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 …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff The April 1924 Parents’ Review included a powerful piece by Francis Lewis. We are not told whether it was originally a sermon, or whether it was composed specifically for The Parents’ Review. In either case, it contains references that would be familiar to members of the Charlotte Mason community of …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff In last week’s episode we shared a second paper from the June 1920 teacher’s conference in Gloucester. This week we share a third paper by a professional teacher who embraced Charlotte Mason’s method, along with some brief discussion that followed. By Mr. C. Jones The Parents’ Review, 1920, pp. 570-575 …

Editor’s Note, by Art Middlekauff One of the great chapters in the epic story of the Charlotte Mason method involves the introduction of the complete method, principles and practices, into the established British schools of Gloucestershire. H. W. Household began this project with five schools in 1917, and by May 1920 he had gone to …