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Introduction to Classical Education
Introduction

On the Trivium
Trivium

The Grammar Stage
Grammar

The Dialectic Stage
Dialectic

The Rhetoric Stage
Rhetoric

Classical Homeschooling
Homeschool

Classical Curriculum and Online Catalog
Curriculum

CCH FAQ
cch faq

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Art History Index
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Cross and crown of thorns, the symbols of our Lord’s suffering for our sakes

Classical Christian
Homeschooling:
Classical Education
at Home

WebMaster:
Christine Miller

Classical Christian
Homeschooling FAQ

www.clas...ling.org/faq.html

This page last revised:
February 2003

Copyright
© 1997-2003

Core of Classical Education

Getting Started

Starting with Older Children

Changing to Classical Education

Choosing Curriculum

Teaching Kindergarten

Scheduling the School Day

Testing & Classical Homeschooling

Charlotte Mason & Classical Education

CCH & The Well-Trained Mind

Classical Education & Girls

Classical Education & Learning Disabilities

Why Classical Education is for Everyone

Biblical Foundation of Classical Christian Education

The Book of Kells

The Book of Kells, the richly decorated manuscript of the four gospels, is one of the masterpieces of Western art. It is believed to be the work of Irish monks at the scriptorium of Iona about 800 AD. Courtesy of Trinity College Dublin.


I can’t teach all the subjects possible. What is the core of classical education that I must include, if I had to make a choice?

There are two major ideas on how to best implement a modern classical education. The first developed primarily from a close adherence to Dorothy Sayer’s philosophy of education outlined in The Lost Tools of Learning. Continue


I am just beginning homeschooling and am interested in using the classical model with my children. How do I get started teaching this way?

Someone just beginning the classical homeschooling journey probably falls into one of two categories: those that are beginning homeschooling, and are starting their homeschooling journey with classical education, and those that are not new to homeschooling, but are new to classical education. Continue


I just discovered Classical Education, but my children are older, and have missed some (or all) of the grammar stage (or the dialectic or rhetoric stages). How do I start with older children?

It is possible to begin classical education with older children--I did with mine. When we switched from Charlotte Mason educational theory to Classical Education four years ago, my children were in 7th, 4th, and 3rd grades. Continue


I have been homeschooling using a different educational model. How do I implement such a big change to classical education?

Depending on which educational model someone is changing to classical education from, there will be more or less changes to make. Because of its emphasis on great books, good literature, classical art and music, and grammar lessons for elementary children, the Charlotte Mason method might require the fewest changes. Continue


How do I choose curriculum which provides a classical education?

The first thing to remember in choosing classical curriculum is that the classical method is not curriculum dependent. This means that if you understand the goals and the methods of classical education, many different curricula can be used and adapted to meet those goals, to implement those methods. Continue


The classical model begins with first grade. How should I go about teaching kindergarten?

Remember that kindergarten is not technically necessary. The origin of kindergarten lies with the Prussian model of schooling, admired by Horace Mann et al, and was instituted to remove children from the influence of their parents at an earlier age. Continue


I want my children to learn all twelve of the subjects discussed for each stage. But there is only so many hours in the day. How do I schedule the school day, without overloading myself or my kids, while still doing justice to the subject matter?

Before trying to establish a schedule, consider that homeschools are not locked into doing things as they are done in intstitutionalized school. Much of the institutionalized system comes from the Prussian model of schooling, which was established, not to give children the best education, but to mold children into the best citizens, who will do as the state wishes without causing the state too much aggravation. Continue


I haven’t found any mention of testing in CCH’s Curriculum section. How do I go about testing or grading using CCH’s method?

Classical Christian Homeschooling provides a different type of education than most public, or even private, schools. CCH does not rely on workbooks and text books so much, but on real books, on “living” books. Testing out of workbooks and text books seems familiar ... Continue


I read that you used to use Charlotte Mason educational theory in your homeschool, and switched from it to classical education. Why?

Charlotte Mason was an educator in Victorian England, at a time when the only method in use in England was the classical method. Therefore there are some strong similarities between Charlotte Mason and Classical Education. For instance, they both focus on including great literature in the curriculum. They both have a strong focus on the academic foundation of grammar, history, and mathematics. But to understand the differences, one must understand how classical education was implemented as a matter of course in Victorian England. Continue


What is the difference between the classical education of Classical Christian Homeschooling and the classical education of The Well-Trained Mind?

There are similarities and differences between Classical Christian Homeschooling’s method of classical education and The Well-Trained Mind’s method of classical education. The similarities, of course, are that they both attempt to define a modern way of implementing classical education in the home school. They both recognize the stages of the trivium. The differences are subtle, yet fundamental. Continue


Our daughters are to grow up to be stay-at-home wives and mothers, so wouldn’t a rigorous classical education for girls be superfluous (or should their education be different than our sons’)?

The question is often raised, “Since my daughters will grow up to be wives and mothers, rather than career women, is a rigorous classical education superfluous for them, or should they be educated, in regard to academic learning, differently than our sons?” In order to answer this question, it would be helpful to understand the purpose of a classical education. Continue


Can I teach my child with learning disabilities using Classical Education, and how?

Answer coming soon.


I have heard that Classical Education is just for the intellectual elite or the future leaders of society. Is it really an education just for some, or is classical education for everyone?

Answer coming soon.


Classial education seems like the best model to produce truly educated children. But as Christians, how can we use the model established by the pagan Greeks and Romans? Does Christian classical education have a Biblical foundation?

Answer coming soon.


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