Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival – October 2012

Welcome to the October 2012 Edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival all the way out here in California!!

 The continued theme of the carnival is Charlotte Mason’s 20 Principles and we are now on principle 16 and 17 which focuses on the will. Here they are in her own words:

16. There are two guides to moral and intellectual self-management to offer to children, which we may call ‘the way of the will’ and ‘the way of the reason.’

17. The way of the will: Children should be taught, (a) to distinguish between ‘I want’ and ‘I will.’ (b) That the way to will effectively is to turn our thoughts from that which we desire but do not will. (c) That the best way to turn our thoughts is to think of or do some quite different thing, entertaining or interesting. (d) That after a little rest in this way, the will returns to its work with new vigour. (This adjunct of the will is familiar to us as diversion, whose office it is to ease us for a time from will effort, that we may ‘will’ again with added power. The use of suggestion as an aid to the will is to be deprecated, as tending to stultify and stereotype character, It would seem that spontaneity is a condition of development, and that human nature needs the discipline of failure as well as of success.)

CM tells us our aim in education is less conduct (outward behavior) than character (inward choice). Children may be coerced to behave correctly for all the wrong reasons: rewards, attention, avoidance of fear, humiliation, etc.. She asserts that behavior is of value to the world only as it has its source in character.

How is character and strength of will developed? By exercising the will whose function is to choose, to decide.

We may objectively help them think through matters of consequence, and then age appropriately leave them to make their own choice.  

…the one achievement possible and necessary for every man is character; and character is as finely wrought metal beaten into shape and beauty by the repeated and accustomed action of will.

CM writes that those who propose suggestion as a means of education do not consider that with every such attempt upon a child they weaken that which should make a man of him, his own power of choice.

But what if they choose wrong?!?! I suppose that’s why we read them all those living books and discuss them and direct them to the scriptures and pray. In the end, we must know they are His.  

You can read more about the will in Vol. 6, Chapter 8 of Charlotte Mason’s Homeschooling Series. 

Now onto this month’s posts!

A couple posts from Harmony Art Mom:
…a little reflection on reading and narration: Narration: Helping Your Child Get The Most Out of Their Reading
…and a little encouragement from the Parent’s Review and the Handbook of Nature Study to get out and do some autumn nature study time. Apple Time – Delicious Nature Study

A post from Bobby Jo on Fall Handicrafts: With Our Hands

Three posts from Amy, who makes this Carnival all happen!
Nature Study Mondays – October – link up!
Narration: a little prep goes a long way pt. 2
Pursuing the Way of the Will

From Patti over at All Things Bright and Beautiful

A post on CM’s views towards analytic and critical instruction by Nancy over at Sage Parnassus: Borrowed Views – Charlotte Mason on Critical Thinking

We have three posts from Ann over at Harvest Moon by Hand: