Towards a Philosophy of Education is the title of a book written by Charlotte Mason — one out of her 6-book series. Highly recommended reading, especially for people who have decided that homeschooling *is* the way they would go, but have not figured out yet what direction they’re taking.
I’m getting ahead of myself though. Let’s start out with the most important ones, then my “list of books”:
For any Catholic parent thinking of how best to educate their children, these are the most important documents — if you’re serious about your faith, they will give you the necessary framework on which to base your decisions. Had I read them before we got started 12 years ago, they would have saved me a lot of grief and needless wandering from philosophy to philosophy: Gravissimum Educationis, and Divini Illius Magistri.
Whether you’re Catholic or not, the following list may help you. It includes the books I’ve/we’ve read to develop our own philosophy of education — the one that works for our family. I’m clearing out our shelves to make room for other books, so as I get rid of the ones we have, I’ll list them here as reference for me and my kids, as well as suggestions for any of you just getting started on the journey, or pausing to re-evaluate and reflect or recharge.
a Charlotte Mason perspective. I love the way she ends the book with this poem:
Come, child.
I respect you, you are a person.
Come with me.
You belong on this planet
You are to inherit,
You are to understand.
Look. Look, and you will see.
Enjoy this day: the sun, the grass, your friends.
Listen; we will read God’s word.
We are His sheep, He is our Shepherd.
Grow! Flourish! Be master!
Let us do what we ought.
Let us choose the right!
Let us be brothers and sisters, together.
The bored wake up,
The failures find a new spring,
The sinful start again.
Come, little child,
I will listen, I will learn, too;
Let us enjoy abundant LIFE!
- strong words and strong ideas. This is the type of book that may make you feel uncomfortable. Much of it is true and that’s why it hurts. There are some things I personally don’t agree with, but overall Michael O’Brien makes a good case for protecting and shielding our children from the evils of our time. Just don’t make snap judgments about the book until you’ve read it. Oh, and the list of recommended literature at the end of the book is priceless. I really shouldn’t say “the end of the book” since it’s roughly one-third of the entire. A definite eye opener. You’ll have to wonder WHY most of the books he recommends aren’t read in our public, and even private, schools anymore. Hmmm.
– I have SOOOO MUCH to say about this book, but I’ll just say YOU HAVE TO READ IT if you’re considering homeschooling. I read it the first year we got back to homeschooling and it has been nothing but a blessing to me. And to my friends too!
— ironic story: I read this book when my kids were busy preparing for a martial tournament — guess what they got? medals and trophies. guess what i noticed? EVERYONE *had* to be rewarded for something.
Here’s my “CM philosophy in a nutshell”:
- short lessons rather than long
- feed your kids’ souls and hearts with great literature — from picture books for your youngest ones all the way to classics for your high schoolers. Start out with read alouds and go from there. Reading is one area where NURTURE really makes a difference. If you’re a control freak, rejoice!
- have kids do copywork — it’s great for their motor skills, their brain, their heart, everything!
- narration — it’s so easy; why not?
- as the kids grow older, unit studies can help, esp. if it’s THEIR idea
a quote from homeschooler June in VA(?):
Volume 1 or even 2 would be the easiest to start with. Volume 1 is more educational where Volume 2 covers the reasons why. Volume 1 is for the education of children up to 9yrs old. Volume 3 is very philosophical, (that’s why we have skipped it until later) Volume 4
is meant for the children to read, Volume 5 is in the form of stories, and Volume 6 was written last, so it summarizes all her philosophies as well as goes into older children.
– If you’re a perfectionist like me, this book will definitely appeal to you. However, if you’re like me, you’ll probably discover as well that this is the fastest track to homeschooling burnout. That doesn’t mean the book doesn’t have value. It just means you’ll have to be wise about picking and choosing.
One day, I’ll write about my own brushes with classically educated people as a youth. Exposure to them convinced me that I wanted the same for my child. Tracy Lee Simmons makes a compelling case for classical education.
Discover Your Child’s Learning Style
Books by John Taylor Gatto — read if you want to find out exactly how our current (US) system of schooling developed
– Read this if you need to get a better handle on knowing how your children learn. A great companion book would be Discover Your Teaching Style, but alas! It hasn’t been written yet. Here’s a starter article though.
Books I read long ago as a newbie at homeschooling — I consider these the “classics” of homeschooling:
If you have no idea where to start with a curriculum, this might help you:
the Sonlight catalog/curriculum – I never used Sonlight but in the beginning checked out their selections and tried to find my own equivalent. They’re not a Catholic company, but very Christian and very adaptable to Catholic homeschooling, or at least that’s what my Sonlight-using friends tell me. Also, I always keep them in the back of my head just in case there’s a year where I just want to “homeschool out of a box”. It hasn’t ever happened yet — one of my greatest joys about homeschooling is planning curriculum for all my kids! But I’m not going to say “never”.
The Beechik Books
Home Education Magazine — for many homeschoolers a lifeline of support. I’ve only ever read a few articles and never subscribed, but every single one has been uplifting and helpful and inspiring.
– I am embarrassed to say, I haven’t read this yet. But friends highly recommend it as a must-read for homeschooling wannabes.
My favorite homeschooling quotes:
from G. K. Chesterton:
Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.
Education is implication. It is not the things you say which children respect….It is the things you assume that really sink into them. It is the things you forget even to teach that they learn.
Great spirits have always been violently oppressed by mediocre minds. – Albert Einstein
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. – William Butler Yeats
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. – Thoreau
ETA 7/3/09:
I just added one to my must-read list:
