When I decided to homeschool, everyone kept mentioning two approaches: Charlotte Mason and Montessori. Both sounded beautiful, both emphasized respect for children, both promised to nurture a love of learning. I spent months reading about each philosophy, joining Facebook groups, and trying to figure out which one was “right.”
Three years into homeschooling, I’ve realized something freeing: I don’t have to choose. My days blend Charlotte Mason’s living books and nature walks with Montessori’s hands-on materials and practical life activities. Understanding both approaches helped me create something that actually fits my children and our family rhythm, which matters far more than philosophical purity.
What You Need to Know
Charlotte Mason emphasizes literature-rich learning through living books, nature study, and short lessons across many subjects. Montessori emphasizes hands-on learning through specific materials and child-directed work. Both respect children as capable learners, but Mason focuses on ideas and books while Montessori focuses on materials and independence. Most homeschool families blend elements from both rather than following either approach strictly.
- Charlotte Mason: Living books, narration, nature study, short lessons, literature-based
- Montessori: Specific materials, hands-on learning, child-directed work, practical life skills
- Cost: Mason emphasizes library books (low cost); Montessori materials can be expensive
- Best For: Mason suits book-loving families; Montessori suits hands-on learners
The Heart of Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Mason was a British educator in the late 1800s who believed all children deserved a rich, broad education regardless of social class. Her approach centers on nourishing children’s minds with ideas rather than dry facts.
Her famous quote summarizes everything: “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” The home environment matters. Cultivating good habits matters. Feeding children’s minds with living ideas through great books, nature, art, and music matters. She rejected textbooks in favor of “living books” written by authors passionate about their subjects, books that make ideas come alive rather than presenting lists of facts to memorize.
A Charlotte Mason day looks gentle but rich. Short lessons, usually 15-30 minutes for younger children, covering a wide array of subjects. Read aloud from a beautifully written history book. Narrate back what you heard, telling the story in your own words. Copy a passage from great literature to practice handwriting. Spend time outdoors observing nature. Listen to classical music. Study a famous painting. The day feels full but never rushed.
Key Charlotte Mason Elements
- Living Books: Well-written books that bring subjects alive through narrative and passion
- Narration: Retelling what you’ve read or heard in your own words
- Short Lessons: Brief, focused periods for each subject to maintain attention
- Nature Study: Regular time outdoors observing and recording nature
- Habit Training: Cultivating good character habits through consistent practice
- No Formal Lessons Before Age 6: Young children learn through play and family life
The Heart of Montessori at Home
Dr. Maria Montessori developed her method observing children in Italy in the early 1900s. She discovered that children naturally want to learn and will teach themselves if given the right environment and materials.
Montessori at home looks quite different from a Montessori school, but the principles remain. Create an ordered environment where everything has a place and children can access what they need independently. Provide hands-on materials that isolate specific concepts. Allow children to choose their work and complete tasks without interruption. Emphasize practical life skills like cooking, cleaning, and caring for themselves and their space.
A Montessori day centers on long, uninterrupted work periods where children choose activities and work independently. Maybe your five-year-old spends an hour with the golden beads, concretely understanding place value. Your three-year-old practices pouring water. Your seven-year-old reads independently. The parent observes, prepares materials, and gives brief lessons when children are ready, but doesn’t direct or interrupt focused work.
Key Montessori Elements
- Prepared Environment: Organized space with materials accessible to children
- Specific Materials: Hands-on tools designed to teach particular concepts
- Child-Directed Work: Children choose activities and work at their own pace
- Practical Life: Real skills like cooking, cleaning, dressing, caring for space
- Long Work Periods: Uninterrupted time to develop deep concentration
- Mixed Ages: Younger children learn from older; older reinforce by teaching
Where They Actually Differ
Both approaches respect children as capable learners. Both emphasize hands-on experience over worksheets. But their methods diverge significantly.
The Practical Reality: Cost and Materials
One significant practical difference between these approaches is the financial investment required.
