More Than a Charlotte Mason Moment
Breathe Life into History by Meeting ‘Its’ People
Oh, it is cold outside! Why don’t you come right in? Let me take your coat, and please do have a seat. Yes, right here, by the fire! Here is a cup of cocoa, and one for me as well. Oh, and what’s that I hear? Ahhh, a knocking on the door. Our guest has arrived! Let us see who it is we will meet today, shall we? Oh my! You will never believe who it is! _______, come right in and join us! Today is the day we make each other’s acquaintance! I daresay at the end of this time spent together, we may remember each other – always. You see, it’s time once again in this Heart of Dakota, Charlotte Mason education to breathe life into history by meeting ‘its’ people. Oh, let’s DO begin, shall we?!?
People matter, in life and in history – just ask Charlotte Mason!
Let him, on the contrary, linger pleasantly over the history of a single man, a short period, until he thinks the thoughts of that man, is at home in the ways of that period. Though he is reading and thinking of the lifetime of a single man, he is really getting intimately acquainted with the history of a whole nation for a whole age. –Â Charlotte Mason (Home Education, Volume 1, p. 280)
People matter, in life and in history – just ask Carrie Austin!
The Charlotte-Mason style of learning is based on getting to know people and/or events in history. This is accomplished through the sharing of interesting stories of people’s lives or interesting anecdotes. Often times, these stories or anecdotes stay with a child over time. This Charlotte Mason approach to history allows children to make connections between people and events over time, rather than having us as parents make the connections for them. In Heart of Dakota‘s guides, your children learn people matter, in both life and in history!
Let me introduce you to so-and-so!
Your children will meet many people in history, as they journey chronologically through time, and these meetings are memorable! This approach to history is a staple of a Charlotte Mason form of education. One comment I never grow tired of hearing, that I have heard often, is parents’ sharing their children who formerly disliked history have had a complete turnaround to become children who now absolutely love history. They credit switching to Heart of Dakota‘s approach to history as being the turning point. Rather than dry textbooks with endless lists of dates, events, and names to memorize and forget, Heart of Dakota says ‘Let me introduce you to so-and-so!’ People go down in history for many different reasons, good and bad. But no matter why they have made their mark on history, learning history with a focus on ‘its’ people is both fascinating and memorable.
In Closing – An Endearing Charlotte Mason Quote
Children of seven are promoted to Form IA in which they remain for a couple of years… while the readings in IB are confined to the first third of the book embodying the simpler and more direct histories, those in IA go on to the end of the volume and children learn at any rate to love English history. “I’d a lot sooner have history than my dinner,” said a sturdy boy of seven by no means inclined to neglect his dinner. –Â Charlotte Mason (Home Education, Volume 6, p. 171)
In Christ,
Julie
