Multum Non Multa--Just Follow the Books

Today I'm thinking, once again, about that Latin phrase, multum non multa. This translates as "much not many" and embraces English maxims such as "quality over quantity" and "less is more." Multum non multa encourages us to choose depth over breadth and is aptly applied to education. I think that minimalist homeschooling is a reflection of this classical principle. We can think of it in terms of simplicity.

In my "Catholic Vintage & Minimalist Homeschoolers" Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/914254035384695/), a member surprised me with the comment that her homeschooling was going so much more smoothly simply as a result of using Catholic Heritage Curricula (CHC). To her, this was homeschooling minimalism. 

An open-and-go curriculum like CHC is often billed as good for newbies who need to have their hands held. Once one is a seasoned homeschooler, however, it's expected in many circles that you design your own curriculum and/or follow a more "real" method of learning, such as Charlotte Mason, unschooling, or classical. Traditional programs which use a text/workbook type format are considered school-at-home and are met with a derisive attitude. But let's take a closer look.

Are you necessarily doing school-at-home if you use a traditional program? 

First of all, a traditional Christian homeschool curriculum will not duplicate the type of content and methodology being utilized in the secular humanist U.S. public schools, with the cradle-to-grave indoctrination agenda known as Common Core. If you're using a Catholic program like Seton Home Study or CHC, the Faith, rather than a politically liberal, consumerist scheme, permeates the curriculum. Both of these educational providers emphasize personalizing the plan according to the needs of the individual child. You can use as many or as little of the resources as you would like. Even if you have a large family, you can provide ample one-on-one tutoring and small group lessons, which simply isn't possible in today's large classrooms. I think it's safe to assume that most of you are not standing at a chalkboard giving lectures. 

There are many more distinctions that we could make, but I think the point is clear that homeschooling, whatever the curricula and methods used, is a far cry from the typical school experience. Learning involves the totality of family and community life and is not limited to school books. Also, using a traditional program need not mean a cookie-cutter approach. 

Is a traditional curriculum less "real"? 

You will hear the argument from some homeschoolers that a traditional Catholic program is not really traditional; that it follows certain changes made away from the earlier classical model, which occurred in the public schools in response to the Industrial Revolution. Catholic schools then adopted the new progressive approach. I think there is a certain amount of truth to this position. Yet, it's also true that in providing an education to all people, not just the elites, and in accordance with changes in the societal structure and the growth of the middle class, there was wisdom in broadening the methods used to teach a more diverse body of students. We know as home educators that one way does not suit all. And if we reflect on Catholic schools in the 1950s, before the secularization that followed in subsequent decades, we see that the Faith permeated every subject, and that students were well-educated both in terms of religion and academics. 

Traditional programs such as CHC and Seton have retained the classical philosophy in a truly Catholic sense--following the scholasticism of St. Thomas Aquinas. Living books and hands-on activities are incorporated into such programs, along with classical features including memory work, copy work, dictation, classic literature, Latin and other foreign languages, journaling and essay writing. These curriculum providers and others like them also use reprints of vintage Catholic school books. I think of programs like these as presenting a classical-traditional, liberal arts education--what I like to call, Vintage Catholic Homeschooling. That's real to me!

So let's all let go of this argument, once and forever, over what is real, classical, traditional, etc., and be about the business of living our homeschooling lifestyle to the fullest, rather than dwelling on some perfectionistic ideal. Let's keep the focus on helping our children to become the unique persons that God has created them to be.

The multum non multa path I'm on right now is to simply follow the books.

I've spent way too much time trying to conform to a particular pedagogy and attempting to cover all-the-things. (I'm looking at you, Charlotte Mason!) I've discovered that as my child has entered the teen years, being a seasoned homeschooler is now about focusing on those areas that need the most attention before we hit high school (Mother of God, pray for us!) and going more deeply into them. I've chosen quality books from Seton and CHC, as well as other resources that reflect the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, and I'm trusting what they present. I'm doing things by the book, if you will, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. 

That doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with designing your own curriculum. In fact, I still do! I simply rely more upon those resources that take the guess work out of the process; and which present the Catholic worldview along with the ideas and skills that make for a well-rounded education. I have pared down the books for each term, and I resist the temptation to supplement the curriculum. 

Let enough be enough. 

My plan is to set my schedule (see the previous post), sticking to it for the duration of the term, and let the books do most of the work. My job is to be diligent and to facilitate the learning process as my child becomes more independent. Choose good books and follow the course, just like Dorothy and her yellow brick road, and you will arrive right where you need to be.

Ancient History Studies Update

It's hard to believe we are already into the first week of November! I want to update readers on the progress of my history-based unit studies plans. Since my last post, I've found a great blog focused on minimalist homeschooling, "Zara, PhD" (http://www.zaraphd.com/2017/08/01/what-is-minimalist-homeschooling/). The linked post begins a series on implementing a minimalist homeschooling mindset. I have also ordered Zara's book, Minimalist Homeschooling, from Amazon, and I'm sure I'll be reflecting a great deal on her wisdom. It just so happens that Zara is Catholic, so that's a bonus!

I've continued to work on paring down the curriculum during this fall term and to create a schedule that is set and easy to follow. It has been difficult to release the Charlotte Mason mindset regarding spreading a huge feast of books and subjects. My goal was to have only a daily list of subjects, but I ended up reverting to including a loop of additional subjects. Not only that, but I was doubling up on some of the daily subjects as well! I was perpetually clogging my mind with worry about how I could juggle it all. I finally tossed Spanish out of the curriculum for now. I know, incredulous gasp! But baby steps to minimalism it must be.

I plan to get back to the Spanish, but first I need to sort out our priority subjects and focus on them. First things first. Zara, PhD is going to hold my hand through this, but I've already made a start. Basically, the top 3 subjects that are most important at this time are math, writing, and literature. Now, integrating subjects is a great way to go about simplifying things. Tomorrow we'll be finished with Seton's Bible History: Old Testament book. That one book incorporated reading, religion, and history. But we haven't worked in Seton's Religion book for awhile, which is the formal catechism we are using this year, continuing from last year. At this rate, we'll be in this book forever!

You will hear folks in homeschooling circles admonish that finishing a book and checking items off a list does not constitute learning. That may be true, but if you spread your efforts across too many books and subjects, the learning will be thin. It's a good thing to spend enough quality time with a book, to go deeply into the subject--and it's a good thing to finish the book. Dragging books out due to lack of consistency is self-defeating. The priority subjects will constitute our daily core, and then subjects of secondary importance (but still key to our unit studies) will be looped. The Catholic Faith permeates the curriculum, but especially as this is Beezy's sacrament of Confirmation year, I don't want to neglect religion as its own subject.

Beezy is still working on her Hanging Gardens of Babylon art project, from Draw and Write Through History. I think she'll finish it this week. So the Old Testament unit will be wrapped up this week, culminating with a study guide I designed and a test. Then next week we'll move on to ancient Egypt!

Our reading/history book will be Cleopatra of Egypt by Leonora Hornblow (Landmark Books). The brilliant aspect with this book is that Cleopatra's world covers the entire territory for our ancient history studies--Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Bible Lands!

I decided to make writing very simple. In addition to cursive writing, Beezy will have one other writing assignment per day. This can include dictation lessons, written narrations, answering chapter questions, poetry or other creative writing, letters to grandparents, personal journaling, etc... I found a Writer's Express handbook at our homeschool co-op to use as a guide for different types of writing.

We're using Saxon Math now, and it's such a relief to have a solid program to follow. I no longer have anxiety about teaching math! We will use this program all the way through high school, as far as Beezy is able to go into the higher math subjects.

I'll just leave you with the schedule I have planned for the remainder of this term (until Christmas break). Daily subjects are math, literature/history, piano practice, and English. The loop includes art, religion, geography, and science/health. These subjects will be rotated throughout the week, or each may get a few days or more at a time, depending on the need. This works out to 5 subjects covered daily, for a 4-day week.

Remember that life itself and extracurricular activities can take care of some of the subjects. Every subject does not need to be covered every day, every term. When you look at my entire schedule, all of the required school subjects are covered (according to the requirements of my state). It is minimalist and simple, yet we have attained the variety and depth characteristic of a liberal arts curriculum. 

Daily Core: (Open with Pure Faith: A Prayer Book for Teens)

- Saxon Math
- Literature/History: Cleopatra of Egypt
- Piano practice
- English (cursive, grammar, writing skills)

Loop:

- Religion
- Science/Health
- Art
- Geography

Extracurriculars:

- Piano lessons
- Tumbling class
- Religious Ed. class
- Choir and Musical Theater co-op classes

The Good of Charlotte Mason

It may seem to readers that I've been very hard on Charlotte Mason lately. I felt the need to really pinpoint what the issues might be for Catholics, to be very aware of what elements don't mesh with the Faith and the Church's educational tradition. I do not mean to completely reject CM. After all, the Catholic Church is not opposed to new ideas. She does not insist upon any particular pedagogical method. It's entirely possible and permissible to take the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty found in non-Catholic resources. We simply need to be discerning. 

I was reminded of the good of Charlotte Mason when I received a Stories of the Saints reading comprehension book that I had ordered from Catholic Heritage Curricula for the upcoming school year. For the first story, there are 12 vocabulary words to define and 10 comprehension questions. This seems like a lot to me. For Seton's Bible History chapters there are only about four, fill-in-the-blank questions to complete. I imagine that Beezy would blanch at the idea of doing so much more work!

However, she does need to be doing more writing, and answering all those questions with complete sentences would give her that opportunity. At the same time, because of CM, I know about alternative language arts methods. I can have Beezy do copy work and dictation lessons from the text. I could have her simply write a narration, and in fact the Stories of the Saints book suggests topics for essays. I could have her give me an oral narration after the story, and then she could answer only those questions that she did not already cover. With the vocabulary, she would only have to look up those words that she didn't already know. In the introduction, the author suggests several options for how the book might be used. In any case we are not locked in to only one way of doing things. That is the mentality I really want to get away from.

What I love about homeschooling is that we can try different things and do what works best. Even if I required Beezy to fill in every blank and answer every question, the work wouldn't have to be done all in one day. A number of different approaches and writing assignments can be used to encourage retention of the material and enhance thinking skills. 

I think I simply needed to branch out with some new teaching ideas for the upcoming school year, to keep things fresh for both myself and my child. I've assimilated what I needed from Charlotte Mason and will probably have the occasional opportunity to revisit her. But I think that now, for the most part, we are on to new challenges and experiences. And we're just going to enjoy being the unique Catholic homeschooling family that we are!

