The focus on great books and rigorous academics is so tempting to this ISTJ. But at the end of the day, there is not really enough room in this program for the average student to develop a love of learning. Even to me - someone who really loves reading, writing, and learning in general - the emphasis on those aspects of education sounded so incredibly boring! I would want for my students to get outside of the house and have actual experiences more often.

The model here would be great for those kids who excel in language naturally. They may very well like all the reading and writing that is required. For anyone who struggles with these skills, the program will frustrate and discourage, rather than inspire them to keep going. If a student is considering a trade school, or is questioning whether they need to go to college at all, the classical education as it's presented here is simply not likely to be the best option.

The authors state that the book is just a guide, and aspects can be tweaked for your particular children, but then in other sections, they list certain "musts" and such - the tone overall tends to lean toward a strict curriculum.

There is some great information within these pages, however! There are tons of resources, gathered all into one place, guides to what children should know at certain grade levels, and even some good thoughts. Although, the book is pretty repetitive - it could have been condensed quite a bit!

Grammar Stage (Grades 1-4)

"Young children are described as sponges because they soak up knowledge. But there's another side to the metaphor. Squeeze a dry sponge and nothing comes out. First the sponge has to be filled." pp 21-22

Logic Stage (Grades 5-8)

"The middle-grade student still absorbs information. But instead of passively accepting this information, she'll be interacting with it - deciding on its values, its purpose, and its place in the scheme of knowledge." p 231

Rhetoric Stage (Grades 9-12)

"Rhetoric is the art of expression... Since self-expression is one of the greatest desires of adolescence, high school students should have training in the skills of rhetoric so that they can say, clearly and convincingly, what's on their minds. Without these skills, the desire for self-expression is frustrated." p 465 ( )

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (TWTM) offers a "step-by-step, grade-by-grade, subject-by-subject guide to the classical pattern of education called the trivium." And yes, it is as detailed, systematic, polysyllabic, and guilt-inducing as it sounds...

The massive text of TWTM applies the trivium step-by-step to each subject in each grade. Most chapters include comprehensive reading and resource lists that will make your eyes water, plus examples of daily schedules, methods, timelines, and activities to create the most perfectly educated robotic child ever known to mankind.

Read full review here: http://greenroomthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/07/bi-polar-home-schooling.html ( )

Good reference for education in general. ( )

This is THE guide to homeschooling using the classical education approach. If you can accomplish what Wise-Bauer dictates, your child will have an education superior to many college level students. That's the thing: it's a hard route to follow if you do it all. Her reading lists are in depth and carefully selected. Her topics for curriculum choices include Latin and advanced grammar studies. She is thorough and complete.

That said, some of her schedules for accomplishing things are pretty unrealistic: they depend on complete interest and compliance by the student. We did most of it, but sometimes you just can't motivate a child into some of her more stringent requirements (and a few seemed simply unnecessary). She knows her stuff, and this book is like NO other for selecting curriculum and knowing what to do, and when. I give it five stars because it's just that extensive, and enabled me to homeschool two sons for a period of time before they both entered college in their sophomore year of high school.
Along with this book, a copy of Rainbow Resources Inc. supply catalog, and a great deal of cash for materials, and you'll be set. ( )

I have found this book to be fundamental in our efforts to plan for schooling at home. It is well laid out, and intended for all readers who are considering the quality of their children's education.