Why are you here at TWTM boards?

[ErinE]

I thought about homeschooling my eldest from the beginning, but I didn't know how as I didn't know any homeschoolers IRL. Two and a half years later, DH's job changed, our family life felt consumed by PS, and I met a long-time HS family. Though the mom was more a CM follower, she had tried a variety of curriculum and had a wealth of knowledge on different HS options. WTM was not on her radar.

 

I read many books on the whys and how-tos of homeschooling. I was browsing the stacks at the Boston Public Library and found the homeschool section. There sat the 2nd edition of The Well-Trained Mind. I opened the book, read the introduction, and flipped through the remaining sections. I realized that the book was closest to my goals for my children than any other philosophy I had researched thus far. I checked it out, went home, read it all the way through, took pages of notes, bought the Kindle version, and highlighted and took more notes. I put together a curriculum summary and using it like a business presentation, I made the case to DH that I could homeschool our kids.

 

I homeschooled for several months before I found the boards. I had combined my friend's recommendations with SWB's and schooling was going fairly well. While planning for the next school year, I was on SWB's website, reading her articles and clicked on the link to the forums.

 

I come here for the curriculum recommendations, education discussions, and a bit of socializing. IRL, almost all the homeschoolers use online schools or boxed curriculum like Abeka. Like many here, I put more emphasis on math and science than the WTM, but I re-read the book every year while planning for the next year.

[ZooRho]

I voted just a little bit of all.

I have no idea how long I've been around. I am on the SL forums and migrated here sometime way back.  Probably didn't post much. Started posting more a few years back when my son had a health issue and I was looking for more advice about it.   The ladies that helped were wonderful so I come and check things out occasionally.

I'm in my last year of hsing. I used Sonlight and had been using it before the book came out so wasn't interested in changing formats.  That said. I've also "known" Susan from WAY BACK, before she was famous.  She came to our small hs group meeting and spoke, it was so funny to listen to her speak about hsing her kids and the reality of what it was like.    She was/is so down to earth.  She lives in my neck of the woods so to speak.  

I have a first edition of the book.  I have used some of the recommendations but not most.

I enjoy conversations about homeschooling.

 

[T'smom]

I read the book long before I found the boards. At least 7 years ago.

 

I have always been interested in education and knew I wanted to homeschool my kids before I even had kids! I had seen the WTM in the library many times, but always skipped over it because it recommended Latin. And I thought that was just crazy! But before a weekend trip (where I was tagging along with dh while he went to a conference) I went to the library to check out books and it was the only one in the homeschooling/education section that I had not read. So I checked it out. I read the whole thing cover to cover that weekend! (It was helped by the fact that I didn't have much to do while dh was in meetings) it was like a lightbulb went off. It just made so much sense.

 

My oldest is just starting 1st grade, so we'll see how real life ends up meeting the ideal!

[Jean in Newcastle]

 I'm not sure how long I will stay for since most people here are homeschoolers and I am not at the moment and at times I feel like since I am not homeschooling my opinions are not valid. Homeschooling is still a future possibility and I might even have some in school and some at home.

This is such a varied board.  We have a very active afterschooler sub forum.  We also have lots of talks about non homeschooling or even non education topics - cupcakes anyone?!  

 

I was doing classical education before I even heard of classical education or TWTM.  I actually did not get my copy of the book until last year - 9 years after starting  homeschooling!  I had checked it out of the library before then and had used it as an occasional reference but once we started high school I needed my own copy.  

[nova mama]

I read through most of TWTM about 5 years ago. My oldest was still in public school and I was afterschooling. I found the board shortly thereafter. The book and probably the board helped me decide that I was capable of homeschooling. Though I don't follow TWTM as closely as I'd originally planned, I still refer to it at least once a year.

[Roadrunner]

I was complaining to my coworker about our PS and the next day he marched into my office with a copy of WTM and told me I migh find some answers there. I did :)

[Danielle1746]

I read TWTM shortly before coming to this board.

