi, 'and qualified by the Creator Himself, to become the principal agent in the development of her child ; . . . and what is demanded of her is a thinking love. • • • God has given to thy child all the faculties of our nature, but the grand point remains undecided-how shall this heart, this head, these hands, be employed? to whose service shall they be dedicated? A question the answer to which involves a futurity of happiness or misery to a life so dear to thee. Maternal love is the first agent in education.'" (1/2)
"What we cannot do with Miss Mason's Ideal is to reduce it to lowest terms, and just in so far as we try to, so far we misrepresent it, and misunderstand it. But some of the secret undoubtedly lies in the Programmes of Work; the longer we work from those wonderful programmes the more we realise how well balanced they are; how satisfying to the hungry mind; how the subjects dovetail; how difficult it is to teach history only in history time, how it will 'flow over' into geography, literature, or even into such unexpected channels as arithmetic or botany." (In Memoriam, p. 151)
"Method implies two things -- a way to an end, and step-by-step progress in that way. Further, the following of a method implies an idea, a mental image, of the end or object to be arrived at." (1/8)
"It would seem a far cry from Undine to a' liberal education ' but there is a point of contact between the two ; a soul awoke within a water-sprite at the touch of love; so, I have to tell of the awakening of a ' general soul ' at the touch of knowledge. Eight years ago the ' soul ' of a class of children in a mining village school awoke simultaneously at this magic touch and has remained awake. We know that religion can awaken souls, that love makes a new man, that the call of a vocation may do it, and in the age of the Renaissance , men's souls, the general soul, awoke to knowledge : but this appeal rarely reaches the modern soul ; and, notwithstanding the pleasantness attending lessons and marks in all our schools, I believe the ardour for knowledge in the children of this mining village is a phenomenon that indicates new possibilities. Already many thousands of the children of the Empire had experienced this intellectual conversion, but they were the children of educated persons. To find that the children of a mining population were equally responsive seemed to open a new hope for the world. It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living." (6/Preface)
"It is such a temptation to us ordinary folks to emphasize some part at the expense of the rest and so turn a. strength into a weakness. There is only one way to avoid this danger. That is constantly to read and re-read Miss Mason's books, constantly to remind ourselves of her first principles -- for from now onwards Miss Mason's work is in our hands; we dare not leave un-made and effort to keep the truth." (Wix, p. 153)
“Questions there will always be, but if we continually keep in touch with Miss Mason's thought by constant reading of all her books, we shall have a sheaf of principles at command by which we can test the value of this or that criticism, this or that book.” (Franklin. PR 36 p. 419)
Episode 235: When the Feast is Too Much
Miss Wix's Article: Miss Mason's Ideal: Its Breadth and Balance
Episode 167: Method vs. System
ADE's Patreon Community
This season, we are interviewing experienced Charlotte Mason moms, inviting them to tell us how they've come to "Trust the Method." In today's episode, Bethany Glosser, mom of six children, teenagers to preschoolers, shares her experiences both successes and "failures" and has important words to bring us about our ultimate hope for our children.
Quotes
Mothers owe 'a thinking love ' to their Children.-"The mother is qualified," says Pestalozzi, "and qualified by the Creator Himself, to become the principal agent in the development of her child ; . . . and what is demanded of her is a thinking love. • • • God has given to thy child all the faculties of our nature, but the grand point remains undecided-how shall this heart, this head, these hands, be employed? to whose service shall they be dedicated? A question the answer to which involves a futurity of happiness or misery to a life so dear to thee. Maternal love is the first agent in education.'' (1/2)
"Of the three sorts of knowledge proper to a child,-the knowledge of God, of man, and of the universe,-the knowledge of God ranks first in importance, is indispensable, and most happy-making." (6/158)
Books
For the Children's Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Links
Morgan Conner's Reading Lessons
Living Literature Courses with Jono Kiser
ADE's Patreon Community
Charlotte Mason encouraged us to use a time-table to ensure lessons were kept short and varied. Today on the podcast we're talking about this essential tool, why Miss Mason called it the first principle of a well-managed schoolroom, and how we can make one to fit our family today.
