CC and The Well-Trained Mind

If this is not your first time at the classical education rodeo, then you've probably run across The Well-Trained Mind at some point.

Susan Wise Bauer (author of The Story of the World series) and her mama, Jessie Wise, collaborated on this remarkable plan for classical education at home. 

You may have guessed by now that I'm a Classical Conversations groupie, so to speak, and I fully support founder Leigh Bortins and her fabulous program. It has worked so well for our family, and you can read about my experiences here and here. Well, while surfing the internet doing my own research the other day, I ran across someone's blog post that called CC 'classical-lite' (we'll come back to that in a minute). 

Hmm. . . that got me thinking. Is The Well-Trained Mind really the end-all-be-all for classical homeschoolers? 

So, I thought I'd do a quick little comparison (I say 'quick' because I'm only going to touch on the biggest differences that matter to me. One could certainly spend more time dissecting and comparing both books, but I promise that I do have a life, and therefore I need time to get off the computer and live it. ;).

The Well-Trained Mind, 2nd Edition (WTM) vs. The Core by Leigh Bortins

To begin with, check out the size difference:

Both books discuss the Trivium at length in the beginning, giving explanations of the three stages of learning and development (grammar, logic/dialectic, and rhetoric). Bauer says the Trivium is a "three-part process of training the mind" (WTM, p. 13). I love this short-and-sweet definition!

Both books give a good overview of classical education:

Classical education is, above all, systematic. . . Rigorous study develops virtue in the student: the ability to act in accordance with what one knows to be right. . . Classical education continually asks a student to work against her baser tendencies (laziness or the desire to watch another half hour of TV) in order to reach a goal - mastery of a subject. . . Systematic study allows the student to join what Mortimer J. Adler calls the "Great Conversation": the ongoing conversation of great minds down through the ages. (WTM, p. 17)

The purpose of a classical education is to strengthen one's mind, body, and character in order to develop the ability to learn anything. (The Core, p. 15)

However, the biggest difference to me between these two books, which explains why The Core looks to be less than half the length of The Well-Trained Mind, is that The Core is not a comprehensive guide to classical education at home.

What?! But I'm new to CC and everyone keeps telling me to read The Core!

Yes, certainly read The Core if you're in CC, but do so knowing that its focus is on the grammar stage - the Foundations level of the program (children under 13). The first time I read it, I didn't understand that. If you're in CC, you may be happy to hear that Leigh's next book about the Essentials program (the next level up in Classical Conversations) is being released this Fall.

In contrast, WTM is everything in one place. Also, WTM presents a very detailed plan for every developmental stage. From the inside book jacket blurb:

This book will instruct you, step by step, on how to give your child an academically rigorous, comprehensive education from preschool through high school. . .

Yes, it certainly does!

There are detailed instructions for setting up a Language, History, and Science notebook for the earlier grades (p. 222), including exactly what to include in each tab and how much time to spend on each component. I like this and find the notebook ideas the most useful part of WTM for me right now. However, something is missing. See if you can spot it:

The history notebook should be accompanied by a certain amount of memorization. Dates, personalities, and wars serve as pegs on which to hang incoming information. . . You can pick your own "pegs." (WTM, p. 114)

Did you catch that?

As in any classical education curriculum, the Bauers stress memorization, but they don't tell you what to memorize (aside from the list of leaders and wars in the back of the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia). 

I know what some of you might be thinking: What? Are you a baby that has to have things spoon fed to her?

Well, no, but if there's a program out there that already has these 'pegs' (quality content for memorization) ready to go, why reinvent the wheel? The main criticism I've heard of WTM is that it takes hours of preparation each week. Now, I can't speak from experience; I've yet to try its method, but this seems about right if the parent has to piece together the memory work each year as she goes.

Classical Conversations, the program described in The Core, already has memory work for 24 weeks in seven seminars (subjects). I don't have to go fishing for things to memorize each year. It seems to me that CC would fit in nicely with WTM. Therefore, I cannot agree with the blogger who called CC 'classical-lite.' I believe Classical Conversations can be used as a tool to provide the memory pegs for the classical education. To bring both views together, I can picture WTM as the car and CC as the map to get the car to its destination of a rigorous classical, Christian, home-centered education. Does that make sense? I'm sure some of you reading this have experience using the two together. Do they complement each other? I've pretty much decided that we're going to pick up some components of WTM next year when we start first grade, and I'm excited to see how our CC memory work will plug in. I say 'some' because we won't follow WTM's suggestions to the letter. For example, WTM uses The Story of the World series to cycle through all of history in four years. CC cycles through history in three years, so we would adjust WTM's notebook plan to fit our own schedule.

