The Classical Scholar

Mastery of the three skills of the classical trivium is not achieved on a single day in homeschooling history. You will never be able to look back and pinpoint the day when your homeschool child “graduated”  from the trivium.  Some time during the teen years, you will realize that she has become extremely proficient in the use of language, thought, and speech. There could be some areas of the trivium that she still needs to work on, but by and large, she is ready for more. For what has the classical trivium prepared her?

The Roman Quadrivium

If this were ancient Rome, your rising scholar would progress to the remaining four liberal arts of the the quadrivium taught by a private tutor: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music theory. The pragmatic Romans took the Greek idea of paideia and decided that every free man should learn seven “arts” in order to be fully educated. Nearly three millennia later, we know that learning the four mathematically-oriented disciplines of the quadrivium is no longer sufficient. Unlike the timeless skills of the trivium, the Roman quadrivium is obsolete.

A staggering amount of discoveries have been made since then in math, science, and technology that preclude any man from being a true expert. The inherited body of knowledge accumulates at a frenzied pace as the record of human history continues. In short, the choices for learning in the 21st Century are limitless. Yet, there still remains a core set of fundamental truths with which every educated homeschool high school student should grapple.  The Roman quadrivium is not enough.

The Greek Paideia

You may recall that the Greek paideia is the foundation of a true classical education. According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, paideia is the:

Training of the physical and mental facilities in such a way as to produce a broad enlightened mature outlook harmoniously combined with maximum cultural development

Learning was the path to a higher nature through the exploration of abstract concepts such as truth, goodness, and beauty with the expectation that such examination would lead to noble character, gracious behavior, enlightened minds, and enriched society. Exploration of ideas between pupil and teacher usually occurred through a two-way dialogue made famous by the philosopher, Socrates.  However, the early Greek culture from which classical education arose was pagan, and as Emperor Charlemagne realized hundreds of years later, classical education would never accomplish its true objectives unless informed by relationship with the Living God. Man is limited in his knowledge. He needs inspiration. The Greek paideia is not enough.

The Christian Paideia

Most contemporary Christians cannot read Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament, unless they have been to seminary, so you might be surprised to discover that the Apostle Paul uses the word paideia at least seven times in the New Testament in his letters to the Hebrews, the Ephesians, and to his disciple Timothy. Upon reflection, this isn’t really surprising because as I discussed in the posts on rhetoric, there is quite a bit of textual evidence that Paul received a classical education with a concentration in Jewish theology.

I believe we can take the Greek idea of paideia (the search for knowledge) and look at Paul’s use of the word paideia (discipline or instruction in righteousness) to understand the next homeschooling journey for our high school age kids. Paul knew that the Greeks had a good idea, but their educational philosophy lacked one critical component:  the inspiration of the indwelling Spirit of God.  True education is a transformational process of growing in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

In the early section of the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul spends a lot of time developing the thought that God’s foolishness is wiser than man’s wisdom. God reveals His knowledge to those who love Him so that they can worship and serve Him in spirit and truth. Unlike the unrealized dreams of the ancient Greeks, our search for knowledge is exquisitely fulfilling as the Lord of Glory reveals little bits of truth in our daily walk with His abiding Spirit. Faithful followers use what they have learned in service to others. Enlightenment for the sake of worship and service is our final objective. In this way, we reclaim our classical inheritance and join the long line of ancestors who realized the wealth of a true classical education.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of what the this looks like in the Gospels.  He lives with his disciples (by the way, disciple is a derivative of the word discipline which is the English translation of paideia) and in the course of every day life, he conducts an ongoing dialogue about ideas:

• ideas about God
• ideas about man
• ideas about man’s relationship to God
• ideas about man’s relationship to man
• ideas about life
• ideas about death

In short, Jesus instructs his disciples by asking them questions about the fundamental realities of life.  Sometimes he provides immediate answers, but more often than not, he allows them to wrestle with the questions through life experiences, parables, and more dialogue.  Like Socrates before him, Jesus knew the value of dialogue or conversation in learning.  He has always been after relationship with us, and in that relationship, we learn more and more.

