Music Standards and Charlotte Mason

Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education is in agreement with the current Washington's State Music Standards.  Her emphasis on drawing connections, engaging students' natural curiosity, and providing context for how a discipline relates to the "real world" is well suited to the music and arts standards.  Let's take a closer look at how her principles apply to each of the four Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs).

1. EALR 1: The student understands and applies arts knowledge and skills in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

The language in this learning requirement explains that students must go beyond factual knowledge to the application of that knowledge.  The daily rehearsal process for performing ensemble classes offers students opportunities to apply the concepts they learn in an experiential format.  Therefore, the concepts are not just "fragments of knowledge", but are connected to real life application and skill practice. (Cooper, 2004).

EALR 2: The student uses the artistic processes of creating, performing/presenting, and responding to demonstrate thinking skills in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

By requiring that student learning require a creative and experiential process through which students demonstrate their skills and thinking, teachers are able to better engage their students.  Moreover, students feel a greater sense of responsibility for their own learning when they are fully engaged and have opportunities to share their ideas and evidence of learning in a variety of ways.  This standard is in alignment with Mason's beliefs that students should be able to test out their ideas, tap into their imaginations, and synthesize their learning in creative ways.

EALR 3: The student communicates through the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).

Teaching students how to communicate through the arts enhances their emotional intelligence, expressive capacities, and even engages them spiritually.  Mason would be pleased that this learning requirement focuses on educating the whole child; academically, emotionally, and spiritually.

EALR 4: The student makes connections within and across the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work.

Mason believes strongly that students learn better when they can relate their learning to their life experiences beyond the classroom. This learning requirement demonstrates that principle by focusing on the connections of the arts to real life.

It is safe to say that Mason would feel comfortable implementing these EALRs, as they align with her individual philosophy of education.

* Cooper, E., Anderson, E., Schaeffer, S. McCauley, & others. (2004). When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy For Today.