I have no clue. Can you explain this to me. A friend said she met someone who had this education and that she thinks (problem solves and stuff) so differently then her. :?
It's basically a system of education that models itself after the scholasticism of the Middle Ages and with roots that go back to Ancient Greece. The subjects are taught in stages according to age; grammar, logic and rhetoric. Languages are important and you'll often find Classical homeschoolers are teaching Latin or a form of Ancient Greek. As for why the person your friend knows thinks differently it may be because thinking skills, logic and reasoning are a huge focus. The Well Trained Mind is the book to consult if you're interested in knowing about classical homeschooling and Peacehill Press has a forum for classical homeschooling if you want to ask questions there. I am not a classical homeschooler. I find it too much work and too rigid myself but there's a lot I admire about it, the approach to writing and reasoning for instance.
I am not a classical homeschooler, either. I do know it teaches history in chronological order, and that it involves three stages (logic and rhetoric, but I can't remember the first one!). I personally was totally turned off reading "The Well-Trained Mind", but know others who really liked it.
The purpose of a classical education is to teach a person how to learn. The world is constantly changing and there is no way we can teach our child everything, however, we can teach them how to learn so that they are able to master whatever subject they want to.
Hmmmm. I sure don't want extra work, but I do want logical reasoners. Anyone here do this approach? I will check out that forum.
We consider ourselves "classical" homeschoolers, but I do not use the same instructional approaches that are described in parts of Well-Trained Mind. I very much enjoyed that book for the content, and go back to it as a reference, but the instructional approach described sounds too much like school at home to me. My kids would not thrive under that system (and it would be way too much work for mom :| ) So, what we do is the classical content, but we use a (mostly) Charlotte Mason approach. My first grader loves worksheets, so even tho' Miss Mason isn't fond fo them for his age, we do them. We're not "pure" classical content though - we've introduced language instruction much earlier (for our own reasons), and we also read extra history (mainly because my oldest son seems to really enjoy history stories - that is always his first request). So, for example, our "core" history is ancient times (since he's in "first grade," but we also read two-three stories a week about colonial America. FWIW, when my second child begins formal schooling, I will modify the classical history curriculum order to work for us (again). When he begins formal school lessons (which would normally be ancient history), his older brother will be doing early modern times. I will have them do history together. Then, two year later when my youngest begins, my oldest will have cycled back around to ancient times (only he will be entering the logic phase of his education) while the younger two will study ancient times (in the grammar phase). From that point on, we'll all do history chronologically. I think I've belabored my point, but to summarize: for us, classical education is about content (what we're learning), NOT "delivery" or instructional method (how we're learning).
Many people tend to combine Charlotte Mason with Classical! I wanted to be more Charlotte Mason, but it's too unstructured for me to do well with it. (Which is great for those of you who do well with less structure!)
Charlotte Mason is very structured! I must disagree..I can't believe I am saying this...to disagree with Jackie...the world is coming to an end!!!!! It is thought that CM is unstructured...however that is a false assumption. I follow a CM model and it is VERY structured. We follow a strict schedule daily. Yet, we allow the afternoons for free learning and special projects. THis is NOT child directed learning like a Montesorri style. Children are being led down the path of learning by a teacher. Yet, if a child finds something of interest he or she is encouraged to pursue it but do so "on his own time." My kids do NOT pick what they learn. I may ask them to pick for a list but that's about it. We do copywork, narration and spelling every morning. Then we have history, geography, math, science and language following that. I will throw in some poetry and extra stuff from time to time. They have a timeframe to complete all books, projects, and work. We do use some workbooks for extra help if needed. However, CM did encourage using copywork for learning spelling and grammer. I often have my kids underline the verb, circle the prepostion...etc...etc. Or I use copywork for spelling, grammer and math rules. My kids have learned and retained a ton! So, I do think CM is structured. Yet, maybe my idea of structured differs from others. I follow more CM than Classical. Honestly, I try to incorporate the best of everything in my teaching so I do not follow anything strictly.
We use the classical method (with a little CM). I haven't read WTM. I use Teaching the Trivium as my main resource.
I am so trying to wrap my mind around all of this. I only do math, spelling, phonics and reading. That is it. I can't imagine adding more. We do music class, gymnastics, 4-h, sports and other extra activities. But academics, ugg!!! We do not do history, I just don't see where I could fit it in. As for science. That is just a part of life for our household. DH is a creation science guy and it is spoken of often. I really am interested in the rhetoric part, but I guess my kids are too young for that right now. 8 and under. I thought about ditching academics all together. Just doing math and unit studies, but I am fearful. Not sure I am up for CE though. Seems like a lot of work.
