Cursus Honorum: A General Approach to the Organization of Classical Homeschooling
Classics is for all ages
details of Antiquity are not
Unless you’re only familiar with Disney’s Hercules, you already know that the Ancient World was a harsh place. One has to discuss gladiatorial fights with children delicately.
But it would be a mistake to keep young people from anything related to the ancient world.
Inspired by “The Well-Trained Mind” and my own experience in the classroom and children, here’s a list of suggested approaches with linked reviews and resources.
This page is expanding every month, so please check back and send a note to what you’d like to see.
Experiential Learning
If you’ve ever read the same book to a child five times in a row, you know: children love memorization and monotony.
Instead of frustrating you, let it be an opportunity.
Start with languages. Read them Latin. Let them see the Greek alphabet.
Introduce them to maps, locations, and the very basics of gods and leaders. Let them live their “Parrot Stage” to the fullest and memorize all the basic facts that will let them analyze later. This stage helps them learn how to learn–and to enjoy it.
Good Resources for the Beginning Phase (Coming Soon)
Philosophical Training
Once students graduate from the elementary level, they’re ready for more philosophical discussion. (The “Logic Stage,” according to Bauer & Wise).
Don’t let the stereotypes of teenage brain rot fool you. Middle-schoolers are still children, but they are also learning to grapple with big questions about life. They’re yearning for meaning and truth.
Don’t deny them an opportunity to build foundations for philosophical discussion.
Good Resources for the Middle Phase (Coming Soon)
The Ability to Evaluate
As children gain independence, they have to evaluate situations and make decisions for themselves.
But before they have to face issues in the real world, they can be trained in the classroom. Like the declamationes of the Roman world, the little orators will learn how to form reasoned arguments.
Good Resources for the Classically Trained Phase (Coming Soon)