Here's a very brief overview of a handful of Charlotte Mason' s most familiar ideas. Charlotte Mason advocated avoiding twaddle and feasting children's hearts and minds on the best literary works available. Living books are the opposite of dull, dry textbooks. The people, places and events come alive as you read a living book. The story touches your mind and heart.
Whole books are the entirety of what the author actually wrote.
If the author wrote a book, read the whole book. Narration is the process of telling back what has been learned or read. Charlotte Mason recommended spending short, focused periods of time on a wide variety of subjects. These excursions should be nature walks, not nature talks. In addition to the weekly Nature Walks, Miss Mason also recommended children spend large quantities of time outside each day, no matter what the weather.