The Series by Subject
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
Handicrafts
Volume 1, Home Education, pg 315-316
The best handicrafts for children under nine seem to be caning chairs, carton work, making baskets, weaving small rugs, Japanese curtains [Curtains made from hanging strings of beads or bamboo], carving cork, sewing pretty samplers, easy needlework, knitting with big needles and coarse threads, etc. The important things to keep in mind about children's crafts are that:
a. they shouldn't waste their time making useless things like paper mats, or models constructed from softened peas and toothpicks.
b. they should receive patient, thorough instruction so they know how to do the craft correctly.
c. sloppy work should not be allowed.
d. they should be given work well within the ability of their age range so that they are able to do it well and not sloppily.
Volume 2, Parents and Children, pg 81
Fill him with an enthusiasm for humanity. Let whatever gifts and talents he has be used to bless others. Recently, a thinker who has since died said, 'The best thing worth living for is to be of use.' A child whose life includes that concept won't grow up bored with too much time on his hands. A life blessed with enthusiasm won't be dull, but remember that even the noblest enthusiasm needs to be balanced with some unrelated activity or interest. As I said before, expose him to the world of nature, or teach him some kind of skilled craft. If you give him an absorbing pursuit and a fascinating hobby, then you won't need to worry about him developing eccentric or unworthy interests.
Volume 3, School Education, pg 234
A curriculum that provides what children have a right to can be divided into six to eight groups: religion, perhaps philosophy, history, languages, math, science, art, physical exercise, and handicrafts.
Volume 3, School Education, pg 240
In our Parents' Review School, all book-work, writing, preparation or reporting is done between the hours of 9:00 to 11:30 for the lowest class, and 9:00 to 1:00 for the highest, with a half hour break for exercise/drill, etc.
Then one or two hours, depending on the age and class, are spent in the afternoons with handicrafts, nature observation (field work), drawing, etc. The evenings are absolutely free so that the students have time for hobbies, reading with their families, and other leisure activities.
Volume 3, School Education, pg 301
The six years' curriculum--from ages six to twelve--that I suggest, should and does result in the ability of the students--
. . . (f) Should have skill in various handicrafts, such as cardboard Sloyd, basket-making, clay-modelling, etc.
Volume 3, School Education, pg 355-358 (examples of Handicraft lessons)
Subject: Design.
Division: Art. Class IV. Average age: 16 1/2. Time: 40 minutes.
OBJECTS.
1. To give the girls an idea of how to fill a space decoratively,
basing the design on a given plant.
2. To show them that good ornament is taken from nature, but a mere
copy of nature to decorate an object is not necessarily ornamental.
3. To give them an appreciation of good ornament and help them to see
what is bad.
4. To draw out their originality by letting them make designs for
themselves.
5. If possible, to give them a taste for designing by giving them some
ideas as to its use.
LESSON.
Step 1. Ask the girls what is meant by a design.
Step 2. After getting from them as much as possible, explain to them that a design is not a mere copy from nature, although it should be true to nature; make them see this by simply copying a plant in a required space to be designed (let this space be for a book cover). It will look meaningless and uninteresting, and does not fill the space, therefore it will not be ornamental. Then show the girls that a design requires thought and invention in arranging it to ornament the object. In the case of the book cover the flower must be designed to fill the space in some orderly pattern, and should be massed in good proportion. Give a few examples of this by illustrations on the board, and show them a book with a design upon it.
Step 3. Point out to them that the most beautiful designs and those that have had the most thought spent upon them are the most simple. Show examples of this in Greek Ornament--Greek Honeysuckle, Egg and Dart Moulding.
Step 4. Tell the pupils that you wish them to make a design for a linen book cover, 7 in. by 5 in., and if they have not time to finish to go on with it at home; if they like to carry the design out practically, to transfer it to linen and work it.
Step 5. Show the girls the flower from which they are to take their design, and point out its characteristics--the general growth of the plant, the curves which it makes, the form of the flower and leaves, and the way the leaves are joined to the central stem; these characteristics should not be lost sight of, but be made use of in giving character to the design, and treated as simply as possible.
Step 6. Let them begin their designs first of all by construction lines, and then clothe them with flowers and leaves, seeing that the masses are in good proportion. If time permits the design could be tinted in two colours, one for the background representing the linen, and the other for the pattern upon it.
Step 7. Suggest to them different ways in which they can make use of design in making simple patterns for their handicrafts, such as leather-work, wood-carving, and brass-work.
Subject: Leather-work (Embossed).
Group: Handicrafts. Class IV. Age: 16 1/2. Time: 40 minutes.
OBJECTS.
1. To cultivate the artistic feeling in the pupils.
2. To train them in neatness and in manual dexterity.
3. To give training to the eye.
4. To introduce them to a new handicraft.
5. To work, as far as possible in the time, the top of a penwiper.
LESSON.
Step 1. Show the pupils a shaded drawing of the design, also a partly finished penwiper top, with the same design on it. When they have compared the two, they will see that the effect of light and shade is obtained in the leather by raising the light parts and pressing back the dark ones.
Step 2. Let the pupils trace the design on the leather with a pointer. Remove the tracing-paper and accentuate the lines with a pointer. (This is best done with a wheel in a large design.)
