The Gentle Art of Learning: The Charlotte Mason Homeschooler
Karen Andreola
A New Suit of Clothes
With Room to Grow
The family isn’t growing apart but rather growing up alongside one another—
the children are trying on a new suit of clothes.
During the same week, a few days apart from each other, I enjoyed two very nice long- distance letters and one
face-to-face conversation from home-
schooling mothers who are following
The Gentle Art of Learning. Something
common to each took my notice. These
mothers mentioned how in earlier years,
home learning had a more “together
feel.” Now that the children are matur-
ing, they are off at their separate desks
doing lessons on their own. The family
may still gather daily around the dining
room table for Bible, poetry, a song, or
art appreciation, but much of the chil-
dren’s skills and acquiring of knowl-
edge are being achieved by independent
effort or by taking turns one-on-one
with Mother.
Self-Education
Actually a wonderful thing is happening.
These home-taught children still enjoy
a degree of companionship. The family
isn’t growing apart but rather growing
up alongside one another—the children
are trying on a new suit of clothes. Miss
Charlotte Mason would call this suit self-
education. And a very fine suit of clothes
it is—with room to grow—one that too
few students have the opportunity to try
on for size. Why? Out of insecurity per-
haps, or out of a need to ensure a good
showing of right answers on tests, teach-
ers do too much for students.
