Classical Mamas Read - The Well Trained Mind Ch. 21-22

This post contains affiliate links to highly recommended products!

Welcome back to Classical Mamas Read!  I'm excited to be back here with you today to discuss chapters 21 and 22 of The Well Trained Mind.  If you want to take a look back at our previous discussions, click the picture above to take you to a list of each chapter we have talked about.

Please let me know if you have been enjoying this series and if you would like me to continue.  Also, I'd love to have some book suggestion from anyone wanting to continue!

Today we are going to talk about art and using electronics.  While I highlight the main points in the chapters, and bring up questions as well as things that are interesting to me, I can't recommend to you enough to get the book for yourself.  It is over 800 pages and is filled with details and recommendations that I cannot even begin to touch on here!

Ch. 21 - The History of Creativity: Art and Music (logic stage)

• In the logic stage, you will tie art appreciation in more to history.

• Your child will begin to analyze (not just observe) the art and music they are studying.

• You will primarily provide the resources and support, while your child does the work mostly themselves.

• The book suggests doing art appreciation in the late afternoon or evening.

• I don't have logic stage students, but art/music study sounds like a nice quiet time activity in the afternoon.  We have a 1-2 hour block of quiet time almost each afternoon.  My daughter still naps, but my son reads for an hour and then plays quietly.  As they grow, I could see them doing things like art appreciation during this quiet time.

How often and at what time of the day do you do art/music appreciation?

• Art has two components: Learning to make art and Art appreciation.  Here are some recommended resources...

• Drawing with Children

• Harmony Fine Arts  

 

• Music also has two components: Learning to make music and Music appreciation.  

• Have your children learned to play an instrument?

• The book gives a great list of musicians and artists along with their years so you can easily match them to your history studies.

Ch. 22. - Magic Boxes: Using Computers and Videos

• Their stance on using electronics for learning is mostly the same as it was for the grammar stage.  Keep in mind  that electronics are easier than books and teach with images, not words.

• Videos encourage passive engagement, while the logic stage is all about critical analysis.

•  We personally like to use electronics as entertainment, not as a part of our teaching tools (though, remember I do not have logic stage students yet, so I don't know if that will change!)

• Software 

• Try to use it for subjects that are visual anyways (geography, anatomy, etc.)

• Don't substitute the computer for reading or writing.

• Internet

• Be wise.  Don't waste time.

• Use it for reputable sources like encyclopedias, journals, etc.

• I've been thinking about the internet a lot lately as my children are getting more interested in it...

How do you manage internet usage in your home?  How do you encourage internet safety?

• Videos

• For literature, read the stories first, then enhance it with a video afterward. (With the exception of plays, which were designed to be seen, not read)

• Videos are great for language immersion if you child is studying a foreign language.

That wraps up these two chapters.  Next week will be our last week in The Well  Trained Mind, finishing the logic stage.  Interest has gone down since we finished the grammar stage, so I don't think that doing the rhetoric stage right now would be of interest to many people.  I'd like to pick a new book, so make sure you let me know if there is one you would be interested in discussing!

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If you don't have the book already, you can look for it at your library or get it on amazon. (The Well Trained Mind)

If you are behind, feel free to still comment on the previous discussions.  If you want to be emailed when someone makes a comment, make sure to click "Subscribe by Email" right under the comment box (right hand side), so you won't miss out on any discussion!

Classical Mamas Read Link-Up

Did you write about these chapters on your blog?  Have you been reading and blogging about another book (for you, not a children's book)?  Do you have a book club going on at your blog (once again, not for a children's book)?  I'd love for you link up here so we can all be encouraged by each other and maybe find another great book to read!

I think I'm going to keep this link-up ongoing since there aren't going to be a huge number of posts and then anyone new will be able to be encouraged by the other book reading ideas and discussions.  If the number of posts gets too large, I will fix it.

Please note, all posts must be on topic (about a book you are reading) and appropriate (think family friendly).

Animal Kingdom - Science Notebooking Pages

This post contains one affiliate link to a book that we are using this year.

Download Animal Kingdom Notebooking Pages

New for us this year is a formal study of science.  In years past, we have just casually read living nature books and made nature journals, but this year science is scheduled in twice a week.

Taking the advice of The Well Trained Mind, we are going through the Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals.  A big goal of mine this year is to be more organized and prepared, so I've prepared notebooks for most of our subjects (using my beloved simple spiral binder).

One of these notebooks is for science.  I created a simple and versatile two-page spread that my son will fill out each time we learn about a new animal.  I printed out a bunch of these, back-to back, and bound them together in a spiral notebook.  You could do the same, or simply print out one to go along with what you are learning about.

