Charlotte Mason was and still is a 'Visionary' for the Home Schoolers today, transcending her time and era to ours. Many People use her ways of teaching today and it is very prevalent especially in the Homeschooling Community. I'll be it, not everyone follows her ways to the 'T,' but many adapt it to suit their needs while observing her wonderful Teaching Style.
So why do I think she could have been Dyslexic?
She was a visionary, literally! Her classroom and pupil were ideal in a method called, The Charlotte Mason Method which she strived very hard to establish.
Included were/are;
- Atmosphere, which consisted of 1/3 of the child's education. A person simply absorbing their environment to gain understanding, clarification, and interpretation.
- Discipline, where good habits consisted of 1/3 of their education. Building of one's character was deemed crucially important.
- Life, living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts.
How much of these ideals are lost in today's education?
Living Books have passion and feeling. Living books have reasoning.
Character building has reasoning and feeling.
Spelling was used with great books that communicated ideas NOT dry facts.
She wanted the kids to learn outdoors and understand God's creation.
Its like she got what Dyslexic's were about. I can't help but think I would have thrived under her teachings. This screams a big 'Hello" to my right brain thinking!
So why does she get it and so many others don't?
So why does she get it and so many others don't?
I pondered that for a bit and came up with my own conclusion. Either she had so many students that clearly showed the signs of Dyslexia and she whole-heartedly listened to the way her students needed to be taught. Or, she knew how to teach the students the way they could learn, because SHE was Dyslexic. If so, she thoroughly understood what method her pupils needed to be educated by, so they could learn properly!
Of course there is no documentation of Charlotte Mason being Dyslexic and it is a provocative statement, I understand. But I can't help my imagination.
However, I still wonder; Why she got it and teachers now-a-days have a hard time even recognizing that Dyslexic's need to be taught any other way then the conventional cookie-cutter way? Why her students soared later in life through the academic world but now kids are desperately struggling? Why I just light up when I hear how she taught?
It is fun to think about, but nonetheless she has inspired me greatly in how I teach and will continue teaching my children forever. This idea might not be a dry fact, but great for musing about :D
However, I still wonder; Why she got it and teachers now-a-days have a hard time even recognizing that Dyslexic's need to be taught any other way then the conventional cookie-cutter way? Why her students soared later in life through the academic world but now kids are desperately struggling? Why I just light up when I hear how she taught?
It is fun to think about, but nonetheless she has inspired me greatly in how I teach and will continue teaching my children forever. This idea might not be a dry fact, but great for musing about :D
Tell me what you think and if you love Charlotte Mason or use any of her teaching methods for your Dyslexic learners!
You can also read more on Charlotte Mason here:
My thought is that
ReplyDelete1.Charlotte actually studied kids and worked with them so much that she understood how they ticked.
2.She was not tied into an educational system or philosophy like modern teachers seem to be.
3.Her background was classical ed, so she really knew how to think, unlike many contemporary teachers, and that helped her to make sense of the children she observed.
4.She was Christian and thought about children in a Christian way.
Thank you for your well thought out reflections Annie Kate :D
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