The Latin-Centered Curriculum

This is kinda off topic, but since faith and moral ethics go hand and hand, I thought I would comment on something that I've also inquired about to many homeschoolers - in particular to Classical homeschoolers. After reading so much on the cultivation of virtue in a Classical education and the centrality of it, I'm actually surprised that so few people ever mention this aspect of an "education". I'm actually quite curious if other Classical homeschoolers play an active part in this area - and if yes, how so?
Personally, I'm kinda in a "lost" part of my life - I was raised in a "Christian" family but I've never felt at home with the church.... Which has really put a loss on my part in giving my children that aspect of an education that I must admit is very important in the raising of a family.
I'm inspired by the tales of some of the ancient Romans who so vividly remember the motivation inspired by a funeral procession from their childhood and their aspirations to someday live up to the likeness of their ancestors!

Krista - VA
Mom of Ariel 6yo and Aetheldred 1yo

I was raised Catholic but I never really understood what was going on other than knowing when to say which prayers, when to kneel or sit or stand, etc.... I am an adult convert to Evangelical Protestant, I guess you'd call it. Pretty much Bible an that's it. :)

We are on our 9th year of homeschooling. At first, I'd hear lots of folks say their reason for homeschooling was to give their children a Christian education. I really didn't know what that exactly meant at the time but it sounded good and I wanted my children to have a Christian education.

I bought a pre-packaged traditional curriculum from a large-scale Christian publisher. Over the course of time it appeared that the curriculum was pretty much very similar to the way I was taught in public school, save for the odd Bible verse thrown in for good measure. Not being an experienced curriculum-picker nor a seasoned Christian, I plodded along, faithful that this was what my daughter needed.

Slowly over the years I have noticed that my daughter was "learning" the material and she was memorizing the verses and doing everything that it appeared that she should. Something seemed off but I couldn't put my finger on it. I finally realized that what it was was that even though she was going through the motions, little of what she was learning was reaching her heart or carrying over into her life. It kind of reminded me of my experience of my Catholic upbringing, of going through the motions but really not getting it. My heart wasn't changed and my life wasn't changed. Church stayed at church and my life wasn't really affected. The same thing seemed to be happening to my daughter, she learned the school stuff, but when she was done with school, that was it. There was a clear seperation between when school was in session and when she was just living regular life.

This revelation changed the way I homeschool, the curriculum that I choose and the way I teach with it. There is little to no just handing the kid the book. There is discussion, discussion, discussion. We discuss everything and most every discussion is how we can apply this knowledge, subject or Bible study to our real and everyday life. We are learning to live our Bible studies, not just memorize them.

Our school has changed in such a way that I choose materials for "us" not for "the kids." It was a humbling day when I realized what a poor education I received. I recall years back at the end of a school year telling someone how much I learned in 4th grade that year! I am sure I learn more than the children.

In our homeschool, I am reliving my life and renewing my mind. For example, I was going to buy an expensive CD-based Algebra program that many of my friends are using where the child could be completely taught by the CD's with no parent/teacher input. Well, I have changed my mind and now I am doing Saxon along with my daughter. I stay one lesson ahead of her, so if she has a problem I can help her find it.

Above all the school stuff-which, by the way, I can say there is a very faint line between school and regular life these days-is the RELATIONSHIP. We are forming a relationship with Jesus that I could never have imagined. We are learning how to become more like Him every day. We are learning how to use the Truths in the Bible for real.

Once I tossed the grade-in-a-box curriculum I started choosing books that we could explore, learn and discuss together. I'm a softie, and I bawl often when reading aloud to the kids. Oh! How they love that! When my husband comes home, they rush to the door to tell them that Momma bawled all the way through Pocahontas. The children read to one another. We are learning Latin together. We will begin Greek soon. Gone are the days that I stood there, the high and mighty teacher who knew all the answers. (A La the Answer book!!) The kids love knowing that I'm just a regular person and that I don't know everything. They've never said, but I imagine that my wanting to know things must make them want to know, too. I mean, who wants to learn Algebra if your own mother thinks it's so unimportant that she doesn't want to deal with it? I decided that it seemed wrong to require my children to learn something that I myself was not willing to learn. I think they like that and I know we feel closer as a family because of it. We have a relationship that, honestly, I wouldn't trade for anything.

