The Classical Scholar

Homeschooling parents who read aloud to their children contribute more to early language development than any other factor. Quantity and quality of literature plays a significant part in whether you will raise early readers or not. According to reading expert Marilyn Adams (Beginning to Read):

“the most important activity for building the knowledge and skills eventually required for reading is that of reading aloud to children. In this, both the sheer amount of and the choice of reading materials seems to make a difference.”

You want to raise classical scholars. The books your kids will be reading as teenagers and young adults are complex in both content and language: classic histories, classic philosophies, classic political treatises, classic science theories, and classic literature. Pave the way to future reading comprehension and enjoyment with these eight homeschooling suggestions for teaching reading.

Read as often as possible.

The younger your child is when you begin reading to them the better! Make reading a daily tradition like brushing teeth. Read at bedtime, and read throughout the day whenever the kids ask for a story. Even if the entire day gets sidetracked due to unforeseen obligations or distractions, don’t drop reading from the schedule. Sometimes when I’ve had to take care of emergencies, I’ve just told the kids to read until I can get back to them. Set aside time each day for the kids to read on their own. Young children can “read” story books during nap time (even if all they are doing is looking at pictures and turning the pages), and older kids can read for 30 minutes once they’re in the bed before lights are out. Show them that reading is a priority in your household.

Use real books.

Many vendors at homeschooling conventions sell “readers” which are artificial stories built around phonics lessons. Please don’t use these for your daily reading time! My experience with them is that they are rarely as entertaining and meaningful as “living” books. Use these phonics readers occasionally when you want to reinforce a phonetic sound. When the kids are young, start with colorful hardbound stories then move on to novels. As they get older, have Dad pick a great book to read aloud like a biography of an historical figure or original source documents like The Declaration of Independence. Even if the kids are reading on their own, try to incorporate some oral readings regularly.

Be patient as your child learns the art of listening.

Don’t rush the reading. Take your time so that your child can hear all the sounds and point to all the words. This is an important step in acquiring the language as well as critical thinking. Kids who haven’t developed good listening skills rarely communicate effectively. Answer all their questions, and ask them some questions to train their listening abilities.

Put down a book that is clearly uninteresting.

Only read books that you both enjoy! Nothing is more miserable than slogging through a book that you both find boring. We all like different stories. Sometimes your friend may recommend a homeschooling book that just doesn’t appeal to your child. If you find her yawning or unengaged, put that book down and find another one. In fact, let her choose the book that she wants to read.

Vary the length and subject matter.

Don’t be too predictable. If the kids think that every time you sit down to read, they are going to have to endure hours of the same topic, they will begin to dread reading time. Keep them on their toes by doing the unexpected. One day read a story. The next day read a newspaper or magazine article. Then read a longer novel. Once you start the novel, you (and the kids) will likely want to keep going through the chapters until you finish the book, but then vary the content by reading some poems. Read about all of life, not just  homeschooling “academics.”

Plan enough time for questions.

If you’ve read my post on socratic dialogue, you know that asking questions is one way that classical homeschooling parents teach. Don’t tell them what the story means until after you’ve asked enough probing questions to determine their level of understanding. Let them try to figure it out. Leave enough time for questions both before and after the reading. Before you get started with the story, look at the book jacket, inside cover, back cover, title page, pictures, and ask the kids to predict what the story is going to be about. Or with an older teen, have them look at the table of contents with you, and let them summarize the author’s thesis. After reading, ask questions, too, about the characters, plot, events, or other meaning.

Express yourself.

Bland, dry reading is tortuous! Imitate the voices of actors who have pleasant reading voices (James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, and Meryl Streep come to mind) by adjusting your pace, pitch, and volume to fit the narrative. For instance let’s say you are reading a scary scene where the character is worried about what’s in the bedroom closet. Slow down and quietly whisper the words leading up to the climactic moment when the closet door is opened and the mystery revealed. Change your tone to match the content. Effective delivery makes all content more memorable.

Lead by example.

You know that our kids are great imitators. They are watching us all hours of the day (whether we are homeschooling or not), and they will naturally do what we do. So if you are not reading on a daily basis, don’t expect to raise kids who love to read. Make sure that they see how important reading is to you. When we go to the library, I get a stack of books, too. Right now, I have 11 library books stacked up on my table three of which I have opened to passages that I’m comparing. When Meredith walked in a few minutes ago and asked me what I was working on, I was able to read a quick section to her and explain what I was learning. Plan little breaks in your day so that you can read for pleasure or for homeschooling preparation. Share interesting things that you are learning from your reading, or let them hear you chuckling over a good passage.