"Time-Table; Definite Work in a Given Time. -- I shall have opportunities to enter into some of these points later; meantime, let us look in at a home schoolroom managed on sound principles. In the first place, there is a time-table, written out fairly, so that the child knows what he has to do and how long each lesson is to last. This idea of definite work to be finished in a given time is valuable to the child, not only as training him in habits of order, but in diligence; he learns that one time is not 'as good as another;' that there is no right time left for what is not done in its own time; and this knowledge alone does a great deal to secure the child's attention to his work." (1/142)
“In the first place, there is a time-table, written out fairly, so that the child knows what he has to do and how long each lesson is to last. This idea of definite work to be finished in a given time is valuable to the child, not only as training him in habits of order, but in diligence; he learns that one time is not 'as good as another'; that there is no right time left for what is not done in its own time; and this knowledge alone does a great deal to secure the child's attention to his work.” (1/142)
“It is impossible to overstate the importance of this habit of attention. It is, ..., ‘within the reach of everyone, and should be made the primary object of all mental discipline’; for whatever the natural gifts of the child, it is only so far as the habit of attention is cultivated in him that he is able to make use of them.” (1/146)
"Miss Kitching's introduction to the discussion of this subject involved the following points:
"1. That the P.U.S. time-table is intended to serve simply as a guide to the teacher in making her own, for it stands to reason that no two schoolrooms are identical as regards the work done, or the time allotted it.
"2. That in making her own time-table the teacher must be careful that no two lessons requiring the same mental effort follow one another in close proximity.
"3. That it is better to leave the term's work unfinished, than to rush the pupils through for sake finishing the work set.
"The general outcome of the discussion was to the effect that some modification of the programme and time-table is absolutely necessary, each teacher using her own discretion in the matter. Somebody very wisely remarked that Miss Mason intends the programme to fit the child, and not as some wildly imagine, the child to fit the programme." (L'Umile Pianta, May 1915, pp. 58-59)
"It is evident that the young lady at home has so much in hand, without taking social claims into consideration, that she can have no time for dawdling, and, indeed will have to make a time-table for herself and map out her day carefully to get as much into it as she wishes." (5/261)
ADE's Schedule Cards
Schedule Cards in Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese
ADE's Patreon Community
The theme of this season of A Delectable Education: Charlotte Mason Podcast is "Trust the Method." But what does that mean? Are we just supposed to blindly follow a dead woman's advice from the 19th Century? Emily, Liz, and Nicole discuss these questions and more to help set the stage for the year to come, starting with "Why are you choosing to educate your children in the first place?"
"The object of this organisation is not merely to raise the standard of work in the schoolroom. Our chief wish is that pupils should find knowledge delightful in itself and for its own sake, without thought of marks, places, prizes, or other rewards; and that they should develop an intelligent curiosity about the past and present. Children respond and take to their lessons with keen pleasure if they have even tolerably good teaching; and the want of marks, companionship, or other stimulus is not felt in those home schoolrooms where the interest of knowledge is allowed free play." ("A Liberal Education for All" Pamphlet, 1928, p. 31)
"Those who do not regard education as a vital whole but as a sort of conglomerate of good idea, good plans, traditions and experiences, do well to adopt and adapt any good idea they come across. But our conception of education is of a vital whole, harmonious, living and effective. Therefore, every plan rises out of a principle, and each such principle is a part of a living educational philosophy, and does not very well bear to be broken off and used by itself." ("A Liberal Education for All," p. 33)
“The reader will say with truth,––"I knew all this before and have always acted more or less on these principles"; and I can only point to the unusual results we obtain through adhering not 'more or less,' but strictly to the principles and practices I have indicated. I suppose the difficulties are of the sort that Lister had to contend with; every surgeon knew that his instruments and appurtenances should be kept clean, but the saving of millions of lives has resulted from the adoption of the great surgeon's antiseptic treatment; that is from the substitution of exact principles scrupulously applied for the rather casual 'more or less' methods of earlier days.” (6/19)
“In the matter of education, we are hovering round the truth: that education is not merely a preparation for life, but the work of the lifetime is boldly announced. And, given thus much insight, is it conceivable that the education in question is no more than the cramming of a few text-books? Like religion, education is nothing or it is everything––a consuming fire in the bones. How is it that we do not see, through the hurry of eating and drinking, getting and having, that our prime business here is to raise up a generation better than ourselves?” (5/145-46)
She trusted that parents and teachers do not have to, “develop the person; he is there already, with, possibly, every power that will serve him in his passage through life.” (3/75)
“Like all the great ventures of life, this that I propose to you is a venture of faith, faith in the saving power of knowledge and in the assimilative power of children. Its efficacy depends upon the fact that it is in the nature of things, in the nature of knowledge and in the nature of children. Bring the two together in ways that are sanctioned by the laws of mind and, to use a figure, a chemical change takes place and a new product appears, a person of character and intelligence, an admirable citizen whose own life is too full and rich for him to be an uneasy member of society.” (A Liberal Education for All, No. I. Theory, by Charlotte Mason, https://charlottemasonpoetry.org/a-liberal-education-for-all/)
For the Children's Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
John Taylor Gatto's article
Episode 4: Three Tools of Education
Charlotte Mason's Short Synopsis
Episode 167: Method vs. System
ADE's Patreon Community
A Delectable Education is back for its NINTH year. We have grown a lot over these past 8 years, and so has the Charlotte Mason Community. We are honored to be here sharing with you all still. In this episode we are sharing some big announcements like our 4th Annual Parents' Educational Course Reading List, our 4th Annual Online Conference (coming February 2024) and new Teacher Helps and Training Videos to help your school year go smoothly. We're glad you're here with us.
Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray 2024 ADE Book Club selection (Find the suggested reading schedule here)
Episodes By Topic: Explore previous episodes grouped by subject
2023-24 Parents' Educational Course: A suggested reading list curated for the modern CM educator
ADE at HOME 2024: Our fourth annual {Virtual} Conference, check back for more details in November. Registration begins November 24, 2023.
Teacher Helps: Products we've created to help you plan, forecast, and implement lessons
Form 3-4 Bible Lesson Breakdowns (Revised Form 1-2 Bible Lesson Breakdowns here)
Form 1-2 Literature Breakdowns (Available August 7, 2023)
Upper Forms Geography: If you have previously purchased these, you can re-download the revised copy from your Purchase History
Recitation Planner with optional add-ons for printable Bile Passages
Sabbath Mood Homeschool Science Curriculum: Nicole has completed her curriculum with High School Ecology
ADE's Patreon Community
The end of the school year and the end of this podcast season is cause to pause and reflect. The ADE ladies review the past year and encourage you to not just slam the books closed, but pause to remember the good and give thanks. The episode closes with a fitting devotional to help you gain perspective on the value of the past year and inspire you for what lies ahead.
Show Notes:
Seven Days that Divide the World, John Lennox
Episode 241: Seasonal Reflections
ADE at HOME {Virtual} Conference (First weekend in February each year, access for 3 months following)
Awaken: Living Books Conference July 21-22, 2023
Episode 232: Forecasting Lessons -- How to plan
Charlotte Mason's educational method was worldwide in her day and, thanks to persons like Mariana Mastracchio, this is happening again in our day. This episode closes out the ADE series on Charlotte Mason in Community for this season. It is an inspiring personal account of how one American-Brazilian mother is impacting the country of Brazil to bring Charlotte Mason's method to that Portuguese speaking nation.
Charlotte Mason For All Podcast
Mariana's Podcast and the Mentorship
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/descobrindocharlottemason/
- Website: https://descobrindocharlottemason.com.br/
Publishing Company, Editora Ideias Vivas
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/editoraideiasvivas/
- Website: https://editoraideiasvivas.com.br/
Schedule Cards in Russian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese
Russian language resources:
-https://vk.com/mamauitman (NOTE: May not be accessible in all areas of the world)
-Luda's Video Seminars:
* Contact Luda if you are interested in a Russian translation of the book For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
Charlotte Mason held big gatherings to continue training educators in her method. Some of our formative learning about Charlotte Mason happened through conferences. This interview in the Charlotte Mason in Community series is with Joy Vanderley who hosts the Awaken conference in Traverse City, Michigan, and who shares about some of the joys and work involved in holding a local conference to make this special environment available to people in your area.
A Charlotte Mason Companion, Karen Andreola
Living Literature Courses: Open Registration begins May 1, 2023
Awaken: A Living Books Conference: July 21-22, 2023
Michelle Miller Howard's Children's Preservation Library
Charlotte Mason recommended "afternoon occupations" and instructions about them were included in her programmes. Are there particular occupations, specified times and occurrences, and how much does the parent need to superintend these occupations? These and all questions involving afternoon was the focus of the original episode being re-aired, which includes a preliminary conversation from this year about clarifying particulars and eight years more experience of Nicole, Emily, and Liz.
"Then comes 3:45 when the children have an hour's work before tea—handicrafts, singing, painting, picture study are the type of lessons given at this time. Then comes tea, after which the children read and sew and have some time to amuse themselves." ("The Work and Aims of the P.U.S.")
