I wasn't going to blog about the Preface... and then I read it.
"...the knowledge of God is the principal knowledge, and the chief end of education."
As parents, this has always been our main goal. If our children don't know God then nothing else matters! This is why I believe it is important for the children to learn about God within all of their "school" subjects.
"Such a theory of education, which need not be careful to call itself a system of psychology, must be in harmony with the thought movements of the age; must regard education, not as a shut off compartment, but as being as much a part of life as birth or growth, marriage or work; and it must leave the pupil attached to the world at many points of contact."
Wow! Such strong, thought provoking words! Learning should not be a separate entity. It should be a natural part of everyday life. I will admit that I struggle with that. How do I integrate schooling into our day without making it "school?" I want to instill the love of learning into our children. I never want learning to become a chore.
"...the child is a person with all the possibilities and powers included in personality."
Sometimes it is hard to remember that they really are just miniatures of us, and that they deserve the same respect.
In the Preface, Charlotte Mason summarizes her educational theories in eighteen points. These points are expanded upon throughout the book. I really like how Leslie Laurio has put them in a Modern English Paraphrase. (I am reading the original words by Ms. Mason, but I do like to compare from time to time.)
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Just this morning my son and I read from Proverbs -- "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." I don't think, though, that we need to worry so much that our children are getting this if we are genuinely living our lives in front of them in this way. I think the "science of relations" comes in here. Often in lessons, whether it's a history or literature or nature reading, my son will make reference to God or something from the Bible without me having to push it. He's making the connections, I believe, because our faith and beliefs are "in the atmosphere" of our home.
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