In “How Do You Measure Mastery?”, the first post of this series on preparing to transition to the supervised study of subjects, I compared classical homeschooling to Indy car racing and defined the finish line, the driver, and the crew. Today, we’ll talk about the car, and I’ll share my personal “must-know” checklists for teaching language, critical thinking, and communication skills .

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The Car

An Indy Car driver does not learn to drive in an expensive race car. He probably drove his Daddy’s tractor, dirt bike, or old beat up Chevy around the farm before he was invited to drive a million dollar vehicle. Simple concepts precede complex concepts.

We use different vehicles for different purposes. Indy Cars are made to travel on a wide oval track, Formula One cars travel on tight European city streets, and good ‘ole boy stock cars are made for intentional frequent crashes! Mountain bikes have fat tires for scaling rocky uphill terrain. Racing cycles are lightweight with thin tires for speed and manueverability on pavement. Gargantuan cruise ships carry loads of vacationers while shrimp boats are perfect for fishing and hauling seafood. So, too, there are different purposes and rules for using language, thinking critically, and communicating effectively. Whether you are transitioning to a classical model or just beginning, you need to decide what basic rules of operation you want to teach your child for each particular skill.

What content will you teach your children?

Now if you were expecting me to lay out a full “scope and sequence” for teaching the trivium, I’m sorry to disappoint you. When I go to home school curriculum fairs and see the words “scope and sequence,” my eyes glaze over, and my brain goes numb. In my opinion, scope and sequence is a phrase invented by professional educators to intimidate home school parents into thinking they need experts to tell them what’s best for their children!

Besides, anyone who tells you what to teach by grade level is advocating a public school model, not a classical model. Remember you just need to focus on the big picture: teach three skills! You don’t need a 12 year plan, and in fact, you need frequent pit stops to reevaluate progress, so I suggest you make short-term plans. Personally, I like to reevaluate progress about every 12 weeks, and I always end up adjusting the course as a result to better meet my goals. Here are my short lists of “must-know” content for the three skills.

Diane’s “Must-Know” Checklist for Language Skills:

• How to read (alphabet, phonetic method)

• How to spell (spelling rules)

• How to write (handwriting – print, cursive, and later typing)

• How to punctuate and capitalize

• How to use proper grammar (all 8 parts of speech)

• How to decipher unfamiliar vocabulary

Diane’s “Must-Know” Checklist for Critical Thinking Skills:

• How to classify, describe, compare, and contrast

• How to identify and complete sequences

• How to identify and interpret analogies

• How to solve problems (math equation and word problems, puzzles)

• How to structure logical arguments (syllogism, fallacies)

• How to think inductively (particular to general) and deductively (general to particular)

• How to perform an experiment using the scientific method (including prediction)

• How to analyze literature

• How to research a topic

Diane’s “Must-Know” Checklist for Communication Skills:

• How to have conversations (face to face, telephone, letters)

• How to write a proper sentence and vary the structure (compound, complex, phrasing)
  

• How to write a correct paragraph, transitions, introduction, and conclusion

• How to add stylistic elements (dress ups, openers, decorations, triples)
  

• How to take notes (key word outline, stick & branch, annotation)

• How to write essays, reports, abstracts, research papers, and speeches

• How to footnote, write bibliographies, and edit

• How to develop a thesis statement and prove it with evidence

• How to give a speech (all 10 NCFCA categories)

• How to listen well and interpret meaning

Each family will teach content in differently. Let’s take an example. Learning how to research and develop arguments are two components of critical thinking. These skills can be taught in various ways. For instance, my husband, David, is an attorney who often finds himself before a federal judge. Learning how to research and debate a national or international resolution meets my husband’s criteria for teaching research skills, developing an argument, listening well, and giving a speech. Consequently, participation in our local debate club is mandatory for the Lockman kids! Whereas, your husband may be an engineer who believes research is best learned in a lab setting and communicated in a research paper. Tailor the content and methods to best meet your family’s abilities and preferences.