[justkeepswimming]

I love, and re-read through, TWTM at least once a year.  It's turned out that I have kids who tend to learn toward math and science, so I don't implement as many of the ideas as I would like to (doing that degree of history would murder my oldest).  I recommend to book to everyone I know who is thinking of seriously homeschooling and use it as an inspiration. Every time I read it, I learn something new that I put into action with what we are doing that year. It's now the only homeschooling book I bother to read, since we're pretty much in a good groove of things. :)

 

Oh - and I use it for myself as well. I've never made time to read the Well Educated Mind, so I find things in TWTM that I've never read before - and often use her suggestions for high school science to teach myself new things...

[twoxcell]

I come here to exchange ideas with all sorts of homeschoolers(and non homeschoolers), to socialize, and because it is plain fun. As far as your other questions:

 

1) have ever read The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer all the way through or not

 

Yes I have read it but only the Grammar and Logic stage sections.

 

2) read TWTM by SWB before or after you came to the boards

 

I think I read it after joining this board, but it was close to the same time period. ;)

 

[redsquirrel]

I came for information about curriculum and to to be a better classical homeschooler, but I stay for the David Tennant pictures (kilt not necessary....wait, I didn't mean that like you are thinking I meant that...stop that! You guys....cut it out)

[Space station]

I read the book from cover to cover before doing anything else.  It was eye-opening for me and thought, "that is how I want to homeschool!"  In reality, it doesn't always work out that way, but the concepts still are what guide me.  I came to the boards later and like seeing the diversity in the way TWTM is applied in parts or whole.

[Mommyfaithe]

I read the first edition when it came out. I came to the boards in 2004. I own all 3 editions and regularly refer to them.

I have read and own all 3 editions. I refer to them every year during planning time. I do not follow the actual curricula suggested, but much of the theory behind the suggestions.

 

I have been on these forums since the inception of them. I stay here mostly because where else will you find such a diversity of homeschooling parents who have so many views and opinions on everything, yet are supportive of YOU and not trying to convince you that their way is the ONLY way. I love it here!! Through my illness and recovery, it was tthe people here who bolstered me and encouraged me, gave me information on latest research etc. during my son 's bout with Lyme Disease...i found other Moms going through the same thing. This is a community I wish I could be a part of "in real life ". But, will make do with virtual. â¤

[Chris in VA]

When I started homeschooling, I came here to exchange ideas. I've read WTM several times, mostly the second edition.

 

Now that I'm not anymore, I come to feel connected to the community that formed thru years of shared experiences.

 

Y'all are my peeps. Doesn't matter if we don't share homeschooling.

 

Once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler.  ;)

[maize]

I had read TWTM before I found these boards.

[TracyP]

I read TWTM a year or so before coming to these boards. I used to hang out on the TOG forums and someone over there mentioned the WTM forums. I was blown away by the number of homeschooling parents that were here. And then to top it off, they all were serious about it. NOT what I was seeing IRL at the time.

 

This is a community I wish I could be a part of "in real life ". But, will make do with virtual. â¤

 

Exactly.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I read TWTM before finding those boards. I have read it multiple times. I am using it for inspiration in history and literature, but do not follow it strictly; I am not satisfied with the science and math suggestions.

I am here on these boards because it is a unique community of homeschoolers that care about academics- most of the homeschoolers I know IRL are unschoolers, and I am alone with my homeschooling philosophy.

I have been reading here for several years and found it extremely helpful; I have learned about curriculum, navigating high school, general homeschooling issues, general educational philosophical debates. I am in turn happy to offer my insights in the areas where i possess subject expertise.

 

I was gonna post, but now all I need to do is say, "What she said!"  hee hee

[craftyerin]

1) have ever read The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer all the way through or not

Yep! Several times, and at least 2 of the editions. 

