Language Arts


"The success of the scholars in what may be called disciplinary subjects, such as Mathematics and Grammar, depends largely on the power of the teacher, though the pupils’ habit of attention is of use in these too." 


"One limitation I did discover in the minds of these little people; my friend insisted that they could not understand English Grammar; I maintained that they could and wrote a little Grammar (still waiting to be prepared for publication!) for the two of seven and eight; but she was right; I was allowed to give the lessons myself with what lucidity and freshness I could command; in vain; the Nominative ‘Case’ baffled them; their minds rejected the abstract conception just as children reject the notion of writing an “Essay on Happiness.” "


"In the first place, grammar, being a study of words and not of things, is by no means attractive to the child, nor should he be hurried into it."


"It is better that a child should begin with a sentence and not with the parts of speech, that is, he should learn a little of what is called analysis before he learns to parse. It requires some effort of abstraction for a child to perceive that when we speak, we speak about something and say something about it; and he has learned nearly all the grammar that is necessary when he knows that when we speak we use sentences and that a sentence makes sense; that we can put words together so as to make utter nonsense, as,––”Tom immediately candlestick uproarious nevertheless”––a string of words making perfect nonsense and therefore not a sentence. If we use words in such a way as to make sense we get a sentence; “John goes to school” is a sentence. "



"Narrating is an art, like poetry-making or painting, because it is there in every child's mind, waiting to be discovered, and is not the result of any process of disciplinary education." 

Charlotte Mason

What is Language Arts in the Charlotte Mason Philosophy? 

It includes, but is not limited toQuality literature, Narration, & Copywork/Dictation


Language Arts by definition includes: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 

Which can be interpreted to include the individualized skills of: 

  • Alphabet
  • Listening Skills
  • Phonics/Beginning Reading
  • Parts of Speech
  • Rhyming Words
  • Sentence Structure
  • Handwriting
  • Punctuation
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Capitalization
  • Writing Composition
  • Public Speaking
  • Vocabulary
  • Proofreading
  • Spelling
  • Grammar
  • Reference skills (alphabetizing; using a dictionary, etc.)
  • Word study (homonyms, synonyms, prefixes, suffixes)

A Few Resources to Help:


[It goes without saying if you know of a resource, or create a resource that would go along with Charlotte Mason's Philosophy of Grammar and Language Arts please don't hesitate to drop me a line! Or comment below. ]

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