It is interesting to note here that in The Core, Leigh Bortins says that she didn't have a time each day to study history and science when her boys were younger, in the grammar level. Instead, she focused on the basics:

. . . we work very hard on memorizing (phonics, spelling, math) rules and facts and concrete ideas while practicing reading and writing and arithmetic. Brain training is paramount. . . History and science were not subjects we studied in our home-centered grammar school. Instead we read and wrote and calculated ideas concerning history and science. (The Core, p. 177, emphasis mine)

Back to our book comparison, both WTM and The Core stress the use of memorization, recitation, and copywork in the early grades (remember, The Core is focused only the the grammar stage of learning, but that does not necessarily mean younger children only. Anyone starting a classical education should begin in the grammar stage, regardless of age. Grammar is the basics of any subject, and they have to be mastered before moving into the logic/dialectic stage.) And while both books share other commonalities, the next difference I'd like to touch on briefly is that of worldview. First, it appears that WTM tries to appeal to a wider demographic by acknowledging God but leaving the worldview up to the reader:

Arguing for the presence of God is generally considered "biased." Assuming His absence is usually called "neutral." Yet both are statements of faith; both color the teacher's approach to any subject; both make a fundamental assumption about the nature of men and women. . . Education cannot be neutral when it comes to faith. . . You cannot learn - or teach - about humanity without considering God. . . separation of religious faith from education yields an incomplete education. . . Don't ignore instruction in (at the bare minimum) the facts of the world's major religions. Do try to relate the child's studies to your own faith, to your own religious heritage. (WTM, p. 205) 

I've often heard people say that WTM isn't written from a Christian point-of-view, and I would have to agree. And while Susan Wise Bauer addresses this very issue on her blog in this post, she's basically saying that WTM is a book on education, not religion. From her blog:

The Well-Trained Mind is not a book of science, a book of history, a book of literature, or a book of theology. It is an overall plan for education, laying out an entire curriculum for the home educator. This overall plan for education must have a theological center which encompasses every single subject. But who is responsible for providing this theological center? Should my mother and I lay it all out for you, so that you can give your child a godly education?

Yikes! Does that come across as a little harsh to anyone else? I'm actually glad that she doesn't go into her theology in her book, because I'm not sure I would agree with some of it. Again from her blog post:

. . . when using the third-grade A Beka Book grammar text, I found myself continually encountering a particular view of salvation which I thought was limited and (in the end) wrong. The exercises continually refer to “getting saved” and “accepting Jesus” as though the central event of salvation is a single point in time during which the child is instantly transformed from pagan to Christian in the blink of an eye. Yet our worshipping community is centered around the reality that belief in Christ is an ongoing discipleship of obedience, not a split-second decision, and that “being saved” is only a partial description of salvation.

 Hmmm. . . I'm not Reformed or Calvinist and certainly don't believe in limited atonement, but I do believe there is a point where Jesus "saves" you and you're transformed into a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). Her blog post is an interesting read if you have a couple minutes.

Now, to be fair, The Core doesn't come across as very Christian either. However, since the program it's describing is overtly Christian (we memorize Scripture passages every cycle in Classical Conversations and must agree to its Essentials of Faith to hold a leadership position), most people know where Leigh Bortins stands on this issue. CC actually has its own book, Classical Christian Education Made Approachable, which is overtly Christian:

For the classical student, the Bible is the source of the true, the good, and the beautiful. (Classical Christian Education Made Approachable, p.  35)

No other skill is so pivotal to the spreading of the Gospel as the ability to speak and persuade. Our students should always be prepared to give an answer for their faith. Graduates of a classical, Christian homeschool can use their trained minds to reclaim our culture and spread the Gospel. (Classical Christian Education Made Approachable, p. 21)

Well, that's all I the time I can devote to comparing and contrasting these two wonderful books. I believe both works deserve a place on any classical, Christian educator's book shelf, and I don't believe that one is necessarily superior to the other. However, since I am a Classical Conversations mama, I tend to follow more of Leigh Bortins's advice right now, although, I am excited to incorporate some of Susan Wise Bauer's suggestions in the coming years.

What about you? If you're a CC mama, have you had success using WTM? I'd love to hear your thoughts, as I know that many, if not most of you have more experience than I do. Share away, friends!
:)

If you'd like to see what other mamas think about The Well-Trained Mind, visit the Classical Mamas Read link-up at Living and Learning at Home!

Thinking About Classical Conversations?

People ask me all the time what Classical Conversations is all about, so I'd like to tell you a little about the program and my experience in an officially licensed community. At the end, I'll give some answers to FAQs that have come my way this year. Please keep in mind that I am not a great writer - never claimed to be. These are just my thoughts; there are many fabulous bloggers who explain this better than I will, and I encourage you to check them out as well.

What Exactly Is CC?

CC is a program designed to classically educate your children with a Biblical worldview. Click here to read my thoughts on why I chose the classical, Christian style of home education.

From the Classical Conversations website:

Mission - to know God and make Him known.

Model - classical learning and a Biblical worldview.