 

2) read TWTM by SWB before or after you came to the boards

Yep! I read TWTM first about 10 years ago when I was teaching in a private classical school.  I was curious about SWB and someday homeschooling my future children, and I liked the general curriculum and approach of the school I was teaching at, so I read it.  Then I read it again, aloud, to my then-fiance-now-husband.  It was the first time we discussed the possibility of homeschooling one day.  Fortunately, it didn't scare him off.  :lol:

 

I consider myself more a Charlotte Mason homeschooler than a classical homeschooler, but IMO, TWTM is one of the best homeschool resource books out there.  I recommend it to everyone considering homeschooling, without reservation. 

[mommaduck]

1) have ever read The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer all the way through or not

 

Yes, several times. The first time I had borrowed it from the St. Louis Public Library when my oldest was three. I now own a copy and my oldest is almost seventeen.

 

2) read TWTM by SWB before or after you came to the boards

 

I read it the first time LONG before I knew about the boards.

[Soror]

Well, looking at my profile it seems I joined in May 2010. I visited for awhile before joining though. I learned about WTM from the Mothering boards as we got deeper into schooling I wanted more of a support system, even if it was online. I cannot remember if I read WTM before or after joining. I do remember that I read Berquist's book before as we are Catholic and it was recommended on a Catholic board that I used to frequent.

 

I'm here because there isn't much support irl for those who are serious about education. It seems finding people that actually even consistently school is rare and beyond that classical education seems to be pretty non-existent locally.

[mommymilkies]

In this thread, 1.

I wasn't referencing this thread, but other posts and threads I've seen over the past few years.

[melmichigan]

I found this board after I started homeschooling, when I wanted to implement something other than "school at home". Soon after I read WTM cover to cover, and have done so many times since. I don't follow the math and science as much as I do the english and history. I come to these boards to be around other parents who care about academics and to share ideas and experiences.

[readinmom]

I read WTM cover to cover many times before I discovered the forum.  It's nice to have a place to go to read, comment, and share ideas about education and our kids.  The social aspect is an added bonus.  I will admit that I was a lurker when my dc were in ps.  I joined when ds began his journey of homeschooling, as short as it was.  Now I get to start all over with dd10. 

[charcat13]

I've read TWTM at least twice all the way through. I occasionally refer back to certain sections. I began reading the forums when I ordered the book and was waiting for it to be delivered.

[mommymilkies]

Yes, I know I could pick it up at any time.  I just have never gotten around to it I guess.  By the time I came here to the boards, I was well entrenched in home schooling in the way that works best for my family.  Perhaps I shall read it one day yet, who knows.

 

 

Well, I  know who she is and what WTM is.  It's just that like I said above, I was entrenched in home schooling in a way that works for us by the time I came here.  And like I've said previously, there is MUCH to learn here and I have learned much. I believe my children have benefited from that, whether or not I've read the book.  

 

I have not actually noticed too many others here who have not read, and to not know who SWB is, but it's good to know I am not alone I suppose   :)

I wasn't referencing you.  I didn't even read the thread first.  :p

 

But I was referencing the number of people I have seen on here who actually did not know WTM or SWB before coming here and it always confused me because I didn't know how they got here.   :lol:  The search function on here has me less than pleased, but if you search back, you'll see it's not terribly uncommon.  Maybe not in this thread, no, but it has been an issue.  I'm not saying they're bad people, it just confuses me for a minute.  

[8filltheheart]

But I was referencing the number of people I have seen on here who actually did not know WTM or SWB before coming here and it always confused me because I didn't know how they got here. :lol: The search function on here has me less than pleased, but if you search back, you'll see it's not terribly uncommon. Maybe not in this thread, no, but it has been an issue. I'm not saying they're bad people, it just confuses me for a minute.

 

I read the WTM 1x many yrs before I found the forums. I read it bc I was putting together a talk to give on eclectic homeschooling and I wanted another source to suggest to people that didn't want to go via a provider. (I think that was in 2001, I can't remember exactly.). I found the forums sometime around 2004, I think (ETA: I have tried remembering when I found the forums and I only have a vague memory of coming to the old boards to read about Foerster's alg.   Jeepers......I never spent more than 5 mins on the internet before that day!!)

