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Charlotte Mason in Modern English

Charlotte Mason's ideas are too important not to be understood and implemented in the 21st century, but her Victorian style of writing sometimes prevents parents from attempting to read her books. This is an imperfect attempt to make Charlotte's words accessible to modern parents. You may read these, print them out, share them with your local study group--but they are copyrighted to me, so please don't post or publish them without asking.
~L. N. Laurio

"Leslie did the world of Homeschooling a tremendous favor when she translated this so the rest of us could know what dear Charlotte was saying." ~Carmen T.

               
Volume 1 - Home Education
Volume 2 - Parents and Children
Volume 3 - School Education
Volume 4 - Ourselves (Self-Knowledge, and Self-Direction)
Volume 5 - Formation of Character
Volume 6 - Towards A Philosophy of Education
Purchase directly from the printer at Lulu.com, or from Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble; purchase for Kindle or Nook.

Fresco

The fresco at the Spanish chapel at Santa Maria Novella, Florence (John Ruskin called this fresco the 'Vaulted Book') is pictured online. Charlotte Mason discusses the top and bottom of one wall in various volumes. The fresco is attributed to Andrea di Bonaiuto da Firenze, a painter of the 1300's, but in CM's day, it was thought to have been done by Taddeo Gaddi and Simone Memmi. Charlotte Mason loved the way it illustrated her concept of the Holy Spirit gifting men with knowledge, even "secular" knowledge.

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Volume 1, Home Education

Purchase Vol 1 from Lulu.com or Amazon.com; for Kindle or Nook, or Read Online

Preface
Part I. Some Preliminary Considerations . . . pg. 1-41
          I. A Method of Education
          II The Child's Estate
          III. Offending the Children
          IV. Despising the Children
          V. Hindering the Children
          VI. Conditions of Healthy Brain-Activity
          VII 'The Reign of Law' in Education
Part II. Out-Of-Door Life For The Children. . . pg 42-95
          I. A Growing Time
          II. Sight-Seeing
          III. 'Picture-Painting
          IV. Flowers and Trees
          V. Living Creatures
          VI. Field-Lore and Naturalists' Books
          VII. The Child Gets Knowledge By Means Of His Senses
          VIII. The Child Should Be Made Familiar With Natural Objects
          IX. Out-Of-Door Geography
          X. The Child And Mother-Nature
          XI. Out-Of-Door Games, etc.
          XII. Walks In Bad Weather
          XIII. 'Red Indian' Life
          XIV. Children Need Country Air
Part III. 'Habit Is Ten Natures' . . . pg 96-134
          I. Education Based Upon Natural Law
          II. Children Have No Power to Compel Themselves
          III. What Is 'Nature'?
          IV. Habit Can Replace 'Nature'
          V. Laying Down Of Lines Of Habit
          VI. The Physiological Aspect Of Habit
          VII. The Forming Of A Habit: 'Shut The Door After You'
          VIII. Infant Habits
          IX. Physical Exercises
Part IV. Some Habits Of Mind - Some Moral Habits . . . pg. 135-168
          I. The Habit of Attention
          II. The Habits of Application, Etc.
          III. The Habit of Thinking
          IV. The Habit of Imagining
          V. The Habit of Remembering
          VI. The Habit of Perfect Work
          VII. Some Moral Habits--Obedience
          VIII. Truthfulness
Part V. Lessons As Instruments Of Education pg 169-237
          I. The Matter and Method of Lessons
          II. The Kindergarten As A Place to Learn
          III. Further Consideration Of The Kindergarten
          IV. Reading
          V. The First Reading Lesson
          VI. Reading By Sight And Sound
          VII. Recitation
          VIII. Reading for Older Children
          IX. The Art of Narrating
          X. Writing
          XI. Transcription
          XII. Spelling and Dictation
          XIII. Composition
          XIV. Bible Lessons
          XV. Arithmetic
          XVI. Natural Science
          XVII. Geography
          XVIII. History
          XIX. Grammar
          XX. French
          XXI. Pictorial Art
Part VI. The Will--The Conscience--The Divine Life In The Child . . pg 317-352
          I. The Will
          II. The Conscience


