Charlotte Mason Kindergarten: A Gentle Guide

In a Charlotte Mason education, kindergarten looks quite different from what many might expect.

As Mason herself wrote in Home Education, “In this time of extraordinary pressure, educational and social, perhaps a mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it for the most part spent out in the fresh air.”

Building on the gentle rhythm established in the preschool years, this approach to living education views kindergarten as a precious time of extraordinary growth and natural learning, where young children thrive through informal activities, rich experiences, and plenty of time in the open air.

Building on the gentle rhythm established in the preschool years, this approach to living education views kindergarten as a precious time of extraordinary growth and natural learning, where young children thrive through informal activities, rich experiences, and plenty of time in the open air.

Let’s explore how to create a kindergarten experience that aligns with Charlotte Mason’s wisdom while meeting your child’s unique needs. We’ll look at both the principles behind this approach and practical ways to implement them in your own homeschool, including specific attainments your child can work toward naturally through the year.

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Essential Elements of a Charlotte Mason Kindergarten

A Charlotte Mason kindergarten includes several key components that work together to create the perfect learning environment.

Nature Study and Outdoor Time

Nature study forms an important aspect of early learning. It is the best way for children to discover the world through:

• Daily outdoor exploration
• Simple nature notebooks for drawing findings
• Regular time in the open air, regardless of weather
• Observation of seasonal changes and local wildlife

Living Books and Language

Language development grows through:

• Beautiful picture books that capture imagination
• Daily reading of nursery rhymes and poetry
• Engaging Bible stories and simple Bible verses
• Folk songs and music that develop language rhythm
• Rich conversation about books and discoveries

Arts and Culture

The typical kindergarten day should include gentle exposure to beauty through:

• Classical music playing in the home
• Simple picture study with quality art prints
• Exposure to different cultures through stories and songs
• Opportunities for creative expression through drawing and crafts

Habit Formation

During these early years, your children will develop good habits that will serve them throughout life. Their attention spans grow naturally through engaging activities, and they develop a love of learning when given time to explore at their own pace. Through daily experiences, they will learn to notice and understand the world around them.

Through this gentle approach to learning in the early years, you will find your children thriving in an atmosphere full of natural learning and discovery. Let’s explore what specific attainments might naturally develop during this time.

Charlotte Mason’s Attainments for a Six-Year-Old

In her Original Homeschool Series, Charlotte Mason shared lists of attainments showing what children might naturally achieve during their quiet growing time. The following list for six-year-olds comes from a curriculum outline used in Charlotte Mason schools in the 1890s. While these might seem ambitious, remember they emerged through daily experiences rather than formal lessons.

Language and Literature

• To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns
• To recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm
• To read–what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child
• To copy in print-hand from a book
• To name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences
• To sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song

Mathematics

• To add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters

Geography and Outdoor Life

• To know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows
• To describe the boundaries of their own home
• To describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach
• To be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views

Natural History

• To mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them
• To do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees
• To know 6 birds by song, colour and shape
• To keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations
• To tell three stories about their own “pets”–rabbit, dog or cat

History

• To tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English, and 3 from early Roman history

Handicrafts

• To send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed

Adapting These Attainments for Modern Families

While this list reflects life in England during Charlotte Mason’s time, the principles behind these attainments still remain valuable today. Here are some ideas of how Charlotte Mason homeschooling families might adapt these for modern life:

Language Arts and Literature

• Memorize beloved poems from your poetry collection
• Include nursery rhymes and folk songs from various cultures
• Begin a poetry tea time tradition for recitation practice

Geography and Outdoor Life

• Learn to read simple maps of your neighborhood
• Understand directions using local landmarks
• Take weekly walks around your neighborhood
• Create a simple map of your yard or local park
• Learn about local weather patterns and seasonal changes

Natural History

• Identify local birds using field guides
• Plant and observe a small container garden
• Raise butterflies or observe them in a butterfly garden
• Document seasonal changes in a favorite tree
• Start a small herb garden and learn to identify herbs by smell
• Learn about local wildlife through tracks and signs

History and Culture

• Tell family stories and create simple family trees
• Explore your community’s historical sites
• Share stories from your cultural background
• Visit local museums and historical places

Practical Skills and Handicrafts

These activities naturally develop fine motor skills while teaching practical life skills:

• Learn basic cooking skills with supervision
• Practice simple sewing or weaving projects
• Create art using natural materials
• Learn basic tool use through woodworking
• Help with garden tasks and plant care

Remember that following the Charlotte Mason method, these attainments will develop naturally through daily life and experiences rather than formal lessons. The key is providing rich opportunities for exploration and discovery while following your child’s natural interests.

My Charlotte Mason Kindergarten

Let me share what our kindergarten homeschool looks like. We spend a lot of time outdoors doing nature study and exploration. This pairs wonderfully with reading of the Burgess animal books – they complement our outdoor discoveries and naturally bring living science lessons into our days.

Free play takes up a large portion of our time. This play-based learning includes lots of building with blocks, creating with Magnatiles, setting up elaborate train sets, playing fun board games, and plenty of dress-up and imaginative play. Currently, battling dragons and rescuing princesses are my kindergartener’s favorite activities!

For academics, we keep things very simple and gentle. Math concepts develop naturally through counting, using an abacus, and playing simple math games. For reading, we use All About Reading in a very relaxed way – you can read more about our gentle approach here. It’s really just about introducing letter sounds and some basic words, nothing too intense. We probably only complete a few lessons each month. We will also practice letter formation on our mini chalkboards, taking a very gentle approach to these early writing skills.

Reading aloud is a big part of our days. We’re currently enjoying:

• Poetry (Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne and Favorite Poems of Childhood)
• Fables
• Nursery rhymes
• Fairy tales
• Classic children’s books
• Burgess animal books

My kindergartener knows to join in when his older siblings do art study, composer study, hymn study, Bible lessons, Scripture study, and foreign language. Throughout our days, we also work on character development and habit training as the opportunities naturally present themselves.

Looking for more living book book suggestions? You can find my family’s complete kindergarten reading list here.

Looking Forward

Charlotte Mason’s approach to kindergarten offers a beautiful balance of rich learning experiences and childhood wonder. Through natural exploration, meaningful play, good books, and gentle lessons, children develop a strong foundation for future learning.

Remember that these early years are precious. Your kindergartener doesn’t need elaborate lessons or structured academics. Instead, focus on providing plenty of time outdoors, exposure to beautiful ideas through quality books, and opportunities for natural discovery at their own pace.

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