Classical Education

I just finished reading a WeE-book from The Old Schoolhouse entitled "Classical Education" by Kate Kessler. What is a WeE-book, you ask? According to their website, they are "... concise nuggets of wisdom from your favorite homeschool authors, covering a variety of topics of interest to homeschoolers." They "are designed with today’s busy, homeschool mom in mind. WeE-book™ may be small in name, size, and price, but they are big in value."

So, I read about a homeschooling style known as Classical Education. I was able to immediately download a pdf file that was only 19 pages. However, I found this a little misleading as the article itself was only around 12 pages - and that included the cover, title pages and table of contents. The article was an interview with Christine Miller, homeschool mother, history curriculum author, and publisher.

Mrs. Miller offers definitions of of two types of homeschooling in her discussion. She uses her own homeschooling experiences to inform readers of the Charlotte Mason style of education as well as Classical education. She compares the two styles pointing out their similar focus on 'living books'. For anyone who does not know what these are, 'living books' are those books that allow a personal connection between the author and the reader. These books maintain the reader's wonder and excitement. Mrs. Miller points out that these types of books are central to both styles of education.

The difference she mentions is that the Charlotte Mason method of education, for her, did not challenge her children enough once they reached the high school level. She also wanted something that would maintain the love of learning they already had. The Classical style of education provided that for her and her children.

One thing I liked about this interview was that she really related to the 'typical' homeschool family (whatever that is!). She mentioned that she learned about the Classical method and made the decision to switch during the school year. Like most people, she couldn't afford to buy all new curriculum materials. I could genuinely relate to this!

The only thing I did not like was that the article only provided one person's perspective - a curriculum provider's perspective. In an article titled "Classical Education" I would have liked to see others' experiences included as well. At certain places in the article, I felt like I was reading a commercial for Mrs. Miller's curriculum products. However, the article provided a sound description of Classical Education in a short, concise format. If I was not already incorporating elements of this method into my homeschool, I would be intrigued enough to want to learn more about it.

There are many more topics available in the WeE-book format; check them out here.