Friday, March 4, 2011

The why and how of Classical Education

A Classical education is one based on the study of the languages and literature of Classical-age Greece and Rome. Many parents are interested in this method of educating their children but do not know enough about it to make a commitment or build a curriculum. Here are some articles and books that I think are helpful:

Online Articles

The Classical Education of the Founding Fathers, by Martin Cothran

The New Learning That Failed, by Victor Davis Hanson

Philosophy of Great Books Program Explained, by Professor David Mulroy

The Idea of a University -- Elementary Studies, by John Henry Newman

The Four Principles of Latin Instruction, by Cheryl Lowe

Other Memoria Press articles

Books
These discuss the history and reasons for a classical education:

- Invitation to the Classics, edited by Louise Cowan and OS Guinness
- Who Killed Homer? by Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath
- Climbing Parnassus, Tracy Lee Simmons

Here is an outline of a Classical curriculum. I'm still working on it, so it will be updated from time to time over the next few years, but the basics are there for you to get you started. The Latin and Greek elementary workbooks are Christian, designed specifically for children of parents who are new to Classical Ed. Some have asked me for a non-Christian program but I don't know of any for elementary ages.

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