Teaching The Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style

If you want a guide that not only educates you as you prepare to nurture and homeschool your children this is a great book... but even more is that it is book that does it all with the guidance of scripture! You can not go wrong with this book. God’s word saturates it all and is so well inscribed into every explanation. It’s not pushy or harsh or overbearing, it’s done so wisely and practically. I even felt encouraged and uplifted by it as I read. It is a must!

As a former Valedictorian with a relatively positive public school experience people are often surprised to learn of my choice to homeschool, especially since my faith was not a factor when I made that decision. My reasons hinged on the fact that, though I got excellent grades, I knew and understood very little that I could apply practically. I was skilled at memorization and test-taking, making me a "success". Harvey & Laurie Bluedorn's Teaching the Trivium focuses on this very concern. "How can you give your children the tools they need to teach themselves? Long ago students were first taught how to learn. Today, students are taught an encyclopedia of subjects - trivia - but they are not taught the basic skills of learning: to discover, to reason, and to apply. They are not taught the Trivium." ~Bluedorn Teaching the Trivium is 640 pages explaining the "whys" as well as the "hows" of educating your child Classically without compromising your Christian principles. You'll find schedules, courses of study, principles for teaching literature and much more. If you desire to raise Godly children who are able to teach themselves anything: to discover, to reason , to apply - then this book is a must-read. Whether you're sold on Classical Education or not you'll find much to consider and apply.

Having come to Christianity late in life I have always been put off by what I like to call "Christianese" that being any number of stock phrases that Christians use to communicate complex ideas to each other. These are phrases such as "fed" or "washed in the blood." I'm so pleased to find Christian authors who have intelligent minds and use them without relying on a lot of Christian lingo to get their point across. The Bluedorns believe that educating our children is a mandate of God. They spend an entire chapter of this expounding, arguing and providing proof for this argument. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book. I found it so thought provoking that I often read portions aloud to my husband and we had many interesting discussions based on this. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. What the Bluedorns continue with in the book is a systematic approach for teaching our children in a manner that glorifies and honors God. They show us how to teach our children to not only love God with their whole heart and soul but also with their whole MIND. This is the great strength of this book. If you are interested in Classical Education I strongly urge you to get this book. I, and many others I know, consider this a handbook or a manual if you will for how to classically educate your child. Once it has been read and understood then you can put it on the shelf close at hand to turn to again and again for answers to questions you encounter along the way. The how and the why of their plan is clearly laid out in a format that is easy to understand. There are also chapters devoted to helping parents to use the Trivium with other methods such as Charlotte Mason as well as a discussion of some methods that do not fit well with the Trivium such as Unschooling. These chapters contain discussions and explanations of each method. This would be very valuable for those approaching educating their child for the first time as they investigate what method they will use. Part two of the book is titled "The Practical Trivium" and contains valuable, hands on information for how to teach your child. All areas of study and ages are covered. Finally lists of specific resources and where you can obtain them are given. This is the part that I turn to again and again. The information here is extensive and exhaustive. The explanations and reasons are clear and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone who home educates their child. The information is intelligent and thought provoking. You will come away well educated on the subject of homeschooling in addition to having valuable tools for carrying out homeschooling.

This book has really been a great help to me in educating my children classically. I do not have access to any other classical homeschoolers in my area whom I could address my questions to regarding CHRISTIAN education while following the classical method. I found all my answers here and then some that I would never had dreamed of even asking! =) I am so thrilled to have found something *so* comprehensive, this is truly the only homeschool 'how to' book I'll ever need.

This book is good. A previous reviewer condemned it, although their children are still very young. The Bluedorns experience and wisdom were placed into this book after they had grown children. This, in itself, is the main reason this book is set apart from other how-to-homeschool books on the market. Divided into two sections and two appendixes, this 637 page book contains a wealth of information. Part One gives topics such as why a Classical education should be considered, reasons a family should homeschool, ways of teaching/learning, a clear definition of the Trivium, reasons behind learning languages, the different stages of the Trivium, applying the Trivium to different homeschool philosophies, and views on literaure and history. Part Two (my favorite), systamatically applies the Trivium philosophy with chidlren's brain devlopement in chapters such as 'Ten Things to Do Before Age Ten', 'Ten Things to Do with Children Ages Ten Through Twelve', and on through the developmental years until 'Conclusion: Life's Goals Begin at Home'. Wow! Then to conclude this feast of information, there is two appendixes. The first appendix contains articles from various notable authors and also summaries regarding education. These tidbits are so rich that they alone are worth the price of the book. Lastly, Appexndix 2 is a modest resource list in which there is a "Fair Warning" reminding the reader to use their own brain. Again, the Bluedorns have set themselves apart from other how-to-homeschool books because this list gives the authority of choosing the educational materials to the reader. This is one of the best homeschooling books I have ever read. I constantly refer to it. This is a far different perspective than 99% of the others. This book gives dimension in a way that shows depth and the other side of the educational spectrum. I highly suggest reading it and slowly digesting it. Their children are grown, they have blessed me with their experience - so that I might learn from them.

How do you evaluate the success of your home school? Is it by awards, SAT scores, college acceptance, scholarships, or winning the local spelling bee or art contest? Sure, those are measurements of success, but beyond those tangible rewards, it's seeing first hand the fruits of your labor; watching your children take what you've taught them and run with it. It's seeing them use the tools they need to teach themselves. They discover. They reason. They apply. That's the trivium. Teaching the Trivium is an outstanding resource that explains what Christian homeschooling in a classical approach is, and models how it's done. Using her 20 years of experience, Laurie Bluedorn's own successful, talented (now adult) children are testimony to the success of her use of this approach to homeschool education, and serve as encouraging role models for those of us with growing children. Part one of the book explains what classical education is; giving a good argument for why home is better than a classical classroom setting, and provides the what is/how to of teaching grammar, logic and rhetoric. Part two explores the practical trivium, breaking the application into the developmental stages of your child up to college age. You'll find everything you need to teach the trivium, such as suggested schedules, course of studies, and a great chapter on principles for the study of literature. The appendix has very helpful articles including a comparison of ancient alphabets, and the history and research on the teaching of math. Whether you're new to the classical style of teaching, or have been doing it from the start, there is something for every homeschooling family in Teaching the Trivium. This phenomenal resource is one of those books you will be reading and re-reading over and over again. Don't wait for it to show up at a used curriculum sale-I can't imagine anyone parting with it.