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1st out of 125 books
—
139 voters
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
This book will instruct you, step by step, on how to give your child an academically rigorous, comprehensive education from preschool through high school. Two veteran home educators outline the classical pattern of education—the trivium—which organizes learning around the maturing capacity of the child's mind: the elementary school "grammar stage," the middle school "logic...more
Hardcover, Revised and Expanded Edition, 832 pages
Published
April 17th 2004
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1999)
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This book changed my life! No, really!
In 1999, my two boys started school (k and 1st grade) on the same day my daughter was born. We ran so crazy that whole school year that we decided we had to try homeschooling - just to see if life would be any simpler. Lo and behold, it was. And The Well-Trained Mind (aka WTM) was my guide to how to do it.
WTM covers the philosophy and practice of classical education in a homeschool setting. There are other resources on classical ed, but I've found this one t...more
In 1999, my two boys started school (k and 1st grade) on the same day my daughter was born. We ran so crazy that whole school year that we decided we had to try homeschooling - just to see if life would be any simpler. Lo and behold, it was. And The Well-Trained Mind (aka WTM) was my guide to how to do it.
WTM covers the philosophy and practice of classical education in a homeschool setting. There are other resources on classical ed, but I've found this one t...more
We've been using this book for "afterschooling" for our first-grader, but it's meant to be more for homeschooling. I love most of the ideas in this book and we have found the history lessons especially interesting and helpful. It's very nice to teach Mads a chronological history of the world that isn't U.S.-centered (I feel like I'm filling in the gaps of my own education). She also loves the poem memorization part of the language lessons. We've found this book to be a great resource and guide,...more
7 likes · like · see review
Aug 20, 2007
Angela
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All Parents
Shelves:
classicaleducation
The Well-Trained Mind follows the concepts found in A Thomas Jefferson Education, but provides a step-by-step "how-to" guide on how to set up a classical home school. I refer to this as my homeschool bible. What I have learned most from this book is that I don't have to alter my life to fit the outline described in the book, but I have altered the outline to fit and meet our individual needs and goals. I have used it as a guideline. It is a great resource for curriculum, etc.
6 likes · like · see review
A thick, but quick to read book, especially since several sections do not apply to me at this time. Gives a comprehensive overview of the classical approach to home school. The author has a very thorough, but practical approach to home schooling. This book really gave me the vision of what can be accomplished in the home. It is also an excellent resource, full of lists of suppliers and other books. I especially appreciated the sections on how to make up a transcript for a home schooled child and...more
4 likes · like · see review
Great book on classical homeschooling. It gives you a great guide on what to teach each year of homeschooling, but is also a bit ambitious. The author is a homeschool scholar raising geniuses. Even though I could never do all she does in a day, I loved the book for a guide, ideas, and how to keep on track. I would never get rid of the book even if I wasn't homeschooling. I like reading it for my own continued education.
Jan 24, 2008
Amy LaVange
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Parents with school aged kids
Recommended to Amy by:
lawn_mama
Shelves:
parenting
I truly believe this book to be a necessary read for anyone planning on taking an active role in their children's education - whether they are taught publicly, privately or in any sort of home environment. The curriculum is thorough and well thought, and the writing could motivate any parent to take a stronger role in teaching their child. Loved it!
4 likes · like · see review
Sep 03, 2009
Janie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
edupunction,
non-fiction
Verrrry interesting.
* for: best for people who have already decided homeschooling is what they want to do and want established, classical curricula. Also for those who want resource references out the wazoo.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The book is written by a mother and daughter pair. The daughter is one of three homeschooled children, but no mention was made of the experiences and outcome of the other kids' educations, and it bothered me. The daughter is wildly successful by typical...more
* for: best for people who have already decided homeschooling is what they want to do and want established, classical curricula. Also for those who want resource references out the wazoo.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The book is written by a mother and daughter pair. The daughter is one of three homeschooled children, but no mention was made of the experiences and outcome of the other kids' educations, and it bothered me. The daughter is wildly successful by typical...more
This is a superb and complete educational program to follow as a homeschooling parent or as a parent who wishes to supplement their children's public school education. The program however is very intense and actually requires more academic time than public school (unusual for most homeschool programs). There is also very little focus on the joy of learning, and truly is focused on "training" young minds. If you are looking to educate at home so that your children have a superior education, this...more
1 like · like · see review
This is an indispensible book for homeschooling! I use it and refer back to it often throughout the month. It is a great planning and compass for our schooling path. Though some may consider it overwhelming, this book has something I can take away from each time no matter how small or large. I use this book to rejuvenate myself, I use this book to realign our goals, I use this book as a resource in planning and experimenting as well. Everything is otulined through various subjects. The great thi...more
Not actually finished, because I'm not ready to start reading about the high school years, but I wish I had this book 5 years ago. Of course I probably would not have appreciated it until I had spent some time homeschooling my own kids. This fill the gaps that I find lacking in what I'm doing now and soothes my fragile ego that I have not been entirely missing the mark. Highly recommended for those interested in homeschooling. This is not school at home, nor is it unschooling. It is a classical...more
Nov 15, 2008
Jeanne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all parents
I would recommend this book to every parent, whether they plan to home school or not. Since most parents I know did not receive a classical education, they don't know how to give one to their children. This book is over the top in a lot of ways and can be intimidating, but it gives parents the knowledge of what a classical education entails, and gives options and lists of recommended resources. I also love The Well-Educated Mind, and really like Susan Wise Bauer (Susan and her mother Jessie, wro...more
Totally overwhelming, but full of good ideas. I would never try to implement everything she suggests or read every text she would require, or even devote as many hours per day to regimented study as would be required to follow anything like her program. But if you're running short on ideas and want some lists and inspiration, this is the place to look. I'd love to own it but it's so blasted expensive. The library wants it back now, alas.
