“Education is the science of relations.”  This is the center of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy.  Facts must be presented with their informing ideas—“living ideas” from “living books”—in order for relations to form.

From the preface to her series:

9. But the mind is not a receptacle into which ideas must be dropped, each idea adding to an 'apperception mass' of its like, the theory upon which the Herbartian doctrine of interest rests.

10. On the contrary, a child's mind is no mere sac to hold ideas; but is rather, if the figure may be allowed, a spiritual organism, with an appetite for all knowledge. This is its proper diet, with which it is prepared to deal, and which it can digest and assimilate as the body does foodstuffs.

11. This difference is not a verbal quibble. The Herbartian doctrine lays the stress of education––the preparation of knowledge in enticing morsels, presented in due order––upon the teacher. Children taught upon this principle are in danger of receiving much teaching with little knowledge; and the teacher's axiom is, 'What a child learns matters less than how he learns it.'

12. But, believing that the normal child has powers of mind that fit him to deal with all knowledge proper to him, we must give him a full and generous curriculum; taking care, only, that the knowledge offered to him is vital––that is, the facts are not presented without their informing ideas. Out of this conception comes the principle that,

13. Education is the Science of Relations; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we must train him upon physical exercises, nature, 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 make valid, as many as may be of

     'Those first born affinities,
     'That fit our new existence to existing things.'

The benefit of homeschooling is that we can individualize our curriculum for our children.  Textbooks and prepared curricula take the Herbartian approach, so relying upon them diminishes the science of relations.

I read about “spines” and “living books” but I got so caught up in doing my math, science, spelling, and grammar curricula, and reading the large history book in chronologic order that I never developed that science of relations.  The made-for-the-masses textbooks and programs kept me separated from it.  Finally, I understand Charlotte’s ideas; I call it Thinking Outside the Textbook.

For most subjects I will use a “spine,” that is, a living book that covers a variety of topics on a subject.  Just reading from the spine will be enough if my children are not inspired by a topic; if they are inspired, I’ll add in living books and activities until we’ve followed that interest to its end before moving on in the spine.  We won’t have topic deadlines we must meet to stay on schedule.  Our weekly schedule will list blocks of time to spend on a subject without detailing what will be covered during that time (for that, too, would be Herbartian.)

What about holes?  To me, this is the inside-homeschooling equivalent to “What about socialization?”  I know what you mean—I had that same fear.  Consider the following:

1. You can never present all the information on a topic, much less know it.
   
   
2. Public school goals are greatly based on utilitarian values in terms of making children into productive citizens.

While there is nothing wrong with productive citizens, that is not the ultimate goal of my educational philosophy.  As Charlotte Mason states, in agreement with Hebart, “…the knowledge of God is the principal knowledge, and the chief end of education.”  As the old Baltimore Catechism states: I am made to know, love, and serve God.

So why did I put so much stock in making sure my kids learned the “facts” that institutional schools taught?  Oh, I glance at my state’s frameworks to get ideas of what I should cover; they are more skills-based in the early years and I don’t pay too much attention to years.  My child may seem “behind” in some area compared to an institutionally-schooled child, but that child will be behind my child in other areas.  And which one is more likely to have a love of God and a love of learning?

This is an example in my favorite subject: science—check back to AtHomeScience for posts about spines I like.  I’ll be posting my approach to other subjects here.