We are Christian home educators from different walks of life, backgrounds, and experiences inspired by Charlotte M. Mason, an educational reformer in England in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We each have our own story about how an educator from so long ago impacts how we disciple and educate our children.

We have come to discover that Miss Mason’s old ideas are anything but outdated. They are needed now more than ever as they speak timeless truth in our modern world that children are not passive objects or empty vessels to be filled with information, but are born already whole persons, created and loved by God, which changes everything in how we go about “education." Charlotte Mason had incredible insight into how children naturally learn and could see a clear path to work with their curiosity and love of learning without hindrance. She dedicated much of her energies to passing that knowledge along to others, for which many children and educators are grateful.

Live Oak Educators are simply educators who have found a guide and friend on their education journey in Charlotte Mason’s philosophy and pursue growth as they trust and lean upon it. Working out the specifics of Miss Mason’s philosophy in context varies, and no two Charlotte Mason educational experiences look the same. It is not a set curriculum or blueprint but a flexible guide for principals.

Charlotte Mason believed that one of the most important sparks of education is a learner’s ability to make connections across expansive ideas and experiences as they grow in the knowledge of God, themselves, and the world. She called this “spreading a feast” and encouraged a wide variety of subjects and a liberal education. The broader the feast of ideas and experiences laid before the student, the greater the opportunity for connections. Because of this, Charlotte Mason educators include an array of subjects beyond what is generally familiar today in conventional schooling. Some examples are nature study and journaling, artist and composer studies, Shakespeare, Plutarch, Latin, Bible study, dictation, copy work, map making, handcrafts like sewing, paper folding projects called “sloyd,” and many more!

She did not divide education into sacred and secular subjects. She believed all knowledge grounded in truth, whether geometry, literature, scripture study, architecture, or knitting, was from God. She believed that all true learning is inspired by the Holy Spirit because it is the Holy Spirit who leads us into all knowledge and truth. She saw educators as participants with the Holy Spirit in HIS work.

She emphasized that a teacher is not an “all-knowing sage” but like a shepherd diligently leading entrusted sheep to good pastures. The teacher’s labor is to diligently put the child in the way of truth, beauty, and a feast of worthy ideas that can produce good fruit over a lifetime without getting in the way of a child making their own connections for learning, becoming overbearing. Much of Charlotte Mason’s writings presents practical instruction for parents and teachers to grow in the art of this balance.

Miss Mason also emphasized the art of knowing something and telling it back. This art of knowing and telling back is referred to as “narration.” This is why Charlotte Mason educators focus more on quality books with substantial narrative value over dry facts often found in textbooks. It’s difficult and dull to narrate a dry story or facts! A Charlotte Mason educator asks for “narrations” after readings and lessons because humans naturally shift ideas from short to long-term memory through the art of narration. You will not find Charlotte Mason educators leaning heavily on worksheets or multiple-choice testing because the children express what they know through different forms of narration.

Carefully chosen books are a favorite topic among all Charlotte Mason educators! Because quality has often (though not always) been replaced by watered-down marketability in more modern books, there has been a pop-up of “Living Books Libraries,” which are private collections of carefully chosen books using Charlotte Mason’s criteria for what she coined a “living book.” She held the Bible in regard as the most essential living book. Some excellent books can be out of print, hard to find, or expensive, so there has become a spirit of sharing them. We dream that a “Living Books Library” can slowly develop over time and flourish as a resource for Live Oak Educators and their students. A room has already been secured for this library thanks to the generous partnership of Monrovia Community Church and their shared value of family discipleship and Christ-centered education for children.

Though there are threads of similarity between Charlotte Mason educators because of shared values and methods, no Charlotte Mason educator is the same. Differences are respected within the group. There’s an extensive range of resources and developing curricula for Charlotte Mason educators, and we all resonate with them differently. There is even a growing number of Charlotte Mason charter schools and co-ops around the United States and Europe. Churches are adapting it to their discipleship and Christian education programs. The many seeds of good ideas spread through Charlotte Mason are coming up differently in each context, so it’s fun to share what we have in common and exchange ideas and resources, growing as educators.

We hope Live Oak Educators will serve to help you and your children make meaningful connections with other Charlotte Mason Educators through our Book Study Park Day, Lacy Park Meetup, and Conference Opportunities to help you find encouragement, community, and resources to grow in CM methods as you inspire your children toward lifelong learning and faithful discipleship.