Note: Obviously, Classical Conversations believes in the classical method. If you don't think your little one should be memorizing facts and creating mental pegs for future learning, then this program is not for you. This is not a child-centered approach to education. Susan Wise Bauer, author of The Well-Trained Mind and The Story of the World series says it pretty well:

Classical education is knowledge-focused, not child-focused. It attempts to teach knowledge in a way that awakens the child's interest, but the child's interest is not the sole determining factor in whether or not a subject should be followed. (The Well-Trained Mind, 2004, p. 617)

Method - parents equip parents.

Across the United States, Classical Conversations Communities exist to complement your home-centered education and connect you with like-minded families. Each community is facilitated by a trained parent-director, and classes are led by trained parent-tutors who model the classical tools of learning. Tutors have the privilege of encouraging students toward becoming lifelong learners while also encouraging parents in the classical teaching of their children. (quote taken from the CC website)

Classical Conversations is divided into three programs: Foundations (K-6th grade), Essentials (4th-6th), and Challenge (7th-12th). Please click here to read more about the programs.

Sounds good, right? Okay, so what does this actually look like?

I've only had experience in the Foundations program, but here's what I know:

If you are blessed with a local CC community, you join and meet once a week for 24 weeks in small classes grouped according to ages. A campus is only allowed to have eight Foundations classes with eight students in each class (64 students total in that level). So, CC campuses in our area have been filling up quickly! The parent-tutor, who is trained by CC and paid (I love the accountability here), introduces memory work for seven seminars (subjects):

History

Geography

English Grammar

Latin

Math

Science

Timeline

During class, the tutor spends approximately four minutes with each new piece of memory work. She will get the students to say/sing the material seven times during that four minutes. (Can you tell I've been to tutor training?)

After the introduction of new memory work, 30 minutes is allotted for a Science experiment, 30 more minutes for Art, 30 minutes for student presentations, and the final 30 minutes is for memory work review (lots of games!). 

Whew! I can tell you that the morning FLIES!

When the tutor dismisses class, all the families eat lunch together, followed by free playtime for the kids. This is one of my favorite parts, as I get to catch-up with my friends and compare notes while Mary plays with her friends.

Click here to see a typical CC day for us in pictures.

Mary's class made the ocean floor with Play-Doh. Pretty awesome!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a co-op?

First, CC is not a co-op; I get this question a lot. Usually, homeschool co-ops are taught by parent volunteers, and the material is something everything decides would be good for that year (Hey, let's have a Geography class! Who wants to teach it?). While CC does have parent-tutors, they are trained and paid to encourage the students and equip the parents with the tools needed to continue the program at home. As I mentioned earlier, I like the accountability of a paid tutor. Here's what Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins says about the CC tutors:

The most desperate educational need in today's culture is not more knowledgeable teachers; rather, it is the presence of inspiring mentors that model how to utilize the tools of learning! If we expect and require students to learn several subjects, how do we inspire them to "own" such an endeavor? What more powerful way than through flesh and blood examples! Our tutors model learning, and by their example they inspire their students and parents to do the same. Within CC Communities, year after year, students and parents alike learn more than they ever thought possible. (Classical Christian Education Made Approachable, p. 65)

As far as the material, CC's memory work is divided into three cycles that rotate each year; it's already set in stone, and we all know what the memory work for each cycle will be every year. This past year was Cycle 1, so we spent time in ancient civilizations. This year is Cycle 2, which will begin in the Middle Ages and continue to the present day. Cycle 3, which will be the following year, will focus more on American history. After Cycle 3, we'll go back to Cycle 1 and its memory work. This is a wonderful opportunity to dig deeper with my girls as they grow and revisit each cycle! 

(Please know that I have nothing against co-ops! CC just happens not to be one.)

Is CC your homeschool covering?

Nope. Classical Conversations is not a covering - it's a program to help parents classically educate their children at home with a Biblical worldview.

Why does my young child need to memorize the commutative law or the seven classifications of living things? She doesn't understand it, and she won't use the information until she's much older. Isn't this just a waste of time?

Oh, my, I've certainly run across this a few times. First, every young child (elementary age) is in the grammar stage of development. This means that memorizing comes easy to them and they usually enjoy it. How many times have you read your little one her favorite book and she finishes the sentences? I'm sure you've heard people say that kids are like sponges, and that's true. At this young age, they're soaking things up. If my girls are going to be memorizing something anyway (because that's this stage of development, whether you believe in classical education or not), I'd much rather them store something in their brains that they're going to use one day, instead of TV commercial jingles or the lyrics to pop songs. If that sounds boring to you, I promise that it hasn't been to us! In addition to fun review games in class that can be replicated at home, CC has done a wonderful job of putting most of the memory work to music, and their timeline song is exceptional! And, in general, memorization is not a waste of time, even if the child won't practically use the information for years to come. Memorization trains the brain.

. . . classical educators consider (memorization) advantageous for two main reasons:

1. It strengthens the student's brain by straining it a little more each day, and

2. the student takes in quality content that informs an educated person.

