The
Gentle Art of Learning:
The Charlotte Mason Homeschooler
Karen Andreola
How to
Recognize a
Living
Book
There is nothing fishy about the use of “living books” in a cur- riculum, nothing fishy about giving books other than a class-
room textbook an important place in the
homeschool. More than a hundred years
ago, nineteenth-century British educator,
Miss Charlotte Mason, endorsed living
A living book . . . .
must bring truth,
nobility, and beauty.
books. She invented the term. By supplying her students with books of literary
quality on a range of subjects, she saw
how wonderfully these books secured attention and opened the door of a child’s
mind. Quantity as well as quality is her
strong recommendation.
Ideas for Intellectual Vitality
“The life of the mind is sustained upon
ideas,” Charlotte Mason says. A living
book is alive with ideas. Intellectual
vitality (something necessary for gain-
ing knowledge “for keeps”—for making
knowledge personal) is set in motion
when ideas are present. Ideas are what
make a page of reading interesting. A
remedy for boredom and inattention
is a revitalizing presentation of ideas.
Ideas come to children through many
means: through observing nature, ap-
preciating art and melody, and through
the rhythmic movement of games,
handicrafts, good conversation (not
texting), a Sunday sermon, etc. Ideas
are also found in living books. Through
books of literary quality, a child gains
knowledge mind to mind.