 

Anyway, I am another poster that doesn't use the WTM personally. I do recommend it to people. But, I am also like CupOCoffee. I have been doing this so long I don't need(or actually even want) a guide to something that I enjoy doing myself.

 

But.....this forum has been my homeschool support group for ages. I have met some of the best women in my life via this forum and am incredibly thankful for them. Kathy in Richmond is not only a wonderful friend that I would never have met without this forum, she has also made a huge impact on the life of my children......for which I am forever grateful.

 

Anyway, I guess you can count me in the group that confuses you.

[TracyP]

 

Anyway, I guess you can count me in the group that confuses you.

 

I think you are misunderstanding. I have seen what mommymilkies is talking about.

 

Someone writes: I don't know if you follow the Bauer's philosophy, but blah, blah, blah

 

Poster responds: Who are the Bauer's? (fill in WTM, SWB, Jessie Wise). People here keep mentioning them.

 

It doesn't happen often, but I have definitely seen it. No biggie. Just kinda makes you go :confused:

[go_go_gadget]

We follow WTM almost precisely for LA and history (using mostly PHP materials for those), and with a more of ''spirit of the law'' rather than ''letter of the law'' for math and science. Some of the STEM curricula we use didn't exist at the time of the last printing, and we as parents are STEM people so we have more extensive resources and experience to apply to those subjects than is aimed for in WTM. I think WTM lays out a perfectly solid math and science progression, but that those subjects are possibly represented at a notch or so lower level than the truly excellent LA subjects.

[Hunter's Moon]

I joined in 2010 when my parents and I decided homeschooling would be the best fit for my last two years of high school. It turned into self-education, and I have been here ever since. 

 

I like to collect ideas and wisdom for when DH and I have children and home school (God willing). 

[Mommy22alyns]

I have read most of TWTM and I did so before joining the boards.  WTM made me feel like, "I can do this."  I don't follow everything exactly, but I feel like we do have a classical flavor more than any other style.  This place is my homeschooling haven!

[carriede]

I read TWTM before I found the Hive. I got a used copy when DS was 2, so I've been thinking about classical education for a while and still have another 1-2 years before we start anything that's definitively classical.

 

I put "other" for the first question, since my oldest is only 4. His education does not follow a specific model at the moment... though it doesn't conflict with Classical education since we are simply concentrating on the 3 Rs and reading lots of books.

 

But I do like the classical model more than other types I've researched, except for science - DH wants more hands on than TWTM specifies.

[Dana]

When researching anything homeschooling related, this forum has the best threads. I rarely have to even ask a question because I always find my answers in previous threads.

 

Although I found tags to be very helpful in searching the board, and I really miss them with the changes to the new forum software.

 

We don't follow the WTM, but I really like the people here. It is pricey though...

I've found excellent resources here that have helped tremendously when we've hit rough spots.

[Luckymama]

I am here on these boards because it is a unique community of homeschoolers that care about academics- most of the homeschoolers I know IRL are unschoolers, and I am alone with my homeschooling philosophy.

I have been reading here for several years and found it extremely helpful; I have learned about curriculum, navigating high school, general homeschooling issues, general educational philosophical debates. I am in turn happy to offer my insights in the areas where i possess subject expertise.

Ditto this, except substitute religious homeschoolers for unschoolers.

 

I read TWTM before we actually started homeschooling in 2010. I found the boards in Jan 2010 through a google search for something, not sure, when we were trying to decide what to do for ddNow13.

[8filltheheart]

I think you are misunderstanding. I have seen what mommymilkies is talking about.

 

Someone writes: I don't know if you follow the Bauer's philosophy, but blah, blah, blah

 

Poster responds: Who are the Bauer's? (fill in WTM, SWB, Jessie Wise). People here keep mentioning them.