I especially liked what she had to say about "socialization...more
I especially liked what she had to say about "socialization...more
I just love this book. I read it over and over. It is like a bible for homeschooling. All of our old favorite text books, philosophies, and methods are to be found recommended in this great resource, plus so much more that is new to me and WONDERFUL! I am getting ready for the coming school year with much excitement. I only wish some of my siblings were ready to delve into this great book with me; but alas, with children a younger than mine, they have a few more years until they will need such a...more
1 like · like · see review
The emperor is naked!
I have watched this growing trend reflected in the availability of numerous Greek mythology and philosophy books in homeschool catalogs and at curriculum fairs. I feel like the little boy who felt that he must point out the emperor’s obvious lack of clothing. Well-intentioned Christians have combined classical Greek educational methods with Bible-based curricula, which is exactly the same error that the early Church committed!
Satan has a goal in the homeschool movement–to g...more
I have watched this growing trend reflected in the availability of numerous Greek mythology and philosophy books in homeschool catalogs and at curriculum fairs. I feel like the little boy who felt that he must point out the emperor’s obvious lack of clothing. Well-intentioned Christians have combined classical Greek educational methods with Bible-based curricula, which is exactly the same error that the early Church committed!
Satan has a goal in the homeschool movement–to g...more
Everything I was looking for in a book about homeschooling.
This is a guide and I think that is something people need to remember. I've heard many people call it too much or too structured or ridged. This makes no sense to me. No where does it say to wake up six in the morning and sit for hours reading these materials. It doesn't have a strict schedule. It says to start small and work your way up. Start with fifteen minutes and if that is too long for your kindergardener then start with ten or fi...more
This is a guide and I think that is something people need to remember. I've heard many people call it too much or too structured or ridged. This makes no sense to me. No where does it say to wake up six in the morning and sit for hours reading these materials. It doesn't have a strict schedule. It says to start small and work your way up. Start with fifteen minutes and if that is too long for your kindergardener then start with ten or fi...more
This was an excellent book both for inspiration and practical reference. It is well-ordered (by year/grade) and easy to follow. While I don't plan on using all of Ms. Bauer's ideas for home educating my daughter, I will definitely be using a lot of them, including the 4-year history cycles and science ideas. If you are an "un-schooler", this book is probably not for you. I, however, am not. I love the resource lists at the end of each topic and plan to use them as a jumping-off point for choosin...more
10 pages into The Well-Trained Mind, I knew I found what I was looking for. (I actually stopped reading, logged onto Amazon and purchased a brand new copy of the newest edition. I knew I was going to want to have this book forever!) I was surprised because I didn't originally think classical education was the way we would go. But it makes SO MUCH SENSE! Here's how Classical Education breaks down:
Grades: 1, 5, 9: Ancients: 5000 B.C.-A.D. 400, Biology, Classification and Human body
Grades: 2, 6, 1...more
Grades: 1, 5, 9: Ancients: 5000 B.C.-A.D. 400, Biology, Classification and Human body
Grades: 2, 6, 1...more
1 like · like · see review
I marked it as read but I only read the Elementary chapters (Part I) in full and bits and pieces of Part IV since my son is only four years old.
As I have pondered my son's next year and a half before he begins kindergarten, I've found myself rather concerned about the local public schools and I've been pondering home schooling or other options. Obviously, I don't have to make any decisions right now, but The Well-Trained Mind gave me some ideas for how homeschooling can work right. This book is...more
As I have pondered my son's next year and a half before he begins kindergarten, I've found myself rather concerned about the local public schools and I've been pondering home schooling or other options. Obviously, I don't have to make any decisions right now, but The Well-Trained Mind gave me some ideas for how homeschooling can work right. This book is...more
A lot of classical education advocates seem to think that classical education means you just study Rome and Greece, and nothing else. That isn't the case here. This book is about how to use the developmental stages of a child to educate them, incorporating a pattern that organizes other topics around historical time periods. Those time periods are not just ancient civilizations, but a systematic coverage of history from ancient through modern.
