A home for their hearts Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 What are books you believe are a must read to fully understand what classical education is and is not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amselby81 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 My favorite is of course The Well Trained Mind. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 (edited) Two others I see mentioned a lot here are Climbing Parnassus and Latin-Centered Curriculum. Edited April 13, 2012 by kebg11 putting the "t" in Latin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth in MN Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I'll second The Lain-Centered Curriculum by Andrew Campbell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindsrae Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I'm reading Marva Collins' Way right now. Mrs. Collins gave underprivileged kids an intense, classical education. It is inspiring me to be a better teacher to my girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted April 13, 2012 Author Share Posted April 13, 2012 Thanks for all the suggestions! Keep them coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I'm reading Marva Collins' Way right now. Mrs. Collins gave underprivileged kids an intense, classical education. It is inspiring me to be a better teacher to my girls. :iagree: I am reading Ordinary Children, Extraordinary Teachers by Marva Collins and feel the same way. I'm not sure I know what classical education means--especially after some recent threads. I will make a recommendation anyway. ;) Besides the obvious WTM, I would recommend Charlotte Mason's original writings--especially volumes 1, 3 and 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Two others I see mentioned a lot here are Climbing Parnassus and Lain-Centered Curriculum. :iagree::iagree: I haven't read the second one yet, but it's on my "Must Read" list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyGirl Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted April 14, 2012 Author Share Posted April 14, 2012 I'm not sure I know what classical education means--especially after some recent threads. I will make a recommendation anyway. ;) Besides the obvious WTM, I would recommend Charlotte Mason's original writings--especially volumes 1, 3 and 6. I'm not sure I would consider Charlotte Mason's methods classical, but I could be wrong. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma aimee Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 I'm not sure I would consider Charlotte Mason's methods classical, but I could be wrong. ;) agreed but Classical and CM seem to go together often and her work on education can be enlightening -- IF you remember she taught (not raised) rich children in a very different time. I, personally, find a good deal of her writing frustrating -- living with my boys all.the.time in a different generation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) agreed but Classical and CM seem to go together often and her work on education can be enlightening -- IF you remember she taught (not raised) rich children in a very different time. I, personally, find a good deal of her writing frustrating -- living with my boys all.the.time in a different generation. me, too. :) But still use a lot of CM ... Edited April 14, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) I didn't think Climbing Parnassus was at all helpful -- it seemed, to me, like many statements about how a certain type of education was important, none substantiated by anything other than examples of people who had that sort of education. I was so disappointed in it ... many people I respect feel strongly that it is excellent, though, which makes me think it is just something that is a bad fit for me personally. To be honest, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, the Enchiridion by Epictetus, the Bible -- esp. Proverbs, the Gospels, and Paul's letters -- C.S. Lewis' apologetics and Tillich's Dynamics of Faith have really affected how I think of my children and my goals for them. My goals are classical, in the sense of valuing the children's development as full humans, in this world, active in the social/political sphere, and with a dominant concern for their spirits. I am not classical with a strong sense of the trivium/quadrivium definitions of the medieval university system, though. And this isn't what the OP was really looking for, but Mortimer Adler listed the Homer, Milton, and the Bible as the heart of a classical education, and adding them to your reading list in whatever form suits seems a good idea for the classical educator. If I were approaching the New Testament as a non-Christian I'd try it through one of the lectures from the Teaching Company (which would offend the sensibilities of an evangelical or orthodox Christian, but are very accessible to the interested outsider), and the same for the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament for someone unfamiliar with those works. If you can't get the lectures through your library, you often can find a book authored by the lecturer. I actually find Charlotte Mason's writings abstruse and I tend to have a different point of view on so many things that it's hard for me to benefit as I could and ought. I like the AO modern-American "translations" better, and also this webpage. Perhaps I'll be able to benefit more as I continue along. I am drawn to CM b/c of the focus on a child's spirit (or character) which I believe belongs at the center of education; and also b/c Button does so well with the things we've introduced from Ambleside Online & Milestones Academy esp. Edited April 14, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Good start! Any others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Two of my favorites: Teaching The Trivium, by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn The Core, by Leigh Bortins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I really like Mortimer J. Adler's Paideia Program books. They are designed for classroom-based schooling, but a lot of it is adaptable for use in a HS setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Two of my favorites: Teaching The Trivium, by Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn The Core, by Leigh Bortins ... haven't read the Bluedorn book; but found The Core very light on content and how-to. It seems it would be best as an intro or supplement to the Classical Conversations materials; the focus was on the importance of an old-school, memory-based Classical education but the materials (or the reference books) that would allow one to implement it were not provided. I had expected more content along the lines of history pegs to remember, science pegs, &c. I really like Mortimer J. Adler's Paideia Program books. They are designed for classroom-based schooling, but a lot of it is adaptable for use in a HS setting. Thank you CrimsonWife! I haven't heard of these! and Adler is usually _not_ light on content. :) Edited April 15, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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