So what do the post-trivium years look like in authentic classical homeschooling?  They look like the socratic model that Jesus followed with his disciples.  As parents, we supervise the dialogue that our teens are having with the classics and with other authorities like university professors.  We narrate.  We write.  We disagree.  We agree.  We listen.  We discuss the big ideas on a daily basis.  We allow the dialogue to drive the instruction, so sometimes we end up going off on tangents, but that’s okay because we are wrestling with knowledge.  Despite the apparent sanctity of the public school formula, knowledge cannot be perfectly squeezed into discrete subjects.  Every home school minute is an opportunity for learning as parent and high school age teen engage in an ongoing dialogue about the fundamental realities of life.

father and daughter photo © Mikhail Lavrenov - Fotolia.com

Boys! Have you ever wondered why sometimes your son doesn’t seem to hear you or why he doesn’t describe nouns like your daughter? LeeAnn Smith, mother of two boys and author of the homeschool blog “3 for school,” recently attended a virtual home school conference hosted by Heart of the Matter. Not surprisingly, one of her favorite speakers was home school giant Andrew Pudewa whose talk was titled “Teaching Boys Who Would Rather Be Building Forts.” LeeAnn has graciously given me permission to reprint her thoughts on the differences between boys and girls. Enjoy!

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Did you know that boys and girls are wired differently? Literally neurologically differently. Read Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax.

Here are some practical differences including reasons boys and girls don’t do well in the same classroom. Now I finally know why I chose to homeschool my boys and am more ambivalent about my daughter. In words not just feelings.

For example, boys don’t hear quiet sounds. They don’t ignore me. They just don’t hear me. Pudewa suggested that if both boys and girls are in a classroom, the teacher should seat the boys on one side and the girls on the other and then stand in front of the boys so they can hear. He said many boys don’t do well in school because they cannot hear the teacher. I thought of the wiggly boys in Primary trying to hear quiet women’s voices. He also suggested that if our sons cannot sit still to do math, have them stand up to do it. See further down for more reasons.

Boys optimum learning temperature is 68 - 69 degrees. Girls is 74-75 degrees. Note to self: keep heat low this winter and have dear daughter and me bundle up.

Boys eyes have more m-cells which are connected to rods. They tend to track speed and motion. Girls have more p-cells connected to cones which track color and texture. Do you know a boy that draws with black and attempts to draw action? I do! Boys draw verbs in black; girls draw nouns in full color.

That sums up boys in language arts: they recognize verbs. Girls see nouns and descriptors. So when a boy writes a story with info left out, I can’t instruct him on adjectives and adverbs. He suggested something like, “Great story. Let’s add some action.”

How they handle emotions like being upset: Boys stomp around and make lots of noise. They need to stand up if they are upset because they think better on their feet, moving around. So don’t make them sit down to talk about it. They can’t if you want them to work through it. If a girl is upset, you have to go find her first. He suggested that you can usually find her on the couch with a blanket pulled over her head. Her bedroom in our case. No need to search for a boy unless he took off on his bike.

Related info: Boys react to pain with an increase of blood flow to the cortex. He suggested letting them hurt each other or they will hurt themselves. He recommended explaining to them that girls do not do well with pain so they need to take it out on each other, not on girls! I realized that in our society of today with so many women in positions of responsibility, we don’t allow our boys the freedom to do this. How many times have I told my boys to stop wrestling before they get hurt? Shame on me! I’ll clear valuables next time (what few I have left.) They have never been badly hurt. (Fight or flight very clear here!)

Related to this info, he told us that boys have to learn interesting, relevant, and applicable information. They see no reason for anything else. Pudewa said the most important motivator was to teach things that were intrinsically relevant. Those things are naturally interesting. He commented that knives and swords are universally interesting to boys. “They will invent them if the never see them.” How many moms can attest to that? Keep swords and guns out of the house, and a boy will invent them out of a stick!

If we try to teach our boys something that is not that intrinsically relevant but must be learned, he noted that creative teachers will invent games. But he noted that they must have positive and negative results, otherwise the boys might decide it’s not worthwhile and decide to opt out. For example, a teacher might give him a penny for every right answer, but he must pay the teacher $1.00 if he does not play. The rewards must be physical, not mental or emotional. Girls need those, not boys.

No wonder the few all-boys schools in this country have exceptional records. We need more!

Oh yeah, Pudewa suggested martial arts training for teaching boys discipline and focus. Boys have inherently short attention spans, and it helps them develop longer ones. It helps all the way around! I know boys whose parents enrolled them in tae-kwon-do to help them with dyslexia, and it does. He also suggested reading the book, The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.

As I listened to the speaker, I realized anew that those people who have spent the last who-knows-how-long trying to change boys have failed. They have only weakened and shamed boys. When we consciously understand and value boys again, we will change our world.