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In the final post of this series on mastery, I’ll share my 12 week pit stop plan for evaluating progress in acquiring the three skills of language, critical thinking, and communication.

For your convenience, I’ve prepared my “must-know” checklists for you in pdf format, so click on this link and print out your copy today!

In Adopt a Radical Position, I suggested that home school parents should seek to nurture four unusual qualities in their kids: (1) mastery, (2) self-discipline, (3) interpretation, and (4) influence. Before releasing your child to experience the thrills of step 3, Supervise the Study of Subjects, you need to determine whether mastery of the three skills of the trivium has been attained. Over the next 3 posts, I’ll explore this question:

How do you measure mastery?

The Race

I live in Indianapolis, Indiana, home of the “world’s greatest racing spectacle,” the Indianapolis 500. Every May, nearly 300,000 people gather to watch this exciting 200 lap, 500 mile race. Adrenaline rushes as the cars fly around the track, traveling the length of a football field in one second, at speeds exceeding 220 mph. As drivers compete for placement in the turns, they endure G-force of four times the weight of gravity which is comparable to the G-force of the space shuttle take offs. The sleek fiberglass shell of the Indy car hides a powerful engine that can run at 675 horsepower which is 4 times the speed of an average car. Experienced pit crews perform mechanical magic as they refuel and replace worn tires in an astounding 20 seconds or less. Aggressive, careless, or tired drivers occasionally lose control of their cars, and the yellow caution flags come out when fiery crashes bring the manic race to a screeching halt. Unlike horse races which are over in a few minutes, the Indy car race is a marathon often exceeding three hours!

Imagine for a minute that classical home schooling is an Indy car race. As in the Indy 500, other factors enter into the equation for a successful homeschooling race such as unforeseen circumstances (weather), finances (sponsors), and the community (spectators), but for this post, we’ll focus on the three factors which most impact mastery: your child (the driver), the content (the car), and you, the parent (assuming the roles of both pit crew and clean up crew). But before we tackle the driver, the car, and the crew, let’s define the end of the race.

The Finish Line

Every Indy Car driver dreams of winning the Indy 500. Completing the race is the ultimate goal. In homeschooling, we’re not concerned about finishing before our peers, but we want to finish the race in God’s perfect timing for our particular child. The first race that we need to finish is Step 2, Teach the Skills of the Trivium, so that we can then move on to finish the second race, Step 3, Supervise the Study of Subjects. Both steps culminate in mastery.

According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, the primary definition of the verb “master” is

“to conquer, to bring under control, to overcome, to subdue, to own, to rule, or to solve.”

Powerful images of domination and achievement arise, and, in the purest sense, to master something is to dominate. However, I prefer the second definition in Webster’s which is “to become skilled or proficient in the use of.” To complete the thought left dangling by the above preposition, your task as the classical home school parent is to teach until your child is:

• skilled or proficient in the use of the English language

• skilled or proficient in the use of critical thinking abilities

• skilled or proficient in the use of oral and written communication

Once the trivium race is finished, your job is then to supervise the continued acquisition of skills in areas of interest so that they are on their way to mastery in other areas of expertise.

You know your child has reached mastery when he or she has consummate possession of the skill. Theoretically, full command of language, thought, and communication signals the end of Step 2 and the beginning of Step 3. Practically, your son or daughter needs to have such command of the English language that the vocabulary, complex sentence structure, and literary style of the classics is not overwhelming. The ability to comprehend and wrestle with the meaning of the text is also necessary. Finally, the child who is ready to move on to the supervised study of subjects has the skill to write extensively about the themes of the classics.

The Driver

Some glamourous Indy Car celebrities grow up in renowned racing families, but no matter how famous Daddy was, junior doesn’t just inherit the raw DNA ability to drive. All champions have to learn the basic rules of driving just like every other licensed driver. Once the basics are mastered, then they can then move on to more sophisticated concepts. Your child is no different. He starts as a novice, moves on to apprentice, and eventually becomes a master in his craft.