Multum Non Multa & Homeschooling through History

It seems that the classical principle of multum non multa (much not many) can be as confusing as the meaning of classical education itself. In podcast episode #11 at the Schole Sisters blog, the hostesses discuss what Pliny the Younger meant by multum non multa and how this applies to the homeschooling curriculum. They conclude that the idea would be to track less books, not fewer subjects. Therefore, Pliny is right in step with Charlotte Mason, being that CM advocated covering a broad spectrum of subjects while going slowly and deeply through the books themselves.

The Schole Sisters fear that there can be too much cutting back of the curriculum in the name of multum non multa. They see this happening with the "minimalist" homeschooling trend and also in The Latin-Centered Curriculum. (You can read this "Multum Non Multa" article by Andrew Campbell at Memoria Press for the strictly Latin-based interpretation of the principle: https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/multum-non-multa/.)

In his youtube series on the 8 classical principles of education, Dr. Christopher Perrin seems to agree that Charlotte Mason's philosophy fits within the classical framework. For example, CM would correspond the history, geography, and literature studies, in a similar way to Perrin's classical approach of putting subjects into "family" groupings. One book can cover three or four subjects. Perrin says that multum non multa is about achieving breadth through depth. But he differs with the Schole Sisters in that he advocates tracking both fewer books and a smaller number of subjects.

Whether or not Charlotte Mason is "classical," and if she is, in what way this might be true, will likely never be perfectly resolved. But if we start with the idea of corresponding history with literature and geography, we have found a great place to begin in designing the curriculum. RC History is a popular Catholic program which labels itself as both a classical and unit studies method. It is actually "neoclassical," with respect to corresponding the trivium with stages of child development. CM was definitely not classical in this sense, and neither am I. She also didn't believe in unit studies, in which all subjects are tied to a particular theme.

It just so happened that as I was planning my 2017--2018 (7th grade) curriculum, I noticed that the books I had chosen would allow me to expand beyond corresponding literature, history, and geography to include additional subjects. It wouldn't be a true unit studies method, but it would be a more comprehensive way of homeschooling through history; akin perhaps to the RC History program, but more streamlined, more multum non multa.

My favorite quarter of college at OSU was one in which the three classes I took corresponded to the same time period. I believe these were English, classics, and history courses (perhaps relating to the Middle Ages). This happy coincidence allowed me to experience first-hand how enriching such a living approach to learning can be. I so much enjoyed these studies done together that I wished my entire education would have been organized this way! I was able to make so many wonderful connections on my own, and I'm certain Charlotte Mason would have approved!!

I have so far planned units for ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome/early Middle Ages. In this way history will be studied chronologically, as CM advocated, and we will venture into the realm of Classical studies. We may get no further than the early Middle Ages, but that's okay, because we can pick back up where we left off for the 8th grade.

This way of scheduling organizes the material in a very natural way, and I can see now how the curriculum I've planned will flow in an organic manner. There will be both rhyme and reason present in our lessons! Not that there wasn't before, but going forward there will be a clearer picture, a better system in place, and more selective choices for the spreading of the feast. I think that subconsciously I had selected the books with following history in mind.

We already read the chapter on ancient Egypt in Our Catholic Legacy Vol. 1 (Seton) this year, but we did not dig deeply into this subject; so Egypt will be the first theme to be studied during Term 1 for the upcoming year. Beezy will finish reading the Bible History: Old Testament book from Seton for the history portion of the unit. (We are wrapping up history this year with King David and His Songs by Windeatt, along with the Bible History chapters on David.) The additional books will touch upon the other civilizations that were covered in the chapter on Egypt as well.

The following is a list of the books and specific chapters that will be included:

Bible History: Old Testament from Seton (chapter 21, "The Wisdom of Solomon," to the end)
A Child's Geography of the World by Hillyer (chapters 50-52, 54, and 64)
Mara, Daughter of the Nile by McGraw (plus mini-guide from Rainbow Resource Center)
Science 7 for Young Catholics from Seton (History of Science chapter 1, sections I and II)
Draw and Write Through History: Greece and Rome (The Hanging Gardens of Babylon)
The Meaning of Trees by Hageneder (Introduction)

It's possible that Jansen's The Story of Painting will be included, but I have misplaced the book! In the next post I will provide the entire Term 1 schedule, organized by subject area, and you will be able to see how each item in the Egypt unit fits. Until then, I hope this gives you some additional ideas for planning your curriculum. I'm really beginning to see how my synthesis of the Charlotte Mason, Classical, and Scholastic methods is going to work beautifully!!

2017--2018 Catholic Homeschool Curriculum

Happy Easter, everyone! I know it is only the middle of April, but yes, I have already prepared my curriculum for the next homeschooling year! Keep in mind that I'm only teaching one child, so I have more time than many of you to get a heart start. 

Very often I encounter some sort of difficulty or suffering during Lent, and this year was no different. There was a death in my family right before Lent began, and that was a sorrowful time. But what was keeping me awake at night toward the end of Lent was a peculiar crisis in which I felt anxious about how I was going to approach 7th grade literature. I think this came about because 7th grade means junior high school, at least for those of us for whom "middle school" was not a thing growing up. So this is the phase when children become teenagers and are gearing up for high school. It's the beginning of the big leagues, and I knew I would need to present new experiences and greater challenges.

