Fact · Dictation
In Charlotte Mason's dictation lesson, a child of eight or nine first prepares a paragraph, and older children prepare a page or two or three pages.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“A child of eight or nine prepares a paragraph, older children a page, or two or three pages.”
Home Education (Home Education Series, Volume 1), Charlotte M. Mason, Project Gutenberg, eBook 71087, 1886, Chapter XII, Steps of a Dictation Lesson.
Open the original- What it measures
- The child studies the passage alone first, looks at the words he is unsure of, and pictures them with his eyes shut. Only then does the teacher dictate.
- What it does not show
- Describes Mason's own lessons. The lengths are her guidance for the children she taught, not a standard.