LeeAnn Smith
3forschool.blogspot.com

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Thank you, LeeAnn! This sure makes me think twice about the homeschooling methods that I use to teach my son and my daughter. Should we be treating our sons differently from our daughters in our home schools?

If you haven’t listened to my interview with Andrew Pudewa, hear what he has to say about how his homeschooling philosophy has changed over the years. He moved to Idaho to enroll his kids in Douglas Wilson’s classical school (based on the 12 year public school paradigm that I want you to toss!) and has gradually moved more towards the leadership model of Oliver DeMille. I know you’ll enjoy it!

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 authentic classical Christian homeschooling: the trivium. Trivium is a Latin word for the first three skills outlined by the ancient Greeks and adopted by the ancient Romans in the Seven Liberal Arts. Officially, the three fundamental skills of the trivium are called grammar, logic, and rhetoric, but I prefer to simply call them language, thought, and speech.  Your primary goal during the early elementary and middle school years is to teach these three skills to mastery.

The three skills of the classical trivium 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.)  Here’s another example of the concurrent nature of the true trivium:  the child is learning how to write a paragraph (skill 3 - speech) while analyzing a piece of literature (skill 2 - thinking) while perfecting her cursive handwriting (skill 1 - language).

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 speech.

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

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 the acquisition of knowledge as you mentor the socratic paideia for homeschool high school credit. Once you teach your children to master the three skills of reading, thinking, and speaking the student can explore any number of disciplines that excite his or her passions.

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If you 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 homeschooling market. The parent in an authentic classical Christian homeschool is not locked into a rigid 12 year public school paradigm because learning cannot be squeezed into discrete compartments like months or years.

Now that you are ready to transition from traditional homeschooling to an authentic classical Christian homeschool, you need to…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 Christian homeschool.

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 homeschool 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? Classical Christian homeschooling is something completely new and exciting which just doesn’t fit in the old paradigm. To read more about tossing out the “old wine,”  see my post, “Discard the Public School Paradigm.”

Why should parents consider the authentic classical homeschooling option?  Here is a quick primer on  the very best home education Western Civilization has to offer.

The Long Track Record Predicts Success

Western Civilization was built on this model in that leaders were classically educated.  Classical education dates back to Greece, and Rome. Medieval Europeans, especially leaders of the Christian Church, were classically educated as were the founders of the American Republic. During the 19^th century, the U. S. immigration population soared, and the common school movement was born which effectively obliterated classical education in the United States by the beginning of the 20^th century. With the exception of a minute group of homeschoolers, our nation’s leaders are now being trained on the public school conveyor-belt which teaches children what to think and not how to think.  This education tradition successfully raised leaders for nearly three millenia.

The Skills are Simple to Teach

The classical homeschooling renewal movement is still in its infancy, and many variations in practice exist like the classical variations of Charlotte Mason, Susan Wise Bauer, and Oliver Van DeMille. In the excitement to embrace classical homeschooling, many parents jump right in without really thinking about what distinguishes classical education from other viable homeschooling methods. For example, some would tell you that classical languages like Latin are a critical component of a classical education (more on my opinion of this in a later post!), but the content of classical homeschooling is not nearly as important as the methods by which the content is taught. The three skills of the classical trivium provide structure for organizing content while socratic dialogue and inductive reasoning provide the tools by which to understand the content.  Teaching three skills (language, thought, and speech) is relatively simple, and mentoring teens during high school prepares them for leadership.

The Curriculum is Entirely Customized

Authentic classical Christian homeschooling is not as difficult as many people believe it to be. In fact, when you know your main objectives, classical homeschooling can be extremely freeing and relaxing while still rigorously challenging both parents and children. Teach three skills to substantial mastery during the early years (language, thought, and speech) and let socratic dialogue drive the instruction during the homeschool high school years as the parent mentors the teen in the acquisition of knowledge.  Once the three skills are mastered (the trivium), the parent can tailor the homeschool curriculum to meet the specific interests and abilities of the high school student (the socratic paideia).  How you get to mastery of the three skills and acquisition of knowledge by specific discipline is entirely up to you.  Complete customization of the homeschool curriculum is possible.

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So considering the long history of successfully raising leaders, the simplicity of the teaching, and the potential to completely customize the homeschool curriculum, what homeschool parent would pass on the incredible privilege of authentic classical homeschooling?  For more details, consult Trivium Mastery: the Intersection of Three Roads and Socratic Paideia:  Dialogue Drives Instruction.

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?