In order to work through the crisis and start sleeping well again, I had to go ahead and hammer out the curriculum. Thank goodness for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the wonderful moms who answered my questions and supported my ideas in various Facebook homeschooling groups. I appreciate you more than you can know!

What I've come up with is a curriculum which reflects a synthesis of approaches recently discussed here at Organic Mothering--Charlotte Mason, the Scholastic Method of traditional Catholic education, and Classical studies and principles. I explored the connections between these philosophies, and I'm now feeling like I can proceed confidently forward. I'm calling this synthesis, Vintage Catholic Home Education.

Initially in my struggle with how to approach literature and historical fiction for 7th grade, I considered working with the study guides from Memoria Press. But after much prayer (and debate in my own mind!), I've decided to continue in the CM method, transitioning from mostly oral narrations to a greater practice of written ones. (I will, however, be using a mini-guide for Mara, Daughter of the Nile, that I found at Rainbow Resource Center.) 

This spring term I've begun having Beezy answer chapter study questions that I write, and those will be incorporated next year as well. At the end of each book will be a final exam, basically a CM-style essay. I've also added Laura Berquist's classical compilation of poetry, speeches, and Shakespeare, The Harp and Laurel Wreath, which includes lessons for dictation and study questions. This is a most excellent resource, and I'm excited to get going with it!

I've assimilated CM well over the years, but I will continue to read her Original Homeschooling Series and refer back to books I've already read as needed. I want more structure for science next year, so I'm adding Seton's 7th grade text/workbook. We will continue to take nature walks and keep the nature notebook, but especially during the winter it will be beneficial to study science and health subjects more formally. I've also added a couple of art lesson books, as this is an area I felt was weak in our curriculum this year. Though I've always designed my own curriculum and have been intent upon following Charlotte Mason very closely, I realized that for going to the next level I felt more comfortable adding a little more of the traditional materials. 

Please note that music is being delegated to others for the most part next year. Beezy will have Choir and Musical Theater classes with a homeschooling co-op and will continue with her piano lessons. Physical education this year is being covered by a tumbling class, and that will continue next year. These are subjects of intense personal interest, and I think it's important to feed those needs. And we homeschooling parents cannot do everything ourselves!

As usual, my curriculum outline is set up for the requirements of my state. If it seems like an overwhelming number of books, please know that I don't expect to get through everything in one year. Like Sarah Mackenzie says on her blog, Amongst Lovely Things, planning is guessing! We will likely defer some of this plan to the 8th grade. Feel free to use what you would like for your own curriculum! 

I. Vintage Catholic Home Education: We will be using a self-designed curriculum integrating the Scholastic Method of traditional Catholic education; the philosophy and method of Charlotte Mason; and Classical studies and principles. Drawing from the books and resources listed below, learning tools such as living books, narration, copy work, dictation, and memory recitation will be utilized, with a core of Religion and the liberal arts.

II. Curriculum Books and Resources:

- Seton Home Study School (www.setonhome.org)

- Memoria Press (memoriapress.com)

- Catholic Heritage Curricula (www.chcweb.com)

- Charlotte Mason Original Homeschooling Series

- The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims Version

- Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie

- Public and home library selections

- Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss

- Ambleside Online (amblesideonline.org)

- Mater Amabilis: A Charlotte Mason Style Curriculum for Catholics (materamabilis.org)

III. Subjects and Books/Materials:

Language Arts – A Book of Fortitude (Seton reader); Mara, Daughter of the Nile (McGraw) and mini-guide from Rainbow Resource Center; A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys and Tanglewood Tales (Greek myths by Nathaniel Hawthorne); Lassie Come-Home (Knight); King Arthur and His Knights (Robinson); The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Pyle); Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb; Bard of Avon and Good Queen Bess (Stanley/Vannema); The Harp and Laurel Wreath (poetry and dictation); The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain); Language of God grammar and composition (CHC); Handwriting for Young Catholics (Seton); correspondence; popular fiction (free reading); Learn Spanish with Grace!

Religion, Geography and History– Religious Education class at parish church; Prayers for Young Catholics (Daughters of St. Paul); Pure Faith: A Prayer Book for Teens (Evert); The Gospel of St. Luke; Bible History for Young Catholics (Seton, Old and New Testament volumes); Journeys with Mary (De Santis); Our Catholic Legacy Vol. 1 (Seton world history); A Child's Geography of the World (Hillyer); Usborne Essential Atlas of the World; The Life of Saint Patrick (Reynolds); Augustine Came to Kent (Willard); Columbus and the New World (Derleth); Pocahontas and Captain John Smith (Marie Lawson); Fifty Stories from Ohio (Martzolff); Sauder Village Farm and Living History Museum membership; States & Capitals flash cards

Mathematics – Hamilton’s Essentials of Arithmetic (measurement; fractions; time and money; place values; addition and subtraction with regrouping; multiplication; division; decimals and percentages, etc.); TheMathWorksheetSite.com; Archimedes and the Door of Science (Bendick); math manipulatives; flash cards; calendar; board games; baking

Science and Health – Science 7 for Young Catholics (Seton: history of science, scientific method, geology, chemistry, electricity, space flight, the five senses); General Hygiene (Overton); Nature Anatomy (Rotham); The Meaning of Trees (Hageneder); Nature walks and notebook; The Feelings Book: The Care & Keeping of Your Emotions (American Girl); sustainable living and organic gardening; Humane Society volunteer work