The Crew

The highly-skilled mechanics who work on Indy Car crews are some of the best in the world. They receive regular training as technology advances. They know their cars and drivers so well that they can anticipate problems and solutions before they crop up. Quick to respond, they are proactive, monitoring the status of the vehicle with wireless radio and detailed gauge readings. To give your kids a classical education, you need to be current on all that you are teaching. Plan time to refresh your memory if you are a little rusty (Mom’s continuing education) or do a little advance reading before you need to teach a concept. You’ll be more confident and serve your children’s needs better if you are prepared. If you find yourself unprepared, that’s ok, too. Declare a reading week and catch up! The kids will love the break!

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In part 2 of this series on mastery, I’ll go into detail about the content to be mastered and share my short “must-know” checklists for language, critical thinking, and communication.

If you haven’t read all the posts under Step 2, Teach the Skills of the Trivium, now is the time to catch up. I’ve got over 30 posts planned for Step 3, Supervise the Study of Subjects, so you want to keep up with me if possible so you’re ready to teach in the fall!

In Three Simple But Significant Steps To A Classical Education, I outlined 3 steps for transitioning to an authentic classical Christian home education. The content that follows is the initial post in an extensive series that explores the components of Step 3, Supervise the Study of Subjects. As each post is published, I’ll add the live link to the master list under the header tab called “Step 3″ so that you can access the entire series. I hope you enjoy this content and gain a fuller understanding of the argument that I am making for adopting a true classical model.

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As the sparkling lights of the symphony hall were dimmed, a hush fell over the crowd. All chattering ceased as the distinguished maestro confidently walked across the stage and silently addressed the musicians with his baton. After many years of diligent practice, the concertmaster was perfectly equipped to escort his audience on a musical journey that would quicken hearts and challenge minds.

Over the years, the maestro had mastered the language of music theory: melody, harmony, and rhythm. The longer he studied music, the more he understood the deeper mysteries of his art. Instruments, movements, and themes became his playground for critical analysis and experimentation. Finally, he learned how to interpret the unique meaning of the music and convey the composer’s intent by coaching the performers in their craft. His mastery of language, thought, and communication within his area of expertise would bless his community tonight during the concert and for many years to come as he continued to influence his culture with his passion for bringing music to life.

The maestro demonstrates four unusual qualities that we want to foster in our rising classical scholars:

• He masters the material.

• He disciplines himself.

• He interprets meaning.

• He influences his culture.

Why call these qualities unusual? Because most of today’s preteens and teenagers are captives of an educational system that breeds opposing characteristics and behaviors. Authentic classical Christian home schooling requires a profound shift in thinking about education. Think about your own public school experience.

Mastery is difficult if you only skim the surface. You went to school for 12 years. You had one textbook for each class. Every textbook had 36 chapters - one chapter for each week of the school year. You read one chapter a week. You were segregated by age into a grade. You studied the same textbook as your peers. That textbook was approved by a committee of certified educators who decided what information every child in your grade needed to know about that particular subject. If you couldn’t keep up with the instruction, you felt like an inadequate failure. If you understood the concepts, you were bored with the repetitive drills. The time restrictions of the calendar dictated the material taught, and there was no leeway for slowing down or accelerating learning.

No time for mastery.

Self-discipline is not necessary if someone tells you what to do. You were assigned a home room, and you had your own desk. You were given a timed schedule. Tardy arrivals and absences were noted on your record. You went where you were told including the bathroom and lunchroom at specific times. You read the chapters, you took the tests, you wrote the essays, and you memorized the material, but for some reason, you can’t remember much of what you learned! You were a good student who did what you were told. Good behavior was dictated not by the heart’s desire, but by the law. As soon as the teacher left the room, chaos broke loose.

No room for learning how to make informed decisions or teach yourself.

