Customer Reviews

Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum

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If you are looking for general information about classical education, what it is and why one would want to use this approach, you won't find it in this book. This is definitely written for people who've already researched it and are now making up their own curriculum. The book lists books and curriculum that Ms. Berquist recommends for all subjects, organized in a per grade level format. It is well written, easy to follow, and makes designing your own curriculum seem not only possible but easy. The author inputs her personal opinions about various books and curriculum, stating what has worked for her and what did not; the majority of the content is a description of what did work for her. I love reading homeschooling parent's opinions of what worked, what didn't and why; I learn more from their opinions than from reading marketing materials that the companies write.

The listings of books and curriculum is limited to just what Berquist personally used. For example, one math curriculum company seems to be used throughout all the grade levels. If this book were truly for someone to design their own curriculum, I would think that if they tried Ms. Berquist's recommended math curriculum and the family did not like it, that they would need some help and guidance to find a different curriculum. The book would live up to its title if it contained a variety of different curriculum company options with Ms. Berquist's opinions of the pro's and con's of each. In this case the reader would have to turn to other sources to find ideas for books or curriculum that may fit their own custom-designed curriculum for their child. (However, that is the beauty of designing your own curriculum, that no two programs will be identical, right?) For anyone looking for that type of review, for additional information, I suggest two (non-religious) books: Rebecca Rupp's The Complete Home Learning Source Book. Or for less curriculum but more books and materials that you can truly custom-create your own curriculum, I suggest The Home School Source Book by Jean and Donn Reed. (These two books are different from each other and are not duplicates in any way.)

Each recommended book and curriculum is footnoted with a source. This is nice yet it is unavoidable that companies change their inventory constantly. I found that some of the recommended books were unavailable at the recommended sources when I attempted to buy them. The author didn't include ISBN numbers for the recommended books, and I had trouble finding the books doing a general book search without the ISBN (for example, many books are called "children's bible" and no author name was listed for that volume). Lastly, Internet Website addresses were not given for any of the sources although many of the companies do have a Website. I used a search engine to track down the websites with success.

I think the strongest area is Berquist's detailed recommendations for quality teaching materials for the subject of Catholicism. The religion curriculum is very detailed: more detailed than other subjects and I found it very helpful. I feel that some of her recommended courses of study are weak, such as using the game "Mommy, it's a Renoir" to teach art spanning several grade levels.

Two homeschooling mothers that I know who read "The Well Trained Mind" (TWTM) first and wanted to design their own Catholic Classical Education program for their children said they felt this book was invaluable and both recommended that I read this book. They found it easy to read, felt that it had good resource listings, and said it helped quelch a bit of fear about what they perceived was an overwhelming task after reading TWTM: to custom design a classical education for their own children.

This is definitely worth reading if you are starting out homeschooling with the intent to design your own classical curriculum, which includes teaching Catholicism to your children. You may not choose to duplicate Berquist's program 100%, but you will find many good recommendations, good source lists to obtain catalogs from, and will be inspired and will feel that you are capable of designing your own curriculum plan!

I can only imagine that the reviewer who didn't find "detailed advice" in this book was expecting day-by-day lesson plans instead of a general resource book. (And Ms. Berquist does sell those syllabi separately, btw....) To the contrary, I found the book quite detailed in its explanation of materials for each grade level and felt it to be a fabulous resource for starting to plan a homeschool curriculum. (This book, combined with "Catholic Education: Homeward Bound," (Hahn, Hasson) provides a broad jumping point in finding and "feeling out" suitable materials.)

This book could have been improved in three ways. One would be if the author included more materials to choose from -- rather than just including her personal selections, she could have listed materials which she hasn't used herself, but still would be appropriate for building a classical education curriculum. (Particularly when the ones she recommends are out of print!)

The second way it could have been improved would have been to include at least a small taste of a sample day in detail for each grade. The author includes only general sample schedules for each grade level, consisting of which subjects would be studied on each particular day -- without even a timeframe for each! While I wasn't expecting to have the year laid out for me on a daily basis, I felt somewhat like I'd been throw an armful of books and a general schedule -- and had a huge hole still to fill. Showing even a day's sample lesson plans for each grade would go a long way towards showing the reader how to put theory into practice.

And third, I found one significant flaw in the book was its weakness in the area of science, particularly in the early grades. My own planning includes a heavier emphasis on science than the author allows.

Finally, my own philosphy is a that a Catholic education is one which is rigorous in content and in harmony with our faith -- but *not* one in which anything the child ever sees must have been written or created by a Catholic. The fact that the author includes books by those of other faiths offends me not in the least -- and in fact, I believe makes for a more well-rounded and openminded, questioning education.

Like any book of this nature, this volume should be read with a "will this work for my child?" mindset rather than slavish acceptance. Given that, though, this book, all in all, belongs on any "classical" homeschooler's bookshelf.

