Classical Education for Christians?

[naturallia]

I have always liked the idea of using classical education when my son is old enough. I like TWTM and the Trivium Pursuit.

Well, I recently came across a site that bashes classical education as biblical and proposes a different method- at this site- Heart of Wisdom http://heartofwisdom.com/artman/publish/article_151.shtml

I really love the idea of the classical education method, but if it will lead my children from God, maybe I need to reconsider what I will use.

What does everyone here think?

I have PLENTY of time to make up my mind as my child is still a baby.

[Zooey]

I am familiar with that site, and I couldn't disagree with them more!
I think that there are so many wonderful Christian resources out there for classical education....I think that there are bad choices and good choices in any type of curriculum that you choose, that to condemn it out of hand seems just....over the top to me. (I :O want to say "silly", but I am ;) trying to behave myself!!)
The classical materiels are, in fact, IMO, some of the most Christian. I would just pray, & look at all the options. A couple of things that popped into my head, are the Bluedorns' things, as well as the Latina Christiana materiels. There is a program at Sonlight called the "Latin Road to English Grammar" that is Christian-oriented...
My mother was a Latin teacher, & she was also a wonderful Christian who learned her Latin at a Christian college, & her 1st job was teaching in a Christian school.....Oh, & there are so many other examples....
I think that you need to look over all your options, of course, but I wouldn't trade what I learned from Mama for millions!!

I do think that some of the programs try to push children too far too fast, but although they call themselves "classical", they don't seem to me to be that different from any other program. They are, I believe, wrong to try to forceffed their students, but that does not mean that we need to jettison a form of education that was common in the Christian world for centuries, because of a few who are misusing some of the materiel!!

Keep reading up.....HTH!!

[naturallia]

thanks for your reply.

Hmm, what do you define as misusing curriculum?

[SueQ]

You know, I am a reader and researcher when it comes to homeschooling philosophies. I am intrigued by all the philosophies out there and love to read about them. I am also finding that there are so many out there that feel that their philosophy is the only way, the right way, and if you don't do it their way your child is going to end up being a burdon to society. :rolleyes

The conclusion that I have come to in all my reading of the different philosophies is that none is best for everyone. The main textbook a Christian homeschooler needs is the Bible. We want to first and formost teach our children about their Creator and introduce them to a relationship with him. God is the center of our homeschool so we need to go straight to Him for guidence as to what homeschooling method is best for our children/family. Once I did that, I felt such a freedom. I am not going to mess my children up if I don't follow xyz's ideas! ;)

Every family is so different, pray about it and if Classical homeschooling is a fit for your family then go for it! If it is Unschooling, go for it! If it is Waldorf, Montessori or using Charlotte Mason's ideas or Ruth Beechick's ideas, then go for it! If it is taking bits and pieces from all the different methods and making up your own thing then know that you have 1000's of homeschooling peers joyfully doing the same thing. :)

Oops I got on sort of a tanget but I get so sick of homeschoolers critcizing other homeschoolers styles and choices. The variety that is out there is wonderful because there is then a fit for all the diverse families and children that God created. :yes

[inesperada]

You may want to check out some Christian Classical Curricula:

http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/tog_fast/

http://www.covenanthome.com/

[naturallia]

Thank you ladies!!! I actually was planning to borrow bits and pieces from different ideas, such as TWTM, TTP, unit studies, Sonlight and combining it all together. I didn't say anything because I got the feeling this wouldn't be popular with other homeschoolers who feel they must pick one and stick to it. thanks for easing my mind about it being okay to be eclectic.

[illinoismommy]

You know, I am a reader and researcher when it comes to homeschooling philosophies. I am intrigued by all the philosophies out there and love to read about them.


Me too. I am still attracted to classical, elements of it, but am also reading about unschooling and all the rest. I think that you can take ANY of these methods and do it in a positive and Christian way. I think school-at-home is the only questionable one in my mind :shifty

[musicmommy]

Yep, I thought I was a classical education homeschooler all the way. But now we are doing our own little mix of stuff. We're going to be using My Father's World this fall and I'm so excited about it! It's kind of a classical/charlotte mason/unit study approach. We're also adding in Latin and some different English and math. It was hard for me to get out of the mindset I had been in though.

I really appreciate all the different styles that are out there. It sure does give me a broad range of methods and materials to use in my homeschooling. There is no one right way to homeschool. We all do what is best for our family. I've found that burn out and problems rise when we try to stick ourselves and our children into styles that just don't flow with the people we were created to be.

[Zooey]

thanks for your reply.

Hmm, what do you define as misusing curriculum?


By misusing curriculum, I mean, following the chronological flow of history at the expense of making the books age appropriate. There is a 4 year rotation in some catlaogs that have you teaching Greek history, say, in the 3rd grade--since I was reading this catalog earlier this week. Okay. Ancient history is interesting...but you know, I don't think that the average 3rd grader is going to have enough grasp of historical time, to be able to know what they're reading about.
I think that, for a good number of people, a classical education plan is excellent. It just worries me, to see that there are companies recommending books that are a stretch for middle school kids, butthey are listed for 3rd grade, in one catalog I have, simply because 3rd grade is ancient history.
I know there are gifted kids. I also know there are kids who are still struggling with reading, period, & expecting them to understnad a book that Sonlight (which I consider to be quite advanced) has as a 6th to 8th grade history book, & then I see it as required reading for 3rd grade, & I'm sitting there, :scratch :doh :scratch :think :scratch ....You know??

I am absolutley not suggesting that anybody here is planning on doing that. But, I know people IRL, who think that if the "experts" say something, that's what you do. It just seems to me, to be setting up kids to fail...
But that can happen with any style of education!! The main thing, is to be flexible with it.....I had a terrible time with science in high school, not because I disliked it, but because they decided to assign me to an advanced freshman class, on the basis of general grade average, and I spent an entire year being bored & confused. They put me in Earth Science, which meant that I never got any introductory physics & chemistry, which fascinated me.... Whereas, to be truthful, I could care less about the :rolleyes different kinds of rocks, and :yawn :yawn how the glaciers affected the land in this area when the ice moved through here....

But I loved, loved, loved Latin. I wanted more, & I was crazy about art even though I wasn't any kind of an artist. You know??
I guess I'm talking about the way that good ideas & good books can end up frustrating children....Because they just don't get it. At least, not yet....

[BekahsBoys]

I get so sick of homeschoolers critcizing other homeschoolers styles and choices.

:yes

Unfortunately no matter where you go: articles, homschool groups, even message boards you will have a very hard time gettin away from criticizm between homeschoolers. It's sad really... :shrug