The mind feeds upon Ideas.
This theme keeps repeating itself in Charlotte Mason’s writing,
and though I've read her six volumes (some of them nearly to tatters) only recently
has this concept begun to sink in. I think Mason's grasp of Ideas, that is to say exactly how children’s minds are nourished by dealing directly with ideas, puts her philosophy in a class by itself.
“It is not too much to say that a morning in which a child receives no new idea
is a morning wasted,
however closely the little student has been kept at his books.”
Vol. 1, p. 173
So, What Is An Idea?
As I understand it, an idea is a new and vivid image or picture formed
by the mind. But Charlotte said, an idea is more than a simple image;
it has life and power to grow and multiply in an on-going stream of kindred ideas.
You know how when you learn a new word or concept and suddenly you start to hear about it everywhere, as if the whole world has discovered it simultaneously? It is no mere coincidence, of course. “Living” ideas have power—the power to reach out and connect themselves to other ideas in our brains and in our world. This power makes worthy ideas so very important in the education of children. It's all about making connections: "Education is the science of relations."
In a Charlotte Mason education, worthy living ideas are gleaned primarily from “living books” (the Bible being the greatest example of a book that is "alive"). But living ideas are all around us also; they come to us through real life experiences with interesting people, when we enjoy art and music, and outdoors as we play in, observe, and enjoy nature.
“Unschooling”
We might come to the question of “unschooling” at this point and wonder: If a child’s mind is naturally curious and hungry for ideas, and if ideas are living and have the power to form connections, then why shouldn’t we parents just remain in the background and let our children choose to learn about only those things that naturally interest them?
Here is the sticking point: "Interests" are not the same as the "Relations" formed when we gain knowledge through the effort of thinking and reading "to know":
“I have spoken of ‘Relations’, and not ‘Interests,’
because interests may be casual, unworthy, and passing.
[Nearly] everyone... has interests of a sort…
But the defect in our educational thought is that
we have ceased to realize that knowledge is vital;
and, as children and adults,
we suffer from underfed minds.”
Vol. 3, p. 241
A child will naturally pursue any number of paths of living ideas on her own,
and of course she should be free to do so. But an interest-only approach is simply not enough. We owe her a “wide room” of ideas. Charlotte Mason believed that ideas were much too important and formative to be left entirely to chance. Ideas shape our lives and how we live in this world; our future hopes, goals, and dreams depend upon them:
“Our business is to give children the great ideas of life,
of religion, history, science;
but it is the ideas we must give, clothed upon the facts as they occur,
and must leave the child to deal with these as he chooses.”
“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?
Vol.3, p. 170
Variety and Abundance
If we respect the natural intelligence and curiosity of the child’s mind, we also owe the child a great variety of ideas. There are many flavors at a fine feast. Here again, I find that CM education has the distinct advantage over other philosophies such as Waldorf, unschooling, or unit studies.
Interests are a vital part of abundant living for all people, and we all need refreshment and seasons of mental rest (do I ever!) But interests alone, do not comprise a quality education. The mind works, rests, and plays upon its interests, but it feeds and grows upon Ideas. Exercise and play without food is not a healthy way to grow.
Interests, Leisure Time, and Healthy Habits
The child’s own interests were very important to Charlotte Mason, however; so important, in fact, that she believed that elementary-aged children should be finished with teacher-guided lessons by lunch time. This was to insure that the children had free afternoons to pursue a variety of interests of their own choosing. And no student had to fill his evenings with homework. It’s worth mentioning that the ability to use free time in an interesting and creative way is a very important life skill. How many adults default to hours of passive television watching, because they have never cultivated the wise and satisfying use of their own leisure time?
This balance of structure and freedom is a significant benefit to children educated by Mason's methods. Her method is certainly not one of drudgery-- not at all! CM students arrive at the noon hour spiritually energized, mentally “well-fed,” and feeling personally accomplished after completing their morning’s lessons. Thus, they are all the more empowered to delve into their own play, projects, and interests with fresh gusto for the rest of the day. A time for work and a time for play—children naturally long for the healthy rhythm of days like these.
Does this work in reality? Absolutely. But not without the consistency of good habits. Healthy habits make or break our lives, don't they? This is especially so for life at home with young children. Oh, the habit of good habits! We are always working on this aspect of education at my house, and when I notice that a good habit is missing, I almost always have to look in the mirror. Habits are all about modeling, no? When someone completely masters this, please tell me the secret. 
A final thought:
“Provide the student with an abundant feast of learning,
and she will educate herself—the powers of curiosity,
attention, retention, and expression
naturally turned on to the meat of this curriculum.”
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