Volume 2, Parents and Children

Purchase Volume 2 from Lulu.com, for Kindle or Nook, or Read Online

Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 The Family . . . pg. 1
Chapter 2 Parents As Rulers . . . pg. 10
Chapter 3 Parents As Inspirers: Children Must be Born Again into a Life of Intelligence . . . pg. 19
Chapter 4 Parents As Inspirers: The Life Of The Mind Grows Upon Ideas . . . pg. 29
Chapter 5 Parents As Inspirers: The Things of the Spirit . . . pg. 41
Chapter 6 Parents As Inspirers: Primal Ideas Derived from Parents . . . pg. 50
Chapter 7 The Parent As Schoolmaster . . . pg. 60
Chapter 8 The Culture Of Character: Parents as Trainers . . . pg. 69
Chapter 9 The Culture Of Character: The Treatment of Defects . . . pg. 83
Chapter 10 Bible Lessons: Parents as Instructors in Religion . . . pg. 92
Chapter 11 Faith And Duty (Book Review): Parents as Teachers of Morals . . . pg. 101
Chapter 12 Faith And Duty (Book Review): Claims of Philosophy as an Instrument of Education . . . pg. 117
Chapter 13 Faith And Duty (Book Review): Man Lives by Faith, Godward and Manward . . . pg. 129
Chapter 14 Parents are Concerned to Give the Heroic Impulse . . . pg. 141
Chapter 15 Is It Possible? (Book Review): Parents' Attitudes Towards Social Questions . . . pg. 150
Chapter 16 Discipline: A Consideration for Parents . . . pg. 168
Chapter 17 Sensations And Feelings: Sensations Educable by Parents . . . pg. 178
Chapter 18 Sensations And Feelings: Feelings Educable by Parents . . . pg. 191
Chapter 19 'What Is Truth?' - Moral Discrimination Required by Parents . . . pg. 204
Chapter 20 Show Cause Why: Parents Responsible for Competitive Examinations . . . pg. 214
Chapter 21 A Scheme Of Educational Theory Proposed To Parents . . . pg. 225
Chapter 22 A Catechism Of Educational Theory . . . pg. 233
Chapter 23 Where Have We Come From, and Where Are We Going?: A Question for Parents - Where Have We Come From? . . . pg. 249
Chapter 24 Where Have We Come From, and Where Are We Going?: Where Are We Going?  . . . pg. 257
Chapter 25 The Great Truth That Parents Need to Recognize . . . pg. 268
Chapter 26 The Eternal Child: The Highest Road to Godly Character . . . pg. 280
Appendix (study questions) . . pg. 291-308

Volume 3, School Education

Purchase Volume 3 from Lulu.com or Amazon.com; for Kindle or Nook; or Read Online.

Preface
Ch 1 Submission And Authority In The Home And In The School . . . pg. 1
Ch 2 Docility And Authority In The Home And The School Pt II How Authority Behaves . . . pg. 13
Ch 3 'Masterly Inactivity' . . . pg. 25
Ch 4 Some Of The Rights Of Children As Persons . . . pg. 36
Ch 5 Psychology as it Relates to Current Thinking . . . pg. 44
Ch 6 Examining Some Educational Theories . . . pg. 56
Ch 7 An Adequate Educational Theory . . . pg. 68
Ch 8 Certain Relationships that are Proper for Children . . . pg. 79
Ch 9 A Review of A Great Educationalist . . . pg. 91
Ch 10 Some Aspects of Physical Training That We Don't Usually Consider . . . pg. 101
Ch 11 Some Aspects of Intellectual Training That We Don't Usually Consider . . . pg. 113
Ch 12 Some Aspects of Moral Training That We Don't Usually Consider . . . pg. 126
Ch 13 Some Aspects of Religious Training That We Don't Usually Consider . . . pg. 137
Ch 14 A Master-Thought . . . pg. 148
Ch 15 School Books and How They Bring About Education . . . pg. 164
Ch 16 How To Use School-Books . . . pg. 174
Ch 17 Education as the Science of Relationships: We are Educated by Our Intimacies as Illustrated by Wordworth's Prelude and Ruskin's Praeterita . . . pg. 182
Ch 18 We Are Educated By Our Intimacies: Part II - More Affinities . . . pg. 194
Ch 19 We Are Educated By Our Intimacies: We Are Educated By Our Intimacies: Pt III - Vocation . . . pg. 204
An Educational Manifesto . . . pg. 214 (a nice summary of CM's educational ideas)
Ch 20 Suggestions Regarding Curriculum (For children under 14) Pt I . . . pg. 215
Ch 21 Suggestions Regarding Curriculum: Pt II - School-Books . . . pg. 228
Ch 22 Suggestions Regarding Curriculum: Pt III The Love of Knowledge . . . pg. 240
Appendix (Study Questions) . . . pg 248
Appendix . . . . pg. 271 (student narrations; what a child should know by age twelve; sample exams; examples of oral lessons for teachers)


Volume 4, Ourselves

Purchase Volume 4: Book I, Book II, or Both in a single volume from lulu.com. Also available for Kindle or Nook, or Read Online

