Why should parents consider the authentic classical homeschooling option?  Here is a quick primer on  the very best home education Western Civilization has to offer.

The Long Track Record Predicts Success

Western Civilization was built on this model in that leaders were classically educated.  Classical education dates back to Greece, and Rome. Medieval Europeans, especially leaders of the Christian Church, were classically educated as were the founders of the American Republic. During the 19^th century, the U. S. immigration population soared, and the common school movement was born which effectively obliterated classical education in the United States by the beginning of the 20^th century. With the exception of a minute group of homeschoolers, our nation’s leaders are now being trained on the public school conveyor-belt which teaches children what to think and not how to think.  This education tradition successfully raised leaders for nearly three millenia.

The Skills are Simple to Teach

The classical homeschooling renewal movement is still in its infancy, and many variations in practice exist like the classical variations of Charlotte Mason, Susan Wise Bauer, and Oliver Van DeMille. In the excitement to embrace classical homeschooling, many parents jump right in without really thinking about what distinguishes classical education from other viable homeschooling methods. For example, some would tell you that classical languages like Latin are a critical component of a classical education (more on my opinion of this in a later post!), but the content of classical homeschooling is not nearly as important as the methods by which the content is taught. The three skills of the classical trivium provide structure for organizing content while socratic dialogue and inductive reasoning provide the tools by which to understand the content.  Teaching three skills (language, thought, and speech) is relatively simple, and mentoring teens during high school prepares them for leadership.

The Curriculum is Entirely Customized

Authentic classical Christian homeschooling is not as difficult as many people believe it to be. In fact, when you know your main objectives, classical homeschooling can be extremely freeing and relaxing while still rigorously challenging both parents and children. Teach three skills to substantial mastery during the early years (language, thought, and speech) and let socratic dialogue drive the instruction during the homeschool high school years as the parent mentors the teen in the acquisition of knowledge.  Once the three skills are mastered (the trivium), the parent can tailor the homeschool curriculum to meet the specific interests and abilities of the high school student (the socratic paideia).  How you get to mastery of the three skills and acquisition of knowledge by specific discipline is entirely up to you.  Complete customization of the homeschool curriculum is possible.

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So considering the long history of successfully raising leaders, the simplicity of the teaching, and the potential to completely customize the homeschool curriculum, what homeschool parent would pass on the incredible privilege of authentic classical homeschooling?  For more details, consult Trivium Mastery: the Intersection of Three Roads and Socratic Paideia:  Dialogue Drives Instruction.