How does Charlotte Mason Define Twaddle? {Take a Look Tuesday}

Welcome to Take a Look Tuesday.  I rather like the sound of that and think I may just change Tuesday's Treasures to Take a Look Tuesday.  Books are my passion and if you ever drop on in for a cup of tea I would gently have to inform you that the library of books you will encounter are a result of who I am rather than home educting.

The quaility of the books upon my shelves are solely the fault of my home educating journey and Charlotte Mason!  Years ago when reading a Charlotte Mason Companion I was introduced to a wonderful word - TWADDLE (drivel, nonsense, prattle, rubbish...)  I knew from my homeschool friends that twaddle was something to avoid in my book selections, but I wanted to know how to evaluate a book before I used in our home school?

This year I have begun reading Charlotte in her own words with a group of commited home educating Mums in an effort to pursue a better understanding of a Charlotte Mason education and have discovered that Charlotte Mason had some very particular thoughts concerning twaddle.

What does Charlotte say about Twaddle?

Volume 2 {Parents and Children} page 263 

• Children must be Nurtured on the Best 
• There must never be a period in their lives when they are allowed to read or listen to twaddle or reading-made-easy. 
• There is never a time when they are unequal to worthy thoughts, well put; inspiring tales, well told.

The Four Tests to be Applied to a book

Volume 1 {Home Education} page 177

1. should provide material for their mental growth,
2. should exercise the several powers of their minds, 
3. should furnish them with fruitful ideas
4. should afford them knowledge, really valuable for its own sake, accurate, and interesting, of the kind that the child may recall as a man with profit and pleasure.

Why should we avoid twaddle?

• Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing: and we must bear in mind that growth; physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education. – Charlotte Mason
• Volume 2 {Parents and Children} page 263 - For the children? They must grow up upon the best . . . There is never a time when they are unequal to worthy thoughts, well put; inspiring tales, well told.

Read More about Twaddle within the Charlotte Mason Community

• What is a Living Book by Brandy over at After Thoughts Blog.
• What Is Twaddle? by Sonya Shafer
• AmblesideOnline: Toward a Definition of a Living Book
• What is Twaddle? over at the Archipelago 
• How to deal with twaddle in your homeschool 
• Video Review Comparing NEW printed versions of Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Series by Brandy over at After Thoughts.

The Original Home Schooling Series by Charlotte Mason can be purchased from The Book Depostiory

• The Original Home Schooling Series 6-in-1 Omnibus Edition
• Book 1 - Home Education
• Book 2 - Parents and Children
• Book 3 - School Education
• Book 4 - Ourselves
• Book 5 - Formation of Character
• Book 6 - Towards a Philosophy of Education

The Original Home Schooling Series can also be purchased from

• Living Book Press
  • The Complete Home Education Series (6 Books) – Charlotte Mason
  • The Complete Home Education Series (6 Books) – Charlotte Mason (PDF).
• Amazon
• The Original Home Schooling Series: Study Edition by Simply Charlotte Mason

This post is part of the Homeschool Review Crew 5 Days of Homeschool Encouragement Blog Hop.

Grab a cuppa and be prepared to be motivated for the year ahead.  Here are a few of the participants of this years blog hop.  Be sure to take a look at some of the posts shared by our wonderful home educating mom's.

• Christine @ Christine Howard
• Christy @ The Simple Homemaker
• Dawn @ Schoolin' Swag
• Debra @ Footprints in the Butter
• Diana @ Homeschool Review
• Felicia @ Homeschool 4 Life
• Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
• Jeniffer @ Thou Shall Not Whine
• Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life