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In today’s culture, reading is an integral element of gathering knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.   Establish reading aloud as a homeschooling priority and set your children on the road to discovery!

Your homeschool children have been learning the English language by listening ever since the day they were born. When they were young, you probably carried them on your hip and talked to them as you completed your daily tasks. You read picture books to them. You taught them the lyrics to silly songs (I still remember a favorite: “If you wake up in the morning at a quarter to two, and you don’t know just what to do…go brush your teeth!“) You taught them nursery rhymes. You corrected their pronunciation when their first attempts were adorable misses. Hearing the language is the first step to proper pronunciation, pitch, rhythm, accentuation, and inflection.

But learning the language through listening doesn’t end with toddlers. I’m still learning the language at 47 years old! How do I learn the language through hearing? I listen to intelligent, challenging teaching CDs, watch quality movies or news programs, and engage in regular conversations with people who use good language like my husband and friends. It is through listening that I learn how to pronounce new vocabulary words and how to pace my conversations for maximum effect. So what steps can you take to help your  homeschool children learn the language through listening?

Read to them daily

If they are still young, make reading out loud a daily tradition. Pick a time of day for all the kids to gather on the couch for a snuggle and a good picture or chapter book. If they are older and want to read the book on their own then read interesting newspaper articles to them around the table, or read a passage from the book that you are currently reading and share with them what you are learning!

If you have children of all ages, have the big brother or sister read daily to the little ones. One friend of mine has two girls: a teenager and an eight year old; they both really enjoyed their special “sister time” when the older daughter read the American Girls series to her little sister, and it gave Mom time to spend teaching their son.

Listen to quality audio regularly

We like to listen to books when we are traveling long distances in the car. G. A. Henty, a popular author of historical fiction, is particularly appealing to homeschool boys (probably because he always includes battles), and the vocabulary and sentence structure is always challenging. Lamplighter Books carries several audio versions of Henty by Jim Hodges.

Focus on the Family Radio Theatre classics like Les Miserables, The Secret Garden, and The Chronicles of Narnia are good choices that will engage your children’s attention. My teens have also listened to sermons on CD (Doug Phillips of Vision Forum) and online (John Piper of Desiring God Ministries.)

For older teens, The Teaching Company offers countless opportunities to learn the specialized language of various disciplines like Biology, Advanced Mathematics, or Psychology.

Include them in conversations

My kids learn more sophisticated language by eavesdropping! When David and I talk, we usually try to throw in a new vocabulary word or two just to keep the kids asking questions. They hear the way we structure our sentences and the way we pronounce those new words, and they naturally imitate what they hear. Socialize with other like-minded families who care about using proper language. The positive peer pressure will cause all the kids to speak with style.

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One leading literacy expert states that 10 year olds have a vocabulary ranging from 3,000 to 40,000 words! Do you know which kids have the largest vocabulary? Of course you do! The kids with the greatest vocabulary are the ones who are regularly exposed to the spoken word through great literature and adult conversations. So if you want to raise homeschool scholars who have mastered the language, read to them and include them in conversations every day so that they are learning the English language through listening.

When Homeschooling, Learning Happens All Over

When I first began homeschooling, I had dreams of creating a “school room” for the kids. I went to the local teacher supply store and looked at all those cute little banners and posters that elementary school teachers tack to the wall or bulletin board…ABCs, seasons, holidays, calendars…but then I began to wonder where in the world I would put all that stuff! I didn’t have a single room that I could dedicate exclusively to home schooling. I decided that my dining room would be okay if I could just use the china cabinet for books, but then I began to think about all the times we used our dining room to entertain guests. Did I really want my adult friends and neighbors to enjoy meals in the middle of a school room? I decided against the posters and opted for more books.

At first we did all of our “table” work in the dining room, but soon we started moving to the living room sofa for snuggly reading time. When the weather got warmer, we moved out to the front porch to the rocking chairs or the swing. Eventually, we began throwing quilts on the grass and reading in the front yard (I still felt a little anxious when the neighbors drove by, but not so much that I confined the kids to the interior of the house.) These days, the kids choose where to study: in the hammock, in the tree house, on the bed, at the kitchen counter…as long as they get their work done, I don’t worry about where they do it. I’m less uptight these days.

