New & How is Classical HS Simpler In Practical Terms?

[waternymph]

Hello,

I'm new here and still learning about classical homeschooling versus the "traditional Christian" route of A Beka Book/Bob Jones with which I've been familiar--and too busy! I'm asking about that, in fact. I've been very attracted by the ad copy on the back of my Memoria Press catalogs that shows a thick stack of books and says, "Too many subjects, too little time? Simplify your curriculum with a classical education."

But I am really wondering if that is literally possible, and how, very specifically. I have four children, ages 7, 6, 4, and 3. Right now with the two older ones I use A Beka and each has a separate phonics, spelling, language, history, science, health, and math book, some of those with separate test/drill booklets, and then the readers for each. When I have all four schooling (with A Beka, hypothetically, if I hadn't switched by then to classical homeschooling), that'd be 8-9 subjects times 4 children, which is from 32-36 different sets of subject lesson plans to keep track of daily.

But!- -can it *really* be any different with classical homeschooling? I looked at the very nice curriculum map that Memoria Press has printed on two pages within the catalog, and that didn't seem to include science or much history, both of which I'm required to include. I don't notice English grammar or any literature program there. Maybe that is just a skeleton framework and it is assumed the mom will add those other elements. Another catalog I receive is the Veritas Press catalog, that includes several items from Memoria (that's how I found out about Memoria) and their grade level curriculum looks astonishingly daunting to me, with so many books, and yet seemingly no concrete lesson plans to tell me how to teach them, and how to come up with something as "proof" of our schooling. Some may have the time to come up with their own plans, but with four quite young children practically stair-stepped in age, and two of those preschoolers, I don't have that time yet.

But I really keep being drawn to classical homeschooling, most of all because I thoroughly believe that to understand our culture, we must understand our Greek and Roman roots. So what I am hoping to find out is, can I really make it work to actually simplify the lengthy to-do list of workbook pages and bubbles and lines to fill in? I want to! Any suggestions and ideas, please?

Thank you so very much!!

Margaret

[Pam]

I have 3 children....... 5, 7 & 8. The 7 and 8 year old I teach together, the same grade..... there has been little need to adjust. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses and we work around those. That is one way that has made it easier.

The next thing is that by doing Latin (we are in the middle of Prima Latina) we are covering some grammar also. No need for a separate grammar class. We are using a Classical Writing program and that covers grammar as well, and spelling.

By concentrating more on Classical History/Literature (Greek Myths) we are doing all of the above subjects and consolidating even more.

Science I have relaxed on.....we do nature studies and also talk about chemistry. More than anything we have fun with this and only do it once a week for as long as they want (within reason). Everyone seems to enjoy the relaxed approach.....they live science so it requires less formal study.

Eli.....the 5 year old is just getting Phonics (Phonics Pathways and Explode the Code), Saxon Math, and Handwriting. He tends to hang around with the girls and learns through osmosis.

The general concept, if I am getting it right, is to fold some of the subjects together......thereby reducing your workload. It can still be teacher intensive but is within fewer classes. We are easily done in 4 hours for the girls and <1 hour for the boy each day. That is less time than I was spending on another classical type method and is waaaaay less stressful. ....for us anyway.

[classical4mom]

I just wanted to add that in addition to using a latin centered approach to consolidate subjects, you can concentrate on the children really mastering the fewer subjects that they do study.
It also leaves more time for things that I consider critical to my children's education- art and music. Instead of thinking of these things as "extras" which is what has happened in the past due to time constraints, I can think of these things as "core" and really allow my children to excel.

HTH, ~Nanci

[crblomquist]

I would first of all read "The Latin-Centered Curriculum," which you can buy through MP. That will explain the classical approach in much more detail and will give you a practical, "how-to" manual. It doesn't give lesson plans, but it does explain how each subject can be done, scope and sequences, and book descriptions. It may answer a lot of your questions.

I am slowly figuring out how to condense subjects as I go. If you can remember that in classical education, Latin and math and classical history are the core essentials, then you can figure out how to fold subjects together. For instance, we do Latin and math daily. We also do English studies daily, which includes recitation, spelling, grammar/usage lessons, reading, writing etc, but we don't do all those things in E.S. every day. We also do MP's Intro to Classical studies, nature study (1x/week), Modern Studies (geography, cultures, American history, etc.--1x/week), Christian studies (catechesis), and science/art/music/p.e. (1x/week). Although this may not seem any simpler than what you are doing, the fact is that these are the things I CHOSE to do and they are not done every day. They are not the things you HAVE to do to give your kids a classical education. What you HAVE to do is Latin, math, and classical history (which includes Bible, Roman, and Greek history). Everything else can be done formally, informally, not at all, independently, or through independent reading only--as you choose (or your state!). With Latin, math, and classical history, you can learn grammar/usage/mechanics, composition (through essay questions and narrations), math skills, foundational history, reading practice, spelling/vocab, and memorization skills. I personally feel a formal writing program is far preferable to narration-only composition, but even with using only narrations and essay questions for writing, you can use your child's mistakes to insert relevant punctuation/spelling/usage lessons. Science, American history/geography, art and music appreciation, and poetry/modern fiction reading can all be done with library books, activity kits, and other things that your child could do alone. Of course, that doesn't include instrument lessons or art technique lessons--but those are optional, anyway.