These differ greatly from the "edutainment" offered to encourage elementary students to "enjoy" school. Classical educators prefer to prepare children to work hard at learning until the skills become enjoyable. Consider this important difference: classical teachers prefer to teach children to like memorizing quality content (such as rhyme or sonnet) so that one day they can enjoy difficult assignments. We want their self-esteem to be based on actual accomplishments. (The Core by Leigh Bortins, p. 49)

This sounds great, but can I just do CC at home? Do I have to join a CC community?

Yes, you can do CC at home; you are not required to join a community. Many people don't have a CC community in their area yet, so going through the program at home is their only option. However, if you have the opportunity to join a CC community, I would highly recommend doing so. The support and accountability from like-minded families is invaluable! The positive peer-pressure is also a nice perk (I remember one instance in particular when a five-year-old boy recited his Latin declensions perfectly for the tutor, and then everyone else wanted to do it, too! Awesome!). I truly believe that God created us to be in relationships; we're relational beings, after all. I don't want to be stranded on the metaphorical island by myself trying to give my girls a classical, Christian education. Nope, I know I need some help and encouragement (and lots of prayer support!) if I'm going to see this out. That's where my fellow CC mamas come in! Throughout this year, they have come alongside me and helped me finish strong. If you have the opportunity, prayerfully consider joining a community so you don't feel alone in this journey (because you're not).

Just as iron sharpens iron, parents who seek to recover a classical, Christian education need the support and encouragement of other like-minded parents. Classical Conversations programs and communities provide a network of support, while protecting the parents' roles as the primary educators of their children. (Classical Christian Education Made Approachable, p. 12)

Well, that's all I've got, friends! My hope is that this post has helped answer any questions about CC that you may have. If you think of more questions, please leave a comment and ask away! You can also check out CC's FAQs page and browse their site. Again, I'm no expert; I'm just a mama who found something that clicks with her family and wanted to share it with you. (To see why my family has chosen this classical, Christian path, click here.)

And if you made it to the end of this post, you're my superstar for the day! God bless you!

Inside Parent Practicum 2013

Every summer, Classical Conversations holds free Parent Practicums across the country to encourage and equip parents in using the classical Christian model in their home.

From their website:

Come with us as we Return to Roots and Reason. Join veteran homeschooling parents for three days of encouragement and inspiration as we seek to understand the classical model of education and learn how to apply it in Christian homeschooling. This year we will be digging deeper into the beauty and reason that can only be understood through mathematics. Morning speakers will present practical tools for giving your children a classical, Christian education at home. See the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages of learning in action as we rediscover roots and reason through mathematics.

This was my first Practicum, and all I can say is - WOW!

Math was the focus topic this year (last year was Latin). So, in addition to learning general classical, Christian education how-to, we played with numbers and learned how to approach math Biblically - because it is not neutral.

Colossians 1:16b says that all things were created by God. Yes, math was created by God, and because our Lord chose to create math, we should look to discover Him in math. He's all over it, friends!

I don't want to say too much about the Practicum; I know many of you are planning to attend one this summer, and I don't want to spoil the fun for you. But, I will share some pictures of our event in Harvest, Alabama earlier this week:

Above, Kelli Van Pelt, a CC Director from Destin, Florida, was our fabulous Practicum speaker. She was so approachable and friendly, and she really knew her stuff!

Her friend, Tammi (also a director), helped with mapping out the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages of various seminars (I learned we don't say subjects, but we use seminars instead. Subject sounds too compartmentalized, and classical educators believe all subjects are interrelated since all were created by the same awesome God.).

We broke up into small groups each day to play around with numbers.

A quick glimpse inside CC tutor training! After lunch, tutors and directors broke away for their separate training. Everyone else stayed in the sanctuary for a deeper discussion of the Classical Conversations program model. 

And here's a birds-eye view of the bookstore set up in the church lobby. This picture really doesn't do Sandra, our fantastic CC bookseller, justice. She had so many great resources on display! Oh, yes, I got to know Sandra. ;) Here's where I bought my Saxon 1 Math the first day.

Quick note on that:

So, the week before Practicum, I placed all my orders for Mary's kindergarten materials, including Math-U-See (MUS) Primer and Alpha. I have lots of friends who use and love MUS, so that's the way we went. I knew that MUS had just rewritten their curriculum to align with Common Core, which I abhor, but I thought there really wasn't any way around this beast. 

Then, I go to Practicum. On our first day, Kelli (our speaker) and Leigh Bortins (via a taped message) talk about the Saxon Math program and why CC endorses that particular curriculum:

the lessons are classically taught with an abundance of repetition for mastery,

goes from K-12 (not all math programs do),

click here to see other reasons why CC endorses Saxon,

and - here's the selling point for me -

although Saxon has aligned itself with Common Core, it's keeping one edition 'pure' for Classical Conversations families (3rd edition)!

Yes, that did it! 