When Homeschooling, Learning Happens All Hours

When we first started homeschooling, I followed the public school daily schedule. When the other kids on the street were getting on the bus, we were usually getting started, too. We took longer breaks than they did for lunch and playtime, but we generally wrapped up the day about the time the local school bus drove by our home. At some point, though, I realized that the kids were more efficient with their time; that is, they could squeeze a lot of learning into a shorter period of time than the public school day. So we began to let them sleep a little later because we knew they would be able to complete their work in time to play with their friends after they got home from school.

Very recently (remember we have teens), we began to let them choose when to work. We exercise as a family in the morning and then read Scripture together around the breakfast table, but that’s the only structured time. They can choose to get started studying right after breakfast or postpone studying until later. They have to log a minimum of five hours a day, but I don’t worry about when they get the hours in as long as the quality of their work is good. I’ve noticed that they both want to have some free time before dinner, so they plan their study time accordingly.

When Homeschooling, Learning Happens All Year

I used to start and end the academic homeschool year when our public school neighbors started and ended the year, but that was mainly because our kids wanted to play with the neighbors, so it was most convenient to be off when they were off and work when they worked. But as the years have passed, we have found that there are opportunities to learn every day of the year. We learn during the work week, surely, but we also learn on Saturdays, Sundays, and during the summer break. There are opportunities to foster learning in the evening when the kids are practicing baseball or during the summer when they are selling lemonade to hot and thirsty garage sale customers. If you approach every occasion with a questioning spirit, you can find the gems of knowledge and teach from them.

When Homeschooling, Learning Happens with All Knowledge

One thing we continue to discover is this truth: learning is not confined to discrete homeschool subjects. I understand that the state has a vested interest in making sure all children have a certain foundational knowledge like reading, writing, and arithmetic, and I want all of our citizens to master those basics. I also understand that when you have to manage and process so many children through the system to make sure they are learning those basics, you must find a way to carve up the necessary knowledge which is why most public and private schools today divide the day into periods and teach specific subjects.

When homeschooling, we are not bound by those limitations. We can do so much more to ensure that our kids are learning all that the Lord has revealed through His creation. We don’t have to sit our elementary kids down at the table and compel them to complete a grammar workbook in 36 weeks. If we are using proper grammar at home in our conversations and reading excellent literature to them daily (or having them read if they are older), they will learn proper grammar without the grueling pain of workbooks and true/false tests. I’ve used workbooks and textbooks when it is best for our family, but I don’t use them as the primary  homeschool learning tool anymore. If I find that the kids are missing an important point (punctuation for instance), I’ll usually schedule a week of intensive, deeper study in the area of need.

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When homeschooling, all of life is learning…24 hours a day, 7 days a week…all over the house, all hours of the day, all days of the year, and in all areas of knowledge.  All you have to do as a homeschool parent is relax and be creative in creating an environment where you foster love of learning.

Recently, the moderator for Faith Lifts, asked me to write an article about homeschool dads. In this article, Tailor Your Home School Learning Plan to Both Child and Parent (or how to effectively involve your husband!), I reveal how my clever husband, David, can be so wildly successful in homeschooling our son. After you read the article, you’ll understand this next comment, but yesterday as Connor was working on the assignment talked about in the article, he VOLUNTARILY began narrating what he was learning!! This rarely happens when I give him an assignment…I have to ASK him to narrate…it doesn’t just bubble out of him. I learned so much yesterday about the different ranks of officers in the U. S. military branches all because Connor was excited about the topic that his Dad had chosen for him. Hope you enjoy the article and share it with your own husband for inspiration. Homeschooling for Dads has never been so easy!

The home education philosophy of Oliver Van DeMille is fascinating and provides the impetus for George Wythe College (of which he is President and founder) and his book, A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century, which espouses one variation on classical home education called “leadership education.”

Prior to the completion of his undergraduate degree, DeMille acutely felt the gap between his expectations and the reality of his textbook education. He greatly desired a deep and broad education which would prepare him to positively impact society. DeMille had read with admiration about the mentor/protégé relationship between George Wythe (signer of the Declaration of Independence) and Thomas Jefferson. He decided to take responsibility for this ‘conveyor-belt’ deficit; he asked an elder scholar to mentor him just as Wythe mentored Jefferson. It was during this unusual course of study that DeMille’s concept of leadership education was born.  Later, he incorporated leadership education in his own home.