Step 3. Damp the leather and with a moulder press the background away from the outline of the design, also the dark parts under the folds at the top of the petals and round the centre. From behind, raise up the light parts with a moulder, and fill the holes thus made with a mixture of sawdust and meal, wet enough to make a kind of rough thick paste. Press away the dark parts again, and make any ornamental lines, etc., while the stuffing is wet, as it soon dries very hard. For this reason a very little must be stuffed at once; in this design, about one petal at a time.
Step 4. Let the pupils punch their background or not as they prefer.
Work on my own half-finished piece of leather to avoid touching the
pupils' work.
Subject. Cooking.
Division: Handicrafts. Class IV. Age: 16 1/2. Time. 45 minutes.
OBJECTS.
1. To teach the children to make little cakes.
2. To show them that cooking must have method in it.
3. To give them opportunity of thinking for themselves why certain
things should be done.
4. To show them how they can alter a recipe to make it richer or
plainer.
5. To interest them in cooking.
LESSON
Step 1. Show the girls how to manage the stove for cooking.
Step 2. Show them all the utensils to be used, and let them arrange them on the table.
Step 3. Let them write out the recipe from dictation.
Step 4. Let them grease the tins first of all with melted butter. Then let them each weigh out the ingredients on pieces of kitchen paper, and let them work independently of each other, the teacher also doing the same thing, so that the pupils may be able to see how to set to work without having their own work interfered with. During the process ask them why certain things should be done--for instance, why baking powder should be used, why the patty-pans should be greased. Tell them that if they wished to make the cakes plainer they could use milk instead of eggs, or if richer, they could add raisins and currants and spice. When the mixture is sufficiently beaten and put into the patty-pans, let the girls put them into the oven.
Step 5. While the buns are cooking (they take about ten minutes), let the children and teacher wash up the things they have been using and put them away.
Step 6. Let the children see for themselves if the cakes are done; they should be a light brown. Then let them place them on a sieve to cool, and then arrange them on plates for the table.
Volume 6, Philosophy of Education, pg 31
The students I've been talking about aren't just into books. They're busy with real things, too. After all, 'Education is the science of relations' is the foundational principle of their curriculum. A child goes to school with many interests and tendencies, and school should give him the opportunity to explore as many of them as possible. Children should learn a lot about science since they have no problem understanding basic principles, although technical details will be over their head. They should practice different crafts so they know what it's like to work with wood, clay and leather and how fun it is to handle tools. They can then form their own relationships with materials. But it's always the book or what he's learning or what he's making from clay that's on his mind, not how well he's doing at it. [His focus is on the work, not on himself.]
Volume 6, Philosophy of Education, pg 126 (about Continuation Schools for adults)
Note: Some educational authorities may decide to spend an hour or two each week on physical exercise or handicrafts. In that case, there will be that much less school time for reading. I suggest that, with free evenings, communities offer classes at the local club [or YMCA?] for military drill, calisthenics, gymnastics, dancing, singing, swimming, carpentry, cooking, first aid, sewing, weaving, pottery, acting--anything that will stir up the minds of its citizens. Nobody would be forced to go. The way clubs are already set up, social attractions are already in place to motivate people to participate. They already have things like public recognition and prizes. Students who have spent part of their day at the adult continuation schools will bring their new knowledge to these classes, making them more interesting. Every community should also have outdoor sports on Saturdays.
Volume 6, Philosophy of Education, pg 217 (describing what CM's PNEU schools did)
We try to do what we can to introduce students to architecture. We also do a little modeling with clay, and other various handicrafts, but nothing extraordinary. You can see more details by taking a look at our Parents Union School Program schedules.
Volume 6, Philosophy of Education, pg 233-234
(c) Physical Development and Handicrafts
It's not necessary to say anything about games, dancing, physical exercise, needlework or any other handicrafts since our schools aren't doing anything unusually extraordinary in those subjects. (To see what our schools are doing, look at some Parents Union School Programme schedules.)
Volume 6, Philosophy of Education, pg 328
Our bodies are made so that any physical movement that involves contact with the earth is a source of joy for us, whether it's a game of leap frog or flying kites. We've noticed this, so we're encouraging things like swimming, dancing, and hockey. All of these give immediate enjoyment and permanent health. We also know that the human hand is a wonderful and precise tool that can be used in a hundred different ways that require intricacy, accuracy and strength. Using the hand in this way brings pleasure in the process itself that's separate from the end result. We understand this, so we make an effort to train young students to accurately handle tools and do handicrafts. Maybe someday we'll see a revival of apprenticeship in various trades, and we'll start to see quality work again as people take pride in the work of their hands. Our goal should be to make sure that each person 'lives his life' with pleasure, but not at the expense of someone else. The world is such that, when a person truly lives his life [rather than just survives day to day], it benefits those around him as much as it benefits himself. Everyone thrives on the well-being of others.
Volume 6, Philosophy of Education, pg 329
People can sing, dance, enjoy music, appreciate the beauty of nature, sketch what they see, be satisfied in their skill at crafting things, produce honest work with their hands, understand that work is better than wages, and live out their individual lives in any of a number of ways. In fact, the more interests a person has, the more enjoyable his life will be. When he's doing all of these things, his mind is agreeably occupied and challenged. He thinks about what he's doing, often with excitement and enthusiasm. He feels like he must 'live his life,' and he does. He lives it in as many ways as there are open to him, and he takes nothing away from anyone else to fulfill his abundance. In fact, the collective joy of well-being increases all around him through shared feeling, and others following his example.