... After looking at the massive amount of material on the market today, it was so nice to find someone who has sorted through everything and really narrowed things down. Since we started with her program 2 years ago, I find I am more pleased with it as time goes on. The best part is that it is extremely do-able, especially if you are doing more than one grade at a time. I find that we have no "busy" work and there is ver little overlapping of topics, which I think is why the all-inclusive programs are so cumbersome. We concentrate on the essentials and actually have time to do extra things like nature walks and art projects. The year by year lesson plans are definately necessary if you really want to follow this program. They are relatively inexpensive though and are worth the cost. I find her program is the perfect mix of the "hand-holding" that some of us need without the rigorousness and deadlines of an all-inclusive program. Also it leaves plenty of room for substitions, deletions or additions if there is anything out there that you like better. After reading Karen Andreola's book "The Charlotte Mason Companion" (which I highly recommend), I was so pleased at how many of her suggestions Laura has followed.

Although the bulk of the text is devoted to curriculum suggestions, which can be easily found elsewhere, the resource lists will be very helpful to any homeschool family, Catholic or not. Yet it is the introduction that I found most helpful in solidifying my concept of the philosophy of Classical Education in general, and homeschooling in particular. One caution however. The book includes an article on what NOT to do in an appendix at the end. This really should have followed immediately after the introduction since the advice is very important. I am sure that some readers will inadvertently miss this treasure, and that is a shame.

After making the decision to homeschool my children, it was time to decide WHAT to teach my children and what MATERIALS to use. I found myself adrift in a sea of glossy textbook catalogs and contradicting recommendations from other homeschooling parents.

Then Ms. Berquist's simplistic title caught my eye. She offers a method of teaching that makes perfect sense to me, and she breaks down the formidable task of home education into grade-by-grade, subject-by-subject guidelines.

In addition, she has compiled an impressive list of educational resources. As I read, I found myself flipping back to the list of suppliers to make yet another note of a "must-have" book. An added bonus is that I feel confident that her recommendations are "Catholic-friendly," since many homeschool suppliers offer Christian materials that are biased against or not in accord with Catholic teaching.

Her book is the perfect tool for someone like me, who wants to home educate but doesn't know how or where to start.

Laura Berquist strikes gold again in her new edition of "Designing..." Having bought, read and used the '95 edition, I wondered if the cost of the new one would be worth it. It is more than worth it. Mrs. Berquist's many, many years of homeschooling experience give the reader a wealth of information and resources unequalled in the Catholic hs community when pulling together a solid, classical curriculum from scratch. Most impressive in the new edition is the expanded high school section. I trust Mrs. Berquist's recommendations given she "has been there."

The only challenge one finds is the lack of material on helping a child to write. In many places, the author suggests having the students write papers without offering sources to help parents teach their children writing. When speaking to homeschoolers, it seems to be a subject which intimidates parents. A couple of suggested resources would have been good.

This book, along with Catholic Home Schooling by Mary Kay Clark, should be on every Catholic homeschooler's bookshelf.

Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum is definitely one of the best homeschooling purchases I have made over the years. Not only is it an excellent resource for beginners wishing to learn about the classical education route, but it is also an invaluable reference for experienced homeschool veterans. In this book, the author shares helpful advice and numerous tips from her many years of homeschooling experience in addition to offering various curriculum suggestions for each stage of the trivium.

Instead of dictating one cookie cutter form of classical education, the author stresses that classical education (before the college years) is primarily about 'formation' and not 'information'. What is important is the method used and not necessarily the particular resources. This book will truly help you design your own curriculum while sticking with the method of classical education.

Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum is definitely a "must have" resource that is worth its weight in gold!

Laura Berquist's Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum is a great resource for homeschooling families interested in classical education. Laura describes in detail what classical education is and its many benefits. She then sets up a pratical plan for implementing this method, giving grade by grade (K-12) suggestions for subject matter and curriculum. Although this book is written from a Catholic perspective, all faiths can benefit from the practical information given.

When I found the first edition of this book, it was a godsend to me. The philosophy is so grounded in reality, and yet lofty enough to help us keep in mind what each of us hopes for our children, as we teach them. The practical guidelines flowing from the philosophy are sound and integrated from one level to the next. There is a complete how to, from soup to nuts, for each grade, resource lists (the reading lists alone are worth the price!), and this new edition came out just in time for me to find great helps as my two older children entered high school. No Catholic homeschooler should be without this book. Thank you, Laura Berquist!!

This book is well organized by learning stage and grade. The book offers a lot of teaching suggestions and resources for intellectual formation. It has helped me to utilize the curriculum in accordance to the natural stages of learning for my children. Although I am Catholic and the title of the book says Catholic, the book is perfectly adaptable to any religion.