The Science of Relations
From Dr. Shannon Whiteside, Alveary Program Director
What did Charlotte Mason mean when she said “Education is the science of relations” or “the science of relationships”? Perhaps what first comes to mind are the wonderful connections students discover between many different subjects. Especially as literature, poetry, music, art, and even architecture or geography correlate with history lessons, students have so frequent “aha” moments as they use their Book of Centuries or make charts and gain a sense for the different ideas and events all happening at the same time. Did you know barbed wire was invented right after the civil war ended and about ten years before Bela Bartók was born?
But this web of connections between subjects is not what Charlotte Mason meant when she stated in her 12th principle,
“Education is the Science of Relations"; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we train him upon physical exercises, nature lore, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books, for we know that our business is not to teach him all about anything, but to help him to make valid as many as may be of––’Those first-born affinities that fit our new existence to existing things.’’’
The science of relations refers to the natural affinity or kinship a person is born with to all domains of life–music, poetry, nature, history, art, science, geography, handworks, math, language. Through exposure to those various areas, students can build relationships with the people from history, the characters of literature, the people and places across the world, the animals in their backyard and the paintings of artists. Education approached from this standpoint is not about learning information about things and events, but building relationships and interest that affect one's thoughts and actions. Mason wanted students to care about what they were learning and find meaning with that knowledge outside of the classroom walls and summed up her ideas,
“The question is not,––how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education––but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? ...how full is the life he has before him?” (School Education, p.170-171)
Perhaps this idea is best explained by a 5th grade student named Abby who described the way narration affected her interest in a subject. Abby stated, “Maybe before you read a book about Greece you are like, “Oh, Greece, it’s a country, let’s read about it. After you read the book, maybe you will be more knowledgeable. And will say, “Ah, Greece!” Abby’s use of the phrase “Ah, Greece” showed that she made an emotional connection and built a relationship that is more than knowing a list of facts about a place. That is the kind of growth we are looking for with our students. It is fun to make an interesting connection, but making a new friend with a character from a book, a historical figure, an artist or composer is what life-long learning is all about.
Notes
- Blue Orchard Bee: Starting September 26th, watch our blog each Thursday for an upcoming Blue Orchard Bee series on reading instruction. This eight-part series is designed to inspire, educate, and equip parents and educators with the tools they need to foster a love for reading in children of all ages.
- Office Hours: Here is the link to the video recording of this week’s Office Hours about the different notebooks that are used in a Charlotte Mason education.
- Alveary Ambassador Kit: Find inspiration and resources for sharing Alveary with friends in our Alveary Ambassador Kit.
- CMI Natural History Clubs: Embark on outdoor adventures with friends with CMI Natural History Guides. Year 2 guides are now available and focus on birds and salamanders! Register your Club
- Alveary Resources: Don’t forget, you have access to a wealth of information, including Alveary Foundations, 150+ videos, current research, and other resources–and it is all searchable by topic.
- Riddle Challenge: Have your middle schoolers written any riddles as part of their poetry lessons in the last few weeks? Let’s share them and guess the answers!
