Classical Education

I am reading the book The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. It is an excellent book. Dh and I were looking into Classical Education for when we begin homeschooling and now after reading this book I am convinced this is the way to go. Every few lines I will stop and say to hubby, "You have to read this book!"
For those of you who dont know Classical Education is broken down into three different stages. The Grammer Stage is 1-4th grade during this time children learn facts: rules of phonics and spelling, rules of grammer, poems, the vocabulary of foreign language, the facts of math...ect... The second stage is the Logic Stage which is 5-8th grade. This is where the student asks, "Why?" They are not as interested in memorization as they are in researching how things happen, cause and effect, and how things work. The third stage is the Rhetoric Stage for highschool. This is where they learn to tell you, "why". They learn to speak and write with confidence and knowledge.
Classical Education appeals to us because it is language focused. The students learn through reading and writting not through pictures and images. Here is an example I once heard regarding why Classical Education is better. You can teach someone to play a piece of music just by having them play that piece of music everyday. They could practice and practice and practice and eventually get really good at it. OR you could teach them to play the piano. To read the music, to study the music, to know the music and they could play any piece that is set in front of them. Classical Education teaches the students to think. It is not the useless facts we memorized in school that we can no longer remember. It starts by teaching facts, moves to teaching research, and finishes by teaching you how to express yourself.
I like the fact that in order to be successful my children are going to have to read and read and read. I like the fact that my children are going to have to be able to write neatly and clearly. I like the fact that one day 10 years from now when you ask my oldest why she believes what she believes she will turn her big brown eyes on you, smile slightly, and launch into clear, concise, and understandable reasons.
One thing that the Well Trained Mind suggests is teaching three repitions of the same four year patterns. The Ancients (5000 B.C. - A.D. 400), The Medieval Period through the Renaissance (400-1600), The Late Renaissance through the early modern times (1600-1850), and modern times (1850-present). For example the student would study the Ancients in first grade, fifth grade, and ninth grade. Of course it would be on a simple level in first grade, more difficult in 5th grade where they begin to read original sources, and even more complex in ninth grade when they use original sources to to work through the period.
Classical Education gives children the opportunity to think for themselves, to work through problems for themselves, and to have confidence in what they are saying. Hubby and I are both fairly smart but we both agree that our public school education was not even close to the education our children are going to recieve through the Classical Education method. I did horribly in school because I could not memorize. I would get my facts all mixed up in history and science and math. DH did great in school because he is a sponge and can memorize anything. When we were in college at the same time he would make me so mad because I would literally be pouring over my books doing everything and anything to get something to stick in my head while he would go to class and most times not even buy the book because he learned everything in class. He would make straight A's and I was lucky to pull down a solid C.
To be honest Im looking forward to learning with my children. I have missed out on some great classics that they will be reading (or I will be reading to them). If you are interested in learning more about Classical Education here is another link for you to go check it out. Trivium Pursuit
I want to talk about my oldest daughter but I am out of time so it will have to wait maybe tonight or tomorrow.

Around the House:
Still decluttering. We are getting there though. The school room, playroom and our bedroom is last on the list. I will be working in the school room and our bedroom today. I have decided that I want to get a free standing pantry closet type thing for the school room to keep supplies in.. I also think I need a little bit taller table for schooling the small one works well for my preschoolers and toddler BUT my school agers are getting a bit big for the table.
I need to finish straighting up and organzing the childrens' rooms. Now that all the junk is out of thier room there is no excuse for it to be messy. I am going in there today and tomorrow and doing a really good cleaning and then it will be up to the children to keep it clean. (With minor help from mom of course!)
The family room has been successfully rearranged. Though Im not too sure I like it and we may have to do something different.
We are just trying to stay the course at this point. Follow our schedule and keep the house tidy daily. I think its going well.
My project next month will be to teach my eight year old to do her own laundry from start to finish. To teach my five year old to clean counters. Teach my four year old boy to make beds and empty trashcans. Teach my four year old girl how to wash the windows and mirrors nicely. And my two year old to toddle along behind me. :)