According to DeMille, teachers do not educate…they inspire students to educate themselves. Teachers teach; students educate. He argues that education occurs when students get excited about learning. Great teaching leads to excited students.  His home education philosophy applies in both the collegiate environment and in a classical home school.

Using the leadership approach, the two great teachers are mentors and the classics. “Mentors meet face-to-face with the student, inspiring through the transfer of knowledge, the force of personality, and individual attention. Classics were created by other great teachers to be experienced in books, art, music, and other media.” The combination of great mentors and great classics will result in an educated statesman who will apply the depth and breadth of knowledge in practical ways that help others.  This approach to home education in high school in consistent with the Socratic Paideia years in which dialogue between homeschool parent and homeschool teen drives instruction.

Beyond the educational philosophy, DeMille offers concrete steps for facilitating a leadership education in the classical home school.  Regarding mentors, he offers six fundamental keys: use the classics, personalize the study program, read/write/discuss, apply lessons to life, only accept quality work (“great work” or “do it again”), and set the example by doing all of the above for yourself!

He provides a comprehensive list of age-appropriate books to read although they are not all widely accepted as classic literature.  He contends that future leaders should study the classics because they:

1. teach human nature
2. bring face-to-face with greatness
3. reveal unconquered frontiers
4. force thinking
5. connect cultural stories
6. teach that personal and national canons give life purpose

Finally, DeMille answers frequently asked questions as to how to implement this leadership home education method and gives specific direction as to subject areas.

Much of the direction of the course of study is set by the student as he matures and determines his passions. The concept of depth and breadth require rigorous study on the part of both parents and students; however, the result is likely to be a family of lifelong learners who significantly impact their community.

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To learn more about the “pillars” of DeMIlle’s leadership education, read the history of George Wythe College.

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Does “leadership education” sound like a home education philosophy that you might want to explore? Learn more about it by joining one of the following free Yahoo Discussion Groups. [The descriptions of each group come directly from Yahoo.]

IEW-TJE (382 members)

“Started by a group of Christian women who use The Institute for Excellence in Writing materials, this group discusses the ideas and implementation of “A Thomas Jefferson Education” by Oliver DeMille and “Teaching the Classics” by Adam Andrews in the Christian homeschool. This group does not necessarily reflect the views of IEW.”

MentoringOurOwn (997 members)

“This group is for those of us who are making the transition from the conveyor belt education paradigm and into the world of mentoring our own children. As we apply the principles we are learning, we can share our experiences and new-found understanding with each other, through our articles. Topics appropriate for this site might include, but not be limited to: Thomas Jefferson Education (TJEd), Leadership Education (LEd), American Hebraic Classical Leadership Education, 5 Pillars Certification, 5 Pillars of Statesmanship, Liber, Divine Providence, Georgics, Public Virtue, Central Canon/Classic, Gospel Scholar, The Lord’s Library, Family Work, Family Rhythms, Core, Love of Learning, Scholar, Depth, and Mission Phases of life and learning.”

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Have you read about the unschooling home education option of John Holt, “living books” home education philosophy of Charlotte Mason, or the systematic classical home education model of the mother-daughter team of Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer yet? Discover that they all encourage love of learning even though different paths are suggested to achieve such a love. How are you doing at verbalizing your own home educational philosophy? Answer ten questions in my post, “What Is Your Home Education Philosophy?”, to determine your family’s philosophy of home education.

Originally written in 1999 by the mother-daughter team, Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer, The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (revised in 2004) systematizes the “lost tools of learning” educational theory of Dorothy Sayers to train the child over a twelve year period. The authors are wildly popular within the classical home education community, and rightly so since they satisfied the desires of the many parents who were not classically educated by providing them with a detailed road map, by grade, for the rigorous content of a classical home education.

Learning is organized around three main stages in a child’s mental development which hypothetically correlate to the three stages of the classical trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. According to Wise and Bauer, the grammar stage comprises the early elementary years when the child is absorbing facts and experiences like a sponge. Both oral and written narration is key to this stage. During the logic stage, the authors propose that the maturing youth begins to critically analyze information while the rhetoric stage involves the refinement of personal communication skills through public speaking and writing.

History is the foundational building block in this philosophical home education method and is segregated into four major periods: ancient, medieval, renaissance or revolutions, and modern. The family who follows this method all 12 years will rotate through each period of history three times.

Science and literature are coordinated with the period of history being studied. For example, when the student studies ancient history, he also studies life science which is what the people of that age would have known. Astronomy is studied with medieval history, chemistry is studied with revolutions, and physics is tackled with modern history.

