Trivium Tuesdays - Classical Link-Up #94

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.

Don't forget to follow my Pinterest boards that are a part of the All Things Classical List!

Also, please remember to only link up posts that have to do with homeschooling using the classical model of education.  Thank you for understanding this link-up's theme.

Featured Posts from Last Week

I'm going to feature two of the most-clicked posts from last week.  First up are these awesome opera cards from And Here We Go Mama:

Second is Aspired Living talking about living books for science, including a list of 50+ books for the grammar stage:

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 =)

Teaching Languages - Teaching the Trivium Ch. 5

This post contains an affiliate link to the book that we are going through.

Welcome to another week of the Teaching the Trivium book club!  I am so excited to read and discuss this book along with you.  I loved the discussion last week and would love to hear from more of you!  Today we talk about languages.

Chapter 5 - Teaching Lauguages

I am going to come right out and say that this was a difficult chapter.  My kids are little, and while we have begun basic Latin (we love Song School Latin), this chapter goes deep into the 'whys' and 'hows' of teaching classical languages.  Let's start of  with a question for you!

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What language(s) are you teaching your children?  

Do you value teaching the classical languages over modern languages?  

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An Argument for Teaching the Classical Languages

This first section of the chapter talks generally about the benefits of learning these dead languages, and then takes Latin, Greek, and Hebrew specifically and defends why the study of each is worthwhile.

I find the reasons for learning Latin compelling.  As a Christian, I think that learning Greek would be extremely helpful.  Hebrew just sounds painful ;) 

I underlined a lot of things in this chapter.  Many of them because I know that I will want to revisit them as my children enter this stage more.  Here are some of the quotes that  I found really interesting.

As the knowledge of the Biblical languages diminished among the common people, a darkness crept over professed Christianity.  The people became more and more dependent upon religious professionals.   pg. 108

Wow.  That is very interesting to me!  I have never even considered learning Greek for myself, for the sake of understanding the Scriptures.  I've just always depended on trustworthy translations like most Christians do.  The Bluedorns also mention that many seminaries do not even require the study of Greek and Hebrew anymore.  If that is true, it is shocking to me.  I don't know how well versed they are, but I know that my pastors had to learn Greek.  (I'm not certain about Hebrew).

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If you are a Christian, does your pastor know Greek and Hebrew?  Does it matter to you if they do or not?

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Only a century ago, no seminary in the United States even offered a course in Greek.  Students were expected to have mastered Greek before they entered seminary.

Wow!  Fascinating again!  Can you imagine if that sort of knowledge was expected in this day and age?  Most kids graduating high school can barley even handle our own language, let alone mastering another language (and a classical one at at that!)

Most classical educators expect their students to learn Latin.  I think the benefits are most obvious for that language, though if you are a Christian, the others become important as well.  Here are the reasons that the Bluedorns give for learning Latin (if you are a classical homeschooler, these reasons will be familiar to you):

1. Latin is basic to English - much of our vocab is derived from Latin in one way or another
2. Latin is a springboard for mastering other inflected languages - if you want to learn a modern language, Latin will make it much easier for you!
3. The study of Latin sharpens the mental process
4. Everything in a culture is embedded in its language
5. Technical language is in Latin - medical/scientific/legal/etc.
6. Latin is also valuable for further studies in all disciplines
7. Latin is useful in English

A General Course of Study

The last part of the chapter is devoted to how exactly to teach these dead languages.  There are lots of charts and examples.  Honestly we are just not there yet in my family.  I underlined a lot of things to come back to in a few years and I learned a lot of thing I didn't know that I didn't know =)  What about you?

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How do you teach the classical languages to your children?  

What resources have you used?  

What resources have you loved?

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Leave comments here on the blog post, or share about it on social media (#ClassicalMamasRead).  I'll be sharing too, so follow me on facebook, twitter, or google+ and we can chat about it there as well!  Don't forget, if you want to share your thoughts about Teaching the Trivium on your own blog, link it up below so we can all come and visit!

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Next week we will be talking about chapter six of Teaching the Trivium.  If you haven't gotten your own copy yet, make sure you check your library or order one soon so you can be ready for next time!  Also, this is a 600+ page book, so I am only touching on certain points of each chapter.  There is so much great information that I am not covering, so if this discussion interests you, you are going to want to make sure to pick up your own copy so you can read more!

Classical Mamas Read Link-Up

Did you write about Teaching the Trivium 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).

Why You Should Take Your Whole Family to the Cincinnati Great Homeschool Convention

This post is sponsored by Great Homeschool Conventions.

I seriously can't believe that spring is upon us and that means that it is convention time!  Will you be going to a homeschool convention this year?  I'm really excited to be going to my first one this spring.  I'll be at the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati.

If you want to go to a homeschool convention, you need to decide who is going to go.  Is this going to be a girl's getaway for a few of your closest friends?  Are you going to go by yourself and be super productive with nothing to distract you?  Are you and your husband going to make a long date out of it?  Or are you going to take your whole family?  I'm going to talk today about why it's a great idea to take your whole family (specifically to the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, but some pf these will apply to any homeschool conference)!

