Learning the Classical Approach

[johnpaul.ramsay]

I'm a new homeschooling dad, and am still learning a lot. My wife and I really like the looks of Classical Christian education, and specifically Memoria Press' curriculum. We're still trying to learn and understand what classical Christian education is and how to do it. Are there any books that the MP staff would recommend to help us learn? I've seen The Well Trained Mind cited a lot on these forums. I plan on picking that up. But I also understand that it's very religion neutral. Are there any books in the same vein that discusses the What/Why/How of Classical Christian education?

[tanya]

Yes! I think Climbing Parnassus by Tracy Lee Simmons is the best apology for a classical education I have read. I would definitely read that (we sell it if you want to purchase it new). Also, we sell The Latin-Centered Curriculum. That book, along with The Well-Trained Mind, would help you make a decision as to how you want to do a classical/Christian education. The more you read, the more information you will have at hand to help you make the right choices for your family. The articles on our website can be very helpful too. You might want to look through them.

Regards,

Tanya Charlton

[johnpaul.ramsay]

Thanks, Tanya. We have thoroughly enjoyed the articles published in MP's catalog. I'm thirsty for more! We will look these books up and start reading.

Thanks!

[Eric Nilsson]

Probably one of the best books on the trivium (outside of Memoria Press of course) is Sister Miriam Joseph's "The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric." I used it to design curriculum for college composition courses.

These may not be exactly what you're looking for but I've found them useful in terms of helping me to sustain the vision of what I was doing.
1. James W. Sire, Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling
2. John Henry Cardinal Newman, The Idea of a University
3. Robert Littlejohn & Charles T. Evans, Wisdom and Eloquence: A Christian Paradigm for Classical Learning
4. Arthur F. Holmes, The Idea of a Christian College
5. Dorthy Sayers, The Lost Tools of Learning (I don't know about anybody else but it was discovering this essay 30 years ago that kick-started my commitment to classical education)
I realize that these are geared towards a different age than K-12 but as I mentioned sometimes it's terribly difficult to buck the prevailing educational trends so hostile to the ideals of classical education. I needed to be inoculated against despair and if you teach English composition in an American high school they issue that along with your keys.

[johnpaul.ramsay]

Thanks Eric,
We'll look into some of these as well. My wife has borrowed the Well Trained Mind from a friend and is enjoying it. I would really like to read the Lost Tools of Learning and Climbing Parnassus.