Classical literature like Homer’s Iliad is read three times. During the grammar stage, the parent reads an abridged picture book version; during the logic stage, the student reads an abridged version. Finally, the student reads the original classic during the rhetoric stage. This pattern lends coherence; as the student matures, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom widens and deepens. Latin, formal logic, art, and music are also covered in this approach.

According to the authors, there are three major characteristics of their classical home education philosophy. Primarily, the “well-trained mind” classical education is language-focused; the conversion of words (symbols) into mental concepts requires different skills from those required for image-focused methods. Secondarily, skills are built over time in that knowledge is gained (grammar stage), logical tools are acquired to analyze such knowledge (logic stage) , and reasonable personal conclusions are expressed (rhetoric stage.) Finally, to the classical student, all knowledge is interrelated as evidenced by the coordination of disciplines like history, science, and literature.

Not only do Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer provide a thorough analysis of the philosophy of classical education but they also provide extensive practical application in resource lists and schedule by stage. This interpretation of classical home education is rigorous and demanding on both parents and students because it layers additional subjects like Latin on top of what looks like a traditional public school model of education.  Don’t try to do everything that is recommended in The Well-Trained Mind; instead, use it as a reference tool and tailor the suggestions to your own family situation if your own home education philosophy leans toward a highly structured, systematic education paradigm.

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Are you a fan of Susan Wise Bauer’s four volume, Story of the World, history for children? If so, you might want to download a few excerpts of her newest (released March 2007) adult history, The History of the Ancient World.

You can read more about Susan Wise Bauer at her blog.  She and her husband planted a church with her parents, she homeschools four kids, and she writes book after book. She is a 1st generation homeschool graduate.

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If you are interested in sharing ideas with other homeschool parents who relish the home education philosophy of “the well-trained mind,” consider joining one of the following free Yahoo Discussion Groups. [The following descriptions are provided by each Yahoo group.]

WellTrainedMindDscn (2835 members)

“The participants on this list discuss the book “The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home” (TWTM or WTM) by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. Although we have a moderator, we do not have any “experts” — we’re all trying to figure out how to apply these principles in our own home, according to our own experiences. This group is open to all homeschoolers who are interested in learning more about classical education methods. Therefore, although religion may be mentioned, it is not to become a point of contention. The focus of the discussion is to remain on-topic, with short friendly side comments allowed. We will discuss one main topic per week, along with whatever items members want to bring to the group (questions, successes, comments).”

WellTrainedMindFamilies (556 members)

“The families on this list discuss the book “The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home” by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. This group is open to all homeschooling families who are interested in learning more about classical education methods. This list is here to discuss how to implement TWTM into everyday life and all that goes along with it…from legal issues, to book suggestions, to discipline problems, to sleeping issues, to how to teach how to share. We believe homeschooling is 24/7, so for us, basically life is one big school.”

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Read more about the John Holt’s unschooling home education philosophy, the living books of the Charlotte Mason home education, and the leadership home education of Oliver DeMille, and discover that they all encourage love of learning even though different paths are suggested to achieve such a love. Do you need some help verbalizing your own home education philosophy? My post, “What Is Your Home Education Philosophy?,” offers 10 questions to get you started.

The profound influence of Charlotte Mason, a dedicated educator of young women in Victorian England, continues to shape the classical home education philosophy of many contemporary parents. During the mid to late 1800s, Miss Charlotte Mason served as headmistress to an “infant “ school, founded a teacher’s college for young women, and wrote numerous books and letters on her philosophy of education. Many parents find the reading of the six volume set entitled The Original Home Schooling Series to be a slow but extremely valuable endeavor. If you have less available reading time, you might prefer to read A Charlotte Mason Companion, written by Karen Andreola, pioneer in the modern Charlotte Mason movement.  Mrs. Andreola has called her interpretation of the Charlotte Mason method “the gentle art of learning” which involves narration, copywork, nature notebooks, music and art appreciation, and the use of “living books.” In defining living books, Mason explains that entire works of good, classic literature and original source documents are preferable to textbooks which excise portions of whole books in order to shape agendas. Like the home education philosophy of John Holt, Mason’s philosophy of education centered around a love of learning: “nourish a child daily with loving, right, and noble ideas…which may bear fruit in his life.” Practical advice on cultivating such love is extensive in her six volume series as well as in Mrs. Andreola’s companion book.

