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!

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.