Contents of Book I: Self-Knowledge
Preface
Introduction
   Ch 1 - The Country of Mansoul . . . pg 1
   Ch 2 - The Perils Of Mansoul . . . pg 5
   Ch 3 - The Government of Mansoul . . . pg 9
Part I - The House of the Body . . . pg 11
   Ch 1 - The Assistants Of The Body: Hunger . . . pg 11
   Ch 2 - The Assistants Of The Body: Thirst . . . pg 15
   Ch 3 - The Assistants Of The Body: Restlessness and Rest . . . pg 18
   Ch 4 - Assistants of the Body: Chastity . . . pg 21
   Ch 5 - The Attendants Of The Body: The Five Senses . . . pg 24
Part II - The House of Mind . . . pg 33
   Ch 1 - Ourselves . . . pg 33
   Ch 2 - My Lord Intellect . . . pg 35
   Ch 3 - The Demons Of The Intellect . . . pg 45
   Ch 4 - My Lord Chief Explorer, Imagination . . . pg 48
   Ch 5 - The Beauty Sense . . . pg 54
   Ch 6 - My Lord Chief Attorney-General, Reason . . . pg 56
   Ch 7 - Managers of the Revenue, The Desires (Part 1) . . . pg 66
   Ch 8 - Managers of the Revenue, The Desires (Part 2) . . . pg 73
Part III - The House of Heart: Love . . . pg 81
   Ch 1 - The Ways Of Love . . . pg 81
   Ch 2 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Pity . . . pg 87
   Ch 3 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Goodwill . . . pg 91
   Ch 4 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Sympathy . . . pg 95
   Ch 5 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Thoughtfulness . . . pg 99
   Ch 6 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Magnanimity . . . pg 103
   Ch 7 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Gratitude . . . pg 108
   Ch 8 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Courage . . . pg 112
   Ch 9 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Loyalty . . . pg 118
   Ch 10 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Humility . . . pg 126
   Ch 11 - Love's Lords In Waiting: Cheerfulness . . . pg 131
Part III - The House of Heart: Justice . . . pg 136
   Ch 12 - Justice, Universal . . . pg 136
   Ch 13 - Justice To Others . . . pg 140
   Ch 14 - Truth: Justice In Word . . . pg 150
   Ch 15 - Spoken Truth . . . pg 156
   Ch 16 - Some Causes Of Lying . . . pg 163
   Ch 17 - Integrity: Justice In Action . . . pg 167
   Ch 18 - Opinions: Justice In Thought . . . pg 179
   Ch 19 - Principles: Justice In Our Motives . . . pg 187
   Ch 20 - Justice To Ourselves: Self-Control . . . pg 191
Part IV - Vocation . . . pg 204

Contents of Book II: Self-Direction
Introduction . . . pg 1
Part I - The Conscience
   Ch 1 - The Court Of Appeal . . . pg 5
   Ch 2 - Teaching the Conscience . . . pg 9
   Ch 3 - Conscience's Rulings In The House Of The Body: Moderation . . . pg 12
   Ch 4 - The Rulings of Conscience in the House of the Body: Purity (Part 1) . . . pg 21
   Ch 5 - The Rulings Of the Conscience In the House Of The Body: Purity (Part 2) . . . pg 29
   Ch 6 - The Rulings of Conscience in the House of the Body: Purity (part 3) . . . pg 33
   Ch 7 - The Rulings of the Conscience in the House of the Body: Fortitude . . . pg 41
   Ch 8 - The Rulings of the Conscience in the House of the Body: Prudence . . . pg 49
   Ch 9 - Opinions in the Air . . . pg 56
   Ch 10 - The Untaught Conscience . . . pg 60
   Ch 11 - The Instructed Conscience . . . pg 68
   Ch 12 - Some of Conscience's Teachers: Poetry, Novels and Essays . . . pg 71
   Ch 13 - Some of Conscience's Teachers: History and Philosophy . . . pg 74
   Ch 14 - Some of Conscience's Instructors: Theology . . . pg 79
   Ch 15 - Some Instructors of Conscience: Nature, Science, Art . . . pg 97
   Ch 16 - Some of Conscience's Teachers: Sociology, Self-Knowledge . . . pg 104
   Ch 17 - Conviction of Sin . . . pg 109
   Ch 18 - Temptation . . . pg 114
   Ch 19 - Duty and Law . . . pg 121
Part II - The Will
   Ch 1 - The Will-less Life . . . pg 126
   Ch 2 - The Will And Willfulness . . . pg 129
   Ch 3 - The Will Itself Is Neither Moral Nor Immoral . . . pg 137
   Ch 4 - The Will and Its Friends . . . pg 141
   Ch 5 - The Functions of the Will . . . pg 143
   Ch 6 - The Scope of the Will . . . pg 147
   Ch 7 - Self-Control, Self-Restraint, Self-Command, Self-Denial . . . pg 151
   Ch 8 - The Effort of Decision . . . pg 156
   Ch 9 - Intention, Purpose, Resolution . . . pg 160
   Ch 10 - A Way Of The Will . . . pg 165
   Ch 11 - Freewill . . . pg 170
Part III - The Soul
   Ch 1 - What The Soul is Capable Of . . . pg 174
   Ch 2 - The Disabilities Of The Soul . . . pg 177
   Ch 3 - The Knowledge of God . . . pg 182
   Ch 4 - Prayer . . . pg 188
   Ch 5 - Thanksgiving . . . pg 191
   Ch 6 - Praise . . . pg 194
   Ch 7 - Faith in God . . . pg 197
Appendix - Discussion Questions . . . pg 203

