The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, Revised and Updated Edition by Susan Wise Bauer, Jessie Wise Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, Revised and Updated Edition
Book Review: An absolutely fantastic guide for the home educator!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was able to read some of this book at the Virginia Homeschooler's Conference in Richmond, VA, from 17-19 June 1999. You will find it a fantastic resource to guide you in classically educating your children at home. Susan Wise Bauer, the co-author, was classically home educated by her mother, Jessie Wise, the other co-author. Susan is living proof of the success of this classic home education philosophy! I pray that my children, who my wife and I will begin to home educate this year, are as well-educated as Susan when they leave our home. I believe if we follow the classic model as outlined in this book and continue to teach them in the ways of the LORD, they will be.
Book Review: The most complete educational resource for homeschoolers!
Summary: 5 Stars
People choose to teach their children at home for many reasons. If you are running away from a formal school environment because you don't like "rigidity," then perhaps the system described in this book is not for you.If, on the other hand, you are contemplating teaching your children at home because public (and even private) traditional schools have watered down the content of your children's academic learning, and you truly want to give your child a world-class education at home in the classical tradition, you need look no further than this remarkable resource.
The authors have compiled a complete list of what to teach, where to find the resources with which to teach it, and, if you need it, some suggestions for working out a schedule that will accomplish it all (The authors acknowledge that the schedules in the book won't work for all families, but are merely meant to be examples).
Mind you, this book describes a system of rigorous education that requires dedication on the part of both parent and student. Any parent who has chosen to homeschool their children, though, already has proven that they have the necessary dedication to follow this program. The authors do not give credence to popular notions that children need watered-down, video- and photographically-enhanced stimuli to learn. They encourage parents to teach their children to read early, read constantly, and eventually to learn to search for answers to questions on their own. Children of the video age may find it difficult at first to actively learn, but if they are to be well and truly educated, and become lifetime learners, they cannot learn any other way.
You can use this book in many ways. If you want an all-encompassing guide, complete with suggested schedules, the authors have included them. The beauty of home education, however, is that you have the freedom to modify your curriculum.
So, what if there is a fabulous exhibit at your local art museum, but doesn't fit into the historical period you're studying that year? You go! You CAN go because even the rigorous program described in this book takes far less time than children typically spend in school and doing homework. What if your child has passion for art or dinosaurs? At home, you have the freedom to allow their exploration without sacrificing any other component of their education. Because even if you do everything described in the book, you'll still be finished with time to spare for these "passions."
But if you don't give your child the education described in this book, how will they ever have enough information about their world to know what they truly are passionate about?
Jessie Wise and her daughter, Susan Wise Bauer have been living the homeschool experience for more than 25 years, first as Jessie taught Susan and her other children, and now as Susan teaches her three children. There are few families in America that have this kind of experience from which to draw. I am using this book as the core of my homeschool curriculum (in fact, have used the program for a full year already, having used Mrs. Wise as our curriculum consultant before the book came out), and highly recommend it to parents who choose to homeschool to ensure that their children receive a quality education -- one that is simply not available in public (and even good private) schools anymore.
Book Review: Great as a resource- but not Christ-centred
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this book a couple of years and used it quite frequently. It takes classical education seriously and it is worth getting for the author's well-explained views on how to homeschool and for the excellent resources recommended (though a lot are not available easily in the UK). There are many glowing testimonials on the web to this and the related language and history books. My reservation would be that this is Classical education but not Christ-focused. Looking through the contents pages, I can see no reference to teaching Bible, for example, or how our Christian faith influences the different subjects taught; this holds up for the earlier part of the book which I know best. For great Christian Classical homeschool books, try Doug Wilson. For resources, I like this plus Home Learning Year by Year, by Rebecca Rupp.Book Review: A thorough guide to home education with excellent resource lists
Summary: 5 Stars
I wish to enhance my daughter's education rather than homeschool. This book gives some advice on this, but obviously is mostly aimed at home education.
The book clearly expounds its education philosophy. It gives WHAT, HOW and WHY for its program. It is very much aimed at the liberal arts - using history as a framework to build English teaching around. Strongly recommending Latin study before other languages. For my personal taste, I would like to build more around science and mathematics as the vital thinking toolkit for children before Latin. However, as previous reviews have stated, the book gives examples of curriculum rather than pure prescription.
The book has comprehensive resource listings for each subject. Ones I have bought include the excellent Bob Books First! (Bob Books) as well as Mudpies to Magnets: A Preschool Science Curriculum. The resource strengths and weaknesses are given as well as alternatives.
Other reviewers have commented about the lack of a specifically Christian ethos. The book recommends religion in its place in the curriculum, but is a book about home schooling rather than about Christianity. Some of the resources recommended are from Christian publishers. This is made clear, along with other recommendations where this is not the desire of the parents. The authors are Christians.
One thing that could enhance a future edition is more on the mechanics and psychology of teaching. For example:- my daughter often does not want to sit down with me and read. Advice on when to leave off for a day or two - or until she is older - or to persevere so she realises that it is not a choice - would be very helpful, along with some guidance as to how to encourage the "right choice".