Trivium and Quadrivium?

[DJB]

I'm new here and curious about this as a potential method for homeschooling or if there are co-ops/programs that follow it - from what I understand it is classical education. But I don't know all the nuances. Thank you.

[Slache]

This is a free, concise PDF on the subject: https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/an-introduction-to-classical-education-a-guide-for-parents

The first of my favorite lectures:

 

[PeterPan]

Welcome to the boards! 

Have you checked to see if your library has a copy of The Well-Trained Mind?

Edited July 13, 2021 by PeterPan

[DJB]

Thanks, I can order it. We are just in the process of moving and I just learned about this and am planning to homeschool - however, I'm a single working parent and looking for more of a co-op situation - or school! - just wondering if it exists at the middle school level - and eager to dig in. Thank you!

[Slache]

14 minutes ago, DJB said:

Thanks, I can order it. We are just in the process of moving and I just learned about this and am planning to homeschool - however, I'm a single working parent and looking for more of a co-op situation - or school! - just wondering if it exists at the middle school level - and eager to dig in. Thank you!

A private, classical school would do it. Classical Conversations co-op. If you're Catholic I would ask your church. How old are your kid(s)?

[DJB]

My daughter will be 12/6th gr this fall.

[Slache]

1 hour ago, DJB said:

My daughter will be 12/6th gr this fall.

Definitely read The Well Trained Mind. I assumed she was little because you said "plan to". TWTM is a how to on classical education, piece by piece. 

[kiwik]

On 7/14/2021 at 4:08 AM, DJB said:

Thanks, I can order it. We are just in the process of moving and I just learned about this and am planning to homeschool - however, I'm a single working parent and looking for more of a co-op situation - or school! - just wondering if it exists at the middle school level - and eager to dig in. Thank you!

You want to home school using a school?

[DJB]

On 8/8/2021 at 6:57 AM, kiwik said:

You want to home school using a school?

I'm a single working parent - my daughter is an only child. I don't know why this feels like judgment - but basically I'm asking for support - 

[Slache]

3 hours ago, DJB said:

I'm a single working parent - my daughter is an only child. I don't know why this feels like judgment - but basically I'm asking for support - 

It's confusion, not judgement. You can homeschool or send your child to school, but you cannot homeschool through a school.

Have you made any progress in your decision making?

[kiwik]

6 hours ago, DJB said:

I'm a single working parent - my daughter is an only child. I don't know why this feels like judgment - but basically I'm asking for support - 

Nah so am I but I have 2 kids one of who attends school.  I just think you need to get clear want you want.  You may find it is not home school you want (which where I am means you can't use a school although there are some one day programmes that are out of reach financially for many if not most).  You may just want some different than what you have in which case some kind of school may meet your need if you are somewhere that has options (I assume you are in the US unlike me and there are things like charters, co-ops, cottage schools, part time programmes etc).  I believe many places in the US have free online schools available? Maybe that would be an option?  There are also some places where you can do part time school I think.  And there is the option of using a variety of on line providers although for this year they will mostly be full.  Believe me if you are in the US you could have SO many options I can't conceive of it.  It is the one thing I envy you for, oh and not having to wait 3 months for curriculum purchases.  

you have to sort out 2 things. 1/ what you don't like about what you had and what you want instead and 2/ childcare.  If you work from home you may or may not need childcare.  You may live somewhere it is legal to leave a 12 year old at home and have a kid who is OK with that.  Once you have those 2 sorted you can work out resources for academics and socialising.

[DJB]

On 8/9/2021 at 3:02 PM, Slache said:

It's confusion, not judgement. You can homeschool or send your child to school, but you cannot homeschool through a school.

Have you made any progress in your decision making?

I'm confused! It's a homeschool co-op. They are teaching writing (chronicles of narnia) and science - I'm doing the rest at home and have a tutor for latin. So we are not homeschooling?

[Slache]

6 hours ago, DJB said:

I'm confused! It's a homeschool co-op. They are teaching writing (chronicles of narnia) and science - I'm doing the rest at home and have a tutor for latin. So we are not homeschooling?

That's a co-op, not a school. It sounded like you wanted to send your child to a private school and call it homeschooling.

How is everything going?

[Servant4Christ]

If you're looking for other curriculum that fits the classical category, there are several. Veritas and Memorial Press are both very popular here. Also, request a free Rainbow Resource Center catalog. It has a wealth of info in it and has icons that tell you if an item is classical, traditional, ect and which type of learning style (mastery, spiral, ect), as well as whether it is Christian, Secular, or neutral in content. I was given one by a friend when I was trying to sort out all the options and figure out which way was up before we began homeschooling and it was a fantastic resource that I still enjoy looking through to get ideas.

Edited September 3, 2021 by Servant4Christ

[Servant4Christ]

As for co-ops, I've never used one personally, but have several friends who use Classical Conversations through a local church and like it alot. If you would like to tell us which subjects you are still searching for and what your criteria are (examples: textbook, workbook, or computer based and secular or Christian worldview), you'll get a lot more responses with specific curriculum recs that will fit your needs and lots of support and encouragement while you navigate through it all. Congratulations on your decision to homeschool and welcome to the boards!

Edited August 31, 2021 by Servant4Christ

[Dwayne]

Excellent series on the Trivium

 

[DJB]

On 8/9/2021 at 3:02 PM, Slache said:

It's confusion, not judgement. You can homeschool or send your child to school, but you cannot homeschool through a school.

Have you made any progress in your decision making?

Even if it's a homeschool coop? This is what I'm confused by. She's home, and we go 2 days a week for her to take classes at a Christian homeschool program.

[DJB]

On 8/29/2021 at 6:24 PM, Slache said:

That's a co-op, not a school. It sounded like you wanted to send your child to a private school and call it homeschooling.

How is everything going?

Right. Yes, sorry if that was confusing. I will post an update below.

[DJB]

So this is our update. I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with it but it's much better than what we are doing.

I have a latin tutor that my daughter meets online 1x a week and we do the work the rest of the week on our own.

I have a math tutor - same as above, and he is awesome (10th grader) and we LOVE beast academy.

And we drive one hour each way to go to this homeschool co-op. I did it for the instruction and socialization. It's *a lot*- my daughter is getting a lot out of the writing class - it's IEW with chronicles of narnia

But the science hasn't been going so well. 

I'm sort of yearning to do something with more of a rhythm this feels choppy- 

She'll also be working with goats in 4h, I started a girls group her age group, and she is doing pottery and an outdoor program on Saturdays. 

I LOVE watching hillsdale college videos. 

 

That's about all. 

[kiwik]

12 hours ago, DJB said:

Even if it's a homeschool coop? This is what I'm confused by. She's home, and we go 2 days a week for her to take classes at a Christian homeschool program.

Where I am there are no such things.  So you calling it a school confused me.

[caffeineandbooks]

If you love Hillsdale College videos, you might also love CenterforLit.com.  They are all Hillsdale graduates and have a fantastic approach to teaching literature.  There are free podcasts as well as $$ content - their Teaching the Classics seminar will set you up to teach lit yourself and they run online classes if you prefer to outsource.

It sounds like you're doing everything right - trying stuff out, working out what you do and don't like.  Most people take a year or two to find their rhythm and it's common for people's homeschool "style" to morph over time.  It's not wasted time, even if you drop some things and head in a different direction.  Best of luck on your journey!