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The Original Homeschooling Series
by Charlotte M. Mason

It is with pleasure that this online version of Charlotte Mason's six-volume book series is provided for public use. Her own words (below) lead one to believe that she would have wanted the truths she discovered to be shared freely with the public, and it is hoped that her words will inspire all who teach to use her ideas 'for the children's sake.'

Options:

Summaries of all six volumes - The Reader's Digest version, condensed paragraph by paragraph, perfect to get an overview if you're just starting out. If you prefer a "real book" to reading online you can purchase chapter-by-chapter summaries of all six volumes in one convenient book! Purchase from lulu.com or amazon.com.
Summary of CM's 20 Principles - a concise version of the definitives of a CM Education
Summary of CM's Student's motto, "I am, I can, I ought, I will."

Read the Series on your PDA! Download the CM Series Formatted to eReader for Palm OS! (Thanks to Art Middlekauff)

NEW!  The Original Homeschool Series in Modern English! Now complete!   Nobody need ever know you cheated, there aren't even any page counters. 

In Memoriam - a tribute written by students, co-workers and friends of Charlotte Mason on the event of her death in 1923. This book provides a concise synopsis of her methods as well as personal remembrances and insight into her personality.

View a scan of a page of the book. 

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Table of Contents for all six volumes of the Original series located just below, on this page; click hyperlinks to read the original text.
Volume 1 - Home Education 
Volume 2 - Parents and Children
Volume 3 - School Education
Volume 4 - Ourselves
Volume 5 - Formation of Character
Volume 6 - Towards A Philosophy of Education

Not sure which volume to start with? Click here for help.

A list of subjects, and where in the series they're discussed, compiled by Melissa Newman

Note: -- The fresco at the Spanish chapel at Santa Maria Novella, Florence (John Ruskin called this fresco the 'Vaulted Book') is pictured online. Charlotte Mason discusses the top and bottom of one wall in various volumes. The fresco is attributed to Andrea di Bonaiuto da Firenze, a painter of the 1300's, but in CM's day, it was thought to have been done by Taddeo Gaddi and Simone Memmi. Charlotte Mason loved the way it illustrated her concept of the Holy Spirit gifting men with knowledge, even "secular" knowledge.

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Volume 1: Home Education

(You can download a plain text file of volume 1 or the text as one html page here)

Six lectures by Charlotte Mason's about the raising and educating of young children (up to age 9) written for parents and teachers.

          (Thanks to Nicole Capehart for typing half of Volume 1, and Phyllis Hunsucker for proofreading!)
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Volume 2: Parents And Children

(You can download a plain text file of volume 2 or the text as one html page here)

A collection of 26 articles from the original Parent's Review magazines to encourage and instruct parents.



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Volume 3: School Education

(You can download a plain text file of volume 3 or the text as one html page here)

Thoughts about the teaching and curriculum of children aged 9-12 with details and examples of books, exams, etc.
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Volume 4: Ourselves

(You can download a plain text file of volume 4 or the text as one html page here)

Charlotte's character curriculum written to children to teach morals and self-control. Book 1 is for children up to age 12, Book 2 is for high school students.

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Volume 5: Formation Of Character

(You can download a plain text file of volume 5 (proofreading is not complete yet) or download the text as one html page here)

Stand-alone chapters to enhance all parents, regardless of the ages of their children. Includes case studies of children cured of bad habits, examples of how education affected outcome of character in famous writers of her day, and thoughts on how youths should make the most of their last years before adulthood.

(Thanks to Phyllis Hunsucker for proofreading Volume 5)
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Volume 6: Towards A Philosophy Of Education

  (you can download a plain text file of volume 6 here or download the text as one html page here)

Charlotte's final book, written after years of seeing her approach in action. Though more philosophical, this volume gives the best overview of her approach and includes the final version of her 20 Principles. The best place to start for parents of older children.


"It's impossible to get a full idea of what Miss Mason was doing without reading volume six - not only is it the volume for the older kids, it's the last book she wrote - I think some forty years spans the spread between volume one and volume six. Sometimes ideas she had in volume one didn't quite work out as she had hoped they would, and by the time volume six came along she'd refined her ideas a little more, they got a bit more practical. WWI happened between volumes one and six, and this mattered. Before WWI, Charlotte, in company with many of the Imminent Victorians, had a practically messianic view of education - it was going to change human nature, improve it, make human beings all wise, peacable and just about bring heaven on earth. After WWI, Charlotte Mason's ideas on all this became a little more subdued and realistic. It's a little sad, but I think it was a healthy change. I think a lot of CM popularizers read volume one and promote the ideas in that book, and people think that's all there is to CM. Even without the refining of Charlotte's ideas that occurs over the decades between Volumes one and six, this would be a mistake because volume one says right up front that it's for children from birth to nine. Volume three is for the middle grades, and volume six is the book to read for about 12 and up. Charlotte did not recommend quite the same approach for all ages. Her program for the older kids is, like the rest, wide and generous, rich, full of ideas, good literature, art and music, but it's also very rigorous. By high school I see a lot more similarities with the classical approach in terms of materials used." ~Wendi Capehart


          (Thanks to Phyllis Hunsucker for proofreading Volume 6)
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For information on downloading complete text of each volume, useful for doing word searches, click here.

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"It is not that 'we' (of the P.N.E.U.) are persons of peculiar genius; it is that, like Paley's man who found the watch, "we have chanced on a good thing." "No gain that I experience must remain unshared." We feel that the country and indeed the world should have the benefit of educational discoveries..."
[Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education, pg 10]

"One discovers a thing because it is there, and no sane person takes credit to himself for such discovery. On the contrary, he recognizes with King Arthur, -- "These jewels, whereupon I chanced Divinely, are for public use." For many years we have had access to a sort of Aladdin's cave which I long to throw open 'for public use.' "
[Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education, pg 27]

"Here ... is the key ... which we all feel should belong to an education that is only begun at school and continued throughout life; these are the things that we all desire, and how to obtain them is some part of the open secret I am labouring to disclose 'for public use.' I am anxious to bring a quite successful educational experiment before the public..."
[Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education, pg 29]

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The text of these volumes is public domain material and you are free to use them for non-commercial purposes. These texts were scanned/typed and proofread by members of the CMSeries email list and AmblesideOnline email list
Ambleside Online is an online free-use Charlotte Mason curriculum.

Please send correction suggestions or comments to cmseries-owner at yahoogroups dot com


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