The only shortcoming I felt the book had was a lack...more
The only shortcoming I felt the book had was a lack...more
Although I am NOT a home-schooler, I'm really glad that I came across this book, and more especially the workbooks and history books that are also put together by this author (in fact, I'd recommend spending your money on those and reading this from the library if you have an interest in it). This book has a really thought-provoking take on what is lacking in public school education. Some points I agree with, others I don't, but on the whole I felt like I came away from this book with lots of id...more
Jan 02, 2010
Shannon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Organized Types who are considering homeschooling
Recommended to Shannon by:
Allison Snyder
Shelves:
homeschooling,
nonfiction
I'm not a big reader of non-fiction, so it's surprising that I'm starting the 2010 year with it. This book was recommended to me by a friend from high school who is homeschooling her two sons this year and enjoyed this book. It's the first book of this type that I've read and while I liked some of the principles and suggestions, a few things were off-putting.
First, I found the introduction a bit arrogant. Some of the authors' assertions about this method of schooling leading to smarter, brighte...more
First, I found the introduction a bit arrogant. Some of the authors' assertions about this method of schooling leading to smarter, brighte...more
3 likes · like · see review
An absolute necessity if you're thinking of homeschooling. The classical education is a complete philosophy of how to's for your child.
Really great! Highly recommended!
Admittedly, I haven't gotten through the whole book. I read as I go along. :)
Really great! Highly recommended!
Admittedly, I haven't gotten through the whole book. I read as I go along. :)
Every parent who cares about their child needs to read this book. That's not an overstatement; that is the honest truth. Classical Education, especially at home, is the very best education that a parent can give their child, teaching them to grow into logical, reasonable, intellectual, fulfilled, and happy adults, while exposing them to the wonders of God's creation and the marvels that man has created over the past thousands of years. And this book is the standard introduction to just how to do...more
I skimmed it. you can't really read a manual cover to cover... That being said, I think this book actually won me over to the "Home schooling can be an okay way to go" camp. I've always been anti-home schooling, but I think I really just hate "un-schooling" for letting children set the pace and for being hippie dippy and obnoxious. (My very objective opinion).
The academic rigor of this curriculum impressed me and I found myself actually NODDING ALONG with the author. If I ever find myself indepe...more
The academic rigor of this curriculum impressed me and I found myself actually NODDING ALONG with the author. If I ever find myself indepe...more
First off, I don't plan on homeschooling my kids because I don't have the patience, organizational skills, patience, discipline, or patience to do it. But when I saw this book at the library while looking for ways to teach my rising Kind. and 1st grader during the summer, I was intrigued so I checked it out. This was my first exposure to the theory of classical education and it really makes sense. I like that it's reading and literature centered and that history is taught from ancient to modern...more
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Bauer's guide is a great start in so far as it provides useful recommendations; however, its failing lies in its promotion of a Classical Education on purportedly neutral grounds.
The President of Veritas Press said it much more succinctly than I could: "There is no idea more tragic than the idea of applying the methodology of classical education in a non-Christian environment. A well-trained mind without a well-disciplined godly heart is a recipe for disaster." (http://homeschoolchristian.com/a...more
The President of Veritas Press said it much more succinctly than I could: "There is no idea more tragic than the idea of applying the methodology of classical education in a non-Christian environment. A well-trained mind without a well-disciplined godly heart is a recipe for disaster." (http://homeschoolchristian.com/a...more
Great defense of a solid, classical education for children. The format is easy to follow/navigate--a plus since this book is PACKED with information, book lists, and so forth. I do not know if the authors are Christians; they present information pretty evenly and without bias. That being said, I would have appreciated some more blatantly Christian resources suggested/mentioned. I did appreciate the amount of non-Western reading suggestions as well as the strong emphasis on reading about scientis...more
Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise solidified my belief that children grow and develop at different paces and that if given an opportunity to master a skill, they will ultimately be more ready to move on to the next task. Making sure that ALL students understand a given task is difficult for a classroom teacher as there are so many students at so many different levels.
I agree that children in a homeschool environment, able to explore and learn at a pace that suits them will promote self esteem, s...more
I agree that children in a homeschool environment, able to explore and learn at a pace that suits them will promote self esteem, s...more
I want to give this one a 3.5 stars so I juggled between a 3 and a 4, finally pushing it up to 4 since I felt I really was able to grasp the message of the book. I do what to mention that I did not read the book in its entirety. Since I only have a 2nd grader and a 1st grader I only focused on those parts that would pertain to them. In this mother/daughter author team, the reader learns their particular philosophy regarding an in-home classical education primarily used for homeschooling (they do...more
As a homeschooling parent I've seen hundreds of "how to homeschool" books but this was the first comprehensive book covering Classical Education in a way that's cohesive and easy to follow. Susan Wise Baure, along with her mother, Jesse Wise, sytematically take the reader from preschool through high school and give very specific information on what to teach, when to teach it and how to go about doing it in order to give a child a well-rounded classical education at home.
Included are numerous re...more
Included are numerous re...more
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From the author's website:
Publications
Susan’s most recent book for Norton, The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade (2010) is the second in a four-volume series providing a narrative world history; the first volume, The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome, was published in 2007. Her previous books include th...more
More about Susan Wise Bauer...
Publications
Susan’s most recent book for Norton, The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade (2010) is the second in a four-volume series providing a narrative world history; the first volume, The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome, was published in 2007. Her previous books include th...more
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Dec 15, 2012 07:57pm