15 Inspiring Charlotte Mason Quotes on Education
This post shares 15 curated Charlotte Mason quotes, chosen from her six volumes on education as well as other writings. Inspiring quotes about education for homeschooling families!
Ah, the magic of the written word. Even though Charlotte Mason died over 100 years ago (in 1923), her thoughts still echo today in the homeschooling community. If you’re curious to learn more about her educational philosophy and how we put it into practice in our home, check out this post that covers a brief introduction to Charlotte Mason’s method!
However, as lovely as it is to read about how modern-day mothers are using and implementing Miss Mason’s philosophy, there is nothing quite like reading her own original words for yourself. If you are daunted by the thought of reading all six of her (rather dense) volumes on education, perhaps these shorter quotes are a gentler place to begin.
The quotes I have chosen to include in this post have been organized into three categories: quotes on education in general (which could probably include all of them, if we wanted to), quotes on nature, and quotes on books and reading. I hope that these quotes will help you to understand her philosophy of education a little bit better, and also inspire you in your own homeschooling journey!
Quotes on Education in General
1. “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.”
2. “We hold that all education is divine; that every good gift of knowledge and insight comes from above.”
3. “Give your child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information.”
4. “The knowledge of God is the most important knowledge a child can gain.”
5. “The object of education is to put a child in living touch with as much as may be of the life of Nature and of thought. Add to this one or two keys to self knowledge, and the educated youth goes forth with some idea of self management, with some pursuits, and many vital interests.”
6. “There is no education but self-education.”
7. “In the first place, people rarely accomplish beyond their own aims. Their aim is a pass, not knowledge: ‘they cram to pass and not to know; they do pass and they don’t know.'”
Quotes on Nature
8. “Never be within doors when you can rightly be without.”
9. “We are all meant to be naturalists, each in his own degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things.”
10. ““The question is not, ‘how much does the youth know?’ when he has finished his education, but, ‘how much does he care?’ And about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? And therefore, how full is the life he has before him?”
Quotes on Books & Reading
11. “The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have a generous curriculum.”
12. “One more thing is of vital importance; children must have books, living books.”
13. “Children should have the joy of living in far lands, in other persons, in other times – a delightful double existence; and this joy they will find, for the most part, in their story books. Their lessons, too, history and geography, should cultivate their conceptive powers. If the children do not live in the times of his history lesson, be not at home in the climate his geography book describes, why, these lessons will fail of their purpose.”
14. “Give your child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information.”
15. “We spread an abundant and delicate feast in the programs, and each small guest assimilates what he can.”
Bonus: An Encouragement for Your Homeschool
16. “Education, like faith, is the evidence of things not seen.”
Conclusion
There is more, much more to be learned from Charlotte Mason’s writings and wisdom. If these quotes have piqued your interest and you’d like to dive deeper into her educational philosophy, check out one of the books on this list of my favorite Charlotte Mason homeschooling books! Most of them I’ve read at least twice, as there is always something new to learn and apply to our current homeschooling situation. Keep reading and stay curious, friends!
Finally, which of these quotes resonates most with you? Which favorites did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
