Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff One of the most dramatic chapters in the story of Charlotte Mason’s life is the adoption of her methods by a large number of state schools. The logistical challenge alone must have been staggering. Imagine trying to convince hundreds of teachers to teach in a new way and then finding …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff The “Books” section of the 1909 Parents’ Review contains a brief notice by Miss Mason of a new book: The Training of Children, by Mrs. H. C. Cradock (Bell, 2/–). Contains many useful hints, carefully arranged.[1] An earlier notice that year indicated that Mrs. Cradock’s first book, The Care of …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff The first time a visitor enters St. Mary’s Church in Ambleside, the first thing she notices is the beautiful and intriguing mural on the back wall. Everything about it is unusual, including its history. Gordon Ransom was a student at London’s Royal College of Art, but during World War II …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff The Table of Contents of the 1921 Parents’ Review lists an article entitled “To What Extent Obedience may be Considered as a Vice”[1] By Mrs. Dermod O’Brien. Mrs. O’Brien was memorialized in the 1943 Parents’ Review with these words: Once again we have to mourn the passing of a most …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff Rose Amy Pennethorne was Organising Secretary of the PNEU from 1921 to 1940. In her first year in office, she contributed two articles on the teaching of Scripture to The Parents’ Review. The first article was published in March and the second in November. Charlotte Mason celebrated Pennethorne’s work with …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff When does a composer qualify for composer study? And when is music “good enough” for music appreciation? I have wondered this as I have surveyed Dawn Tull’s table of composers studied in the Parents’ Union School from 1908–1953. Many modern composers are listed. Some were studied in their own lifetimes. …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff Among my favorite Parents’ Review articles are the occasional pieces by homeschooling parents. I find great inspiration in the advice and perspective of these dedicated mothers and fathers from a prior generation. This short piece from 1923 is no exception. The hints from Mrs. Thompson remind us that a Charlotte …

Editor’s Note, by Dawn Tull This article was of particular interest to me because of my research on the Ambleside Geography Readers and the role of map questions in the study of geography. As with the previous two conference articles released, Mr. G. H. Smith addresses concerns that others, and perhaps previously he, had held …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff Miss Mason was looking through the Christmas examination papers in February 1920. ‘What a long time since I have written to you! It is the school—it has taken me ten to twelve days to look through more than 1,200 sets, at about a hundred a day—heaps of elementary school children …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff The Contemporary Review was a monthly journal, founded in 1866, which “became known as a forum for open, erudite inquiry into controversial theological and philosophical issues of the day.”[1] In the July 1922 issue, an article by H. W. Household appeared which advocated for a liberal education for all according …