Don't know how Common Core affects math? Well, take a look at some math work from a Common Core-aligned book:

Click on these to enlarge, and then prepare to be dumb-struck by the sheer insanity of this logic. Really, click on it and check it out. I'll wait here. . . 

I'm really at a loss for words here, friends. These images are from the wonderful watchdog site Truth in American Education. Click here to see what they have to say about this mess. And here's one more for you:

Who can learn this way?! 

Conservative commentator and mom Michelle Malkin has a great blog series explaining exactly what Common Core is and what it's going to do to our nation. Something interesting she points out:

Stanford University professor James Milgram, the only mathematician on the validation panel, concluded that the Common Core math scheme would place American students two years behind their peers in other high-achieving countries. In protest, Milgram refused to sign off on the standards.

She breaks it down:

Under Common Core, as the American Principles Project and Pioneer Institute point out, algebra I instruction is pushed to 9th grade, instead of 8th grade, as commonly taught. Division is postponed from 5th to 6th grade. Prime factorization, common denominators, conversions of fractions and decimals, and algebraic manipulation are de-emphasized or eschewed. Traditional Euclidean geometry is replaced with an experimental approach that had not been previously pilot-tested in the U.S.

Click here to read her excellent posts on Common Core.

So, when I heard that Saxon was saving its 3rd edition from alignment, I knew that's what we should use. If you're thinking of switching to Saxon, I encourage you to purchase from the CC website or at a Practicum (20% discount on Saxon through August 31). We want to encourage Saxon to keep the 3rd edition for us, and, as we all know, money talks. 

Sorry for taking you down that rabbit trail, wow! Where were we?

Oh, yes, the Practicum! It was just awesome, and I learned so much and met so many great CC mamas!

About math not being neutral, our speaker recommended visiting Christian Perspectives, a wonderful resource for learning to teach math Biblically. I purchased the audio download and the e-book Beyond Numbers by Katherine Loop. The book is outstanding! 

Here's a little excerpt:

His consistency in keeping one plus one equaling two serves as a continual testimony to us of His loyalty, faithfulness, and loving kindness. Just think, every time you use math to count or add something, you witness the fact that God is still consistently sustaining the universe. It is as though math were shouting out to you, "God is still in charge! He is faithful. He will keep His covenant of redemption with you." (Beyond Numbers, p. 5)

One more:

If math is independent from God, then all the incredible order and consistency in math points us, not to the Creator, but to math and human intellect. This view of math is not just unbiblical; it is actually naturalistic and humanistic. It teaches us to trust the creation (math and human intellect) instead of the Creator. My "neutral" view of math was really a very worldly view, steeped in unbiblical thinking. (p. 19)

Isn't that awesome! Ooooh, I could go on and on, but I really don't want to ruin the fun for those who have yet to attend their Practicum. So, if you can, go, go, go to one of the free Parent Practicums. They are so worth it! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on math! Have you thought about using it as a way to discover God and His attributes? I never have, so this experience has been so exciting! I'm really getting into math now, so I just may do a separate post about that in the future. Stay tuned!

Why Home-Centered, Classical Christian?

I've been doing some research on educational methods, and I'd like to share with you why we have chosen to educate our children in the home-centered, classical Christian style.

Let me first define the terms:

Home-centered

Home-centered education is a phrase I picked up while reading Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins's book The Core. It just means that while schooling is done at home, that's not the only place my child is taught. We participate in Classical Conversations, and we enjoy having a responsible tutor introduce the memory work for each week of the program. Mary enjoys being with her classmates and learning alongside them. I am not my child's only teacher, per se, hence, the home-centered tag. One could argue that every homeschooler (or any child for that matter) learns all the time, so what makes this any different. Well, to me, reminding myself of these words, home-centered, helps me to remember that I'm not alone. By being involved in a wonderful Classical Conversations community, I've made like-minded friends who support and encourage me when the going gets tough. My daughter sees other children learning the same memory work and therefore doesn't think it out-of-the-ordinary to recite a historical timeline regularly. To her, it's just what you do. And I like that.

Classical

Before I buy things, I read reviews. I scour the internet and Amazon and read pretty much everything I can find on that product or service. I want something that I know will be good! As a former teacher, I know firsthand that educational methods and curriculum change on a whim. Whatever is new and sparkly and has bells and whistles will make it into the classroom. However, there is usually very little data to support its claims to raise test scores (because in public schools, the teachers are teaching to the test - at least that was my experience). No, there's got to be something better out there then the latest and greatest gimmick for my children. We read about brilliant minds in history books; what was their secret? How were they educated?

. . . the only time in recorded history of this planet that a culture has had universal, proficient literacy was in the United States from the 1600s to the 1950s. (The Core, p. 57)

Wow! Okay, whatever these Americans were doing certainly worked! 

I want that for my kids!

With its focus on memorization and recitation, classical education is a proven method that has been used to train the minds of the world's finest statesmen, philosophers, scientists, and artists for over 2,500 years. (The Core, p. 46, emphasis mine)

Classical it is!