Interpretation is impossible when someone else tells you what to think. That committee of certified educators made the important decisions for you about what facts were important in literature, grammar, science, math, social studies, health, home economics, and all the other electives. Surveys, also known as secondary sources, formed the backbone of your education. The highlights of human knowledge were offered. Some might say your education was a mile wide and an inch deep. Education experts decided that you were unable to handle the heavier “classics” (other than a token play by Shakespere or novel by Dickens). Anyway, we all know that the classics are too difficult for teenagers, right? You were required to parrot back the facts that you’d memorized on multiple choice and true-false exams.

No chance for independent thinking or interpretation of meaning.

Influence is negative when your highest goal is self. Public schools no longer teach history; they teach social studies. At the center of all social studies is the individual. Next comes his family then his community then his world. In public school, motivation for action is centered around the individual and his or her vocation. You worked hard to get good grades to get a good job. In our family, we refer to this dilemma as “me is me to me.” If educators dream of shaping kids who will influence their community, these dreams are limited to the creation of “good” citizens although good is defined in a Greek sense and not necessarily a Biblical sense. References to the God of human history are non existent, and as such, young people fail to understand their purpose. Since one of the responses of faith is sacrificial service to others, a major motivation for blessing the community cannot be discussed in public schools. Service to others requires a redirection of focus from the self to the community.

No incentive to influence or share what you have learned with others.

Thankfully, you have chosen a different path for your children! You have the luxury of time to help your rising classical scholars master the three skills of the trivium. You have the luxury of gradually training them to be independent, self-directed thinkers who are responsible for their own learning. You have the luxury of determining your own content so that your kids can learn to grapple with the great ideas of Western Civilization as they read and discuss the classics, selected surveys, and biographies. Finally, you have the extreme privilege of being able to lead your children into an eternal relationship with the Living God, teach them how to use Scripture as the spectacles through which to view the world, and show them how to serve others in a way that influences and blesses. Adopt a counter-cultural stand, and experience the joy of classical Christian homeschooling today!

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Over the next four posts, I’ll explore these qualities (mastery, self-discipline, interpretation, and influence) in detail. Before you can release your kids to the study of subjects, you need to make sure they have mastered the skills of the trivium. But how do we know when they have substantially mastered language, thought, and communication? When is it time to move on to Step 3, Supervise the Study of Subjects? In my next post, we need to answer two questions about Step 2, Teach the Skills of the Trivium: (1) what is to be learned, and (2) how will it be evaluated?

Hi friend! Here’s the final content for review: tab “step 3″ of the header. Thanks so much for any comments that you have! The series will begin with the next post, so thank you for your patience with me as I try to make the website better and more useful to the new reader.

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So once your home school preteen or teen has substantially mastered the three skills of the trivium, what’s next? With mastery of language, thought, and communication, your rising classical scholar now has the necessary tools to study virtually any subject in depth! In step 2, you were the primary teacher, but in step 3, you will teach some subjects and delegate some subjects. The young scholar will now learn to be primarily responsible for his or her own learning with mom and dad taking a supervisory role. Step 3, is therefore known as:

Supervise the Study of Subjects.

What subjects are studied? As I mentioned in step 1, a classical Christian education uses primary sources (classic histories, literature, philosophies, science, mathematic, and government treatises) to explore meaning; secondary sources like surveys are used to supplement the classics and give a cohesive overview. So the idea of “living” books from the earlier years of the home school child’s classical education advances in step 3 as the rising classical scholar tackles the classics of the past and uses surveys (text and audio) to historically contextualize the meaning. In this regard, a classical Christian education is very different from the public school education. A “subject” does not merely comprise a textbook, but could include a textbook (serving as the survey) and a classic. For instance, the student interested in geometry would use both a geometry text and the original classic written by Euclid to further understanding.