Physical Education – Tumbling class; basketball team; dance; daily outdoor play; hiking; sledding; trampoline; running; swimming; scooter; climbing; horseback riding; bicycling; dog walks

Fine Arts – Choir and Musical Theater homeschool co-op classes; piano lessons; The Story of Painting (Janson); Creating Art: Lessons & Projects for the Grammar Stage (MP); Draw and Write Through History: Greece and Rome (Gressman); Anholt’s Artist Books for Children series; folk songs and hymns; card making; art museum visits; attendance at plays and concerts; dramatic play; parks and recreation/library arts and crafts programs; movies and documentaries; videography and photography; creative writing

First Aid, Safety, and Fire Protection – Continued reinforcement of these subjects through library materials, field trips, and home safety plans

What If Sarah Mackenzie Is Right?

 Sarah Mackenzie

Okay friends, time to get real! I am very, very distracted right now. My Lenten dreams seem like so much sand running out from between my fingers. This might be a moment of reckoning. I was up at 3:30 a.m. filled with anxiety. Maybe it's hormones, or the fact that I'm on antibiotics for a sinus infection. Perhaps the weather is to blame. But today the sun is out. Though not quite warm enough for porch sitting, things are looking springy and fine.

Well, with my blurry-eyed vision in the wee hours of insomniac hell, I pulled out Sarah Mackenzie's Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace. I've been mulling over a certain paragraph in her book, and here it is:

     Whether or not you purchase an open-and-go curriculum doesn't really matter. You can pretty much forget all the heated discussions about whether you are caving in to school-at-home if you use traditional workbooks or a straight-from-the-box curriculum. I know successful homeschooling families who use textbooks and successful homeschooling families who eschew them. I don't think that's a relevant debate to be having if we want to teach from rest and become happy, content, peaceful, and effective homeschooling moms.  (pp. 31-32)

And then there's her article at Amongst Lovely Things titled, "My Biggest Homeschooling Mistake: Over-thinking Methods and Philosophies" (https://amongstlovelythings.com/my-biggest-homeschooling-mistake-over/). The whole thing is quotable, so read it in its entirety. But here is a portion of the wisdom:

"It was only when I silenced the voices of educational gurus coming from the bookshelf and internet and really paid close attention to my own children that I found our groove. One does not need to be versed in educational methodology to teach well. One needs to love her child. Pay attention to him. Notice how he learns- what he understands easily, what hinders his understanding.

If I had spent those hours watching my children and following my instincts instead of reading up on this or that educational philosophy, I would have reaped greater rewards far sooner.

My children would have received a better education, and I would have been a happier, more-content homeschooling mother."


I have resisted what Sarah is saying in this regard for some time now. Of course philosophy and method matter, right? How can they not? What if we have attached so much time and energy and faith to this stuff that we have become obsessed, confused, and the very antithesis of unshakable peace. More like a bowl of jello during an earthquake.

What if I just want to be a Catholic homeschooler and take JPII's advice, "Families, be who you are!"?  Do you know, I can't even find a general Catholic homeschooling group on Facebook anymore? Everything is a niche or combination of niches--classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, following a particular curriculum, you name it. But oh, I have told myself, I don't want to be eclectic. I want to be true to CM. But I like Seton and their text/workbooks and vintage reprints and Catholic historical fiction. And CHC's grammar and composition book really fits the bill. But...what about those lovely classical principles???

The truth is, we can't say yes to everything. We have to say no to some things, even good things. 
(And you can quote me on that.)

I think that researching scholasticism has made me realize the we have a grand tradition of Catholic education going back many hundreds of years, and there is no reason to reject it. Can I just be a Catholic home educator, in complete and true freedom, please?!

What if Sarah Mackenzie is right?

A Scholastic Charlotte Mason Education

The topics on this blog for the current Lenten season have been all about giving up distractions, and I've focused quite a bit on homeschooling methods and resources. But reducing our distractions does not mean that we stop learning and growing. One way of simplifying matters is to go more deeply into an idea to achieve a clearer focus.

I've been pulling together some ideas that I've been exploring this entire school year, along the lines of applying certain principles of classical education to Charlotte Mason, as well as incorporating traditional Catholic curricula to insure that the Faith permeates the curriculum. I stepped back from the CM label for awhile in order to focus on the particularly Catholic elements in our homeschooling, and to explore the Catholic educational tradition of "living books through eyes of faith." I think I've discovered a missing link to connect these various facets; that is, the philosophy of scholasticism. 

I'm only beginning to explore what scholasticism is and will continue with my research, but I'll lay out the basics as I understand them. First read this article from New World Encyclopedia: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Scholasticism. What I'm gathering is that scholasticism is the meeting of ancient classical philosophy (Greek and Latin) with Catholicism. It's the marriage of faith and reason. The Scholastic Method of education originated in the Middle Ages and is based upon the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. In short, it's the Catholic interpretation of classical. This was the traditional method used in Catholic schools up until the burgeoning confusion and secularization following Vatican II. Seton Home Study employs the Scholastic Method, and I think Catholic Heritage Curricula incorporates it as well. Read the history of Seton and the use of the Scholastic Method here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seton_Home_Study_School.

