A Literary Education: Reflections on the Socratic Method by Sandy Moore

Firstly I want to thank all you lovely women for your willingness to come together every six weeks and participate in the Whole Hearted Home Educators CM study group. In so many ways this group has blessed my homeschooling journey, and enriched my life with new ideas, friendship and fellowship. In light of our most recent meeting focusing on Knowledge of Man: Literature, I wanted to share a few reflections and recommendations as a follow up to our discussion.

To Experience literature is to see the world through new eyes. As C.S. Lewis stated in his Experiment in Criticism, "Those of us who have been true readers all our life seldom fully realize the enormous extension of our being which we owe to the authors... My own eyes are not enough for me, I will see through the eyes of others." When we read, we broaden our perspective, so that we are no longer trapped within the limits of our own experience. "In reading great literature, " Lewis says, "I become a thousand men and yet remain myself... I see with a myriad eyes, but it is still I who see.... I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do."

This broadening of perspective is a necessary and crucial part of a strong education. The ability to interact gracefully with important ideas is one mark of a truly educated person and exposure to great ideas is the only way to become conversant with them! Great literature, because it presents ideas with eloquence, provides models and examples by which students can hone their skills of expression and debate.

However this is only half the reason.

The other half is that great literature, because it bountifully portrays the tragedy, pathos and wonder of the human condition, is an end in itself. It's not just a tool for teaching the skill of debate, or a training manual on how to discuss ideas; it is art that richly rewards the educated contemplation. It represents the contributions of its authors to what Mortimer Adler called the Great Conversation about the good life, the relationship between the human and the divine. The pleasure and fulfillment that come from reading literature are a part of what it is to be human, in the fullest sense.

This is the opening paragraph in the Book "Teaching the Classics: A Socratic Method for Literary Education" by Adam and Missy Andrews @2004, The Center for Literary Education.

This thin but meaty resource is a perfect guidebook for helping us practically implement that much sought after prize we often refer to as: "A Literary Education". I think intuitively we all know that great books are the backbone of a CM education and have taken pains to line our shelves with those classic titles by Kipling, Stevenson, Dickens, Twain, Shakespeare and Lewis, to name only a few. As our kids grow we are constantly on the lookout for quality reading material to funnel their way, in order that that dreaded harmful "twaddle" may not even cross the threshold of our domain let alone gain a foothold in our children's minds and appetites.

But the question we discussed last evening at our WHHE meeting (high school portion) seemed to be one that was on many minds. How do we interact with these great books? Do we just read them and run?... hope for the best? Allow all those good nutritious book-meals to do their nourishing work while we passively serve them up, one after the other? Or is there more we can do?

One resource I have found particularly helpful as I strive to help my kids grow in their ability to interact with those capital ideas found in the Great Books is Teaching the Classics. Not only does this resource present the 5 elements of literary analysis (Characters, Setting, Plot, Conflict and Theme) but it does so in context of easily accessible and familiar stories that entertain as well as enlighten. In addition to the literary elements this resource elucidates the tried and true" Socratic Method" of discussion. I think for many of us this style of discussion focusing on open ended questions in order to draw out the reader's own ideas and impressions of the material is intuitive but who can resist a comprehensive list of suggestions to help make the going a little easier! Using these questions as possible essay or written narration assignments helps makes this resource even more practical and allows our older students to develop those elusive written skills in manageable chunks.

Of course not every book should be "analyzed" or dissected in such a way or we will succeed only in creating readers who run the other direction when the word " literature" is mentioned. Nor should we discount that reading is a richly rewarding end in itself, and should be enjoyed as such. At the same time though, we need to be intentional about nurturing active minds in our children and ourselves, minds that are trained to discern good from evil, valid argument from opinion, truth from falsehood. By taking some time to enter into discussions about the books we are reading and the ideas contained therein we can naturally deepen our understanding of complex ideas and at the same time grow in our relationships with God, each other and the Universe. What could be time better spent than that?

Teaching the Classics: A Socratic Method for Literary Education by Adam and Missy Andrews @2004 Center for Literary Education is found in our WHHE library or can be purchased from
www.excellenceinwriting.com (click on the Literature and Poetry section)

December 7 Meeting Reminder

Greetings All,

We look forward to meeting again next Tuesday, December 7! Our philosophical component will be on chapter 2 of For The Children's Sake which is “Children are Born Persons” on pages 26-41. For the practical, we will delve into "Knowledge of Man" (Literature, Morals & Citizenship) from pages 111-120. Also, thank you to Sandy for crafting and preparing the high school section. See below.