Over the past 2,500 years of Western Civilization, the generally agreed-upon core of a classical education has remained constant while new classics are added to the collection. Hellenistic Greeks like Alexander the Great memorized the legendary epic poems of their past like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Roman senators like Cicero studied the classic epics of Homer and the classic essays of Aristotle. Christian monks studied the classics of Homer, the classics of Aristotle, and the classic oratory of Cicero. Protestant reformers like John Calvin studied the classics of Homer, the classics of Aristotle, the classics of Cicero, and the classic Christian confessions of Saint Augustine. America’s founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson studied the classics of Homer, the classics of Aristotle, the classics of Cicero, the classics of Saint Augustine, and the classic theology of Calvin. Confederate General Robert E. Lee studied the classics of Homer, Aristotle, Cicero, Saint Augustine, and Calvin. You can see how as time marches on, certain classics endure in the core curriculum while new classics are added as they prove the test of time.

Must a student read all the classics? No, even if your 12 year old began step 3, he would be unable to complete the list of classics before high school graduation. Most people take a lifetime to read all the classics! The good news is that your rising scholar can tailor his or her education, with your guidance, to include those classics that are most appropriate to his or her own interests, abilities, calling, and family values. If this were ancient Rome, the rising scholar, having successfully mastered the three skills of the trivium, would more on to the mathematical arts (the quadrivium) which included arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, and music theory. If this were the early 1700s, the rising scholar might be reading classic philosophies. Fast forward one hundred years, and you might find that classic histories like Thucydides’ history of the war between ancient Athens and Sparta influenced certain officers of the American Civil War. Vast choices of great variety await the rising scholar who desires to study specific areas of interest like military tactics, poetry, political theory, and scientific discoveries!

What else is needed besides classics and surveys? In order to tackle such weighty material, your home school student needs excellent study habits, advanced writing abilities, and the desire to to engage in lengthy discussions with the parent or other mentor as the content is explored and understood. Unstructured quiet time to digest the material is also preferable as well as access to a public library or bookstore. Most of all, the rising scholar needs a willing spirit to join the great thinkers of the past and discover the riches of a classical Christian heritage in what former President Jimmy Carter calls “the wisdom of the ages!”

Over the next few weeks, I’ll begin a new series of practical essays on how to complete step 3 of the Simple Steps to Home Schooling Success. Stay tuned…

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Friend, now you know that you are helping me create content! Please give me your comments below about the following content. This is a copy of the content under the tab in the header called “Step 2.” Your thoughts are so valuable to me!

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It might take you a while to fully divest yourself of the vestiges of the public school paradigm, but in the meantime, you can begin to focus on the essential core of the classical Christian education: the Trivium. Trivium is a latin word for the first three skill sets outlined by the ancient Greeks and adopted by the ancient Romans in the 7 Liberal Arts. The three fundamental skills of the trivium are grammar, logic, and rhetoric which leads to step 2 for home school success:

Teach These Three Skills Until They Are Mastered.

A true classical education begins with three skills sets: the grammar skill which I prefer to call “learning the language,” the logic skill which I call “thinking critically,” and the rhetoric skill which I call “communicating effectively.” These three skills are not taught consecutively over time; rather, they are taught concurrently, and some areas of study like math involve more than one skill (the unique language of math is learned while critical thinking skills are being developed.) For those who are already familiar with the terms grammar, logic, and rhetoric, please read about the current false understanding of the classical trivium that is being perpetuated in the home school vendor market.

When should you start teaching these three skills? Realistically, involved parents unknowingly teach all three skills from an early age as a matter of daily life in the family. The new parent who enthusiastically gathers the small toddler into her lap for a snuggle and a good board book is already teaching language. The playful parent who regularly works puzzles and plays games with the child is teaching critical thinking skills, and the parent who consistently includes the children in adult conversations teaches effective oral communication.

For purposes of official education, most parents find that their kids are eager to join their neighbors and siblings in formal education around the age of 6 years. Some kids are ready earlier, and some need a little more time. (Historically, a classical education was begun much later than today’s public kindergarten at the from the ages of 11 to 14!)

How long will it take to teach these three skills? That depends on each child, too. In our family, our kids had mastered language and thinking skills before they mastered oral and written communication skills, so I would say that when your preteen or teen is regularly writing analytical essays, he or she is ready to move on to step 3, the deeper study of subjects for high school credit. Once you teach your children to master the three skills of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, the student can explore any number of subjects that excite his or her passions.