I've discussed my opinion that Charlotte Mason is not a form of classical education as it's presented in the neoclassical movement (with the Trivium allegedly corresponding to stages of child development), despite the similarities that can be found between them. However, I have suggested that it may be edifying to explore how certain classical principles can be applied to CM, to provide one with a deeper formation and crystallizing of her unique philosophy and method. Or in other words, to explore how Charlotte Mason's interpretation of a liberal arts education is rooted in classical antiquity. I think we can do the same with scholasticism.

Charlotte was an Anglican Christian, and during her time there was a revival of medieval scholasticism, known as neo-scholasticism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Scholasticism). Though she was not Catholic, I am wondering if she took some inspiration from the neo-scholastic revival, considering her foundational idea, Education is the handmaid of Religion. While Protestant and disconnected from the papacy, the Anglican Church retains a strong degree of Tradition.

It has been argued that CM is clearly not classical, because it is specifically based upon the Bible, the current psychology of her era, and CM's personal observations of children (see Art Middlekauf's article at https://www.charlottemasoninstitute.org/reconsidering-charlotte-mason-and-the-classical-tradition-by-art-middlekauff/). Though clearly not scholastic either, there is that similar sensibility in CM of the marriage of faith and reason. The Scholastic Method is a form of classical learning. We might conclude that CM and scholasticism both have their roots in the classicism of antiquity, though they each represent a unique divergence.

While the Catholic CM homeschooler would not have to incorporate books from a scholastic provider such as Seton in order to make sure that the Faith permeates the curriculum, I think there is great appeal in connecting with our Catholic educational heritage in such a way. There is also the matter of convenience. Rather than gathering Catholic books from various sources as you would do with the Mater Amabilis curriculum, you can simply visit one website and find books that are solidly Catholic and that are designed to be used together. This may also benefit the parent who can use such books to increase a child's independent work, especially as he or she gets into the middle school years (6th through 8th grade). Also, if the parents want their child to receive a diploma from an accredited school, using a number of books from Seton would help facilitate the transition to high school.

So am I advocating a blending of the Scholastic Method with CM? I'm not entirely sure. I have advocated for choosing one method and sticking to it, and I would still say that we are substantially Charlotte Mason homeschoolers in my family. But considering that we are Catholic, that right there puts us into a niche that is not "pure CM." Charlotte Mason's writings do not give us a guide to providing a particularly Catholic education, and as Catholics faith formation must come first.

Where I'm at right now is in a process of thinking about the classical principles, as laid out by Christopher Perrin in his webinar videos on youtube, as informing our central Charlotte Mason method; and exploring how the Scholastic Method fits into the big picture as well. As I have done before, I'm using the model of the fleur-de-lis as a visual representation:

The base of the symbol is Catholic Faith Formation, and I think of the lower prongs as representing Jesus, Mary, and Joseph--the Holy Family. The central petal above the base represents Charlotte Mason as the primary method. The left and right petals represent Perrin's classical principles (and the idea of schole found in Sarah Mackenzie's book, Teaching from Rest), and the Scholastic Method of traditional Catholic education. The supporting petals are corollaries to the primary method.

Dr. Perrin describes how he thinks CM fits into the classical principle of multum non multa. Here's a link to his first youtube video introducing all 8 of his essential classical principles of pedagogy. There are separate videos focusing on each of the principles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi9UBSIu10M.

My idea is not about mashing together a hodgepodge of methods and just calling it "eclectic," but rather about creating a holistic approach to a Catholic education, putting together elements that though distinct, are intrinsically related. Another variation on the fleur-de-lis model could be to put the Scholastic Method in the center, using books from a traditional Catholic program as a "spine" on which to hang the classical principles and particulars of the CM method. It's all about what makes the best organizational sense to you, what will make your efforts all come together and bring you to the end goal. Whatever the methods we choose to put together, we want to be clear about our aim. What's needed is a synthesis, an integration that brings a sense of wholeness to our efforts.

What do you all think about the connections I've drawn between the Classical, Scholastic, and Charlotte Mason traditions? Does it make sense? Does anyone else use a similar approach? As always, I welcome a discussion!

Charlotte Mason Schedule, Term 3 Updates

Our spring homeschooling term began on the first of this month, and I have continued to work on spreading that delightful Charlotte Mason feast while at the same time embracing the classical education principle of multum non multa (much not more). In practical terms this means a pared down version of CM that allows us to sink more deeply into fewer books and subjects. After completing the schedule that we will begin next week, I feel satisfied and relaxed. God willing, I have struck a good balance. I have found the sweet spot. I am victorious!

I want to point out a few changes. After trying unsuccessfully to wing the Spanish lessons with flash cards and The Everything Kids Book of Spanish from the library, I broke down and bought a curriculum book and 3-CD set, Learn Spanish with Grace. And it's Catholic, so the Faith now permeates the curriculum in an additional subject. Yay! 

I took the Language Arts loop out and put those subjects into the Daily Core, designating how many times per week each will be done. (Items without a designation are done every day.) I did not list dictation, because this is included in the Language of God grammar and composition book from Catholic Heritage Curricula. The dictation lessons are drawn from the child's reading, so this is still CM-aligned. We take spelling words to work on from the dictation readings. "Free reading" means that the child is not required to narrate. However, I will perhaps have Beezy do a simple book report when she is finished with the novel. 