Thank you to all of who are bringing tastes! A real blessing!

I'll be prepared in the library to receive your returns at 7:00. The meeting starts at 7:30, so please be back upstairs for the start of our great discussions!

Sincerely,
Helen


Dec 7 WHHE Meeting: Highschool Portion
Knowledge of Man (Literature, Morals and Citizenship) p111-120

Literature
"Literature has a great natural power. Through it, we receive the gifted communication of other persons. In literature perhaps more than any other art form, we are able to get into the other man's shoes." p112 For the Children's Sake

Discussion Questions:

The list of Great Books seems endless yet there are only so many hours in a day. How do you choose which literary books your teens will read in a given year? How much input do your teens have in choosing their own books? Do you follow a curriculum, booklist or guide? (Please bring any recommendations to share)

Do you set guidelines for the content with respect to your older student's free reading?
What do we do about literature that is anything BUT "pure, lovely , of good report? (see page 114)

Do you still do read alouds as a family and/or with your teens? How does this work in your schedule?
What about literary analysis? Oral and Written Narrations? Socratic Discussions? Do you practice these skills and if so how do you structure this in a given week?
Do your teens like to read? Do they like to discuss and analyze the books they are reading?

Morals and Citizenship

Charlotte Mason used Plutarch to draw the child into the life of those working and living in the ancient world. As in any such history of human endeavour, there were failures, sins and weaknesses displayed as well as responsible, good and heroic action. But the text made no comment about which was right or wrong.... She found the children began to show a sympathetic understanding of the problems of statesmanship....later on he will then see the need of organized government and will be ready to be taught about the administrative structure of his own country and international relationships..... Intertwined with citizenship is morals. After all that is why a state must have laws. The Supreme Court is important, but in a sense the individual's ideas about law are a more powerful influence in society. p116 - 117 For the Children's Sake

Have you addressed this subject in your lessons? How have you "taught" or approached citizenship? Government? Civics?
What do you think the relationship between morals and citizenship is?
Do your teens feel a sense of helplessness or empowerment with respect to government and citizenship? What about your family? Any success stories? Opportunities? Resources to share?
How powerful is the media on your children in influencing their view of morals and citizenship? (p 119)

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Gearing up for the Season!

Here's the updated library list!

There are 2 pdfs.
One is an alphabetical listing.
The other is by category.

A posting of the schedule and starting date will be posted very soon!

The Dundas Valley High School Co-op

If you are interested in a co-op experience for your  high school student, the Dundas Valley High School Co-op runs two 12-week semesters each year, offering numerous core and elective courses, including the annual Canoe Trip and Drama Production. We meet on Thursdays at St. Paul's Church in Dundas.For more information please contact Robin Larin at:   DVHSCoop@gmail.com

The Charlotte Mason Series - The Digitization of the Charlotte Mason Col...

There has been extensive work done in recent years to digitize the collection of documents related to Charlotte Mason that are currently held at the Armitt in Cumbria, UK.  Dr. Deani Van Pelt and Redeemer University in Ontario have been part of that process, and here you will see a video produced by Deani which explains the significance of the collection and the importance of having a permanent digital record.

If you have read works about CM, some of names of CM scholars may be familiar to you, and in this video you will see some of the faces that belong to those names:

Dr. Jack Beckman

Dr. John Thorley

Dr. Carroll Smith

Dr. Deani Van Pelt

There are, of course, others in the video, and others who are instrumental in bringing Charlotte Mason's work to the forefront of modern education.  We are privileged to have people who are committed to the value of this work, who are making the original documents accessible to all of us, and who are giving so much of their time and energy with little or no compensation.  


Enjoy the video!

This post has been published concurrently on Peaceledge.

High School Math

A while back someone asked me a question about a follow up to JUMP Math for older grades. If you go back to the comments on that post you'll find my response there.

Scripture Memorization System

As you may well be aware of, Simply Charlotte Mason has a wonderful system for memorizing scripture. Scroll down on the link provided for a pdf of templates. These cards make the system very user friendly. I hope it is an encouragement to put the system to use!