Well, what does that mean exactly?

A classical education is achieved through the medieval Trivium, which means 'three roads' in Latin. These three roads are the different stages of

Grammar

Dialectic (also called Logic)

Rhetoric

The grammar stage begins at the early elementary years and continues until about 11 or 12 (depending on the child, of course). In this first stage, children are sponges, soaking up any little fact we throw at them. These curious little blessings want to learn and are excited about new things. Therefore, a classical educator will focus on supplying children with quality content to memorize and recite, which is training the brain to hold and store information.

The dialectic stage follows, until the child is 14 or so (again, depending on the the specific child). At this level, the child begins to ask why and wants to know the relationships of the facts she has learned. Why does she know the Declaration of Independence? Why has she learned to recite over 160 events in a history timeline? The dialectic stage is about understanding and making connections.

Beginning at 15 or 16 years old, the young adults will naturally enter the final Trivium stage of rhetoric. This stage is about self-expression and learning how to persuasively convey one's ideas. Leigh Bortins explains it beautifully:

To classical educators, rhetoric means to practice very specific skills in order to be most persuasive in expressing truth, goodness, and beauty. . . Once grammar, logic, and rhetoric are over-practiced, a student is prepared to study anything. (The Core, p. 54)

And that, friends, is the goal of classical education - to teach children the art of learning so they can be free! 

What do I mean by 'free?'

Let's take a look at a little Susie:

Susie wants to learn to play Beethoven's fifth symphony. With today's Outcome-Based Education (OBE) model, the teacher shows Susie which piano keys to press and when. Susie practices those commands until her fingers memorize the correct order. Congratulations, Susie, you can now play a piece by Beethoven. However, ask Susie to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, and she can't. She has been taught using the OBE educational model, which focuses only on the student's performance or outcome. She must go back to her traditional teacher for more lessons. Hmm... this sounds quite a bit like my own education.

Now, let's try this again, but this time, Susie's teacher follows the classical model. First, Susie learns to read music (grammar stage). Then, she learns to put her fingers on the correct keys to play the notes (dialectic stage). Finally, Susie can perform the Beethoven piece in a recital (rhetoric stage). The classical model has taken much longer than the popular OBE method in today's classrooms, but if you ask Susie to play another piece of music, she will be able to teach herself.

Doesn't the classical model make complete sense? It seems so natural.

. . . the Trivium - the method of working with students' natural inclinations at each stage of their physical and spiritual maturity. . . a method of studying which has proven successful for thousands of years. (Classical Christian Education Made Approachable, p. 34)

And if I may, here's one more great quote:

A classical education seeks to work with the natural desires and abilities of students as they grow. . . present(ing) the right knowledge at the right time while students have the opportunity to practice important skills at just the right time their desires for these skills develop. (CCEMA, p. 48)

We've talked about home-centered and classical, but what does Christian have to do with it?

My family and I are followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross for my sins and rose again. God is the Creator of everything, and therefore He is in everything we study. The classical Christian model strives to teach children that God is at the center of education, not the student, and that every subject relates back to Him and to each other.

Here's a look at modern education:

Everything revolves around the student and the subjects are compartmentalized.

Now, let's see a good representation of the classical Christian education model:

A great Christian education views the subjects as reflecting and relating back to the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Can we learn more of God's attributes by studying philosophy or history or chemistry? Can we use our knowledge to pour forth praise? This would constitute a great Christian education. (CCEMA, p. 10)

With God still firmly at the center, a classical Christian education moves one step beyond a great Christian education by considering the relationships between economics, science, and history and the interconnections of math, language, and the fine arts. (CCEMA, p. 11)

There you have it! I know you didn't ask for a little lesson from me today, and I apologize for the plethora of quotes (I don't fancy myself a gifted writer, so I do tend to fall back on other people's words who say things much better than myself). I hope that my sharing what I've learned so far (I still have a LOT to learn!) and my family's conviction about home-centered, classical Christian education, someone out there will be inspired to dig deeper. And if you're homeschooling and thinking about Classical Conversations or the classical Christian model, please click here to read my post on reading suggestions. 

Finally, if you made it this far, congratulations! I wish I could reach through this screen and hand you a hot, gooey, chocolate chip cookie for spending so much time with me! I had no intentions of writing a book today, but the girls and the hubs are taking such nice, long naps right now! 

I'd like to leave you with one final thought:

Through wisdom is an house builded;

and by understanding it is established:

And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Proverbs 24:3

I believe there is a Scriptural basis for this method of education:

A classical Christian education builds a noble house by

laying the foundation with knowledge (grammar)

building the walls and the roof with understanding (dialectic/logic),

and decorating the house with wisdom (rhetoric). (CCEMA, p. 52)

Again, thanks for hanging in there with me, and God bless you, friends.

Kindergarten Curriculum

Eeeeek!

