Charlotte Mason On Short Lessons 

One of the most important principles in the Charlotte Mason method is the use of short lessons. The idea is that a short time allotted for certain school work teaches the child to pay close attention, because he knows that he only has this short segment with which to finish the task. It also suggests that spending too much time on any one task drains his brain power. 

But what does she mean, exactly? Let’s take a look at what she says about using short lessons for our children: 

In the first place, never let the child dawdle over copybook or sum, sit dreaming with his book before him. When a child grows stupid over a lesson, it is time to put it away. Let him do another lesson as unlike the last as possible, and then go back with freshened wits to his unfinished task. If mother or governess have been unwary enough to let the child ‘moon’ over a lesson, she must just exert her wits to pull him through; the lesson must be done, of course, but must be made bright and pleasant to the child.

(vol 1 page 141) 

In this passage, Miss Mason describes how a child can “grow stupid” over a lesson, which happens when he’s allowed to dawdle or daydream over his work. She says this is the time to put the lesson away and switch to something else that uses a different part of his brain. While this doesn’t mention the length of the lesson yet, it implies that a child can grow weary of doing the same thing over a big length of time. 

Next, let’s take a look at this passage, which expounds on the idea of getting weary over lessons, this time, with the reference to short lessons: 

Again, the lessons are short, seldom more than twenty minutes in length for children under eight; and this, for two or three reasons. The sense that there is not much time for his sums or his reading, keeps the child’s wits on the alert and helps to fix his attention; he has time to learn just so much of any one subject as it is good for him to take in at once: and if the lessons be judiciously alternated––sums first, say, while the brain is quite fresh; then writing, or reading––some more or less mechanical exercise, by way of a rest; and so on, the program varying a little from day to day, but the same principle throughout––a ‘thinking’ lesson first, and a ‘painstaking’ lesson to follow,––the child gets through his morning lessons without any sign of weariness.

(vol 1 page 142)

The above passage explains that short lessons are designed to help the child stay alert. He knows that he only has that set time for that task. Next, it also deals with the idea of alternating parts of the brain. 

In the next passage, let’s hear what Miss Mason has to say about reading lessons: 

Slipshod Habits; Inattention––I have already spoken of the importance of a single reading. If a child is not able to narrate what he has read once, let him not get the notion that he may, or that he must, read it again. A look of slight regret because there is a gap in his knowledge will convict him. The power of reading with perfect attention will not be gained by the child who is allowed to moon over his lessons. For this reason, reading lessons must be short; ten minutes or a quarter of an hour of fixed attention is enough for children of the ages we have in view, and a lesson of this length will enable a child to cover two or three pages of his book. The same rule as to the length of a lesson applies to children whose lessons are read to them because they are not yet able to read for themselves.

(vol 1 page 229-230) 

Further, she also recommends similarly short lessons for children who are just learning to write: 

Perfect Accomplishment.––I can only offer a few hints on the teaching of writing, though much might be said. First, let the child accomplish something perfectly in every lesson––a stroke, a pothook, a letter. Let the writing lesson be short; it should not last more than five or ten minutes. Ease in writing comes by practice; but that must be secured later. In the meantime, the thing to be avoided is the habit of careless work––humpy m’s, angular o’s.

(vol 1 page 233-234) 

Here she couples the idea of short lessons with the goal of perfect execution, wherein we encourage our children to write as nicely as possible, and not necessarily filling up the whole page with letter m’s like we may have been taught in school! 

If you notice, the passages above refer to children in the lower forms, about aged eight or younger. Based on the timetables that the CM researchers have delved into, older children, such as those in Form 2 (fourth to sixth grades), could have lessons that went as long as 30 minutes. In high school, this can still extend to 40 or 45 minutes—but still wrapping up schoolwork by around an hour after lunch. 

So perhaps the really important thing is that we know why she recommends short lessons, so we can also work toward the same goal: forming the habit of full attention, and giving our brains the chance to rest by changing gears every so often!