Echo in Celebration by Leigh Bortins ---anyone read it? Discuss here!

[bethben]

Echo in Celebration was Leigh Bortins' first and lesser known book found here:

 

http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/ecincecatoho.html

 

I am totally inspired to have my kids do mostly memorization in the younger years while just reading good books. It also brings up the thought of having like minded friends for your kids (and us) who are also pursuing a rigorous classical education.

 

The final thing that inspired me was having a good mentor for your kids. A good mentor who inspires our kids mentally and educationally to do their best is a really good thing. She did an example (may get this wrong - don't quote me) of how it's normal for a 20 year old to run 15 miles, but the average 20 year old can run one mile. She used it to say we haven't seen what is "normal" but what is average in education. She really gets me to think about what I do at home educationally for my kids.

 

I can see how classical conversations is really thriving and growing quickly. She has discovered something that is pulling together a lot of classical education thought over the years. She's really hit a nerve that people long for, but didn't know how to acheive.

 

Honestly, the whole book made me want to go out and join a classical conversations group. She makes some really good arguments. I may wind up doing it at home because I don't know if dh will want me to travel the distance to go to one.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Beth

[angela in ohio]

Echo in Celebration was Leigh Bortins' first and lesser known book found here:

 

http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/ecincecatoho.html

 

I am totally inspired to have my kids do mostly memorization in the younger years while just reading good books. It also brings up the thought of having like minded friends for your kids (and us) who are also pursuing a rigorous classical education.

 

The final thing that inspired me was having a good mentor for your kids. A good mentor who inspires our kids mentally and educationally to do their best is a really good thing. She did an example (may get this wrong - don't quote me) of how it's normal for a 20 year old to run 15 miles, but the average 20 year old can run one mile. She used it to say we haven't seen what is "normal" but what is average in education. She really gets me to think about what I do at home educationally for my kids.

 

I can see how classical conversations is really thriving and growing quickly. She has discovered something that is pulling together a lot of classical education thought over the years. She's really hit a nerve that people long for, but didn't know how to acheive.

 

Honestly, the whole book made me want to go out and join a classical conversations group. She makes some really good arguments. I may wind up doing it at home because I don't know if dh will want me to travel the distance to go to one.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Beth

 

We found neither of those things in CC. YMMV, of course. I desperately wanted both, for my children and for other children here...

 

Carefully investigate the group you are joining. It is only as good as the people involved. The CC materials cannot magically make a group of people something they are not.

 

Leigh is a smart woman, and she advocates for rigorous classical education. But her passion and direction travel down through many layers before they get to the local groups.

[Woodland_Mom]

Did "Echo in Celebraton" inspire you to explore Classical Conversations? I'm glad you feel encouraged! I read this book when it first came out and found it a quick read. It reminded me of the value of memory work and that classical education is doable!

 

Classical Conversations is a great place to find a Christian community of parents who are interested in classically schooling their children at home. I am involved in an absolutely fabulous campus in Northern Virginia. Parents are quite involved and seem to truly care about a well rounded education for their children.

 

One goal of Classical Conversations is to show PARENTS that THEY can provide a classical education for their children. Remember: it is the parents who should be the real models and mentors for their children. Sure, we hope to find mentors for our kids in a variety of places, i.e. church, boy scouts, co-op classes, family, etc. Thankfully, my boys have had a couple of wonderful mentors in their Foundations & Essentials classes. But more importantly, the classes have kept me mindful of the things that I can provide at home for my boys.

 

When we first encountered Classical Conversations, I felt a little put off by the volume of the material they wanted kids to memorize. But, for various reasons, we decided to give it a try. I have been absolutely AMAZED to see what these young children are capable of doing/learning. My boys have been VERY motivated by the CC programs. I know that we would not memorize nearly the same amount of material if it were not for Classical Conversations. More importantly, my boys have enjoyed the memory work and the whole process of learning it. For that, I'm thankful.