Each page gives your child room to:

• Write what animal they are learning about
• Write a short narration about what they have learned
• Draw or write where the animal lives
• Color on a map where the animal lives
• Fill in a food chain for the animal (what it eats and what eats it)
• Draw, diagram, paste a picture, or write any other information (3 squares)

Included in the download are instructions and  pages for your child to list each animal under the group it belongs in (mammals, birds, reptiles, etc.).   This is just for if you are creating a full notebook like I did.  I placed these pages in the front to add to each time to learn about a new animal.

Download Animal Kingdom Notebooking Pages

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #74

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  For those of you who are new here today, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

I'm still working on transferring the All Things Classical list over to Pinterest.  If you don't follow me over there already, make sure you do so that you can search the boards to find just what you need!  Click on the "P" to follow!

Featured Post

This week's feature is from Classical Conversations at Home.   Beth has a guest poster talking about The Core of Writing.  She gives a great summary of what the subject of writing should look like at each stage of the Trivium.  We are pretty firmly fixed in the grammar stage right now, but I always love getting a look at what the years to come will be like!

Most Clicked on Post

Last week's most clicked-on post was Memory Mogul Review Game for CC from Sola Gratia Mom.  It is always great getting ideas for making memory review fun!

This Week's Link-Up

Here are the rules:

• Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
• Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
• Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
• Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
• It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
• Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)

Classical Mamas Read - The Well Trained Mind Ch.19-20

This post contains affiliate links to highly recommended products!

Welcome back to Classical Mamas Read!  I'm excited to be back here with you today to discuss chapters 19 and 20 of The Well Trained Mind.  If you want to take a look back at our previous discussions, click the picture above to take you to a list of each chapter we have talked about.

Today we are going to talk about Latin and Religion.  While I highlight the main points in the chapters, and bring up questions as well as things that are interesting to me, I can't recommend to you enough to get the book for yourself.  It is over 800 pages and is filled with details and recommendations that I cannot even begin to touch on here!

Ch. 19 - Looking into Other Worlds: Latin and Languages (logic stage)

• The logic stage is a good time to introduce a modern language as well as continuing with Latin.

• Now is when your student will quickly move beyond your ability to teach them (unless you already know the language).

How do you handle your child studying a language that is beyond your ability to teach?

What foreign language curriculum have you used with your logic stage children?

• Classical Academic Press has a great Latin curriculum.  We have loved Song School Latin, which is for the early grammar stage, but they also have curriculum for students all the way up to graduation.  They also have a DVD series for parents to help them understand Latin better so they can teach it better.

Ch. 20 - Away with Abusive Fallacies!  Religion (logic stage)

How do you handle teaching religion in your homeschool?

• Do you adamantly teach your own religion and ignore the others?

• Do you teach all religions equally and let your child decide?

• The book recommends (and I agree!) that you should teach your own convictions strongly and then study other religions as they appear in history.

• Also make sure that you are discussing the moral and ethical questions of history.  The logic stage is when your child will be asking lots of questions, so this is a great time to help them sort through these types of issues that have been discussed through the ages.

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If you don't have the book already, you can look for it at your library or get it on amazon. (The Well Trained Mind)

If you are behind, feel free to still comment on the previous discussions.  If you want to be emailed when someone makes a comment, make sure to click "Subscribe by Email" right under the comment box (right hand side), so you won't miss out on any discussion!

Classical Mamas Read Link-Up

Did you write about these chapters on your blog?  Have you been reading and blogging about another book (for you, not a children's book)?  Do you have a book club going on at your blog (once again, not for a children's book)?  I'd love for you link up here so we can all be encouraged by each other and maybe find another great book to read!

I think I'm going to keep this link-up ongoing since there aren't going to be a huge number of posts and then anyone new will be able to be encouraged by the other book reading ideas and discussions.  If the number of posts gets too large, I will fix it.

Please note, all posts must be on topic (about a book you are reading) and appropriate (think family friendly).

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #73

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  For those of you who are new here today, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

I'm still working on transferring the All Things Classical list over to Pinterest.  If you don't follow me over there already, make sure you do so that you can search the boards to find just what you need!  Click on the "P" to follow!

Featured Post

Are you studying Ancient History this year?  Janeen from Sprouting Tadpoles has made up a great set of memory card!  These cards are just filled with great information and are ready for you to print out and use!

Most Clicked on Post

The most clicked on post from last week was Different Approaches to Lesson Planning.  Homeschool Story share with us a few ideas they have used over the years!

This Week's Link-Up

Here are the rules:

• Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
• Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
• Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
• Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
• It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
• Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)