Charlotte Mason Education Symposium

Wednesday, October 06, 2010 starting at 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

The Department of Education at Redeemer University College will be welcoming leading international Charlotte Mason scholars to a panel discussion. The focus of this discussion will be to introduce and explore the educational theories of this 19th century educator and consider how her ideas are influencing 21st century K-12 education.

At the symposium, Redeemer University College Library will be launching the Charlotte Mason Digital Collection (CMDC) which has previously never been accessible without physically visiting the Armitt Museum in the north of England. The discussions will be led by leading Charlotte Mason experts: Dr. John Thorley, UK, Dr. Jack Beckman, USA, Ms. Lisa Cadora, USA, Dr. J Carroll Smith, USA and Ms. Marlene Power of Redeemer's Library with Dr. Deani Van Pelt moderating.

The following presentations will be made:

1. Who is Charlotte Mason and what did she offer 19th century British
education?
Presented by John Thorley, Retired Principal Dean, Charlotte Mason
College, Ambleside, England.

2. What did Charlotte Mason offer 20th century British education?
Presented by Dr Jack Beckman, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Covenant College, Georgia

3. What did Charlotte Mason offer 20th century education in North America?
Presented by Ms. Lisa Cadora, Instructor, Cincinnati College, Cincinnati, Ohio

4. What does Charlotte Mason offer 21st century education?
Presented by Dr. J. Carroll Smith, Director of Graduate School of
Education, Gardner-Webb University, North Carolina

5. What does Redeemer University College offer 21st century Charlotte
Mason education?
Presented by Ms. Marlene Power, Archivist Librarian, Redeemer University College

The CMDC has been made possible through several grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and through the support of Redeemer University College, Covenant College, GA, Gardner-Webb University, NC, University of Cumbria, UK, and The Armitt Library and Museum, UK.

REGISTRATION COMING SOON!

Have a look at the ChildLight USA blog today: http://childlightusa.wordpress.com/

Deani has written a lovely post about the process of digitizing Charlotte Mason's papers.

Hope to see many of you at the launch,
Sandy Rusby Bell


Visit the Ambleside Online Curriculum website at http://www.amblesideonline.org .
Check out our Canada page too: http://www.amblesideonline.org/Canada.shtml .

FREE Anna Comstock download

At our last meeting, we looked at nature study and science. The Handbook of Nature Study is a tremendous resource. This book is in our WHHE library and recommended in most CM books.

Here ia a free download of the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock.

http://www.archive.org/details/handbookofnature002506mbp

Thank you, Hilda!!

Take School Outside

Spring is a beautiful time: everything seems fresh and new, the greens appear more vibrant than at other times, and there is so much to observe.

At the same time, spring is a difficult time to concentrate on school: the outdoors are calling, the mind has already shifted to next year's books, and fatigue after a long year (and winter) of school has set in.

Why not take these two situations and combine them into one beautiful solution: 

Take school outside

Now, I'm not talking about bringing your books and doing Math at the picnic table, or Dictation under the budding maple tree. No. What I'm suggesting is to take advantage of this fabulous season and spend time on Nature Study.  

In my home, this is one area that gets sadly neglected during the winter months. But come spring, even my reclusive, hibernating self is antsy to get outdoors! So now is when I turn to the Handbook of Nature Study blog and get some fresh ideas for incorporating Nature Study and Anna Botsford Comstock's fantastic book Handbook of Nature Study(which is also available free online) into our days.

Barb has redesigned her blog to make it more user friendly, and has recently begun a series of spring Outdoor Hour Challenges. Why not take a look and see if there's something there that piques your interest?

WHHE Highschool CM Discussion

Hello friends:

This is just a warm invitation to join us this Tuesday April 13th for those of you interested in continuing to discuss CM Methods as pertaining to high school aged teens. This week our topic of discussion will centre around the application of CM's idea that Education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life and how that might pertain to the influence of culture on our home schooled teens.

How do we nurture our teens to fulfill God's purpose for them in their own generation?
How do raise up Godly young people who are in the world, influencing and engaging their culture without becoming negatively influenced by the world?
Are there ways we can create an atmosphere, nurture the discipline and offer life-giving opportunities to facilitate the development of our teens into who God is calling them to be?