 

CC helps to make memorizing fun! My boys have put much of what they've memorized to good use (and so have I!). We have been very pleased with our CC program.

[hsmomto5]

So much I became a director for CC. We started a new group because existing groups were full. We have a completely full community our first year! I have been homeschooling for 11 years and have one in college. This has totally changed how I see homeschooling. This has been our best year ever! The amount of material my children are learning has totally amazed me! We use it for our full curriculum except for reading and math.

Lora in NC

[Leola]

I will have to go read that. It sounds interesting.

[Hedgehogs4]

I do find like-minded friends and academic rigor at our CC group (also in Northern VA, though I don't know the other pp who said she's here in NoVA, too! (Hi there!)

 

My ds is currently working toward the goal of becoming a memory master in which he is able to recite all of the work that we've covered this year. it's no small goal, and he's doing very well with it so far.

 

Echo in Celebration did nothing for me. I find her writing to be incredibly irritating, but she's an excellent speaker.

[Brenda in FL]

So much I became a director for CC. We started a new group because existing groups were full. We have a completely full community our first year! I have been homeschooling for 11 years and have one in college. This has totally changed how I see homeschooling. This has been our best year ever! The amount of material my children are learning has totally amazed me! We use it for our full curriculum except for reading and math.

Lora in NC

 

:hurray: Yay, Lora!! We're having a great year!!

[laughing lioness]

Echo in Celebration did nothing for me. I find her writing to be incredibly irritating, but she's an excellent speaker.

 

:iagree:Leigh is a terrific speaker- I learned so much in listening to her for one hour and have great respect for her and her work. That being said I can't stand her writing.

[Another Lynn]

My .02.... I think one reason CC has been so successful is that SO many homeschool co-ops are poorly run and unorganized. CC has a structure that keeps it from dissolving into chaos. Even though I did not want memory work to be the focus of our schoolwork... at least I had a fairly good understanding of what I was getting with CC (and what I would be getting at any other CC campus). I knew exactly what my kids would be doing each week.

 

I cannot comment specifically on either of her books as I never read them.

[walkermamaof4]

I had an insight on co-ops this year. My sister joined a CC group and LOVES it. My other sister did CC a while ago for years. Sister 2 wasn't motivated to require the work from her kids and the CC group doesn't require it, just encourages and provides the framework. So sister #2's kids don't show a lot for their years in CC. Sister #1's kids already know so much in just 1/2 a year!

 

So, at the same time that sister #1 joined CC this year, I helped some friends create a co-op. CC is quite expensive. Our co-op is free. What I think I've learned is that the cost of CC means that most people are very committed. In our co-op, 2/5 of the people dropped out before term 2 was finished bc/ of their busy lives. But if they had paid for CC, my bet is they wouldn't have dropped out. The co-op itself was super. I loved it. My kids loved it. They were learning more than ever before.

 

Just fyi as you pursue something along these lines.

[VA6336]

If you liked Echo you might also like The Core. It's her newest book, a lot more along the lines of WTM in scope. I'm not overly impressed with her writing, either, but I've appreciated her ideas and her take on the subjects she's most passionate about.

 

I read both books after helping to start a CC group and tutoring for it. The next year I became a director and opened up a new local group. Yes, it not being a co-op (all volunteer) really helps keep us all dedicated. It also helps that we have high standards to meet. If one gets into CC not really having a good vision of "the big picture" it can be frustrating and/or a let down. I think that's true for any commitment one makes, though. Each group is very different due to personalities, so definitely talk to as many people as you can who are involved in the group before deciding if it's worth the drive.

 

Leigh Bortins is a loud supporter of memorization in the grammar years, but I don't think she would say that memorization of when/where/who/what facts and living books is a complete curriculum for those years. There was another WTM thread not too long ago that talked about her stance on math (that you can never really do too much math). I think Leigh Bortins would support a curriculum for K-2 that was math, phonics/reading, good literature, and memorization of when/where/who/what facts.