I've had quite a bit of emotions with actually purchasing Mary's first 'real' curriculum for her upcoming kindergarten year. Wow! I just can't believe she's five-years-old!

My adorable big girl before her recent piano recital.

Here's what we decided on for her first year of home-centered learning:

Language Arts

Reading Eggs

The TV Teacher

All About Spelling - Level 1

Helpful LA Books:

Handy English Encoder Decoder

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Math

Math-U-See Primer and Alpha

(We're hoping to do math everyday - as Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins suggests, so I went ahead and got Primer and the next level up. She said that her boys went through two or three math books each year.)

Latin

Prima Latina

Bible Study

Bible Study Guide For All Ages

Extras

Chess Once a Pawn a Time game

(available at my Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon!)

more Jim Weiss audios (King Arthur, Shakespeare)

Everything You Need to Know books

and some other random books that I think we'll enjoy together.

Quick side note: When you're looking for curriculum, don't forget to visit Homeschool Classifieds. Wow, is that site a money-saver! We purchased a lot of our curriculum used (and new!) from that site this week. 

Looks like a pretty productive year ahead! I'm not sure when we'll officially begin kindergarten; Mary has a bunch of camps this summer (including a little trip to Broadway - sort of, compliments of Grandpa! Thanks again, Dad!). . . Hmmm. . . I'll have to ponder our starting date for a bit.

In the meantime, we've been trying to keep up our CC memory work at home. I bought a magnetic white board to go along with All About Spelling, and we've found fun ways to incorporate it into our review time. Mary and I recently attached little magnets to the back of our mini Timeline cards. I mix them up a few at a time, and she arranges them in the proper order on the board. Then we sing the song together and point to the cards. I told her that if she can say them correctly from Creation to the Middle Ages without looking that she'll earn herself a trip to our pink glittery treasure chest. She's almost got it down! 

Review has also been a little easier for me now that I've done some organizing:

Everything is neatly divided in one box! Even though we can now review anywhere easily, we still do most of our drilling at the kitchen table during snack and lunch. I also made separate file boxes for Math and Fine Arts, which I think will come in handy down the road. Click here to see how I organize my CC material.

Did I mention that our Parent Practicum is coming up? Pretty sure I did, because I'm super-excited! The fun starts Monday, so be sure to come back on Tuesday to see my first post about all the CC goodness! Don't know what a Practicum is? Check out this video:

Ooooh! That video just makes me all giddy! It's okay, you can call me a nerd, I don't mind. ;)

And before I leave, let me share with you some great insights from Leigh Bortins's book The Core:

Our job as parents is to restore our own education as we translate our vision of quality academics into small, daily deeds that transform education from an endeavor that prepares humans to earn wages to the gift of a lifestyle of learning. (p. 62, emphasis mine)

The most important place to begin restoring a classical education is at the Grammar stage. . . If we build a strong foundation, the rest will naturally fall into place. (p. 67, emphasis mine)

Wow! Doesn't that just inspire you?! Practicum, here I come!

See you on the flip side, friends!

Call me obsessed, but . . .

I'm not!

I promise!

Being asked by Beth at Classical Conversations at Home to be apart of her new book club has been a BIG turning point in our homeschooling journey (thanks so much, Beth!). I have not been intentional about my educational choices or methods.

"I believe parents want to take a moment to evaluate the purpose of education in order to move forward with conviction and purpose as they choose the type of schooling their children will receive."

The Core by Leigh Bortins, page 215

Oooh, 'Classical' sounds really smart - let's do it that way! Pretty sure that's what was going through my head when I signed up for Classical Conversations. I had certainly not evaluated the purpose of education, and I haven't been moving forward with conviction and purpose. Honestly, what really sold me on CC was one of the other mamas telling me they study the parts of the orchestra. Yeah, sadly that was it (easy sell, huh?). I'm so embarrassed to tell y'all that I really don't know what I'm doing. And, although I never claimed to have all the answers, I sometimes feel that by having a blog about our family and school stuff I'm supposed to be more educated about the whole 'classical model.' Well, I'm not. . .

But, by God's grace, I'm getting there! ;)

Reading Teaching the Trivium by the Bluedorns has lit a FIRE in me to discover what the classical model is and if I really want go that route.

After finishing the brick of a book in a few days, I read Leigh Bortins's Echo in Celebration, Dorothy Sayers's essay The Lost Tools of Learning, The Core, and Classical Christian Education Made Approachable. Now, I'm going back through all the books and writing down what each one has to say about the classical model and about the Trivium. I'm also making a list of what each book says to do at each stage (Grammar, Dialectic, Rhetoric). Oh, yes, now I'm learning.

Yes, I can now say without a doubt that the classical model and CC are a perfect fit for our family. I feel confident that I have evaluated the purpose of education and can now move forward with conviction and purpose (as Leigh says). I will continue to learn and grow in my understanding of it all (because I absolutely do NOT know it all, not even close!), but it's so satisfying to not feel like a poser in the CC blog world. Not that I was ever intentionally being fake, but I now see that I never really understood the classical model, and therefore I never truly understood what CC was all about. 

