Is anybody familiar with The Well Trained Mind...

[Cadmum]

...or any of Susan Bauer's other books?

The title nearly scared me but I was offered the book to borrow by a mum who has been homeschooling for 17 years and I have been amazed by its contents.

I am currently homeschooling our 11 year old and so many of the ideas would suit his learning style perfectly. I am not so sure about DD1 and DS2 who may be returning home to be schooled in the fall.

Thanks in advance for any opinions.

I really like the way the WTM history curriculum is laid out (if you like that sort of thing) - it's based on a 4 year cycle starting in Year 1:

Year 1) Ancient History
Year 2) Medieval - early Renaissance
3) Late Renaissance - early mordern
4) Modern

You would repeat that cycle 3 times, each time studying it more in depth as the child gets older, and each year reading the literature that goes along with that period.

I did a history degree too, but really feel that throughout school my focus was SO narrow and sporadic - I would love my children to be able to see it as a coherant whole.

Ooooh that now that four year way of covering topics is a good idea - I think we will do that A really good idea (used in US schools from what I have read)

Year 1) Ancient History
Year 2) Medieval - early Renaissance
Year 3) Late Renaissance - early mordern
Year 4) Modern

We have recently started using the well trained mind book. I guess we are are somewhere between structured and unstrucutured. We do different things in different ways ( maths we use a curriculum but other things take a more cild led route). Anyway I really like the well trained mind and found it inspriring. I have taken a lot of ideas from it, I guess it kind of acts as a backbone to which we can always refer.

Also use their Ordinary parents guide to teaching reading which is great my daughter loves it because its simple and no dull colouring it. She can do a lesson in 10 minutes and its effective.

We also have Story of the world book one and activity book 1. They are both great too. I think their are other good history resources out there though which are similar.

Over all Its a fab resource, I tend to use the scripted books (history and reading) as a resource for me rather than use them directly. I tend to read the paragrah and re phrase it in my voice and then may alter activities and do further research, but you could use it straight off.

Am happy enough to be buying another of the books, First language lessons.

We have a mixed approach Autonomous mostly, with panicking moments from me, where we have a bit of structure and they humour me

Anyhoo, we have SOTW and Dd1 loves it. I thought it would be all Christian-ny, but it's not.

Haven't got TWTM but agree with Fillyjonk it makes me think of knuckle-rapping and dunce caps probably why I haven't thought of using it.

The authors are Christians but the books are very secular, I think.

Well curiousity got me and I'm converted.....not to religion, but classical education

we started it a week ago and it's a bloody revelation. Having been predominantly Autonomous for over a year, it was almost delicious to have structure back.
Have spent far too much money at Amazon than is good for anyone, but I don't care.

Even Dh was pretty impressed with the book and Dd1 seems to appreciate the structured approach too, could all got tits up yet I suppose

Welcome to it Sorky!

I think that I will have to tip my postman because he is constantly delivering books. I wonder what he thinks about all of my packages from Bookdepository?

My lot thrive on the Story of the World and always have their noses stuck in books now.