Are you ready to begin the process of teaching your home school child the three skills of the classical trivium? Enlightenment and freedom to give your children a REAL classical home education awaits you if you’ll just read on…

Skill Set: Learning the Language

Learning the Language through Listening

Reading Aloud: the Key to Language Development

What is the Purpose of Reading?

Is Phonics Instruction Really Necessary for Teaching Reading?

Practicing the Mechanics of Beginning Writing

Skill Set: Thinking Critically

Three Ways to Prepare your Child for Logical Thinking

Top 10 Traits of a Critical Thinker

What Does your Child Need to Become a Critical Thinker?

Know Why You Believe What You Believe

Can A Critical Thinker Be Creative, Too?

Why Writing is a Catalyst to Intellectual Development

‘Shiver Me Timbers!’ Do I Have to Teach Logic?

Skill Set: Communicating Effectively

Words Have the Power to Change the World

Could You Define Classical Rhetoric?

Rhetoric in a Nutshell: Idea, Proof, & Call to Action

Classical Discourses: 3 Your Rising Scholar Needs to Know

Socratic Dialogue: Leading Questions Illustrated

Invention Reveals Truth for Speeches and Essays

Teach the Art of Arrangement and Persuade Every Time

Style: Painting Pictures with Words

Memory is the Treasury of Invention

Use Voice and Gestures to Personalize Speech Delivery

The Audience is Always Right!

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A final note for those who are already familiar with the term trivium:

Recently, I attended our annual statewide home school convention, and I was appalled by the number of products available in the homeschool market that teach a false understanding of the classical trivium! Have you ever played a child’s game called “telephone?” In this simple game, one person starts a rumor, whispers it in his neighbor’s ear, then the neighbor passes it on to the next and so forth until the message is finally repeated to the original “caller.” Without fail, the message comes back garbled and often bears no resemblance to the original rumor. A similar misstatement of the truth is occurring right now in the classical home schooling community, and it is costing you and your children!

So many well-meaning parents, eager for guidance, embrace and execute a method that they think is classical because the “experts” say that it is, but it isn’t. I know because I was one of these parents. After much frustration, I began to research the history of classical education and was astounded to learn that what is being touted as classical education more closely resembles the American public school paradigm than the historical, authentic classical model.

There was NEVER a grammar “stage” nor a logic “stage” nor a rhetoric “stage” in the ancient, medieval, or colonial classical education. This urban myth or legend was started by Dorothy Sayers in the 1940s, and homeschooling author after author just accepts her premise of the stages as truth without checking the facts. Even Ms. Sayers admitted in her thesis paper that her premise was not based on factual evidence but rather the experiences of her youth. I’m sure that if she were still alive, she would be appalled to learn that her unsupported premise was being perpetuated as gospel truth! To understand more about Sayer’s stages, see “Shaky Speculation: The Lost Tools of Learning.”

True classical education is much simpler and less restrictive than the current educational pedagogy being disseminated in the home schooling market. Authentic classical education is not locked into a rigid 12 year public school paradigm. To learn more about the three skill sets of the historical classical education, read my posts on learning language, thinking critically, and communicating effectively.

Friend, as I mentioned in my last post, I recently added new tabs to the header to make the central message of the website easier to understand. The following post is a copy of the tab called “Step 1.” Please let me know if this is clear by leaving a comment below. Thanks!

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Now that you are ready to give your home school kids a classical Christian education, it’s time for step 1:

Forget Everything You Know About “School!”

Well, you don’t really have to throw away everything that you know about school, but you do have to try your best to rid yourself of that traditional 12 year, public school paradigm under which you are operating. Chances are very high that you attended a public school. If so, you have been indoctrinated in a system of values and procedures that are not compatible with a classical home education.

For instance, you probably had defined start and stop times for the beginning and end of the school day as well as the beginning and end of class periods. Real learning can’t be contained or restricted by time. The classical model allows the freedom to work on language all day long if that is the family’s preference.

