Philosophy of Education
“I am. I can. I ought. I will.” - Charlotte Mason
At Wildwood Homeschool Collective we use Charlotte Mason-style learning to cover our academic subjects. Charlotte Mason was a British educator in the 19th century who came back in popularity after Susan Schaeffer Macauley’s book For the Children’s Sake in the 1980’s. Her life’s work and philosophy can be summarized in her 20 Principles. For a greater understanding of her philosphy, it is best to read Charlotte Mason’s own words in her six volumes. Three of Ms. Mason’s key beliefs about education, which we firmly agree with are:
A child is a person, and we must educate the whole person, not just their mind.
Children do not need watered-down ideas. They are capable of making sense of information and ideas.
Time outdoors, and a knowledge of the natural world, are an important part of a child’s education.
Wildwood Homeschool Collective, though heavily influenced by Charlotte Mason and her ideas, does not require you to adhere to following her methods in your own homeschool. Our philosophy of education will have direct implications to our methods. We believe Charlotte Mason’s philosophies and methods fulfill a holistic view of what a person is and why they learn.