Charlotte Mason Method
The Ambleside Method used at RiverTree School is based upon the ideas of English author, philosopher, and educator Charlotte Mason (1842-1923). She founded a teacher training college in Ambleside, England, inspired the creation of the Parents’ National Education Union, and shaped the work of education in hundreds of primary and secondary schools worldwide. Her ideas are set forth extensively in a six volume collection of her writings and can be summarized as follows: “Children are born Persons” and “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline and a Life.”
Children as Persons
“I believe that the first article of a valid educational creed - ‘Children are born persons’ - is of a revolutionary character… We must either reverence or despise children; and while we regard them as incomplete and undeveloped beings… rather than as weak and ignorant persons…” – Charlotte Mason
At RiverTree no child is viewed as “incomplete and undeveloped.” Rather, all children are viewed as persons, created in the image of God with a vast potential. Students are not classified according to strengths or weaknesses, but participate in a broad, rigorous curriculum. All children calculate, solve, attend, explore, ponder, recite, paint, and sing. All children are held to a high standard in relationship to self, others, ideas, and work. All children are expected to have their ignorance informed, their weakness strengthened, and to be surprised and amazed with the wonder of their God-given potential.
Education as an Atmosphere
“The bracing atmosphere of truth and sincerity should be perceived in every school; and here again the common pursuit of knowledge by teacher and class comes to our aid and creates a current of fresh air perceptible even to the chance visitor, who sees the glow of intellectual life and the moral health on the faces of teachers and children alike.”—Charlotte Mason
Our school atmosphere is one that is both inspiring and rigorous. Students do not compete for grades, but for the pleasure of learning. Students encounter real life and great ideas in a natural manner. They observe, explore, understand, and respond. They experience the guiding hand of a teacher that is both loving and firm, desiring to see each student find the joy in learning.
Education as a Discipline
“By this formula we mean the discipline of habits formed definitely and thoughtfully whether habits of mind or of body. Physiologist tell us of the adaptation of brain structure to habitual lines of thought, i.e. to our habits.”—Charlotte Mason
Our emphasis for RiverTree School teachers is to focus on the kind of student a child is becoming. Teachers equip students to master all areas of study to the fullness of their God-given potential. They do this through guiding students to the task at hand, giving consistent and thorough effort, showing proper respect for authority, and relating well to peers. We aim to equip students to live full satisfying lives, rich in devotion to God, service to others, and continuing personal growth.
Education as a Life
“For the mind is capable of dealing with only one kind of food; it lives, grows and is nourished upon ideas only; mere information is to it as a meal of sawdust to the body; there are no organs for the assimilation of the one more than of the other.”—Charlotte Mason
Education is not only learning for the sake of a test, it is the understanding and nourishment of God’s creation, great art, beautiful music, and “living books.” Real learning occurs when students engage with novelists, poets, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, artists, musicians, historians, and explorers; when they wonder, ask why and how. RiverTree School works to foster an environment where discussion and deep understanding shape students desire to learn for a lifetime.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere of a school, the spirit that is breathed in and out by the students and teachers alike, is important to a child’s education. Children are perceptive. They naturally pick up on what people around them think is important; the atmosphere tells them and they adjust. Therefore, we give great care to the atmosphere of our school.
The RiverTree School atmosphere is one in which learning is highly valued. Our style of teaching does not include gold stars, smiley faces, or even good marks. We also do not seek to have students win or compete in the classroom. Rather, we learn because it is good to know and a delight to the mind and soul. A child who masters a mathematical concept should feel the joy that comes from understanding, the satisfaction of a job well done. We do not shame children when they learn at a different pace. We encourage them as they pursue the joy of learning and understanding. Many times struggles lead to growth and strength and the great satisfaction of mastering a subject. They now know they are capable of conquering challenges.
Our atmosphere feels natural. One of our defining characteristics is that our physical buildings should remind you more of home than a typical school. The design, colors, and furniture are all intentional. We want to reinforce an attitude that learning is not done solely in a building or desk but one that is prepared for life outside the school walls. Our goal is not to get children though the system, but prepare them for life.
Most of all, our atmosphere is saturated by the love and lordship of Christ. We, like our students, are under divine authority and subject to His teaching. Most importantly, this means we recognize that our students are people. Each one is made in the image of God and like all of us have a need to become stronger, more knowledgeable, and wiser. They are in need of intellectual nourishment and must be fed the best food we can find, in as much quantity as they need. If we can do this, they will grow.
Habit
Habits are the elements of behavior that through repeated practice become ingrained character. Good habits make our lives easier and better, bad habits make life difficult and worse. Children, for example, with a habit of neatness enjoy the fruits of a clean bedroom free of clutter. Without the habit of neatness, cleaning a room can be a stressful, defeating task. A great part of RiverTree Schools task is to support children in the formation of good habits. We believe where good habits are absent, bad habits take hold.
Habits are formed through diligent work. We practice things we want as habits until they become second nature. One of the most important things we help children take on is the intellectual habit of attention. It is the hallmark of an educated person. We help train children at RiverTree School to attend to the task before them. We do this frequently with the task of narration. From kindergarten on, students are asked to make a single reading of a material and tell back what they have read. We help students develop and reinforce the habit of attention, one that will serve them for a lifetime.
Living Ideas
A child’s mind needs and craves ideas the same way his or her body craves food. The job of school is to put children in contact with as many high quality ideas as we can to nourish their mind.
We call these living ideas. Ideas that capture imagination, grab hold of, inspire, impress, and have a life of their own. Ideas behave in many ways like living creatures because they, ultimately, spring from the mind of God. While occasionally original, living ideas are most often received from someone else. We find many of our living ideas in books. We call them “living” because they were written by an author who desired that their work be read and enjoyed. That they would open up life and draw us in, they are infused with a spirit, a purpose, and a point of view.
No book is more lively than the Bible. Filled with the most life-giving ideas a child can possess, it is the core of RiverTree Schools education. Students are brought to the scriptures daily, through readings, devotions, and conversation.