The Well-Trained Mind: A Good Place to Start (Part 1)
Our family is moving along with our plan to homeschool next year, and I have to admit that I am eager to begin. The temptation to pull my child out of school so we can homeschool the entire first grade year instead of just the second semester is strong. As our thoughts about homeschool begin to coalesce the shape of the proposed education is shifting a bit. We are leaning more toward a by-the-book approach to begin with, following the instructions in The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home.
I Digress: An Origin Story
Without realizing it, I have long been an adherent of the Classical Education model. I began by picking up a tattered copy of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know in the bargain bin at a used bookstore shortly after college (if you don't include the fact that I was a member of the Honors College at Baylor University, the most largest and most prestigious university that has a Classical Education model (if only in the Honors College). The book sat forlornly on my bookshelf for years until I finally got around to delving into it when I was stuck nursing with nothing to do for hours after the birth of our Lu. I still don't know what led me to pick it up - I didn't often hang out in that section of the bookstore - I was a history and historical biography junkie. Nevertheless, the book struck me powerfully and spoke to me as an inner voice that had been freed - the book was expressing truths I accepted without weighing before. I started pestering friends and relatives to pick up the book and check it out, quoting passages at my poor husband, but most folks just can't get too excited about a sturdy beige book with a title like "Cultural Literacy."
Still nursing, I was browsing the book selection at Target when I saw a book that seemed to intrigue my history-loving sensibilities: A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century. Once again, the material of this method of teaching had a deep resonance with me. It is hard to argue with hundreds of years of academic success using this model, and the timeless appeal of familiarity with the Great Books of Western Civilization seems to be a prescription for the kind of intellectual savvy that will secure any student against arguments not grounded in logic or reason. While E.D. Hirsch, Jr. seems to be persuaded that this mode of education will be most effective in preparing students for political or civic leadership, Baylor University's Honors College claims that more than 40% of their Honors Residential College members are "pursuing studies in pre-health/science fields," a strong argument for a classical education as the foundation for a career in the sciences (as Pythagoras and Archimedes and Eratosthenes and countless others would roll their eyes and say, "duh"). I used my own self-sought classical education (though I didn't recognize it as such at the time) to prepare for law school and eventually a career in education. Although degrees in english and history don't immediately shout, "hire me!" to employers in the corporate sphere (where I worked as a corporate trainer), they allow for the development of communication and reasoning abilities that shout, "hire me!" in an interview - if you can get one.
I didn't purchase The Well Trained Mind until August of 2012 - less than a year ago, and I can't say with certainty why I purchased it, except that I read a preponderance of books about education and educational policy and Amazon recommended this book as a good match for my interests. It echoes the same principles extolled in the other texts I had accumulated over the years (to be fair, I should point out that as an educational theory hobbyist of sorts I have read many educational theories that disagree or directly conflict with the methods used in The Well-Trained Mind. I mean to say that The Well-Trained Mind echoed the principles that most resonated with me -those of classical education- in my studies).
So, Why'd You Choose The Well-Trained Mind Instead Of All Of Those Other Books?
It was the clearest, the best organized, the most detailed, and the most comprehensive of the various applications. Although we are a Christian family, I am not looking for a "Christian Education" per se. That idea creeps me out - probably because I am the Christian product of a secular education. Having an education that aligns itself too closely to any doctrine makes me feel as though an instructor might feel tempted to change the course material or select course material to make it conform to that doctrinal philosophy. I get that it works for a lot of other people, but it's not for me. You're welcome to come learn with us regardless of what church you go to (or don't go to).
What your ... Needs to Know from the Core Knowledge program developed by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. and endorsed by Michael Gove, the UK Secretary of Education, has many strengths, but I found it a little bit disconnected for my tastes. I wanted a plan for education that unified all the subjects and facts and areas of learning to allow for a more interdisciplinary approach and that structured the information into a framework that would make it easier to store and recall. I do own the Core Knowledge books and we read the information in them along with our other books just for fun, but I don't feel the material is organized as well at the plan presented in The Well-Trained Mind.
I really liked A Thomas Jefferson Education, but I couldn't get over the fact that they appeared to have about a dozen kids who spent their time knitting and chopping firewood. The idea felt more like role-playing at a Renaissance Fair than actual modern-day childrearing. We have two kids, widely spaced. Someday we may have three - but the third will likely be even wider-spaced. We have a TV. We use the microwave and the vacuum cleaner. I don't feel that homeschooling necessarily has to equal Amish. Bully to those of you it is working for, however. I know that this sounds harsh and hyperbolic, and it really is. I don't have a way to express that although I found the educational principles of A Thomas Jefferson Education inspiring, the neophobic/technophobic/??? vibe of the family just didn't click with me and I felt it off-putting. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending the book to friends because of this holistic application of their perspective.
The Well-Trained Mind clearly laid out the benefits of classical education, then set forth a plan for learning and teaching that was accessible and feasible in a clear grade-by-grade format. It also has a large following, tons of integrated support materials, and a thriving web community that can offer support. I also really loved the idea of integrating the four historical periods with other areas of learning such as reading/literature* and science. It makes so much sense to me that I can't imagine why all schools everywhere don't do this!
*Caveat - I plan to further discuss how The Well-Trained Mind could do this even better in an upcoming blog post. Stay tuned.
Although The Well-Trained Mind has some aspects that aren't a perfect fit for us, no educational program designed by someone else is likely to exactly match your concept of an ideal education. That's the beauty of homeschool. Take the closest match (The Well-Trained Mind is ours) and tweak it to fit better. I strongly feel that this program is the best fit for our family's needs, and am really excited about taking it for a test-drive this summer with some other families (some are already homeschooling, some are considering homeschooling, some are looking for a summer supplement to public school). I'll continue to post as we go through this journey. Don't look for too many posts in the near future about the application of The Well-Trained Mind. We might do a brief stint for Spring Break, but I don't want to step on this summer's toes too much, so the next few months will primarily consist of planning and reflection. I am continuing to study the material and the suggested resources in preparation and will share any discoveries with you (provided I get around to it, ha ha.) Ta Ta for now!
