Charlotte Mason’s List of Attainments for a Child Under Six—And Why They Matter for Mothers
In an 1890s Parents’ National Educational Union (PNEU) school curriculum outline, we find a document titled “A Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of Six.” It wasn’t an article or essay from Charlotte Mason herself, but rather a glimpse into what one of her early schools might have expected a child of six to know and be able to do. It’s a simple, practical list—yet it reveals something profound about the kind of education Mason envisioned: particularly that Mason expected children to come to “school” with some level of education and how we, as mothers, can facilitate this.
The List
To recite, beautifully, six easy poems and hymns
To recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm
To add and subtract numbers up to ten with dominoes or counters
To read—what and how much will depend on the child
To copy in print-hand from a book
To know the points of the compass with relation to their own home—where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows
To describe the boundaries of their own home
To describe any lake, river, pond, or island within easy reach
To tell quite accurately three stories from Bible history, three from early English (or American) history, and three from early Roman history
To describe three walks and three views
To mount in a scrapbook a dozen common wildflowers, naming and describing them in their own words
To do the same with the leaves and flowers of six forest trees
To know six birds by song, color, and shape
To send in some handiwork or kindergarten work
To tell three stories about their own pets
To name twenty common objects in French and say a dozen simple sentences
To sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song
To keep a caterpillar and tell the life story of a butterfly from their own observations
More Than Skills—A Vision of Childhood
At first glance, this list might seem quaint or impossibly idyllic. But when we dig into it we actually see a beautiful list of ideas we can draw from for our children in the early years—it’s a picture of a life lived richly and attentively. Each attainment points toward relationship: with language, with number, with beauty, with nature, and with home. A six-year-old who can describe a walk or name a bird has not just learned facts, they’ve learned to see, to notice, they’ve trained their habit of attention.
Charlotte Mason believed that children are born persons—whole, capable, and curious. This list gives us a beautiful picture of early childhood, it allows us to shape a gentle atmosphere where the child’s natural wonder is preserved and cultivated.
Why This Matters for Mothers
For mothers, this list can serve as a quiet reorientation. In a world that measures early success by test scores or structured lessons, Mason’s attainments remind us that education begins in the slow, sacred noticing of ordinary life.
It’s a call to be present—to go on those walks, to listen for the chickadee, to press the flower into the nature notebook, to read aloud one more poem. It’s also a call to trust: trust that small, consistent exposure to beauty and truth will do its work in the heart of the child.
We, too, are shaped by this kind of living. As we guide our children through these simple experiences, we become students again—learning alongside them to observe, to delight, and to give thanks.
Living Out the List
Rather than treating this as a curriculum to complete, let it become a rhythm to live. Choose one area, perhaps learning the names of local trees, or keeping a small nature journal, and let that practice form a habit of attention. Over time, these small efforts weave a childhood (and a motherhood) filled with meaning.
Charlotte Mason’s “formidable list” may have been written more than a century ago, but its heart remains the same: to cultivate children (and mothers) who look closely, love deeply, and learn continually.
