For LCC users...

[Alice]

I just read The Latin-Centered Curriculum. I liked it a lot and was really impressed by it. The reason I read it was that I kept seeing people refer to it here and thought it would be interesting. (My kids are really young and we are a year or two from doing anything more than phonics and fun stuff we call school...but I like reading education books just for my own interest and in thinking about the future.)

 

Anyway...I was surprised because one thing I felt like I kept seeing people say about the LCC was that it is a "gentler" approach. From reading it I didn't get that at all. It seemed to me that it would be just as rigorous to the WTM approach but just laid out differently. So I'm just curious for those who use this approach how it feels in your home...also how it works with multiple kids.

[Plaid Dad]

Have you had a look at the LCC web site? There are several day-in-the-life articles that might help you get an idea of what this looks like on the ground. The LatinClassicalEd list (see my sig) is another great resource. I also do a weekly report of what my own family's homeschool looks like (link to blog below).

 

Yes, LCC is rigorous. There's no question about that. And I don't think that in the high school years the time commitment is much less than you'd find in any college prep program. The main difference for younger kids, and the reason I think many people describe it as "gentle," lies in the number of subjects and how they're approached - and this is even more streamlined in the forthcoming new edition. Instead of curricula for English grammar and vocabulary and a foreign language, you have Latin. Instead of grammar and spelling and penmanship, you have copywork and then composition. Instead of scheduling history or science/nature study 3x a week, you're doing each subject once and possibly "just reading" rather than doing a workbook and/or activities. I do emphasize the importance of independent reading, but there is no "school work" attached to that; it is for delight and discovery. I reject the idea that kids need a workbook to teach them to wash their hands, eat the vegetables, and be nice to their siblings, so I don't bother with subjects like "health" or "character training." I trust parents to make sure their kids get time outdoors to run around and play sports, so although physical activity is very important, I don't tell parents to schedule P.E. so many times a week. All in all, formal schooling time can be surprisingly short, and there is little if any busywork. For parents who have been trying to "do it all," that will seem gentle.

 

The idea is for studies to be intensive rather than extensive. Less is more; quality, not quantity. The reading lists are designed to give kids the cultural and historical background they need to understand Great Books - and, I would argue, life. (Again, the new edition has some real improvements here.) Compared to programs that try to be comprehensive, LCC probably seems relaxed. That's not how I would describe it; I would say that it is focused. HTH!

[cajun.classical]

Compared to programs that try to be comprehensive, LCC probably seems relaxed. That's not how I would describe it; I would say that it is focused. HTH!

 

That's exactly what I was going to say! Rigorous, but focused. In one sense, my days are much easier and more relaxed because we are streamlined, but in another sense, I'm in awe at the rigor of the work my children are doing: 2 foreign languages, Classical Writing, Intensive Math, not to mention loads of reading and discussion. I feel like focusing on the most important areas allows us to accomplish more with much less anxiety and stress.

[Mama Lynx]

LCC allows me to be more relaxed, by sharpening my focus. We put effort into the important things, and know that we can learn the rest by reading.

 

I know the daily schedules in the book look just as time-consuming, but that's not how it's ever played out in my house. Drew's literature and history recommendations do *not* take up full years, unless you move through them very slowly. So right there, you have options - move through the material at a typical pace, freeing up you later in the year to read other things, or to do other things, or to take a break; or, go through the material slowly, bit by bit, but taking less time out of each day.

 

I feel that if we focus on doing quality work in math and Latin (and soon Greek) and read quality literature every day, my children will have a good education. Throw Classical Writing in on top of that and they've got an excellent education. Everything else is gravy, and we learn tons of science and history through just reading and discussion.

[Heather in Neverland]

Yup...what they said. It is not, in my opinion, "lighter" by any stretch of the imagination. It is just more focused and streamlined but it is VERY rigorous.

[Alice]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful.

 

Thanks especially Plaid Dad :)...I just like writing that name, it's cheery. I checked out the website and your blog. I especially found your blog helpful.(And very fun to look at, I liked the recipes.) I also appreciate seeing your journey as a homeschooling father as my husband and I plan on somewhat sharing the homeschooling tasks, probably more so as the kids get older.

 

I did enjoy the book and it's given me something to think about. I thought it was a very convincing argument for teaching Latin. As I said before, we're really early in this whole process (my boys are 4 and 16 months). The 16 month old is majoring in napping and dumping out containers of toys with a minor in bugging his brother. I am doing some phonics and Singapore EB Math with the 4 yr old. One thing I feel I'm learning (which you may or may not agree with as the author of a curriculum book) is that there are lots of different paths we can take and depending on our circumstances and my kids' needs/interests any of them might work.

 

I also have to say one thing I appreciate about these message boards is the opportunity for discussion of different methods/curriculum/points of view. I frequent another homeschooling message board and although I like the people posting and have found them supportive; I have been turned off by the message from the administrators that their way is the only way and posts that seem to want to limit discussion of anything else. So kudos to Plaid Dad and SWB for being open to discussion.

[Beth in SW WA]

So kudos to Plaid Dad and SWB for being open to discussion.

 

AMEN! This is a great venue to share ideas -- as it seems most of us have a hybrid form of homeschooling. Reading TWTM helped me decide to pull my kids from private Christian school -- and reading LCC confirmed that we should pursue Latin. Both SWB and Drew have provided excellent resources/manuals -- but it is up to us to make it work for our own kiddos.

 

Ah, the beauty of homeschooling :)