We do Ambleside Online - CM approach - where lessons are usually no more than 15-20 minutes each. On top of that - I add in Math and Latin. Grammar/Vocab/Spelling are added as needed. I am working on a spelling list by what my dd needs to know for sign language next year. But a lot of stuff is done as copywork/memorization. History is done by reading living books or listening to the books. It's funny - it sounds like CM takes up so much time etc and that it's not "structured" but it's really structured and a lot easier to implement than I thought it would be. I think I make it more difficult than it needs to be But today I found out some nice person formatted ALL the books for required reading and set them up by term and week! So now I am arranging binders with ALL the readings for both kids WOO HOO
I've subbed in an "informal" classroom. To best explain it, it's almost like unschooling in a classroom setting. Drove me CRAZY!!! But I can see the organization that underlies it. In a way, the lack of structure to unschooling REQUIRES the person to actually be MORE organized, which I am not. And to me, Charlotte Mason is like that, too, but not as extreme. *I* am not organized enough to do it well!
Now call me odd but we enjoy a mix of both. I teach CE in areas mainly reading, writing, math and instead of Latin we do Spanish (which of course has Latin root). But we love Unit studies in History and Science. We love being able to take a subject like a Telephone for example discuss who invented it how it came about and then the Science part of it we took an old phone that didn't work anymore had the kids tear it apart and had a look. All in all no matter what method you teach there is always pros and cons to that method and I personally think a covering of all methods gives kids a better understanding.
That's where the unschooler in me clashes with classical methods. I tend to think kids know how to learn and we just have to get out of their way (something I haven't been successful with in the past couple of years!).
Yeah - this is the theory..... it has to do more with as they get older. I truly believe a younger child doesn't NEED a rigorous schedule.... however when they get older and NEED to write a paper, argue a point etc - they need to be able to do it correctly. I am just now taking heed to this because I am watching my friend's daughter really struggle in community college at writing papers. She isn't making her point clear or her reasoning. She assumes that the reader "understands" her point - which doesn't do well in an arguement. Kinda like it's a "Well DUH!" So with a classical education, you teach logic and grammar and memorize stuff. Personally I'm sticking with Ambleside at this point but adding in some classical subjects - like Latin and I am thinking of Logic for my son. I'm also adding in actual spelling because neither child spells very well. Copywork and narration, moving into dictation really does help with this.
Anyone else come to tears over what they should teach, are teaching, and what not? I just don't want to do the best. Uggggggggg Anyway, what is copywork and living books? A couple terms I do not understand but may be using. lol I guess I really need to take this to prayer. I want to do God's will, I am not my own, I am his. I need to seek what he wants for these kids and stop waisting my time. Thanks so much for your quick replies.
YES!!!!! Almost every day!!!! I always feel like I'm failing them, they're missing something, etc!!! I'm always afraid of picking the wrong thing and somehow screw them up!!! PRAYER is an excellent place to start. I think we fall in a combination of Classical and School at home in a box! LOL Next year, I'll be much more classical leaning towards CM. correct me if I'm wrong too, CM style may be more rigorous in the "mornings" but afternoons should be left to explore nature, follow desired learning. Using imagination. We do try to have all the "bookwork" done before 12:00 so that after lunch is THEIR time where they play, read, do art, etc. I am amazed how much of their day in the afternoon is spent learning without being forced to. "Living Books" are books that are fiction BUT alive with historical or scientific fact and teach that subject without the child realizing how much they are learning! Sneaky, really, when you think about it! Now...CM style would tell you anything that doesn't fall into the category of a living book is "twaddle" and not worth your time. It will also classify a classic that has been dumbed down for a child (i.e. Children's Illustrated Classics) to be twaddle as well. I personally feel if a child is reading, they are reading. I allow twaddle in my house. More than I should. LOL (aka Captain Underpants). BUT my kids have also read a lot of the classics, too. "Copywork" is just that...copying down in their own handwriting a few sentences or a selection from what they read that day. We'll be doing this more next year as they'll pick out their favorite sentence from the reading for the day and copy it down. Praying with you. Be encouraged!!!
Living Books can also be non-fiction. I've found some excellent non-fiction books that don't read like a textbook. One that comes to mind is Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick. It's really one worth owning, and is a little paperback.