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If you are interested in sharing ideas with other home education parents who embrace Charlotte Mason’s “living books” philosophy, consider joining one of the following free Yahoo Discussion Groups. The descriptions of each group come directly from Yahoo.

Cmason (1877 members)

“This list is for persons who are using or are interested in using the Charlotte Mason Philosophy for education (including homeschooling), or to enrich their own lives. We will research and discuss the original Home Education Series by Charlotte Mason but also other materials. While we use a lesson format for topical parent discussions, any CM question is welcome at any time and ‘newbies’ are encouraged to ask questions. For the Summer we will be using quotations directly from the Original Home Schooling Series (found online in our File section) for our weekly topical discussions.”

CM4earlyyears (972 members)

“To discuss the Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling for children, ages birth through 6 years. Please realize that Charlotte Mason was NOT an advocate of “formal” schooling for these years, instead, she stressed the formation of habits, exploring, and playing.”

CMSeries (851 members)

“This is a focused list for those wishing to learn more about the Charlotte Mason method of education by reading her books and Parents Review articles, and engaging in discussions of a philosophical nature. We welcome anyone who would like to dig deeper with us into the writings of CM, and who enjoys lively discussions.”

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What variations of classical home education do other parents embrace?  Those who prefer unschooling like the home education philosophy of John Holt.   Some parents prefer to develop a well-trained mind with the systematic instructions for a reinterpretation of classical home education proposed by Bauer and Wise.  Other homeschool parents yearn to raise leaders, so DeMille’s home education philosophy satisfies.   Regardless of how these home education methods differ, each author agrees that love of learning is a priority. Are you still wrestling with describing your own family’s home education philosophy? Read 10 Questions: What Is Your Home Education Philosophy?

The third stage of the classical trivium is speech…as classical Christian home school parents we want to teach our children to effectively communicate in writing and speaking. But learning the skills of effective communication alone is not enough. We need to also teach the kids to communicate meaning. Meaningless essays, speeches, or conversations might help build skills in the early years, but over time, we desire that our home school children will be people of influence, communicating that which is ultimately meaningful to their King.

Before your child can communicate effectively in writing or speaking, he must first understand the topic. Acquiring knowledge is the first step, and as he matures, that knowledge should become understanding and eventually (we pray) wisdom. Certainly, we want him to communicate when all he has is knowledge because he is building foundational speaking skills, but a classical scholar strives for deeper meaning, and when he or she understands the topic, written and oral communication can be extremely powerful and life-changing. Consider this example for learning and communicating about a topic that should be meaningful to Christians.

A Meaningful Idea

In 1982, a worldwide prayer movement for the unreached people groups of the world was launched, and since its beginnings over 25 years ago, the Global Prayer Digest has helped fuel over 9400 days of prayer for an estimated 10,000 unreached people groups. What is an unreached people group?

According to the Joshua Project, there are 16,256 distinct ethnic or “people” groups in the world. Of those, 6877 people groups are considered “unreached” which means they have the least exposure to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the least Christian presence in their midst. Just to put this in perspective, of the 6.6 billion global population, the Joshua Project estimates that 2.7 billion or 41% of the world’s population are unreached! Of course, the driving purpose behind accumulating information on unreached people groups like the Najdi Bedoin people of Iraq is to ultimately assess the effectiveness of the completion of Jesus’ Great Commission to His Church (”Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations“) so that missionaries, lay persons, and resources can be mobilized for people with the greatest need for a life-changing relationship with the Living God.

Embracing The Meaningful Idea

There are many ways to research ideas - you can read, watch an instructional DVD, interview involved people, or experience the idea yourself. In my personal opinion, I think books, DVDs, or interviews function best as appetizers to the main course. In other words, researching the meaningful idea through these methods is critical, but real understanding and wisdom only come when the meaningful idea is experienced. The most passionate communicators in the world are those who have “lived” their passion!

The first step is learning about the meaningful idea. In this case, you can find books and internet sources to inform and instruct in the basic elements of the idea. For example, I mentioned the Global Prayer Digest and Joshua Project websites above which both provide lots of informative data and perspective on the big picture of unreached people groups. Books like Operation World and You Can Change The World can illuminate on specific unreached people groups. Many local churches support missionaries to unreached people groups; an email interview or free skype internet call to the missionary can add a different dimension to your child’s knowledge base. If the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course is offered in your area (over 200 U.S. locations), your home school high school senior could enroll in this semester course, earn dual college credit, and learn more about the people groups movement.

