Have you ever wondered what the similarities and differences are between the various methods of classical homeschooling? Well, that is exactly what we discussed in our most recent Facebook Live Event. We took a closer look at Charlotte Mason, Dorothy Sayers/The Well-Trained Mind, and The Liberal Arts Tradition.
If you missed the event, catch the recording below and join the conversation. I have also included some links and notes below the video that were mentioned during the talk.
[dt_sc_h3]Notes & Resources From the Event[/dt_sc_h3]
The Letters of Dorothy Sayers Volume III
(This book is out of print, so it is harder to find. There are a couple on Amazon, but they are kind of pricey. Still worth it if you are really wanting to wrap your head around where Dorothy Sayers was coming from when she wrote her famous essay.)
The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
The Liberal Arts Tradition by Clark & Jain
Charlotte Mason’s 6 Volume Series
Consider This: Charlotte Mason & the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass
Norms & Nobility by David Hicks
Awakening Wonder: A Classical Guide to Truth, Goodness, and Beauty by Dr. Stephen Turley
Lastly, for those of you who wanted it, here is the prayer I read at the end. Called ‘A Prayer for Before Study’ and can be found in most Eastern Orthodox prayer books.
“Lord our God, the source of all wisdom and truth, send down upon us the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of discernment. Enlighten the eyes of our souls with the light of Your knowledge, that we may learn from Your wisdom and grow in virtue, to the glory of Your name. Amen.”
Expanding Wisdom, Extending Grace,
Jennifer Dow
Hi! Thank you so much for this discussion. I was wondering if you may please discuss what you’ve learned from these different methods on a philosophy toward memorization specifically. How do you approach it and what type of content would be the focus (facts in each subject area-the “grammar of history/science/math/etc., or content rich in ideas and literary quality-like Scripture/poetry/Shakespeare/famous speeches, etc.). Thank you for any wisdom and insight you may provide.
Hi Erika. That is an excellent question. I would be happy to discuss this and it is a great idea for a Facebook Live event. I think this should be our topic this Friday. Thank you for the great idea.
Oh Jennifer, thank you SO much! I am so grateful that I found you. This brought so much clarity to all of the thoughts that have been swirling around in my mind. I am still fairly new to this homeschooling adventure. My children are 7. 5. 2. and 1. In researching homeschooling I was very drawn to Charlotte Mason initially. Then I discovered Classical Conversations this past year which sent me to the more Well-Trained Mind camp but somehow I could never fully invest in it. While there is much I appreciate about CC that has blessed our homeschool and we do plan to continue in our community, I still feel myself so drawn to living books and nature journaling and craving all of that beauty. It’s strange that I never even thought of the Liberal Arts version of classical education in regards to homeschooling. This is ironic because my whole thesis in college was on the transformative power of beauty and how that practically needs to enter into our catechesis. (I was a catechetics major at a Catholic University). I don’t know if I am making any sense but I feel like I have been trying to “find my people” and see where I fit. Although I know every family is different, I want to spend my time learning from sources that are as aligned as possible with my goals and vision for our family’s schooling. Hearing you share was like a breath of fresh air and made me feel a little less crazy that there are others that have wrestled with all of this. I think I have found a kindred spirit. Blessings to you friend.
Alison! That is incredible. I love your story. I would love to hear more about your thesis! Would you be open to sharing more?
Yes, I would love to share more. The essential place of beauty in teaching and learning is one of my all time favorite topics. I am always open to sharing what I am learning and continuing to grow in my understanding as well. I opted to present my thesis in a seminar format rather than submitting a written paper so I don’t have a tidy print version to send you. I have a folder full of notes and research and bullet points for what I ultimately honed down into my presentation. Let me revisit it and see how I might best share it with you. I will be in touch.
Alison! I am your people! Haha! My kids are also young (5,3, 8mo) and I feel I’m doing much of the same exploring. Redeeming my own education through classical studies with the little people in CC, and very grateful for that framework but feel at times it lacks the beauty and joy that are possible. Any chance you would share your notes more widely or that Jen might post them in some form?