Some areas to think about include:
Influence of Media, Social Networking Sites, TV, Movies, etc...
Music, Peer-Influence, Free time choices, leadership opportunities etc..

We look forward to encouraging one another as we seek to raise Godly teens who can be salt and light!

Sandy M.

New Items available on Tuesday!!

These three are from AO's lists (House of Education - high school):
-Georges Vanier: Soldier by Deborah Cowley
-The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Synge
-Finding God by Dr. Larry Crabb

This one was highly recommended at the last high school discussion.
-The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen

View Updated Library List

Hooray, all! Please find the 2010 library list under
"View Our Library Listings"in the upper right of this blog.
By clicking, it will/should send you to a Google site where you can save the pdf by clicking on "Feb 2010 library list.cwk (SS).pdf". There are 36 pages of 1175 items that can be 'searched'. Although we don't accept requests for holds, if you aren't seeing an item that is listed, please feel free to inquire.

Happy browsing!

New Library Items

Greetings All,

It's been my joy to serve, for a short time, as your librarian at the Whole Hearted Home Educators meetings.

I just wanted to give you a preview of the new items. A complete library list in a 36 page searchable pdf will be added when my steep learning curve peaks! Thank you, Jennifer for having confidence in my abilities!

These are the new items that will be available at the March 2nd meeting. They will be set apart so you can find them efficiently.

Be Blessed,
Helen

New WHHE Library books available at the March 2nd meeting.

-Desiring God by John Piper

-The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carlson

-Who in the World Was the Acrobatic Empress: The Story of Theodora by Robin Phillips

-Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics explained by its most brilliant teacher by Richard P. Feynman

-Mathematicians are People, Too (Vol. 1) by Luetta Reimer

-The Once and Future King by T.H. White

-Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Robert Cwiklik

-Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill by Stephen Mansfield

-Microbe Hunters: The Classic Book on the Mafor Discoveries of the Microscopic World by Paul De Kruif

-3 DVDs of Eve Anderson (teaching at Perimeter School, which is a private school today using the CM methods, in the states)
There are 3 separate DVDs. One on Nature Study (found in the Nature Study bin); one on Narration (found in the CM Resources bin); and one on Picture Study (found in the Art bin).

-True Heroism recommended in the first chapter of “When Children Love to Learn”

-The Pilgrim’s at Plymouth by Landmark Books

-TruthQuest History: Age of Revolution III (1865-2000) by Michelle Miller

-How Should We Then Live?, DVD by Francis A. Schaeffer

-Shanghaied To China, Trailblazer Series #9 (Hudson Taylor) by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson
I think this completes the series.

-Elementary Greek, Year One Kit by Christine Gatchell
Lots of talk about this one on the CM Canada group

-Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do To Stop It by Ken Ham & Britt Beemer with Todd Hillard

-Revolutionary Parenting by George Barna
This book was first introduced to me by our hostess Karen at a CM meeting. It encouraged many and even more so now in remembering David. A Spiritual Champion who has run the race and is now among the cloud of witnesses cheering us on.

-My Book House series (8 of the 12); Olive Beaupre Miller, editor
On 2 of Lori Lawings talks at the ChildLight USA Conferences, she mentions this series. Wonderful resource. The series is geared for elementary(ish) grades. Volume 5 is geared for early, progressing to upper elementary. Here’s a link to her very worthwhile talks.
http://www.childlightusa.org/conference_resources.php
* Volume 5, Over The Hills
* Volume 6, Though Fairy Halls
* Volume 7, The Magic Garden
* Volume 8, Flying Sails
* Volume 9, The Treasure Chest
* Volume 10, From the Tower Window
* Volume 11, In Shining Armor
* Volume 12, Halls of Fame

-A Child’s Day Through the Ages by Dorothy Margaret Stuart
Also recommended by Lori Lawing.

-Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times: Ancient Rome by Susan Altman
This one is just too much fun!

Advancing the Movement

Nicole Hutchinson, a Charlotte Mason educator in the United States, and connected closely with ChildLight USA directed our attention to this article in the February 1 New York Times.  


It is fascinating to see how Charlotte Mason's ideas of education are being spoken by people who, it is likely, have never read her material.  Current educational theory is moving in a very exciting direction!


To quote another CM advocate after reading this article, 

"We are on the cusp!  We can even add more to what the author is suggesting."

Please take a look at the article (it isn't long).