 

It doesn't happen often, but I have definitely seen it. No biggie. Just kinda makes you go :confused:

 

Probably did.   I have a very bad habit of skimming superficial threads vs. reading them carefully.   I read the post to mean simply not seeking the forum b/c it was the WTM forum and why come here if you weren't interested in it.   :)

[Kathy in Richmond]

But.....this forum has been my homeschool support group for ages. I have met some of the best women in my life via this forum and am incredibly thankful for them. Kathy in Richmond is not only a wonderful friend that I would never have met without this forum, she has also made a huge impact on the life of my children......for which I am forever grateful.

Awww... :blushing: :seeya: Missing you & your gang around here a whole lot! Think that you could ship some of them up here for a couple mornings a week? It's going to be mighty quiet around the house after L goes back to school. :)

[Dmmetler]

I've read all of it, and have used some of the recommendations, although more from the 1st edition than later ones (with the exception of SOTW, a lot of the peace hill press stuff doesn't seem to fit well for DD so far). I consider myself a classical homeschooler, but with a STEM kid who doesn't like history once you get out of the "interesting stuff" (basically, past the Renaissance), I have to tweak a lot.

 

I found the forums after finding the book in the library, the semester before we pulled DD to homeschool. I've bought three versions of the book since.

[maize]

I wasn't referencing you. I didn't even read the thread first. :p

 

But I was referencing the number of people I have seen on here who actually did not know WTM or SWB before coming here and it always confused me because I didn't know how they got here. :lol: The search function on here has me less than pleased, but if you search back, you'll see it's not terribly uncommon. Maybe not in this thread, no, but it has been an issue. I'm not saying they're bad people, it just confuses me for a minute.

If you google information on many homeschool and some non homeschool topics results from this forum are on the first page. I imagine many people find the forum that way.

[maize]

 

We don't follow the WTM, but I really like the people here. It is pricey though...

 

No kidding! If SWB got some kind of a commission off of purchases initiated because of forum recommendations, she could quit her day job and spend all her time writing new materials for all of us ðŸ˜

[MinivanMom]

I had read TWTM prior to discovering these boards.  I follow the parts of classical education that work for our family, but I don't consider myself a "classical" homeschooler.  My purpose in homeschooling is to provide my children with a rigorous education that is best suited to their individual needs, not to implement a particular philosophy of education.  I come here, because these boards are the best resource available for information on education, homeschooling, and curriculum. 

 

When new homeschoolers (or moms just thinking about homeschooling) ask me about curriculum or ask me why it is that homeschoolers never talk about education or curriculum, I always refer them to these boards.  I don't think it matters whether they have read TWTM or want to give their children a classical education.  New homeschoolers need information about homeschooling, and these boards are the best source of information on homeschooling.  As an added bonus, the WTM boards are an island of tolerance in the world of homeschooling.  I can refers friends and acquaintances here without worrying that "lifestyle" issues will scare them off of homeschooling.

[swimmermom3]

My SIL lent me her first edition of TWTM when I decided to pull my youngest from public school at the end of third grade. It completely overwhelmed me, even with two degrees. My oldest son joined his younger brother at home at his request and our first year spent homeschooling with Sonlight straight out of the box was absolute magic. Today, my boys will tell you it was the best school year ever.

 

Now, we are starting our seventh year of homeschooling and my own third edition of TWTM is well-worn, heavily-marked, coffee-stained, and it may even have a dribble or two of tequila on it. :blushing:  SWB grows exponentially in my estimation with each passing year. I have gone from thinking, "How can you write about what works when your kids are so little?" to breathing a sigh of relief when I hear Susan frankly admit on one of her numerous MP3 downloads that I listen to regularly, that she was burned out and doing some outsourcing. Any doubts I had were erased last year when ds laid on the couch in the living room late one evening and went on for almost an our about The Iliad. It was an impromptu discussion and at the end of it he looked at me and said, "This is why I wanted to do literature at home." (He spent the first semester of his freshman year at the public high school.) We conduct much of our history and literature along TWTM guidelines thanks to the help on the high school forum.

