does anyone do 3 hours logic/week in Logic Stage? and if not, how much logic proper?

[serendipitous journey]

Please excuse the question if it's been answered in other threads -- I wasn't able to turn them up.

 

3 hours per week of logic a la WTM -- which, in the 1st and 3rd editions at least (in the text as well as in the infamous schedules :) )is what is recommended. An hour of logic puzzles at a stretch seems like a lot to me, and perhaps not the wisest use of the child's time?

 

I'd love to know how you approach this; esp. if you do value logic as a subject to be taught.

 

(thanks in advance!)

[Lori D.]

No way any of us could have done as much school per week as SWB lists in WTM -- I think by high school, it's up to 40 hours/week! At best in high school, we managed about 25-30 hours/week. But I digress...

 

 

re: valuing Formal Logic as a subject...

Well, we valued *developing critical thinking skills* (being able to spot fallacies, being able to support your contentions, seeing consequences to choices, being able to analyze, etc.) for real life help. "Formal Logic" was just one piece of that puzzle to us. So that's why we used a wide variety of puzzle types (not just the Mindbenders or grid logic puzzles listed in WTM), throughout all the years of schooling.

 

In the elementary grades, we did about 5-10 minutes each morning (1-2 pages) together from some critical thinking or logic puzzle workbook as a brain warm-up and part of our morning together time. I also included 2-4 pages of a variety of puzzle types as part of the daily "seatwork" when DSs were young, that they could do while they waited on me while I worked with the sibling. We also did logic types of board games (along with other education fun things for various subjects) on our Friday fun days. When they were older elementary ages, logic computer games were part of the array of computer games DSs chose from for their 30-minute educational computer game times during school hours (a great way to keep one busy to have one-on-one time with a sibling :tongue_smilie: ).

 

So logic, critical thinking, and practice of problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking types of activities were sprinkled throughout the day, and throughout the week. I would estimate that came out to about 1.5 to 2 hours per week specifically focused on logic/critical thinking activities.

 

 

In middle school (grades 7/8), we continued with the morning "warm-ups", logic games as part of our family game nights, and then spent about 45 minutes once a week going through a chapter of Fallacy Detective, or Thinking Toolbox, or other. So again, sprinkled throughout the week, and about 1.5 hours/week, maybe a little more.

 

In high school, DSs did Formal Logic with DH leading them through his old college textbook. I'd guess they spent about 45 minutes 2x/week on that. We also did continue the short "brain warm ups" in the morning, but fewer mornings a week. So, again, probably about a total of 1.5 hours or a little more a week.

 

 

It all depends on what you want. If you're after box-checking to accomplish Formal Logic as a subject, then you'll want to follow WTM more closely. We were after developing overall thinking, with Logic as a part of that, and so it looked like a lot more discussions, analyzing together, playing strategy games together, etc., with just a few Formal programs thrown in.

 

Hmmm... don't know if that helped answer your question, but there you go. Warmest regards, Lori D.

[amyco]

I agree, the recs in WTM call for much time to be spent on logic! Similar to Lori D., we were more interested in the children developing critical thinking skills. We did do all the Mind Benders, Red Herrings, and Grid Perplexor books we could find. After those ran out, the children were kind of burnt out on puzzles and ready for the next thing. I even tried the Critical Thinking in U.S. History series unsuccessfully--I think that one is much better suited for a classroom.

 

My dd did Traditional Logic from Memoria Press in 7th grade. She did fine with it, understood it, and then promptly forgot it when she finished the book. After that she read the Art of Argument on her own.

 

My ds and I are going through the Art of Argument together, and I am not going to have him do Traditional Logic, at least not until about 9th grade, if at all. We spend about 40 minutes per week on logic. I believe logic is valuable, but like anything, the skills need to be reinforced or reviewed to be retained.

[Susie in CA]

Here is what we shoot for:

 

Every morning we are home we spend up to 30 min doing 'Logic' together. Most weeks this only happens 3 times, sometimes 4. That is 1.5 - 2 hours per week. This for grade 7 and 8.

 

We get very easily bored and therefor we alternate programs and activities.

 

Monday and Wednesday we use Critical Thinking in United States History (currently we are on Book 2)

Tuesday and Thursday we use Critical Thinking Book 1 (this is our least favorite, but sometimes it's fun)

Friday (Mindbenders B series)

 

Hope this helps.

[Durriyyah]

I'm with the other mamas that the goal for us is that DD gets critical thinking skills and doesn't just follow down the path of the person who is presenting her with an argument without thinking it through. DD does logic three times a week going through The Art of Argument, and sometimes that's 15 minutes, sometimes it's 45, it depends on the lesson and the content. We do a lot of discussion between ourselves, and it comes up in conversation throughout the week as well. I think 3 hours a week would be a bit much, but that's just us. We follow WTM's ideas and concepts, but not always the rigorous schedule.

[redsquirrel]

We do logic as a subject three times a week. We are using Critical Thinking, book 1. A lesson just takes the time it takes. I don't spend a lot of time on it, but we get it done.

[RootAnn]

We're doing Fallacy Detective this year. FD takes less than a full year to do. We do 30-60 minutes of logic per WEEK.

 

Next year, we'll do Art of Argument. I'm scheduling three hours per week, but I don't really know how much time it'll take.