Kids are included!

First and foremost, I think it's wonderful that kids are welcomed at the Great Homeschool Conventions!  When you buy your ticket, you have the option of purchasing an individual pass or a family pass.  The family pass is only a few dollars more than the individual pass and if you are going with your husband you are already getting the family pass anyways.  Bringing the kids along is no extra money!  (Try asking if your kids can come free next time you go to the zoo! Not gonna happen =)

Now you have a choice.  Do you have your children stay with you or do you enroll them in the kid's program (there is an extra fee for this)?  If you know me, I love having my kids with me in church and things like that.  I also see the benefit of being able to give your full attention to the speakers at these once-a-year type of opportunities.  Really, you decide what is best for your family.  Either way is a great choice!

Learn more about the children's program offered by Children's Conferences International.

Special Sessions for Teens

Do you have teenagers?  Just like with the younger ones, they are also included  in the family pass.  The folks are Great Homeschool Conventions know that your teenagers are beginning to face a new set of challenges and are also growing in their knowledge and maturity.  There is a special Teen Track that you can register for older kids for (of course they can also stay with you and learn from the regular sessions as well).  They have a session specifically for them during the adult sessions.

Good, Clean, Family Fun with Mark Lowery!

Do you often find the chance to have some good, clean fun with your family?  That is often hard to find in our everyday life.  Comedy Night at the Great Homeschool Conventions is a great excuse to take a break and enjoy laughing with your spouse and kids!  (Mark Lowery will be the comedian at the Cincinnati convention.)

Turn the Convention into a Field Trip!

Wherever you find yourself during convention season this year, why don't you add an extra day (or skip a session...shhhh) and find something fun and educational to do with your family.  For instance, if you are going to the Cincinnati convention like me, you could take a trip to the Creation Museum.  Just across the border into Kentucky, the Creation Museum is only 20 minutes from the convention center.  Personally, that is a place I have wanted to go to for a long time, so missing out on this great chance for a field trip with my family is not something I want to do!

Can you think of any other great field trips for the Cincinnati area?

Making Friends

Believe me, I'm not trying to say that homeschool kids are not socialized ;) but come on...it's always fun to be with a very large number of other people who all have something in common with you!  I have fond memories (as I'm sure you do) of reuniting with the same group of kids at a family camp each summer when I was growing up.  Your kids could meet some very special friends and start life-long friendships!

Or maybe you are in an area where there are not many other homeschoolers.  Maybe your child hears criticism from friends or extended family about your means of education.  It would certainly be an encouragement to them to be surrounded by so many supporters! 

Family Bonding

Last but not least, what is better for bonding with your family than doing something out of the ordinary together?  A road trip, a hotel stay, eating meals together, talking about what you've learned at the convention...all wonderful ways to bond with your family.  I promise you will leave encouraged if you attend the Great Homeschool Conference together as a family!

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Haven't bought your tickets yet?  Learn more or register now!

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Take Your Blog to the Next Level

I know many of you who read here at Living and Learning at Home are homeschoolers, but I know that some of you are bloggers too!

Some people blog purely for the outlet of expressing themselves and others to provide a place for their family to keep up with growing children, but some of you really love building your blog and want to take it to the next level.

This post is for you!

Becoming a Professional Blogger

A professional blogger is someone who treats their blog like a business.  She is committed to it (as
opposed to only writing when she feels like it), purposefully tries to promote it, and seeks out ways to make money from it.

There are so many things to consider when becoming a professional blogger.  Instead of purely having a hobby, you now have to think about things like taxes, sponsors, keeping up with social media, HTML, and time management.

You can learn these things through countless hours of internet searching and many headaches, but there is a better way =)

iBlog Pro to the Rescue

Some of my friends and I (from the iHomeschool Network) came together to write a book that can help you understand everything you need to know about becoming a professional blogger.  None of us knows everything, but with each of us contributing our expertise on the topic, we've come up with a pretty great book called iBlog Pro, taking your blog to the next level.

Visit the iBlog Pro website to see a complete list of chapters and a list of all the contributors.

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Are you reading this, wondering if you are quite ready for this step in your blogging, you might first want to start with the original iBlog. 

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If you are a blogger that desires to grow your blog, I know this this book will be a blessing to you.  I hope you will check it out!

Trivium Tuesdays - Classical Link-Up #93

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.

Don't forget to follow my Pinterest boards that are a part of the All Things Classical List!

Also, please remember to only link up posts that have to do with homeschooling using the classical model of education.  Thank you for understanding this link-up's theme.

Featured Post from Last Week

I really enjoyed the Classical Science for the Logic Stage post from Elemental Science.  I usually find myself thinking about the grammar stage since that is where I'm at, so I really enjoy getting a glimpse into the future.  This post breaks down exactly what a student will be needing to do in their science studies in the dialectic stage.  Thanks, Paige!

Most Clicked Post from Last Week

Tonia, from The Sunny Patch, got the most clicks last week with her post on Physics with the Well-Trained Mind.  Check it out if you missed it!

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 =)