Overview

Awakening the Whole Child offers a refreshing and transformative perspective on education. Drawing on the timeless principles of pioneering educator Charlotte Mason (1842–1923), this book reimagines education for today and tomorrow, inspiring connection, curiosity, and the flourishing of the whole child. With contributions from authors across the globe, this book offers a critical examination of Mason’s relational philosophy, highlighting its relevance to contemporary debates and addressing key issues such as multicultural and critical perspectives, meritocracy and segregation, academic freedom, parental or carer involvement, and state control. Mason’s approach emphasises the child’s relationship with self, others, the environment, the universe, and the transcendent, making her ideas relevant to both religious and secular worldviews. Packed with practical wisdom and theoretical insights, this book broadens the conversation by engaging with ecological, societal, psychological, and philosophical perspectives, tackling urgent questions about the purpose of education often overlooked in today’s standardised systems. Designed for educators, researchers, and anyone seeking to reimagine education, Awakening the Whole Child invites readers to critically engage with Mason’s philosophy and rethink education for the betterment of individuals and society.

Full Product Details

9781041075264

Table of Contents

Reviews

“While the work of Charlotte Mason is known in some circles and continues to provide inspiration for education today, she is not a prominent figure in the canon of the history of educational reform in the 19th and early 20th century. This book sets the record straight by providing a wide-ranging, thoughtful, and multifaceted introduction into Mason’s life, work, and ideas. A rich source of information for scholars and practitioners alike, the book also raises important questions about where, how and for whom the work of Mason might be of value in today’s challenging educational climate.” Gert Biesta, Professor, The Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy, Maynooth University, Ireland. “This new volume of collected essays, Awakening the Whole Child, seeks to interact with the wide-ranging scope of Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy and Practice of Education and will undoubtedly usher in many new readers unfamiliar with her work. Rich engagement with her ideas and pedagogy, from many countries and on many levels, offers a clarity and challenge in trying to move forward with implementing Mason’s vision and vitality into the increasingly bleak, contemporary educational landscape. Written from a variety of perspectives, the discussions generated will hopefully, always reflect her lifegiving and evergreen principles.” Elaine Cooper, Charlotte Mason Consultant, Heritage School, Cambridge, UK, author of When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy for Today. “Finally! Scholarship with handles - a doorway into Mason’s pedagogy that classrooms on five continents can walk through. In place of the numbed-out exhaustion of our technocratic age, this volume offers a luminous reintroduction to Charlotte Mason’s vision for education. At once rigorous and warm, it proves that Mason’s claim - children are born persons - still has world-making power.” Anne Snyder, Editor-in-Chief of Comment, author of The Fabric of Character. “This book engages readers with the philosophy of Charlotte Mason's pedagogy, showing how her principles can be meaningfully applied in the modern day. An essential book for every educator, especially those in countries unfamiliar with her work, such as Türkiye.” Yildiz Kizilabdullah, Professor, Religious Education Department, School of Divinity, Ankara University, Turkey.

Author Information

Deani Van Pelt is a Canadian education scholar and leader. Editor of the Charlotte Mason Centenary Series, she chairs the Charlotte Mason Institute and is a visiting research fellow at the University of Cumbria, UK. She led the digitisation of the Armitt Museum’s Mason Collection and now directs Edvance while serving as a senior fellow at Cardus and the Fraser Institute. Elizabeth Millar is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research, Storyteller for Vision Ministries Canada, and Academic Mentor at Northwest Seminary. As a Charlotte Mason educator for 20 years, she has witnessed the life-giving nature of a Mason philosophy of education. Sally Elton-Chalcraft is Professor at the University of Cumbria, UK and publishes in the areas of Religious Education, decoloniality in India and the UK, and Charlotte Mason Studies. She is the editor of Religious Education and Teacher Education textbooks and has given keynote lectures in India, Germany, Ireland, and the UK. She is passionate about dismantling injustices in education.

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