Charlotte Mason homeschooling can be incredibly affordable. Living books can come from the library. Nature study costs nothing beyond time outdoors. Art appreciation uses library books or free online resources. Music can be borrowed or streamed. Copywork requires only paper and pencil. The main investment is time, not money. You can implement Charlotte Mason principles with almost no budget.
Montessori materials, by contrast, can get expensive quickly. Authentic materials like golden beads, geometric solids, and the full range of sensorial items cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Many homeschool families make DIY versions or buy secondhand, but it still requires investment. Some materials can’t easily be replicated at home. The upfront cost can be prohibitive for families on tight budgets.
This cost difference shaped my approach. We use Charlotte Mason as our foundation because I can access amazing books for free through our library. I’ve added specific Montessori materials for math and sensorial work where I felt they’d genuinely help my children. But I didn’t feel pressure to purchase everything, knowing Charlotte Mason’s approach could carry us through.
What Worked for Us: Blending Both
After three years, our days look like a Charlotte Mason framework with Montessori elements woven in where they enhance learning.
Our Morning
We start with practical life Montessori-style: children help make breakfast, set the table, clean up. Then we transition to Charlotte Mason’s short lessons. Read aloud from a living history book for 20 minutes. Narrate what we heard. Spend 15 minutes on math using Montessori golden beads for concrete understanding. Read a chapter from our current literature book. Practice copywork from a beautiful poem.
By late morning, formal lessons end. Children might choose Montessori materials for independent work or curl up with their own books. We head outside for nature study Charlotte Mason style, observing, collecting, and later recording in nature journals. The afternoon is free for play, projects, and pursuing interests.
What I love about this blend: Charlotte Mason provides the rich content and ideas through beautiful books. Montessori provides the hands-on, concrete experience, especially for math and practical skills. My children get both the feast of ideas Mason emphasized and the independence and hands-on learning Montessori valued.
Which Children Thrive With Each Approach
Neither approach suits every child perfectly, but patterns emerge about which children respond most enthusiastically to each method.
Charlotte Mason Fits Well For
- Children who love stories and get absorbed in good books
- Families who enjoy reading aloud together
- Nature-loving families who spend time outdoors
- Children who respond well to variety and shorter lessons
- Families on tight budgets who can access libraries
Montessori Fits Well For
- Children who learn best through touching and manipulating objects
- Independent workers who enjoy choosing their own activities
- Children who focus deeply on tasks for extended periods
- Families who value practical life skills and independence
- Parents who can invest in materials or make DIY versions
You Don’t Have to Choose
The most freeing realization in my homeschool journey was that I didn’t need to be a Charlotte Mason purist or a Montessori devotee. Both approaches offer wisdom. Both have limitations. My job isn’t to follow a philosophy perfectly but to create an environment where my children flourish.
Charlotte Mason gave me permission to value great books, nature, and beauty. To keep lessons short and cover a broad curriculum. To believe that ideas matter and children deserve a feast, not dry facts. Montessori gave me permission to let my children work independently for long stretches. To value practical skills as much as academics. To trust that children learn through doing, not just hearing.
Take what resonates from each approach. Maybe that’s Mason’s living books with Montessori’s math materials. Maybe it’s Montessori’s prepared environment with Mason’s nature study. Maybe it changes as your children grow or varies between your different children’s needs.
The goal isn’t philosophical consistency. It’s creating a home where learning feels natural, where your children develop independence and capability, and where everyone enjoys the journey. Both Charlotte Mason and Montessori offer paths toward that goal. You get to choose which elements from each path serve your unique family best.
Sources & References
- Mason, C. (1905-1922). The Original Home Schooling Series (Vols. 1-6). Available from Simply Charlotte Mason
- Andreola, K. (1998). A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning. Charlotte Mason Research & Supply Company.
- Lillard, A. S. (2017). Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
- Montessori, M. (1949). The Absorbent Mind. Clio Press Ltd.