But don’t stop at acquiring knowledge about the topic…get involved! Once the child or youth begins to learn about the topic, have him or her experience the topic firsthand. In this particular scenario, you can participate in reaching these ethnic groups by regularly praying as a family for the needs of the people. Another idea that also teaches the concept of tithing is to pay your children for some special projects around the house then have them tithe to their people group out of their earnings. Service in the form of collecting resources for foreign missionaries or organizing prayer chains in youth group force hands-on involvement. You might even be called to travel overseas and visit your adopted unreached people group!

How Our Family Embraces The Meaningful Idea

Throughout the years, my family has “adopted” various unreached people groups. When David was teaching in India a few years ago, the kids and I chose 12 Indian people groups to pray for while he was gone. We chose people groups in the geographical area of the country that he would be visiting. We read about each group and prayed for a different one each day. At other times (like the Muslim holiday of Ramadan), we prayed nightly using the facts on a website like Frontiers or a prayer guide like the one published by Global Prayer Digest (daily email guide is free.) Each day we read a little bit about the culture of the unreached people group and included them in our nightly family prayers.

When the kids were doing elementary level work, we read a great book by Jill Johnstone called You Can Change The World. Now that the kids are older, we frequently consult a terrific reference book that I believe every Christian family should have in their library called Operation World when we want to learn more about specific people groups like the percentages of Christians by denomination, number of missionaries, and the top 10 prayer needs for effective evangelism.

Currently, we partner with missionaries in three unreached people groups in Southwest Asia, South America, and Central Africa (represented by the mission agencies: Frontiers, Wycliffe, and International Leadership Institute, respectively) through monthly financial support. Of course, we pray for those people all the time because we hear first hand through regular emails what’s going on with the communities so we can pray as immediate needs arise.

In addition to our family giving, the kids each select a people group to support with their personal tithe. Meredith has been sending her tithe to Lebanese orphan girls through Partners International for several years; in fact, one year she got so involved with her adopted little sisters that she asked her local friends to give the money that they would have spent on her birthday present to the orphanage. At her birthday party, they created a card that they all signed to send to Lebanon. Now that is experiencing the meaningful idea!

Communicating the Meaningful Idea

Once your home school child or high school teen has acquired knowledge about the meaningful idea, it is time to incorporate written and oral communication. You might start with assigning an essay or short expository speech with visual aids. Younger kids can give their speech to family members or “publish” the essay by posting it to the refrigerator for all to read! For an older teen, you might arrange some public speaking engagements like the local retirement home or youth group where your child can practice persuasion skills and field questions from the audience. If you have immersed the kids in knowledge and given them a chance to personally experience the meaningful idea then it is very likely that they will have generated some true passion, understanding, and maybe even wisdom that will certainly be conveyed when they write or speak about the subject!

Take the Plunge

You can apply these homeschooling methods for interpretation to any meaningful idea whether an abstract idea that you discuss as a family or an idea in a book.   As classical scholars, we should be encouraging our kids to do more than simply memorize useless facts to parrot back on true/false quizzes. Take them deeper, and explore real meaning. Start with ideas that you and your husband are passionate about then move on to ideas you as a family want to learn more about. Each of your children has a significant calling on their lives, or you wouldn’t be investing such time and energy into raising a classical scholar who can communicate effectively as they influence their culture. Recognize that calling, and do all that you can to help them get ready. The rewards of such preparation will yield profound results now and for generations to come!  Remember, homeschool theory without application is worthless! Please share your example of how your family explored a meaningful idea in your home school in the comments section below.

The home education philosophy called unschooling was revealed in the landmark book, How Children Learn,  written by John Holt, a former 5th grade math teacher in an elite private school, during the early 1960’s before the modern homeschooling movement gained momentum. Since then, it has been embraced by one segment of the home education community as the quintessential reference on unschooling.

Primarily a journal based on Holt’s observations of children from birth to around age 10, the book proposes that children are born with an innate ability and desire to learn about the world around them, and given the freedom to explore the things that interest them, children will develop thinking skills.

Contrary to establishment educators, Holt argues that the traditional school model forces children to “learn” which results in a changed personality. Persistent testing and compulsory learning (often of subjects of no interest to the child) creates mistrust, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Instead of developing a love of learning, the traditionally schooled child loses his natural curiosity.