The remaining subjects are "looped" through. I plan for a 4-day week, so one item is done from the loop per day. 

I print this list off each week, making any necessary changes, and just use an orange pen to check each item off as it is accomplished. I also write what is covered daily in more detail on loose leaf notebook paper, which goes into Beezy's portfolio for the end-of-year review by a certified teacher.

I think the rest is pretty self-explanatory, but please feel free to ask any questions in the comments!

 
Catholic Charlotte Mason Schedule, 2016-2017 Term 3 (6th grade)

Daily Core: (open with prayer)

- free reading (A Wrinkle in Time, L'Engle)

- Hamilton’s Arithmetic

- Piano practice

- Cursive writing (Seton, 2 times per week)

- Grammar & Composition (CHC, 2 times per week)

- King David and His Songs (oral narration, 2 times per week)

- Learn Spanish with Grace (2 to 3 times per week)

Loop:

- Rosary: Sorrowful Mysteries (1952 Catholic Confraternity Bible)

- Nature Study & notebook (written narration/drawing): Minn of the Mississippi;

  Anna Comstock Handbook (reptiles); nature walk

- Religion 6 for Young Catholics (Seton)

- Artist and picture studies: Claude Monet (Nancy Nunhead); Linnea in Monet's

  Garden (Christina Bjork)

Weekly:

Piano lessons

Religious education class

Tumbling class

May Meanderings

I was up at 6:30 this morning, unusually early, probably in anticipation of attending my first homeschooling conference later today! I will be driving an hour to a city where such things occur. It isn't a Charlotte Mason conference; there hasn't been one of those close to my home. But I'm excited because it is being held by a Catholic company, Seton Home Study. As Charlotte Mason herself was not Catholic, it can be especially difficult for Catholic CM home educators to find good materials to suit our needs. In some ways I think we really are pioneers.

For all CM homeschoolers, the challenge exists to find living books for the self-design of a curriculum. There are full curriculum guides online, but not all are Catholic, and for various reasons it may not work to follow a single one completely. Cost of books can certainly be an issue. In the spirit of thriftiness I enjoy finding vintage treasures at flea markets, garage sales, antiques shops, and library book sales. And of course a great deal can be found through the library system itself.

I like Seton because they provide resources such as reprints of vintage Catholic readers and the Baltimore Catechism, and they incorporate historical fiction novels. When I wasn't getting very far teaching Beezy cursive writing, I ordered one of their handwriting workbooks, and it has been very effective. Today I'm going to take a look at their Bible history offerings for 6th and 7th grade. Though their curriculum is heavy on traditional text/workbooks, these often use a story format rather than the typical dry facts variety. It will also simply be nice to have a mom's day out, to listen to the speakers at the conference and experience being a part of a larger homeschooling community. Where I live there are very few Catholic homeschooling families.

It is wonderful to be able to sit out on my front porch this morning, enjoying the sunshine and birdsong. One of my favorite delights every year is getting the porch all cleaned up and reorganized. We can eat, visit with friends and family, and do our school lessons out here. I've been watching children trickle to the bus stop, and that brings me to another topic.

Last week Beezy had the opportunity to attend full days at the Catholic school where she takes a la carte art and gym classes. She was supposed to go full-time all week, but by Wednesday night she had a sore throat, so she only went for three days. That was enough of the experiment to gauge what it would really be like.

As I suspected, if we sent Beezy there full time, our family life would revolve almost entirely around school. Beezy did enjoy it. She didn't seem to mind getting up early, and she wasn't bored being there all day. What she did not enjoy was the homework, especially for math. From what I saw with all of the homework, she is working at grade level, so I don't think a transition to school life would be a problem in that respect. But a good portion of the evenings were spent with her dad and I helping with homework. One evening she visited with a neighbor friend for an hour. On another we took a family dog walk, and on the third she played outside for awhile. But allowing her to have a life in the evening meant not finishing the homework.

In addition, parents of Catholic school children are expected to do a lot of volunteer work. I put  the issue of the cost of tuition out of my mind in order to evaluate other kinds of costs. The biggest cost is time. I would spend a minimum of five hours every week driving to and from the school. In that amount of  time I can cover two days worth of homeschooling! Beezy didn't have time for the book she is reading for pleasure, or to watch our favorite shows on Netflix. I was not able to do our usual bedtime read alouds. If we were to add her weekly piano lesson, religious education class, and participation in a sport to the mix, I don't see how we would have any free time left. As children get older, even weekends are consumed with homework and extracurricular school activities.

The experience gave me a new appreciation for the ability to homeschool. My husband was dead set against losing this freedom and being chained to the school schedule and requirements. We only have one car, so on a day like today I would not be able to go a conference in a city an hour away. And in our current situation, other homeschooling friends who also have greater freedom with time can get together for play dates and sleepovers any day of the week. With not having to pay tuition, we can spend that money on lessons, classes, field trips, sports, and other enrichment activities that would have to otherwise go by the wayside. And we don't have to become exhausted and disconnected from one another in the process. I was amazed that after having my child at school for the entire day, I still had to "homeschool" in the evenings! I cannot see the benefit.

