What I Learned From The Question

If you've read The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education, you'll quickly understand how The Question: Teaching Your Child the Essentials of Classical Education is the follow-up.  As Leigh Bortins introduced us to the grammar stage in The Core, she does with the dialectic stage in The Question.  Our children were … [Read more...]

Teaching Reading Classically

Do y'all remember my series entitled At Home with the Classical Method? In it, I shared some things I learned from reading The Core.  Do you want to know more, but can't quite find the time to read The Core yet? Then these series of articles written by guest poster, Jennifer Courtney, from the Classical Conversations Writers Circle are for … [Read more...]

The Core of Writing

Remember our introduction to Classical Conversations Writers Circle's Jennifer Courtney from her arithmetic article shared here earlier this month? Here's another from her, this one on the core of writing for each stage of the Trivium - grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric.  Without further ado...Let’s turn to the core of writing which Leigh … [Read more...]

At Home with The Classical Method – Teaching Reading

"The only thing I feel really sure of having accomplished today is that I taught Cliffie Wright that A is A.  He never knew it before. Isn't it something to have started a soul along a path that may end in Shakespeare and Paradise Lost?" - Anne of Anne of Avonlea Isn't it something? How exciting that we're able to teach our children to read!  I … [Read more...]

At Home with The Classical Method – Teaching History

"Classical educators want children to memorize a lengthy world history time line over an extended period of time that stays with them forever." (p.165) Are you seeing a pattern here among classical learning? It's so important to lay a strong foundation for our little scholars to build upon.  With a basic timeline memorized, our children can … [Read more...]

At Home with the Classical Method — How to Teach (& Learn) Geography

Oh boy, is this a weak area of mine. I've often felt lost in my own county (okay, even the mall), because I am lacking a mental map.  My husband on the other hand loves maps and is great at geography.  He easily forms mental maps of new areas.  Think those characteristics are connected? Yeah, me too.  Like my husband, we want our littles to … [Read more...]

At Home with The Classical Method – How to Teach Your Child Math

"The classical model for math emphasizes memorizing facts for speed and accuracy, and discussing numeracy, operations, and laws for understanding." (p.131, The Core) I can remember reciting addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables with my class from simple wall charts in my elementary school growing up. My teachers shared … [Read more...]

At Home with the Classical Method – Why Classical Education?

I'm making some progress in understanding classical education and supplanting the modes of traditional education in my mind.  I can tell, because I'm *starting* to be able to converse with others about classical education without looking at my notes. : ) Good, right?  I'm also beginning to form ideas of what this will look like for our family over … [Read more...]