Charlotte Mason [1842-1923] was one of philosopher of education. She was
British educator that her children education method is used as method by some
homeschooling although the method wasn't originally for homeschooling.
Charlotte Mason was an only child who
was mostly educated at home by her parents.
When she grew up, she began to develop her vision for "a liberal education for all" when
she taught in England. The word "liberal" in Mason's time implied a
generous and broad curriculum for all children, regardless of social
class.
Mason wrote books about the foundation
of philosophy, such as:
1.
Home education, Mason stated that
education is come from home. From the home, parents educate their children
outdoor activity, habits, religion, and nature.
2.
Parents
and Children, published in 1896. Mason wrote that family is
miniature of nation. Here the family has important role in children education.
Because, education is began naturally from family itself. Parents’ job is to
raise their children.
3.
School
Education published in 1904, outlines her
methods for educating children from approximately age 9 to 12. Every child is
born endowed with the faculties and intelligence he needs; it isn't the job of
education to provide that for him. He already has it. Education should help him
apply wisdom and make relations between ideas.
4.
Ourselves,
was also published in 1904. In here, Mason described self-knowledge and self
direction. Where in self knowledge is
described about desirable, our mind, our feel, and how to develop habit to
being useful. And in self direction is described about conscience, the will and
the soul.
5.
Formation
of Character, published the following year, in 1905. Mason
stated that every child has their own character. This is different each other.
Mason given specific examples the characters of children and how to parents do
for their children.
6. Toward a
Philosophy of Education, this book is
wrote for older students and though more philosophical,
this volume gives the best overview of her approach and includes the final
version of her 20 Principles. One of the principle is education is an
atmosphere, a discipline, and a life.
"We may not make character our conscious
objective," she wrote, but she believed that parents and teachers should
"Provide a child with what he needs in the way of instruction, opportunity,
and wholesome occupation, and his character will take care of itself: for
normal children are persons of good will, with honest desires toward right
thinking and right living. All we can do further is to help a child to get rid
of some hindrance a bad temper, for example likely to spoil his life."
Education Definition by Charlotte
Mason
Homeschooling is selection educational
concept that implemented by parents. The teaching learning process usually
occurs in controlled situation. The purpose is for explore and develop each
learner’s skills, creativities, experiences, expression feeling and uniqueness
maximally. In National Education System Constitution, 27:1 ‘informal education
activity is done by family and the environment that have the form of
independency learning’. And 27:2 stated that, ‘the result of education in point
1 is same with formal and informal education after graduated with national
education standard.’
In
the homeschooling, absolutely, the parents have responsibility with the homeschooler.
Because of it, parents carry out the curriculum too. Teacher is as the
facilitator. Homeschooling could be taken in any places. The curriculum might
be designed for learner in the different conditions. The concept of the
curriculum is customized. So, the hidden curriculum mostly applied. Mason’s
homeschooling curriculum subjects are: math, science, history, geography,
bible, scripture memory, literature, poetry, nature study, picture study,
handicraft and art, music study, hymn study, Shakespeare, and personal
development.
Mason stated that Education is an atmosphere, a discipline,
and a life. Education is an atmosphere means that education is used to
educate children are the child's natural environment, the training of good
habits and exposure to living ideas and concepts. Children learn from real
things in the real world. It do not mean
that a child should be isolated in 'child-environment' especially adapted and
prepared, but that we should take into account the educational value of his
natural home atmosphere, both as regards persons and things, and should let him
live freely among his proper conditions. Education is a discipline means the
discipline of habits, formed definitely and thoughtfully, whether habits of
mind or body. The adaptation of brain structures to habitual lines of thought,
it seems to be our habits and self-control. And, Education is a life means that
education should apply to body, soul and spirit. The mind needs ideas of all
kinds, so the child's curriculum should be varied and generous with many
subjects included [hidden curriculum].
There
are the Mason’s methods that mostly applied in homeschooling:
Living Books
Mason’s
method that she used is living book for every subject. Living books usually be
written by one person who has passion for the topic of material and wrote in
conversational or narrative. The mostly appearance of content should be alive
and easy to remember the events and facts. Living books are basically lists
informational facts in summary form as like as encyclopedia and it are available
for most school subject, such as: math, geography, and science, etc.
Narration and
Recitation
Most
of the children are expected to tell about their experience, such as something
that their read. It can be called narration. Narration can be oral or written
or drawn. This activity made the children to retell narration in their own
words to other people. Narration is the important and isn’t difficult to implement.
Copywork and Dictation
The learner learns to make letters and number correctly. After that, the
learner makes simple words, then sentences into paragraphs, and so on.
Dictation is the parent reads and the child writes.
Handicraft and Picture Study
Mason method usually
begins the lesson in early morning and leaves in the afternoon for outdoor
exploration, physical activity and handicrafts.
In the outdoor the children make handicraft of nature picture by cutting
and sticking using origami paper. For picture study, Mason would have children
first view and memorize a picture, then turn it over and remember it. The
example is using flashcard.
Nature Study and Scouting
Mostly, nature study is
to explore outdoor activity by children experience itself. Especially is field
trip to the sites of object study. The
children can study with real example and the application of the object in their
live. They can identify and analyze the object by they own mind. Mason endorsed
the activity of scouting for its educational value and added it to her
curriculum.
Purpose and Function of Charlotte
Mason Education Method
The Mason’s Method makes learning
activity in the home live absolutely. For examples, the child uses living book
or outdoor activity in her homeschooling. Parents are the important person in
the homeschooling. Children should be learned their environment by their
parents. They could be control their emotion by watching their parent in
solving problem. Parents’ characteristics influence to the child habit.
Homeschooling is optional informal
school that the purpose is to explore each child’s skills and uniqueness
maximally. It could be taken at any
places, any time that good or fit with the learner. The curriculum usually is
developed following the situation.
Homeschoolers might be children who
have special needs, multiple-intelligence, or they have no time to go to school,
as like actor or actress. Or parents who want their children get the best
studies that could be controlled. And, if the parents afraid their child
influence in bad temper or habit by their friendship, etc. Mason’s method of
living book and natural study absolutely gain the children skills. The
activities such as: a growing time, seek seeing, picture painting, flowers and
trees, living creature, etc. From the experience of them, children will get
their own logicality to solve any problems around. These are the function of
Mason’s method.
Application of Charlotte Mason Method
to Society
Charlotte Mason might be correct,
there is no higher calling than raising the next generation, and it is good to
enter into it with some knowledge, and to realize that we don't just raise them
to be a blessing to ourselves as parents, but to all of society as well.
Little children love to play with
other little children, given the opportunity sounds like baby talking, taking
much pleasure in one another. For many people, the public school contains boys
and girls of about the same age and standing, and homeschooled children often
want to participate in scouting groups for the same reason.
The purpose of educate children in
formal or informal school is for living together in environment and society. In
my case is informal school [homeschooling] that the children have been learned
about how to control themselves by discipline habit. And in Mason’s curriculum
scouting is included. People know that scout has quality in character,
personality, skills, and generous that can help other people in any situation.
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