So, as my sweet Anna says, "I sorry, 'give me?"

Okay, so why am I spilling my guts. After all, confession is good for the soul, but bad for the reputation. Well, I just figured that maybe some of you are kind of like me. Maybe you're in CC or you're thinking about educating your children classically, but you don't really know what that means or looks like in your home. So, I just want to encourage you to make the effort to dig deeper. Don't settle with just 'going with the flow,' even if you're already in a CC community. Do you know WHY the great folks at CC chose the memory work that they did? Do you know WHAT grammar-level kiddos are supposed to do and HOW? I sure didn't! I just did what everyone else was doing. So, if you're like me, I challenge you to discover WHY you're homeschooling classically and WHY you chose Classical Conversations to help you in your journey. If I can learn about it, you can, too! And having this purpose and conviction will now help me to persevere when the times get tough, which I know they will. So. . .

Are ya pumped?!

Don't know where to start?

Well, if you're a Classical Conversations newbie, I suggest beginning with Classical Christian Education Made Approachable:

It's short (around 100 pages I think), to the point, and it even has some nice charts that explain the Trivium and the entire Classical Conversations program. I learned a LOT from this little book!

(I feel like I'm supposed to say that the best place to start is The Core, because that's like the Bible of CC, but if you're new or lost and struggling, read this nice smaller book above first. I made the most notes out of this one!)

After you finish that one, I would suggest reading The Core, and read it intentionally, too, if you have younger children who are in the Foundations Program.

Then, you can find encouragement in Leigh Bortins's Echo in Celebration. This is a free pdf book, but I took mine to Staples and had it bound so I could really get my hands on it and take notes.

Finally, I would suggest you read Dorothy Sayers's essay The Lost Tools of Learning (free pdf). Personally, I was able to get more out of it after I understood the classical model and Trivium first.

I know it seems like a lot of reading, but it's the summer, friends! If we don't read now, when will we? ;)

So, that's what I've been up to lately. I would love for you to join the CC at Home Book Club by reading along with us as we discover more about classical education this summer!

And, I'd really love to hear your thoughts about all of this. Am I the only CC member who was in the dark about the classical model, which may be the case (red face)?

In other news, are you going to Parent Practicum? Ours is next Monday through Wednesday, and I'm SO excited! I plan on posting pictures and all my thoughts about it, too, so if you can't make it to one this year you can see what goes on.

Ooh, have to run! Have a great weekend, friends. And thanks for letting me be real with you!

CC at Home Book Club - Teaching the Trivium

Welcome to the first meeting of the CC at Home Book Club!

Would you like to be a member? It's easy! All you have to do is read the book with us.

Who else is in the club, you ask? (C'mon, I'm not enough?!) ;)

Beth at Classical Conversations at Home is the ringleader (thanks, Beth!)

Brandy at Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood

Crecia at CCing It One Day At a Time

little ol' me

and YOU!

No? Well, what's stopping you?

Oh, you don't have the book yet? Well, that's okay; you can win a copy right here! Or over at Beth's, or Crecia's, or Brandy's site! (To be fair to everyone, we won't have duplicate winners.)

The first selection for the CC at Home Book Club is

Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn:

From the Classical Conversations website:

One of our favorite, easy-to-read guides to classical Christian education. We believe math should be taught classically in grammar school, but wholeheartedly endorse the rest of this great book.

Click here to see what else CC has to say about this book.

Friends, I've started this book, and all I can say is that it's rocking my world! Wow! I've had some excellent conversations about this book, and I can't wait for you to join in. Summer is a great time to catch up on some reading, so let's do it! Quick note about this book: If you're already fully committed to homeschooling, I would suggest just jumping in at Chapter 4. Oooh! I can't wait to hear what you think about it!

Beth, Crecia, Brandy, and I will post our reviews of the book on June 5. We're planning to keep this book club going by reading one book a month. I'm loving the motivation and accountability! I mean, I claim to educate using the classical model, but I'm learning that I really don't know what that is, which is very humbling and embarrassing to admit. I'm excited to learn more about the Trivium this summer alongside my blogger friends, and I'd be honored if you would join us!

I'd also like to say a special thank you to the Bluedorns for offering a free book to one blessed reader. Ready to win your copy? Okay, let's do it! This giveaway will end on May 14 at 11:59 p.m., so go ahead and enter!

And welcome to the CC at Home Book Club!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Denise T. for winning the book! You're not Denise? Well, that's ok, don't let that stop you from getting the book and reading it. Teaching the Trivium really is an amazing resource on classical education to have in your personal library. I can't wait to tell you more about it! Beth, Crecia, Brandy, and I will all post our reviews on June 5th. We've been talking behind the scenes, so to speak, about this book, and I can tell you right now that these reviews will be very interesting! ;)

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