The Catholic school is great. It's a good place for those families who cannot homeschool. Beezy's class is a wonderful group of kids, and the Catholic environment is extremely important. I wouldn't consider public school unless it was the only option. But I can best live my vocation as a Catholic mother by homeschooling. Even at the Catholic school, the education is infiltrated with Common Core, and the only class in which Catholic school books are used is the religion class. The children pray there three times daily, and they attend Mass once a week. Most of the teachers are Catholic. At home I can provide an education in which the Catholic Faith permeates the entire curriculum, which fulfills the teaching of the Church in a way that the school does not. The sacrifice of time and money would not be worth it to me or my husband. I feel blessed that we can have the best of both worlds, that we can homeschool and also provide a part-time experience of enrichment classes at the school for our child.

We all want what is best for our children. I believe in a Charlotte Mason education. That is simply not something my daughter would be privileged to have at any of our area schools. The freedom of educational choice is one that we must not take for granted. We exercise our rights, or risk losing them. I choose to seize the day!

Spring CM Curriculum Updates

Spring did finally arrive after an unwelcome return to winter, and Beezy and I have experienced some enjoyable days doing our homeschooling lessons on the porch. Tulips are in full array in our yard right now, and the crab apple tree will soon be in fragrant bloom, as will the honeysuckle bush. I'm going to go out to the backyard today and visit my favorite, the lilacs, to see how they are coming along. I look forward to the sweetness of pears from the tree now flowering. These signs of life do cheer me so!

Another event that always delights my spirit is Beezy's annual spring piano recital, which we attended yesterday. She was one of three homeschoolers among the 14 performing students. All of these young people give me hope for our society's future, as they display the dedication necessary for learning to play a musical instrument. They must have a strong sense of commitment, self-discipline, patience, creativity, and humility, all qualities of character that will serve them well--that will indeed be necessary--in adult life. Beezy and her dad and I were privileged to share the special day with great-grandparents, grandparents who traveled from Cleveland, and a cousin with whom Beezy is very close. 

Today I made adjustments to our Catholic Charlotte Mason loop schedule. To keep it simple, I have designed it to fit everything on one printed page. Sometimes we get through all of the extended loop items in one week, but if it takes two, that is fine. It's more important to take our time to enjoy and assimilate each subject rather than rushing to fit it all in. The writing loop is easily accomplished in a week, often being done in only four days.

A Book of Gratitude is a reprint of a vintage Catholic reader from the Faith and Freedom series and is available from Seton Home Study's 5th grade book list. This contains a nice selection of saint stories and classic literature and poetry. We finished reading Saint Isaac and the Indians (Lomask), which I highly recommend, especially in connection with Canadian history. I didn't want to begin another historical novel for read aloud literature this late in the year. So we will be using Fifty Stories from Ohio History, a vintage book found at our own library, until school finishes at the end of May. We will then pick up where we left off in the fall. Reading one Psalm to close our homeschooling lessons each day has been a wonderful addition to the curriculum.

I removed Tea Time Fridays from the schedule, simply because it wasn't often happening. Instead I put Spanish into the Humanities Loop. Poetry and hymns are worked into copy work and dictation lessons, and I added letter writing (correspondence) to the writing loop. This way all of the previous Tea Time items are still a part of the curriculum, and if we go on a field trip or have some other activity planned for Fridays, those subjects are not left undone. The only thing I still need to incorporate is a handicraft. We have a needlepoint project begun long ago that still needs to be finished, so I think I'll bring that out on rainy afternoons and evenings when we have nothing going on and want to stave off boredom.

I am considering switching to Saxon Math for next year and was excited to find that I could order it through the library system! If I like it, I will just use a library copy rather than buying the textbook. With my special teacher library card, I can keep items out for an extended period and renew several times. I will occasionally have to send it back and reorder it, so we can use our Total Math workbook in between, which we will not finish this year.

Except for the Seton workbook for 6th grade that goes along with the Baltimore Catechism, which we may use to focus on particular tenets of the Faith next year, I don't think I'm going to need to purchase a single book! Most of what we will need to continue with our studies we already have, and the rest is available through the library. How amazing is that?!  As always, please feel free to ask questions or share your impressions in the comments at the bottom. Here is the updated schedule:

Daily Core (beginning each day with prayer):

- Reading: A Book of Gratitude or Rover by Jackie French (Viking historical fiction) 

- Math lesson

- Piano practice

- Literature read aloud: Fifty Stories from Ohio History (for lesson time, with oral narration and/or discussion); Anne of Windy Poplars (bedtime)

- Old Testament Bible: Psalms (closing reading)

Writing loop (using poems, hymns, prayers, Bible verses, and passages from reading  books for copy work and dictation):

- copy work

- dictation

- grammar workbook

- written narration or correspondence

- cursive writing (Seton Handwriting 3)

Extended Loops:

Religion loop:

- The Baltimore Catechism

- The Rosary in Art (picture studies, Seton)

- New Testament Bible: Rosary mysteries (and prayers); the Acts of the Apostles  

- Saints: The Saint Book (Newland) or Journeys with Mary (De Santis)

Humanities Loop:

- Natural science: nature walks and notebook; zoological cards; The Story Book of Science

- A Child’s Geography of the World and/or map work or visual enrichment

- Memory work/recitation

- The Care & Keeping of You or The Feelings Book (American Girl, health)

- Spanish

Weekly:

Religious Ed. Class at parish church on Wednesdays

Gym and art classes at Catholic school & piano lessons on Thursdays

Art, lunch and recess at Catholic school on Fridays