Unlike other books on home education philosophies, How Children Learn does not outline detailed methods for a successful home education; rather, he asks the parent to thoughtfully observe and respect the child —trusting that real learning will occur over time if the child is given space and freedom to explore.

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If you are interested in a free online support network with daily discussion,

you might want to consider joining the following Yahoo Groups:

Always Learning (1578 members)

“Discussion for homeschooling fans of John Holt, whose books Learning All the Time, Never Too Late, and Teach your Own have made unschooling a sweet and viable option for thousands of families. This is a moderated group, with trapdoors for the uncooperative. (Not moderated in the advance-approval way, but in the be-nice-to-play way.) It’s an idea group and is intended to lean more toward pure unschooling than neutral, general homeschooling discussion.”

Unschooling Basics (1866 members)

“A list designed for those new to the philosophy of unschooling. Ask experienced unschoolers all those niggling questions, and find out how unschooling works in real families. If you’re familiar with John Holt’s work, but unsure of how to begin or what an unschooling day really looks like, this is a place for you to discuss,question, ponder and become deeply familiar with natural learning and how it affects our entire lives. From parenting issues to learning from the whole wide world and beyond, come explore the issues that unschooling families have dealt with in the past and how to get beyond “school-think” to a joyful unschooling lifestyle!”

Christ Centered Unschooling (338 members)

“CCU stands for Christ Centered Unschooling. Unschooling is a style of home schooling based on the ideals of natural learning. John Holt, who is credited with coining the term “unschooling” espoused the idea that children, like all people, are born with an innate desire to learn. Learning is unavoidable and if given the encouragement and environment in which to flourish will happen without coercion or structure. Rigid structure, forced learning and contrived curriculum can be destructive to the desire to learn. Unschooling, practiced for several decades and by many families, has resulted in confident, productive and independent thinking adults. This list was formed as a place for Christians who are either unschooling, attempting to implement more unschooling into their lives or just interested in learning more about the ideas.”

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Are you interested in learning about other home education philosophies? Charlotte Mason believed in living books. Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer systematize classical home education more like a public school model.  Oliver van DeMille preaches the leadership home education model.  One thing that they all have in common with John Holt and his home education philosophy called unschooling:  love of learning is a priority even though their methods for getting to that point differ.

Has your family developed a home education philosophy?  A common sensation grips both novice and veteran home educators when they encounter the vendor hall at the annual convention: panic! Row after row of eager vendors touting the essential benefits of their products often unintentionally confuse, overwhelm, and frustrate. The sheer magnitude of home education choices can be stupefying. Textbooks, DVDs, maps, CDs, cassette tapes, workbooks, flashcards, VHS tapes, art supplies, lab equipment, and even bread-making supplies are all for sale! Even the most prepared parents sometimes find themselves purchasing materials that do not meet the needs of their children nor do these materials accomplish the objectives of their home education philosophy. Knowing your family’s philosophy of home education can give you clear vision while you confidently peruse the multiple resources in wonder and excitement.

Although the number of home education methods is considerably less than the number of resources available to implement these methods, there are several approaches from which to choose. Your family’s home education philosophy is simply how you think about education — that is, your system of motivating beliefs, concepts, and principles. In determining your philosophy, consider the following 10 questions:

1. What do we believe about education?
2. What do we believe about our children?
3. What do we believe about our role as parents?
4. How do each of our children learn?
5. What parental experience is necessary?
6. What knowledge will we seek?
7. What character traits are most desirable?
8. How much control over content and time will we exercise during each phase of the journey?
9. What overall goals do we hope to accomplish?
10. How will we execute our dreams?

Such weighty questions are not easily answered. Significant reflection, research, and discussion over time will eventually reveal your family’s unique vision for educating your children. A universally correct answer does not exist; each family must personalize the final goals and execute accordingly.  Can you verbalize  your home education philosophy?

To get you thinking, here are some selected authors who propose five differing philosophies of education:

John Holt advocates unschooling as a home education philosophy

Charlotte Mason believed living books were important to education

Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer systematize classical education

Oliver Van DeMille endorses leadership home education

Diane Lockman explains the simplicity of authentic classical homeschooling

Each author is highly respected within the home education community. Proven observations and solutions that effectively challenge and shape students (and parents!) serve as testimony to the validity of these authors’ approaches. Some might avoid certain books labeled as liberal or conservative; however, exclusive reliance on labels can rob us of the gems revealed in each book. One common theme of each author is love of learning, so take a look at the home education philosophy of each and then compare it to your family model to see where you fall on the spectrum.