 

Why am I on this board? I don't even remember how I got here - possibly dissatisfaction on the Sonlight forum. At first, it's hard to find your place, especially if you aren't an "intentional" homeschooler who knew about classical education while your children were still in the womb. Frankly, threads like this can feel like someone slamming the door in your face. Sometimes the message comes across that if you haven't followed SWB from kindergarten, then you are not a real homeschooler. That stuff doesn't bother me any longer. I have the scars, the books, and the caffeine habit to prove that I am a "real" homeschool teacher. I also have friendships with wonderful women I have met in real life and conversed with here on the board that mean the world to me. My ideal wrap-up for our homeschooling adventure would be to take ds on a cross-country tour of the U.S., making convenient stops to deliver cookies and wine to the lovely "boardies" who have made this ride so much the richer - educational for him, social for me.

 

The complaint that there is no one to talk to about classical education on this board is an old one. This baffles me. Ask a question on something in TWTM and you are sure to get an answer. If you can't find it in your usual hangout, say the logic stage forum, then look up. Try high school or even the college board. There you will find many homeschool veterans who started homeschooling when it wasn't popular and there were few resources specifically designed for homeschooling. They are well-versed in the ways of TWTM.

 

 

 

 

[Kareni]

... my own third edition of TWTM is well-worn, heavily-marked, coffee-stained, and it may even have a dribble or two of tequila on it. :blushing: 

 

... along with the blood, sweat, and tears.  And chocolate thumbprints!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

 

[fiberdrunk]

When you respond, please tell me if you:

 

1) have ever read The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer all the way through or not

2) read TWTM by SWB before or after you came to the boards

 

I've read TWTM all the way through (both the 2nd & 3rd editions), and I read it before I ever found this forum.

 

[swimmermom3]

... along with the blood, sweat, and tears.  And chocolate thumbprints!

 

Regards,

Kareni

 

This. If someone had told me how much plain hard work is involved in homeschooling, I might have reconsidered. Also, I know no one locally who is homeschooling a high school student and who is not deeply religious. The board goes a long way in taking the sting out of that sense of isolation.

 

[happypamama]

I've skimmed TWTM and have read parts of it more thoroughly. Parts of it resonate with me, but so do parts of CM and unschooling and even school-at-home. I've done more or less of various methods at various times and with various children and various subjects. I like many of the suggestions from TWTM/SWB for books (whereas I'm not quite as thrilled with some of Ambleside's suggestions). I like SOTW and WWE, and I like the emphasis on Latin and living books.

 

I came here because a friend recommended it for helping me find some Bible suggestions, and I stayed because I like it here. I've gotten other good suggestions along the way too, whether strictly classical or not, and the socializing is good.

[8filltheheart]

This. If someone had told me how much plain hard work is involved in homeschooling, I might have reconsidered. Also, I know no one locally who is homeschooling a high school student and who is not deeply religious. The board goes a long way in taking the sting out of that sense of isolation.

 

Well, Lisa, I am seriously deeply religious and you know I love you, right? :)

[quark]

How much of your homeschooling follows some form of Classical Education?

Other: seemed the best choice for a mom who is enamored of the method and does try to use it to influence our reading choices and "how" we learn.

 

(ETA: I've read part of the 2nd ed and most of the 3rd ed, both before coming to the boards. We burned out the first year I tried to implement it so I stopped using WTM. I then started lurking on the boards. Lurked about 2 years I think and only after that picked up courage to start posting.)

 

How much of your homeschooling follows the specific recommendations of TWTM by Bauer?

A little bit. My answer would have been None about a month ago. This year I am implementing Susan's ideas for literature and history, especially advice on outlines, summaries and discussion.

 

Why do you come to TWTM boards?