JUMP Math

Many of us have looked high and low to find a Math Curriculum that fits well with a Charlotte Mason education, and after lots of research, reading, and checking things out, I've come to love JUMP Math.  

I was a Mathematics major in University when I got my Bachelor of Education (with an English minor), and have lots of experience with Math both theoretically and practically.  Math is one of the subjects that I love (although in a much different way than History and Literature...) and I've loved teaching it since I was in high school and taught my friends algebra during our lunch hours!

JUMP is a very well laid out program.  It takes an incremental approach to teaching math, taking very small steps and offering suggestions to the teacher of how to present the concepts in a real way.  I've read John Mighton's books and find his theory and approach to fit very well with a CM education.

Last week I received this email from JUMP and wanted to pass the info along to you.  The TVO program mentioned has already aired, and I don't know if the program is available in their archives.


(Sorry for the goofy colours of the text below.  I had some trouble making the formatting work and didn't have the hour or more it would have taken to make it beautiful.)

Read the Recent Globe and Mail Profile on JUMP Math

The Globe and Mail recently published an in-depth article on JUMP Math, which includes new research results from a 2009 study done in London, England. Here is a link to the article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/program-could-help-kids-get-jump-start-in-math/article1433199/
Please send this link to anyone you think might be interested or post it on Facebook.

Watch John Mighton as a Guest on TVO’s Your Voice

John Mighton makes a guest appearance on TVO’s weekly program Your Voice on Sunday, January 24, at 6 pm, to discuss “Discovering Dyscalculia: The Math Learning Disability.” You can watch the show at  http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/tvoparents/index.cfm?page_id=483&event_id=2925 after January 22.

Attend the First JUMP Math Conference Coming in March

Save March 5 on your calendar for attending a JUMP Math conference in Toronto, Ontario, featuring workshops, speakers, and research news. Visit http://www.jumpmath.org starting on January 28 for conference and registration information.

Check Out Our New 2009 Edition Workbooks

Interested in seeing the results of our comprehensive revisions to our workbooks for Grades 1, 2, 7, and 8? You can get sample sections of all the workbooks for Grades 1 to 8 at http://www.jumpmath.org/new-2009-workbooks. To purchase the new workbooks from our distributor, University of Toronto Press, visit http://www.jumpmath.org/publications/order.

Donate Today!

Start 2010 by supporting a student to succeed with JUMP Math, for only $50 per student per  year. As a charity JUMP Math provides free resources for students who could not otherwise afford to be part of the program. Visit https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=7940 to donate.

Pass It On!

We sent this email message to you because you have expressed interest in JUMP Math. Please share this message with friends and colleagues who may also be interested.

© Copyright 2010 JUMP Math. All rights reserved.

JUMP Math, Multiplying Potential, the jump math wordmark, and the reagent logo are registered trademarks and/or service marks of JUMP Math in Canada and other countries.

Mailing address:
JUMP Math, One Yonge Street, Suite 1006, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5E 1E5

Winter Nature Study

It's not too late to ramp up your winter nature study time!

Barb (Harmony Art Mom) has a series of winter outdoor hour challenges that are easy to use, easy to do. Don't let the snow and cold keep you from nature study (say I while I'm tucked nicely inside a cozy home)! It only takes a few minutes a week to open your eyes and heart to the Creator's wonderful details. Barb makes it easy to incorporate Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study, and to make these times more than simple observation.

Check out her winter series! Barb only started this series in early January, so you won't even feel behind if you start now. The first one is Cattails in Winter. Then comes Winter Tree Study. And the last one to date is today's: Winter Sky and Stars. (I think my family will start with the trees, then we'll do the sky and stars. I'd enjoy talking to you at the next meeting if you tried one of them, too.)

ChildLight USA Charlotte Mason Conference - 2010

If you've thought of attending the annual Charlotte Mason conference hosted in North Carolina but have never managed to get things together in time, let this year be different.

ChildlightUSA has just announced the dates and theme for the 2010 conference:

2010 Conference Information

The 6th Annual Charlotte Mason Education Conference

June 9, 10, 11, 12, 2010.

Theme for this year’s conference:

A 21st Century Education: Applying a Charlotte Mason Curriculum

Mark the dates on your calendar today, then visit ChildlightUSA in a few weeks to get all the details as they become available.