Basics
The Charlotte Mason educational method was created with a home schooling environment in mind, although the method has been adapted for use in schools. This method places emphasis on developing a natural love of learning in children, and providing them with a high-quality education to stimulate the mind. It has been described as leading students to a self-education. Charlotte Mason advocated the study of core subjects (math, science, reading, etc.) as well as the humanities of literature, poetry, music, and art. She believed that children should study these subjects in an authentic way: through exploring nature, reading personal narratives of history, looking at actual works of art, etc. Some specific elements of the Charlotte Mason educational method are described below, with recommendations to accommodate students with autism. The recommendations are based upon my experiences as the Autism Specialist for a private school that incorporates Charlotte Mason methods into the curriculum for all students.
Narration
- Narration is used following the reading of a passage or the studying of a material. The parent or teacher reads a passage or story aloud (about ten minutes in duration, but can be less initially), then asks the student to tell back what he or she had just heard. If a student hesitates in the initial stages of using narration, ask him or her to remember one thing from the passage.
- The goal of narration is for students to take material that they have learned and assimilate, synthesize, and make meaning from it for themselves. It places the focus on what a student has learned, not what he or she does not know.
- Narration can be used for all school subjects and experiences.
Modifications for students with autism: see this month’s article: “Narration for Students with Autism.”
Literature and Poetry
- Children should be exposed to quality literature and poetry from a young age.
- Children should read full, unabridged versions so that they can experience the original beauty and quality of the language.
- The focus is on enjoying poetry, rather than “studying” it.
- Literature and poetry should be integrated into all school subjects.
Modifications for students with autism: look for illustrated editions of poetry and literature that still use the original language. Another option is to use clip art or graphics to make your own illustrations for poetry or story passages. An example of this can be found in this month’s free downloads.
Handwriting
- The study of handwriting begins when students learn to copy letters. Charlotte Mason preferred that a student complete a few neat and correctly formed letters at a time, rather than a lengthy handwriting page that leaves the student tired and the handwriting sloppy at the end.
- For older students, handwriting can be practiced by copying book passages or poetry into a personal copy notebook.
Modifications for students with autism:
- Use tracing sheets (such as My Moondrops),
- Place a copy of the passage to be written close to or on a student’s desk rather than on the board at the front of a classroom,
- Allow students to copy passages about a topic of interest (airplanes, astronomy, trains, etc.).
- Make sure that students are practicing correct letter and number formation in early learning, as these habits are very hard to break after they have been learned.
Science
- Children should be taken outside daily to observe and experience nature.
- The teacher or parent should ask children to describe something nearby (plants, animals, insects, etc). Teachers and parents should also model this for children by describing things in nature to them.
- Children should be taken on nature walks and permitted to observe with minimal direction from adults.
- Children keep nature notebooks, which may include records of a child’s observations, sketches, records of weather or temperature, nature poems, pressed flowers, etc.
Modifications for students with autism:
- Allow students to record information in their nature journal of science elements that are particularly interesting to them (you can relate trains, weather, and other interests to science issues),
- Frequently model descriptions of items in nature starting with just one or two descriptions at first (“the butterfly is orange and it flies”). You could make cards with pictures and this sentence to review and practice before the child makes descriptions on his or her own, take photos during nature walks and outings to use when discussing the events later or to post in nature notebooks.
Math
Teach students concrete before abstract (use manipulatives, including counters, blocks, etc. to model concepts).
Use narration to assess a student’s comprehension of the material: “Tell me what you know about ___________ (concept).”
Focus on real experiences: use real money when possible, weigh and measure actual objects, etc.
Use short lessons (15 – 20 minutes for elementary students, 30 – 45 minutes for junior high and high school students).
Modifications for students with autism:
- Many of these math methods do not need modification.
- Using manipulatives for visual support and to build concrete understanding will often be very helpful.
- Using real objects and money is also beneficial to promote generalization of skills.
- Prompt as needed when teaching, and then fade out the prompts.
Art and Music
- Expose children to classical music and quality artwork.
- Use actual-sized prints of the pictures, not textbooks with small copies of the pictures.
- Children study a piece of art for 10 – 15 minutes, then try to draw it from memory.
- Encourage children to draw favorite reading passages.
- Use high-quality art materials.
Modifications for students with autism:
- The website Enchanted Learning (www.enchantedlearning.com) has coloring sheets of many famous paintings that could be used for students who may have difficulty copying the paintings from memory.
- Classical music could be played for students while they are engaging in a favorite play activity so that they can enjoy the music and associate it with a fun activity.
Social Studies
- Children should use books, plays, poems, essays, and paintings to study history (first person accounts are preferred to textbooks).
- Children should study the history of their own nation, as well as other nations. They should compare what was happening in various nations at the same times in history.
- Travel books can be used for the teaching of geography.
- Before beginning the study of maps, students should practice the concept by making a map of their rooms.
Modifications for students with autism:
- Use lots of pictures (of historical figures, places, countries, etc.),
- Look for illustrated editions of any poetry or literature that you will use. Another option is to use clip art or graphics to make your own illustrations for poetry or story passages,
- To expand on the pre-map study activities, make a map of a child's bedroom, a room in the home, or classroom, with a placed marked on the map. Hide something fun in that location, and have the student use the map to find it (prompting as needed). This could later be done with a map of the entire school or home.
- To begin teaching with "real" maps: make a map of the United States (or your home country) that shows important places to the student (such as locations where relatives live, favorite places such as Six Flags or DisneyLand, etc.).
Citizenship/Behavior
- Lessons about proper behavior can be learned through reading of literature (Aesop’s Fables are one good option).
- Charlotte Mason emphasized the development of habits, stating that once developed, the students will continue the habit. It is recommended to develop few habits at a time, rather than a long list of “rules” to follow.
Afternoon Leisure Time Should Include:
Gardening
Crafts
Exercise/Outdoor Play
Cooking
Knitting/Stitching
Why Charlotte Mason?
I believe that many elements of a Charlotte Mason education can be beneficial for students with autism. I think that the focus on using concrete teaching methods before branching out to abstract concepts is very helpful for the majority of students with autism. The focus on authentic experiences including going outside to study science and using real money to study math gives students with autism the opportunity to gain knowledge of a variety of life experiences. This is important to develop skills in other areas such as background knowledge for reading comprehension and community living skills. It also helps with generalization of skills to the “real world.” I also believe that all students can benefit from experiences with high-quality art, music, and literature. With proper support, students with autism have much to gain from these authentic sources of learning.
Learn More About Charlotte Mason
This article is intended to give you a very brief overview of Charlotte Mason educational methods. It will be necessary to complete further reading and study before implementing this method with your children or students. Additional resources can be found in the references below, and the “Charlotte Mason” links contained in this issue.
References
The Home School Learning Network - Charlotte Mason Method: http://www.homeschoollearning.com/approaches/mason.shtml
Charlotte Mason in a Nutshell by Deborah Taylor-Hough: http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/teacherslounge/styles/nutshell.php
A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison
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