Customer Reviews

Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

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.

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.

Trivium is, according to Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn, the way in which God created us to learn. Claiming that "If we ever learned anything, then we learned it by the Trivium method--whether we knew it or not," the Bluedorns lay down detailed theories and plans for deliberately teaching by the Trivium, the ancient method by which mankind learns how to learn.

Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn began their own journey through classical education when they first started homeschooling in 1980. Their emphasis on classical learning styles and subjects has given them a unique voice in today's homeschooling culture. "Teaching the Trivium" is the result of their many years of exploring and experimenting; learning and teaching. Originally published as a series of eight booklets, the information in "Teaching the Trivium" has been expanded and combined to produce an overview of classical education for homeschoolers.

Though it is emphasised that Trivium is not a list of subjects but a way of learning, the book does give a great deal of time to classical subjects such as formal logic, ancient languages, and literature. Various educational practices are resurrected from the past and reintroduced to homeschooling families: copywork and narration, oratory and debate. The book features plenty of practical helps and curriculum recommendations, making every subject accessible. Trivium is also applied to the stages of child development, giving suggestions on when to teach what for the best possible results. Because of the great volume of information in this book, I recommend that parents make good use of the detailed Table of Contents.

"Teaching the Trivium," however, is anything but a dry and objective look at a system of learning. It is heavily infused with the Bluedorns' worldview, which makes it a valuable resource for anyone wondering how homeschooling fits into Scriptural commands, how to tackle subjects from a strongly Christian perspective, or how classical education, generally thought of as pagan in origin, can be reconciled with the gospel (quite easily, the book claims--Trivium was God's idea, not man's, and we were created to learn by it). Whether or not readers agree with every point in the book, they will find themselves challenged and their understanding of education enriched.

(...)

You will most likely not like this book if A)You do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, B)You consider yourself a theologically liberal Christian or C) You think that your homeschool should feel like a prep school at home. Fair warning?

Previous reviewers have already explained the Bluedorns' approach, so I will not go into the hows and whys of that here. All I will say is, I have 5 children and my older two (who are now "school" age) are blossoming within the Bluedorns' approach, and they are very different from each other in the ways and speed with which they learn. And amazingly, even with 5 children, this approach DOES leave us with a breathable, workable day.

I spent the first six years of my oldest's life reading anything and everything about homeschooling and child brain development, since we knew we wanted to homeschool. My husband and I finally settled on the Bluedorns' approach since it made the most sense in terms of child development and for our purposes: aiming to make our children independent scholars with a zest for learning. The other critical factor for us is that the Bluedorns' approach (they give you principles to work with, not rules about what you can and cannot do) begins with the bible as the foundation of all things, it's not tacked on as "Religious Studies".

If you are curious about this book, but are hesitant to spend the money on it, I would highly recommend you first listen to their free audio seminars on their website. This will give you a very good idea of what you will find in the book (although in the book they go into greater detail of each stage of learning and subject matter). Type "trivium pursuit" into your search engine and you will find their website.

And no, I do not know the Bluedorns, nor is this a solicited commercial for their business. My motivation for reviewing and promoting it is that I know personally so many Christians who want to homeschool classically and with a Christian foundation and are stuggling under the prep-school style weight of another popular book, and I have a feeling there are more of you out there.;-)

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.

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.

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.

Teaching The Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn is a must read, must have for any homeschooling parent who is either considering or currently doing a classical education at home! Why? Because this book not only shows you how to have a classical homeschool, but how to do so with a Christian worldview.

This book has everything you need to classically educate your children at home, plus more! It explains the 'trivium', the 3 stages of educational development. They have even come up with Biblical names for the stages -- knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. The book discusses (convincingly) why homeschooling is the best option for any homeschool family. It's divided into 2 main 'parts', the first mainly explaining the trivium, what is means, how it works and the history behind it. The 2nd part of the book is the 'manual'...it gives unparalleled information on teaching your children at home in each stage, as well as very realistic scheduling examples. But they encourage you throughout the book to do what is best for YOUR family.

Towards the end of the book are various appendices and articles, along with a great resource list...but again they remind us that each family will have differences in what works for them, even with individual children within any given family.

This is one of those few homeschooling how-to books that people really hang on to! You can tell that by visiting regularly any of the used swap boards, you do not see this GEM posted for sale very often at all! And when it does...well, remember the fights between mothers over cabbage patch dolls? That was nothin! lol Grab this book, you won't be sorry.

"There are books to be tasted, a few to be swallowed, but, this book should be consumed by readers".

How would you feel about a book that could give you tools to learn any subject-including the discipline of "Family Medicine"?

There isn't a medical school in the world that even exist that will give you the tools you need to learn family medicine.

While Teaching the Trivium does not teach medical courses, it does give you the tools to pursue any subject you want.

Most books and curriculum on the market today are written without the Trivium. They rarely ever show you the grammar stage (knowledge), the logic (understanding), stage or the rhetoric stage (application). Still, people have managed to learn many subjects through dismembered approachs like OBE (Out-come-based-education).

Let Teaching The Trivium bring order out of chaotic learning.

You are in for the time of your life if you learn this book because it has a bonus for any family who will really put into practice this sensible approach.

The Bonus?

The families that are now using this book to learn and teach their own children will become tomorrow's articulated authors. Unfortunately I won't be alive to see it all play out, but I bid them well. It will be their children and grand children who will produce great works of literature. Why? Because they are already learning how to collaborate with the great Trivium mind. Too long has the Trivium be kept under key and lock in old dusty ancient academics. Rediscover the lost tools that could change your life and your posterity forever.

The Homeschool book market is inundated every year with new books written for Homeschool parents. But how many actually deliver tools for learning on your own?

Doing the "Teaching the Trivium" tap dance : )

Reviewed by Maribel Hernandez (APMFormulators)

I had heard of this book and finally bought it about 3 years ago. When I read it I was teaching my oldest daughter Kindergarten. Reading this book was like meeting a long lost friend. It just all made sense. My favorite part is the chapter called "Ten Things to Do with Your Child Before Age Ten" Wonderful for this mother, former public school teacher who just couldn't wait to teach. The book reinforces other research that I have read that early education should follow a natural path and not a formal path. Seems like everyone is pushing for earlier academics as a path to smarter children, when in fact earlier academics is killing natural curiosity.

Mrs. Bluedorn states something that no other author seems to remember - "There is only so much time in a day". Very freeing to me to realize I could not get all I wanted to done so I needed to choose the most important things.

I have also found the Bluedorn's suggestion of no formal math till age ten to be very wise. We faithfully did Kindergarten math and first grade math and I finally realized that my daughter did not get it. She is very bright, verbal and interacts well with all ages, but she just did not get the whole concept of money. Amazingly the summer after first grade armed with various change she navigated the world of tag sales and through various transactions learned the worth of various coins. I didn't have to beat it into here head - it got there when her mind was ready and interested. She will start third grade in a few weeks and she can't wait till her tenth birthday when she will get a math book.

Lastly, I would say that because the Bluedorn's write from experience this is a book to put on your shelf. It is much more expensive than most books, but it is worth at least twice the price. When I have had questions or concerns I emailed Mrs. Bluedorn and talked to her on the phone and felt like I was talking to my aunt or mom. She just encouraged me that I could do it. She didn't tell me to be like her or to do things her way, but just to focus on the majors and when life happens relax and enjoy the ride realizing much education happens when we haven't planned it at all.