A Simple Introduction to Charlotte Mason for the Overwhelmed Mom

Have you ever been curious about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy of education, gone to seek out information, only to be left more confused and overwhelmed? 

People often quote her, reference her principles and talk about her philosophy of education but if you’re brand new to it, it can feel mysterious and somewhat confusing. Add to it a sort of superiority, purist or arrogant attitude that some Charlotte Mason homeschoolers give off, and you might feel like never even trying to understand CM because you’re already behind and will never be able to “do it right”. 

I want to change that. Let me set the scene with some basic information as a launching pad for diving deeper into her philosophy of education. Her wisdom and writings have changed everything for me in the way I parent and home education and I want more friends to come along on this journey with me. So who was Charlotte Mason? 

Charlotte Mason was a British educator born in 1842 in England. She grew up in a time when education was rigid, moralistic, and often joyless, especially for children (sound familiar?). Charlotte, never married and had no children of her own but devoted her entire life to understanding how children learn best — not in theory, but in real classrooms, with real children.

Charlotte Mason made her living as a teacher, lecturer, and educational reformer. She founded teacher training colleges (most notably the House of Education in Ambleside), started schools that put her ideas into practice, and eventually helped form the Parents’ National Educational Union (PNEU). 

The PNEU was revolutionary for its time — it existed to help parents, not just schools, give children a rich and thoughtful education at home. She also published extensively, including the six-volume series Home Education, which laid out her philosophy in detail. These weren’t just abstract ideas; they were lived, tested, and refined through decades of teaching.

Most of Charlotte Mason’s adult life was spent in Ambleside, in England’s Lake District — a setting that feels fitting once you understand how deeply she valued nature, beauty, and atmosphere. 

She believed children should know the world firsthand: walking outdoors, observing seasons, and forming relationships with ideas, not just memorizing facts. Her own upbringing was relatively modest, and after being orphaned at a young age, she supported herself through teaching. That independence shaped her belief that women — and children — were capable of serious intellectual work when given respect and opportunity.

At the heart of her philosophy are her 20 principles, which can sound intimidating at first but are incredibly beautiful, and are founded in her deep love and affection for God, His word and His sacred view of children. 

I would recommend reading through her 20 principles as you get started because they are foundational to all that she taught. This is where it’s difficult to summarize because each principle has so much depth to it and is woven throughout her writings. 

They essentially begin with the foundational idea that children are born persons, deserving of dignity and respect. This is different from other philosophies that view children as half-grown persons, or as sponges or vessels to be crammed and filled with information. 

She believed that education is an atmosphere (the circumstances of the home), a discipline (the habits of your home), and a life (the ideas put before a child). She emphasized narration instead of worksheets, short lessons, real books instead of watered-down texts, and a wide feast of subjects — art, music, poetry, nature study, history, and science — because children are hungry for meaning. Underneath it all was a deep Christian worldview and a trust that God designed children to learn naturally when we don’t get in the way.

There is so much more to say, but this truly meant to be a simple overview. If this resonates with you, start with Miss Mason’s own words in her volumes. I recommend starting with Home Education. If you find that the language is difficult, you’re not alone. I recommend listening to it via audiobook until you get used to her cadence and writing style or start with a book like For the Children’s Sake or Modern Miss Mason

For more modern voices, I love Charlotte Mason Poetry and A Delectable Education podcast for practical, grounded encouragement. 

You don’t have to do this perfectly — Charlotte Mason never expected that. She simply invites us to slow down, trust children more, and remember that education is meant to be a relationship, not a checklist. As you explore more about her and her philosophy I hope it is as life-giving to you as it has been to me! Let me know if you want to hear more about this and I’ll make this into a series!