Volume 5, Some Studies in the Formation of Character

Purchase Volume 5 from Lulu.com, for Kindle or Nook, or Read Online

    Preface
     Part I Some Examples of How to Treat Problems
           1. A Philosopher Tests His Theory at Home . . . pg. 3
           2. Flighty Katie . . . pg. 24
           3. Under A Cloud . . . pg. 33
           4. Dorothy Elmore's Achievement (in 5 chapters) . . . pg. 41
           5. Consequences . . . pg. 68
           6. Mrs. Smedley's Story . . . pg. 77
           7. Ability . . . pg. 89
           8. Poor Mrs. Jumeau! . . . pg. 98
           9. 'A Merry Christmas To You!' . . . pg. 109
     Part II Parents In Council
           1. What A Salvage! . . . pg. 121
           2. Where Shall We Go This Year? . . . pg. 131
           3. The A-B-C-D'arians . . . pg. 136
           4. "Die Neus Zeit Bedarf Der Neuen Schule" (A Teacher's Reflections) . . . pg. 144
           5. A Hundred Years Later (At The Cloughs' Dinner-Table, Sept. 10, 1990) . . . . . . . . . pg. 158
     Part III Concerning Young Men and Women
           1. Concerning Boys and Girls of School Age . . . pg. 176
           2. Concerning Young Ladies Still Living at Home . . . pg. 236
     Part IV 'It Is Written' - Some Studies in How Character Evolves (examples taken from Literature)
           1. Jorn Uhl and Thomas Carlyle: Two Peasant Boys . . . pg. 273
           2. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: A Genius At 'School' . . . pg. 299
           3. William Makepeace Thackeray: Pendennis Of Boniface . . . pg. 364
           4. George Meredith [The Egoist]: 'Young Crossjay' . . . pg. 388
           5. 'I'm Better Than Others' . . . pg. 401
           6. A Modern Educator: Thomas Godolphin Rooper . . . pg. 419
     Appendix: A Few Books Dealing With Education . . . pg. 431


Volume 6, Towards A Philosophy of Education

Purchase Volume 6 from Lulu.com, Amazon.com, for Kindle or Nook, or Read Online

Preface and Introduction . . . pg. xxv-22
  Book I
      Ch 1 Self-Education . . . pg. 23
      Ch 2 Children Are Born Persons . . . pg. 33
           1. The Mind Of A Child
           2. The Mind of a School Child
           3. Motives For Learning
           4. Misdirected Affections
           5. The Well-Being of the Soul
      Ch 3 The Good And Evil Nature Of A Child . . . pg. 46
           1. Well-Being of Body
           2. Well-Being of Mind
           3. Intellectual Appetite
           4. Misdirected Affections
           5. The Well-Being of the Soul
      Ch 4 Authority And Docility . . . pg. 68
      Ch 5 The Sacredness Of Personality . . . pg. 80
      Ch 6 Three Instruments Of Education . . . pg. 94
           1. Education is an Atmosphere
           2. Education is a Discipline
           3. Education is a Life
      Ch 7 How We Make Use Of Mind . . . pg. 112
      Ch 8 The Way Of The Will . . . pg. 128
      Ch 9 The Way Of The Reason . . . pg. 139
      Ch 10 The Curriculum
         Section I: Knowledge Of God . . . pg. 158
         Section II: Knowledge Of Man . . . pg. 169
               (a) History
               (b) Literature
               (c) Morals and Economics: Citizenship
               (d) Composition
               (e) Languages
               (f) Art
         Section III: Knowledge Of The Universe . . . pg. 218
               (a) Science
               (b) Mathematics
               (c) Physical Development and Handicrafts
  Book II - Theory Applied
      Ch 1 A Liberal Education In Elementary Schools . . . pg. 235
      Ch 2 A Liberal Education In Secondary Schools . . . pg. 250
      Ch 3 Scope Of Continuation Schools . . . pg. 279
      Ch 4 The Basis Of National Strength . . . pg. 300
           I - Knowledge
           II - Books, Knowledge and Virtue
           III - Knowledge, Reason and Rebellion
           IV- New and Old Concepts of Knowledge
           V - Education and the Fullness of Life
           VI - Knowledge in Literary Form
  Supplementary: Too Wide a Mesh . . . pg. 343





http://www.timeanddate.com/ and Thanksgiving and Easter dates were used to break up the books into a schedule.

download pdb file of Volume 1 to PDA, (thanks to Art Middlekauff)



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