I just published this article. It is a broad overview of the particulars one can attend to in becoming a better teacher. '5 Simple Ideas for Becoming a Better Classical Teacher in 2015' http://expandingwisdom.com/2014/12/5-simple-ideas-for-becoming-a-better-classical-educator-in-2015/

Great to meet you Ruth Ann. Welcome.

My pleasure. Glad I could help.

Awesome, it sounds like things are going well. In case you do not know, LTW has a free Yahoo group. It is an invaluable resource as you being to teach it. There are files filled with examples and extra resources and a forum style board that is visited daily. All of the CiRCE people answer questions related to LTW directly as well as the 2nd and 3rd year Apprentices and other parents you have been teaching LTW for some time. Here is the link: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LTWmentor/info

:) Thank you. LTW is divided up into 3 main sections. Each section solves a different set of problems a writer could face. The first section, called invention, solves the problems of coming up with something to say, or write about. It teaches art of discovering the truth of the matter through 5 sets of special questions. The second section, called arrangement, solves the problem of ordering, organizing, or arranging all ones research and parts of the writing assignment. The third section, called elocution, solves the problem of writing appropriately, in general, and according to the assignment. ANI is an acronym for (Affirmative, Negative, and Interesting) it the the form used for collecting information from the invention process. By the end of level 1 you will have written 11 essays. Each essay is 1 lesson, with three mini-lessons inside of it. Each mini lesson, is a tool, topic, or skill from one of the three categories, I mentioned above. Therefore with each new essay I will learn a new tool from invention, arrangement, and elocution.Only one tool or skill is taught at a time in order to help the student really grasp it and focus on developing it. Let me know if you have any other questions.

I know this is a couple years ago, but in case anyone is still interested in a comparison, I recently wrote one and posted it on my blog. It seemed like several moms in my community were wondering about this, so I wrote this article: http://www.expandingwisdom.com/2014/02/comparing-iew-and-lost-tools-of-writing.html Jen

It is totally worth though. Plus, you do not need to buy new curriculum for years. My kids will go through LToW Level 1 in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, and maybe 10th if they need it. Then they will do level 2 in 10th (if ready) and 11th and maybe 12th with a healthy dose of poetry instruction mixed in. If you have multiple students using it at the same time you may need more than one student workbook, but other than that it comes out to being only $58 per year for me if I follow the above plan. That is the cool thing about LToW, you can use it multiple years and just write about different books and require more or less research in the ANI depending on the age and ability. Ok, so I better stop before I sound like a commercial. lol :)

Amen. Trust the process. I have been thinking about that as well. More so when it comes to the classical liberal arts curriculum as a whole. This is the form we have chosen for our homeschool. Sometimes I get sidetracked with what other moms around me are doing, and I have to remind my self, we choose this way of educating for a reason. Great post. Thank you.

Thank you to all who have replies so far. My ds 12 years old is the same way. He prefers to do everything out loud. I think he might be a verbal processor. I have had to learn to work with it. :)

I would love to learn more as well. I came across their website for the first time yesterday.

For the younger years I have not found one I am completely satisfied with, if there has been anything we have done consistently in the younger years it is narration. But, for the older years, hands down, The Lost Tools of Writing. The reason is because The Lost Tools of Writing has a unique way of meeting the needs of the logic and rhetoric stage student. It literally teaches the tools necessary for discovering truth, arranging that truth, and then communicating that truth. If a student uses the tools set before them in this curriculum, there is never a reason to stare at a blank page. It gives form for everything. In addition, the number one thing I have heard after students have left my class (I teach this to my kids and other kids in our homeschool co-op) is "I can think better."

@TheAttachedMama, I can relate. I have struggled with my schedule as well. I have no idea if this is where you are at, this is just my experience with this situation. The only thing I have found that has eased the stress has been to deal with the question of "why" and my fears. I used to feel like I had to do a huge list of things and if I didn't there would be gaps or they would miss out or dss would take my kids away. (that was a real fear for me). I was never able to have a confidence regarding what they should be doing until I clearly spelled out my why for homeschooling, and more specifically my why for committing to a certain homeschooling philosophy. Once I did that there was so much that became an automatic no, because it did not fit my why. For example, we decided that we believe what CiRCE and David Hicks teach about education. Therefore I know for the younger years I will not have lessons taking more than 15 minutes. I also know -for us - that history, science, and geography do not have to be separate subjects. I teach those subject through reading and everyday life with a little nature study thrown in. I also had to release fear. No matter what suggestions I received, there was always that nagging anxiety that it was not enough. It wasn't until I began viewing our curriculum from a place of love, rather than fear, that I had confidence about my decisions. This has been my experience/process in dealing with these same questions. Thank you for posting. :)

Welcome ladies. I am new as well. It does seem like the least intimidating place to start posting. :)

Thanks Barb. I like your Robert Frost quote.

Hello! My name is Jen. I have 3 children and we have been educating classically for the last 5 years. WTM and Mortimer Adler were the first intros I had to Classical Edu. Since then I have pretty much fallen in love with Christian classical education, I am enchanted by the life giving restorative nature of it and how incredibly well it cultivates the minds of my kids. Just incredible. I am looking forward to connecting with other moms running this same race.