I chose several as well as Other. This is one of the few places where I can find real answers for my asynchronous child. I find myself researching the high school board for math and science ideas as well as reading lists and literature. For writing I hang out mostly on the K-8 and logic boards. For history, it's both the high school and logic boards etc. I like various boards for planning and organization ideas and just soaking in the wisdom of other homeschoolers, even those with kids younger than mine.

 

I also come because like 8 says I find myself agreeing with the more eclectic philosophies of various posters and I truly appreciate the time they put into offering suggestions. I keep coming back because I adore the expert, been-there-done-that suggestions. Kathy in Richmond and mathwonk and Arcadia especially have really enriched me with ideas on how to keep challenging my son. I am inspired by Lori D. and I aspire to be as organized as she is some day. People like regentrude, nan, correlano, 8filltheHeart, swimmermom, lewelma, elegant lion and a few others challenge *me* to be a better homeschooler. I also really look forward to sharing ideas with Chrysalis Academy, Halcyon, AlteVeste, and many others throughout our journey as we all have kids in the same age group.

 

I belong to a good local homeschooling community and am able to meet a number of homeschoolers IRL who are quite similar to us in philosophy but there's something about this particular virtual community that fills a need.

 

I'm also really grateful for all the great pet advice I receive here. :)

[MommaOfalotta]

The WTM  was the first homeschooling book I read when we decided to homeschool. A family member that has homeschooled 18+ years recommended it to me to read before we got started. So this was before I found the boards.

 

I actually haven't read every chapter of the high school years word for word. I've mostly skimmed it. But I have read the first 2/3 of the book multiple times.

 

 

[Pen]

Reading such wide responses makes me wonder about the different sub-groups of people here.  I'm curious about the actual breakdown.  Some people I know IRL say it's actually hard to get much feedback from people with experience using TWTM by SWB or by people who follow any for of Classical Education here on TWTM boards. I'm wondering if that's because they're responding to the topics on forums that aren't specifically geared to Classical Education or if it's because there's a large percentage of people here who have simply opted for a different educational philosophy.

 

When you respond, please tell me if you:

 

1) have ever read The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer all the way through or not

2) read TWTM by SWB before or after you came to the boards

 

1)  Not sure if all the way through or not.  Mostly read what pertains to stage my child is.

 

2) both

 

Other:  I found SOTW first, and from there TWTM, and from there this website.  I like the forums because they have a wider perspective than just classical education.

[Chrysalis Academy]

 

 

I also come because like 8 says I find myself agreeing with the more eclectic philosophies of various posters and I truly appreciate the time they put into offering suggestions. I keep coming back because I adore the expert, been-there-done-that suggestions. Kathy in Richmond and mathwonk and Arcadia especially have really enriched me with ideas on how to keep challenging my son. I am inspired by Lori D. and I aspire to be as organized as she is some day. People like regentrude, nan, correlano, 8filltheHeart, swimmermom, lewelma, elegant lion and a few others challenge *me* to be a better homeschooler. I also really look forward to sharing ideas with Chrysalis Academy, Halcyon, AlteVeste, and many others throughout our journey as we all have kids in the same age group.

 

 

 

:001_wub:   Hear hear!   And right back at ya! 

[Rosie_0801]

I'm actually surprised people are so vocal about not using/liking her products. I think that's a wee bit rude :)

 

How is she going to sell products if she doesn't take into account our needs? 

 

Rude is saying she's a hag and her products aren't worth the paper they are printed on and will ruin everyone's children forever. No one says that. Even those who'd rather dig their eyes out with a spork than use FLL know and admit that it is just perfect for some.

[LMD]

I have read TWTM all the way through.  I loved it.  I read it before I came to the boards.  Actually I should give it another read.

 

I don't follow the Classical Model exactly, and I don't use all/most of the materials recommended in TWTM.  We don't do latin ;) .  But it gave me great ideas and confidence that inspire the way I homeschool.

 

I love these boards, so many very wise women who have walked the walk before me - I feel smarter just reading here!