Charlotte Mason Principles #9 & #10

Johann Friedrich Herbart was a German education philosopher with whom Charlotte Mason strongly disagreed with. Herbart believed that children's mind or soul didn't have substance. Therefore it couldn't capture living ideas. Believe it or not, our eduction system still follows a lot of his philosophy.

Treating all the students the same in a classroom is a way to loose a lot of students. Although when teaching in a classroom it makes sense to have one style of teaching because it is too difficult to create a lesson plan for forty students. However, it isn't the best way to capture the students minds living ideas and fill it with truth, goodness, and beauty.

Rather than using a text book and creating a dry lesson plan; try focusing on the ideas that the book is trying to convey. What lessons can we learn from the book?These ideas and lessons are what stick more than the mere facts of the book.

I remember growing up not enjoying literature because the teachers didn't allow the book to speak for itself. We couldn't just enjoy the story. All we did was break apart the story in such a way that it wasn't enjoyable anymore. That is the wrong way to teach literature.

When reading a book, allow the ideas to flow from the book. Allow the ideas to capture your children's imaginations and make the best of it.

What do you like about the Charlotte Mason approach to teaching literature versus the Herbart way?