Michael Farris:
I often hear parents say, "I love the idea of classical education, but I'm too intimidated to teach it." Why do you think classical education is so intimidating, Leigh?
Leigh Bortins:
I think for two reasons: One, because a lot of the materials promoting classical education are coming from schools, and homeschools don't generally operate just like a school so parents don't see how to respond to it. The other thing is, classical education is hard work and Americans tend to enjoy recreational education, and that doesn't work well with the classical model.
Mike:
Leigh, how can parents overcome some of these challenges?
Leigh:
If a parent wants to get started with the classical model, a really good resource would be Doug Wilson's The Case for Classical Christian Education—and I emphasize that word "Christian" because really that's our first priority as educators of our students. But you need to understand what grammar is, you need to understand what the dialectic is, and you need to understand what rhetoric is. And that book is just very good at helping you appreciate education in a variety of fields for a variety of ages from a Christian perspective. So it really helps me understand how to teach classically.
Mike:
Leigh, I know that our listeners will enjoy having that succinct, single resource that will help them get started. Thanks so much as we continue this week on classical education. I'm Mike Farris.
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