Another facet of public education is the 12 year sequence. Although you might have to keep annual records for your state, you don’t have to limit yourself to a 36 week learning period. For instance, if your son takes 42 weeks to learn the concepts of Algebra 1, so what? He is developing critical thinking skills, and that is so valuable that you wouldn’t want to cut him off just because the public school kids don’t finish their textbooks before the end of the school year. Likewise, if your daughter has mastered cursive handwriting, hurray! Let her move on to something else.

Textbooks are another example of a sacred public school component. A classical Christian education uses primary sources (classic histories, literature, philosophies, and government treatises) to explore meaning; secondary sources like surveys are used to supplement the classics and give a cohesive overview. For younger kids, “living” books with adult read-aloud time are preferred over the use of workbooks.

These are just a few of the old ideas that need to be stripped away for the new ideas to fully flower. Remember Jesus’ parable about how new wine isn’t put in old wineskins? Your children’s classical Christian education is something completely new and exciting which just doesn’t fit in the old paradigm. You can read more about step one in my post, “Discard the Public School Paradigm.”

Hi friend! Over the past week, I have revamped the website to make it easier to grasp my central message. I have added 4 new tabs to the header: welcome, step 1, step 2, and step 3. The following post is a copy of the welcome tab. Please let me know if this is clear or not by leaving a comment below. Thanks!

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Welcome to The Classical Scholar! Whether you are a brand new home school parent or one who has been homeschooling for a few years, this website is sure to become one of your favorites! My family is committed to introducing you, a Christian home school parent, to an authentic classical Christian education, one that you most likely never had yourself, so that you can give your kids the classical Christian education that will equip them for a life of intelligent, enlightened service to their community in a way that glorifies the Living God.

Classical education has a long, proven history of raising cultural leaders who can think critically and communicate effectively. Even before the incarnation of Jesus, some followers of Yahweh were receiving a classical education. The letters of the apostle Paul indicate that he was very familiar with Greek and Roman religion, and his epistles, especially the letter to the Romans, are proof that he was trained in classical rhetoric!

During the Middle Ages, Emperor Charlemagne reformed the ancient classical model to make Scripture and Christian classics the centerpiece of a classical education. Protestant reformers like John Calvin were classically educated as were American founders like Thomas Jefferson. For a comprehensive survey of classical Christian education from ancient times to the contemporary home school renewal movement, read my free ebook, “The World is Waiting: A Brief History of Classical Christian Education.” You’ll be inspired to think twice about the kind of education that you want your kids to have!

Are you ready to give your children a classical Christian home education? Let’s get started…

Step 1 - Forget Everything You Know About “School”

Step 2 - Teach Three Skills Until They Are Mastered

Step 3 - Supervise the Study of Subjects

Future Plans for The Classical Scholar

We’ve got LOTS of great things planned for this growing community of classical Christian home educators! The first thing that we are doing is publishing “how to” practical instruction for parents in our blog posts (subscribe today to receive them in your email on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and in paperback books (the first to be released in Fall 2008). Secondly, we plan to create parent refresher tutorials for step 2 (teaching language, critical thinking, and written/oral communication). These parent tutorials will be available in live teleconferences that I hold as well as recorded flash videos (click on the sample tutorial, “The 7 Laws of Teaching” in the left sidebar). Finally, in the future, we plan to roll out live and recorded online classes for high school credit through The Classical Scholar Academy so that you can supervise the study of subjects in step 3. David and I are already brainstorming and planning the first of these classes (in fact, Meredith and Connor are our guinea pigs as they go through the Beta testing with us to work out the kinks). We’ll be integrating history with classic source documents like combining a class on “The History of Israel” with an “Inductive Biblical Studies” class on the Pentateuch or a class on “Ancient Greek History” with “Classic Greek Literature” like Homer’s Iliad and Herodotus’ Histories.

We’re so glad that you’ve joined us, and we hope that you’ll continue to be blessed by our efforts. We want to help you raise classical Christian scholars who obediently advance the Kingdom of God wherever they go!