"That the claims of the schoolroom should not be allowed to encroach on the child's right to long hours daily for exercise and investigation." (Vol. 1, p. 177)
"Thus, the morning, after breakfast (the digestion of which lighter meal is not a severe task), is much the best time for lessons and every sort of mental work; if the whole afternoon cannot be spared for out-of-door recreation, that is the time for mechanical tasks such as needlework, drawing, practising; the children's wits are bright enough in the evening, but the drawback to evening work is, that the brain, once excited, is inclined to carry on its labours beyond bed-time, and dreams, wakefulness, and uneasy sleep attend the poor child who has been at work until the last minute. If the elder children must work in the evening, they should have at least one or two pleasant social hours before they go to bed; but, indeed, we owe it to the children to abolish evening 'preparation.'" (Vol. 1, p. 23)
"Five of the thirteen waking hours should be at the disposal of the children; three, at least, of these, from two o'clock to five, for example, should be spent out of doors in all but very bad weather. This is the opportunity for out-of-door work, collecting wild flowers, describing walks and views, etc. (see Home Education). Brisk work and ample leisure and freedom should be the rule of the Home School. The Children's Day will, on the whole, run this: Lessons, 1 1/2 to 4 hours; meals, 2 hours; occupations, 1 to 3 hours; leisure, 5 to 7 hours, according to age. The work not done in its own time should be left undone. Children should not be embarrassed with arrears, and they should have dues sense of the importance of time, and that there is no other time for work not done in its own time. Should the children flag at any time, a day's holiday, a little country excursion, should refresh them." (From Suggestions which accompanied the PNEU Programmes)
"[Referring to the afternoon occupations]...at any time of day, in any division of time, to suit family arrangements; when possible, out of doors." (From Suggestions which accompanied the PNEU Programmes)
If you would like to study along with us, here are some passages from The Home Education Series and other Parent's Review articles that would be helpful for this episode's topic. You may also read the series online here, or get the free Kindle version from Fisher Academy.
Home Education, Part II: Out of Door Life of Children
The Secret World of Weather, Tristan Gooley
Episode 217: The Work and Aims of the P.U.S.
The Parents' Educational Course Reading List
What do it look like do use the Charlotte Mason Method with a group of students? Kelsi Rea joins the ADE ladies today to explain how she went about developing her Charlotte Mason school. Her enthusiasm is contagious and has led to her consulting with dozens of others with the desire to open schools, as well as co-ops.
Emily's succinct description of Charlotte Mason's Method (to get you started coming up with yours)
Charlotte Mason firmly believed that novels are our greatest teachers, hence why she included them as a major serving in the feast that nourishes our children's education. This episode was recorded live at the ADE At Home conference, February 3, 2023, with Nicole, Emily, and Liz leading a discussion with attendees who had read the book and come to contribute what they had been taught by Elizabeth Goudge's novel The Scent of Water. If you have read the book, you will revel in the myriad messages this book conveyed to us all, and if you have not, you will be inspired to read it.
The Scent of Water, Elizabeth Goudge
Awaken: Living Books Conference, July 21-22, 2023, Traverse City, MI
For this installment of our ongoing series, CM in Your Community, we are focusing on all the materials available for CM lessons! Mathematics was not a subject Charlotte Mason spoke about a lot, but it was essential, and she thought it beautiful. If you need help in leading your student through upper level math, today's Charlotte Mason in Community interview with Tabitha Wirges and Julie Ryle will prove to be a tremendous encouragement. Listen to two very experienced homeschool moms walk through the mountainous land of algebra and geometry and their contribution toward making this a less daunting task.
For the Children's Sake, Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
A Charlotte Mason Companion, Karen Andreola
A Charlotte Mason Education, Catherine Levison
Bestowing the Brush Art Lessons
Sabbath Mood Homeschool Science Guides
Grammar Lessons from Liz Cottrill
Geography Map Questions for Form I, Form 2, Upper Forms
Charlotte Mason's method is relevant for every kind of child, which this week's episode verifies. Over two years ago, the ADE ladies were interviewed by Beth Corcoran on her Flamingo Feathers podcast, which focuses on education for children with special needs. Beth has graciously allowed us to post that episode for our listeners, of interest not only to parents with special needs children, but will especially inspire anyone by her introduction that describes how the ADE episode of 2020 has subsequently changed her family's life.
Narration, attention, habits: Charlotte Mason knew they were natural to a child and work together. The ADE ladies welcome Annette Dionisio to the podcast, a mom who has diligently employed the art of narration in all areas of life with her children. Beyond the books, narration is key to our personhood and Annette has found it key to parenting. Enjoy this episode of "Voices from the Conference" as Annette presented two. lessons with her children and caught the attention of our 2022 attendees with her masterful use of a child's natural gift of narration.
Books are not just for school lessons, but as Charlotte Mason concurred, family read-aloud time is essential to the education of a child. Listen in as Emily, Nicole, and Liz reminisce about their own experiences and share an abundance of suggestions for how to make family reading part of your family culture.