I am much more reserved these days as far as the curriculum/books that I buy. I feel the more anchored they are in their faith, the harder it will be for them to be affected by the "world." We will do Cornerstone Curriculum's Starting Points and then World Views of the Western World for my daughter's last years of homeschool. I feel this will well prepare her for defending her faith and for analyzing the world she lives in (and reads).

While I do wish I'd known what I know now in the beginning, I can't regret the process of discovering and learning that we've shared as a family along the way. I observe other homeschooling families that are still using the pre-packaged curriculum. Their children are doing fine academically, even very well. But they don't seem to have the bond as a family does who learns a language together, or studies Algebra together, etc...It's kind of hard to describe. The choosing of the curriculum is part of what I'm talking about, but not all.

My daughter long ago stopped wanting to go to the youth group at our church. She prefers to be in the Adult worship with us. To some, it may appear that she has poor social skills with her peer group becaue she chooses to sit with Mommy and Daddy. Uh, no. She is simply bored stiff with the fake made-up curriculum. Tonight, for example, she attended our Wednesday small-group discussion. She participated by naming a friend she would like the group to pray for because she is so consumed with her outward appearance that she is losing ground of reality. To her, this is much more meaningful than going downstairs with the other kids to discuss a hypothetical situation between she and an imaginary friend. She is ACTING OUT and LIVING her faith whereas other kids are only daydreaming of it with the youth pastor. Our bond is strengthened when we pray for the girl that she addressed to the group. She sees that the things that are important to her are also important to us. I believe the families whose kids go to the youth group are sadly missing out on relationship and bonding in the same way those that hand their kids a school-like curriculum do.

I am having tons of fun with my teenager. I am looking forward to the teen years of my two sons, as well. I consider my children not only my children, my sister and brothers in Christ, but also friends. Is this because of the curriculum that I use? I guess I'd say yes. And no. :)

Kelli

and it is important to me that the kids are raised with a Catholic world view, particularly when it comes to issues of social justice. Our home is unabashedly Catholic in that we have "holy reminders" all over the place. We also live as Catholics (i.e. frequent rosaries, chaplets, regular mass attendance, etc.) so even without intending it, everything I do, say, teach, etc. is colored by this world view. Our faith is not just something we dedicate an hour to on Sundays...it is so much a part of our lives as to be virtually seamless. Having friends and family that are Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Wiccan, etc. means that my children do have exposure to other world views, but our Catholicism remains at the heart of all that we do and believe. Even if we're reading from a Secular history book, what we've learned and read is always discussed and dissected from our particular world view. In this sense, it doesn't really matter which curriculum we use, but I admit to feeling more comfortable with either Catholic or secular materials, as some non-Catholic Christian curricula (although not all) veers into areas of specific doctrine, and I find that at least for us, this sort of thing is best focused on on its own rather than in the context of history, science, etc.

Patty

I've been one religion all my life. I think being raised with only one view - not just that of my religion, really, but of my parents' view of my religion - has inclined me to seek for multiple perspectives to introduce to my children. No religion has a monopoly on truth. I'm afraid if I raise my children as if one religion does, that it will backfire. So I don't look for curricula that is marketed to people of my faith. In fact, I'm a bit wary of it, because there is nothing simpler than producing shoddy work and slapping a religious label on it to get it to sell. I want high quality, worthwhile matter, which obviously does not preclude anything geared toward my religion, but it also certainly doesn't confine my choices to curricula produced solely for people of my faith. I think it will be valuable to learn in Christian Studies how different people of different faiths at different times have interpreted the Bible and applied that interpretation. I also think it is very useful, in fact necessary, to view history from many perspectives - most importantly the perspectives of contemporaries, who may be of a wide range of faiths. What is history, but a story told to prove a point, if not considered from the perspective of primary and/or conflicting sources? I'm not against stories told to prove points - they have their place - but I like to become familiar with different views when studying history. Just as there is nothing like learning a foreign language that will help you understand your own, I believe there is nothing like considering other religions and perspectives that will help you understand your own.