Table of Contents

Acknowledgments - 15

What The Well-Trained Mind Does: An Overview - 17

Practical Considerations: Using The Well-Trained Mind without Losing Your Own - 21

Supplementing Your Child's Education: The Well-Trained Mind and Full-Time School - 23

Prologue: The Story of a Classical Home Education

  1. Uncharted Territory: Jessie 33
  2. A Personal Look at Classical Education: Susan - 41

    Part I The Grammar Stage: Kindergarten through Fourth Grade
  3. The Parrot Years - 51
    Now or Never - 53
    How to Teach the Poll-Parrot Stage - 54
    Priorities - 55
  4. Unlocking the Doors: The Preschool Years - 56
    Preschool: Birth to Three - 57
    Kindergarten Years: Four and Five - 60
    Resources - 70
  5. Words, Words, Words: Spelling, Grammar, Reading, and Writing
    How to Do It - 78
    General Instructions for Grades 1 through 4 - 79
    Overview of Language Work - 95
    Resources - 97
  6. The Joy of Numbers: Math - 109
    The Way Children Think - 110
    Math Tables: A Defense - 112
    How to Do It - 114
    A Caution - 117
    Schedules - 117
    Resources - 118
  7. Seventy Centuries in Four Years: History and Geography - 123
    Seventy Centuries in Four Years - 125
    What If You're Starting in the Middle? - 127
    How to Do It - 127
    Resources - 139
  8. Making Sense of the World: Science - 167
    Priorities - 168
    Textbooks - 169
    How to Do It - 169
    Resources - 186
  9. Dead Languages for Live Kids: Latin - 199
    Why Latin? - 200
    How Does Latin Work? - 201
    How to Do It - 203
    Schedules - 205
    Resources - 205
  10. Electronic Teachers: Using Computers and Videos - 207
  11. Matters of Faith: Religion - 211
    Resources - 213
  12. Finer Things: Art and Music - 214
    Art - 215
    Music - 216
    Resources - 217

    Part II The Logic Stage: Fifth Grade through Eighth Grade
  13. The Argumentative Child - 239
    Building on the Foundation - 241
    Logic and the Trivium - 242
    Logic in the Curriculum - 243
    How to Teach the Logic Stage - 244
    Priorities - 245
  14. Snow White Was Irrational: Logic for the Intuitive - 247
    How to Do It - 249
    For the Logically Challenged - 250
    Resources - 257
  15. The Language of Reason: Math - 260
    How to Do It: Fifth and Sixth Grades - 262
    The Shift to Upper-Level Math - 264
    Resources - 268
  16. Why 1492? History and Geography - 272
    Organizing the Material - 272
    How to Do It - 279
    Resources - 300
  17. Thinking Straight: Spelling, Grammar, Reading, and Writing - 328
    How to Do It - 329
    Spelling and Word Study - 330
    Grammar - 333
    Reading - 336
    Writing - 352
    Schedules - 353
    Resources - 356
  18. Making Deductions: Science - 374
    Your Goals - 375
    Texts - 376
    Schedule - 377
    The Notebook - 377
    How to Do It - 379
    Resources - 389
  19. Looking into Other Worlds: Latin and Languages - 402
    Teaching Options - 403
    Which Languages? - 404
    Which Texts? - 404
    When Do I Do It? - 406
    Schedules - 407
    Resources - 410
  20. Away with Abusive Fallacies! Religion - 414
    Resources - 416
  21. The History of Creativity: Art and Music - 418
    Art - 419
    Music - 422
    Schedules - 424
    Resources - 425
  22. Magic Boxes: Using Computers and Videos - 432
    Software - 433
    The Internet - 434
    Videos - 435
    Resources - 436
  23. Moving toward Independence: Logic for Life - 440

    Part III The Rhetoric Stage: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
  24. Speaking Your Mind: The Rhetoric Stage - 451
    A General Guide to the Rhetoric Stage - 452
    The Study of Rhetoric - 453
    How to Do It - 454
    Debate - 457
    Schedules - 458
    Resources - 458
  25. Skill with Words: Grammar and Writing - 461
    How to Do It - 462
    Schedules - 468
    Resources - 469
  26. Great Books: History and Reading - 472
    How to Do It - 474
    Writing Projects - 482
    University Sources for Great-Books Curricula - 486
    Schedules - 489
    Resources - 490
  27. Comfort with Numbers: Math - 500
    Possible Sequences - 501
    Outside Help - 504
    Advanced Placement - 506
    Schedules - 506
    Resources - 507
    28. >
  28. Principles and Laws: Science - 511
    An Overview of Rhetoric-Stage Science - 512
    How to Do It - 513
    Outside Help - 517
    Schedules - 518
    Resources - 520
  29. Learning Other Worlds: Foreign Languages - 526
    Which Languages? - 527
    Texts and Courses - 528
    Schedules - 530
    Resources - 533
  30. Mastering the Magic Box: Computer Skills - 538
    Generally Speaking - 538
    Practically Speaking - 541
    Schedule - 542
    Resources - 542
  31. Apologizing for Faith: Religion - 545
    Resources - 547
  32. Appreciating the Arts: Art and Music - 549
    Art - 550
    Music - 553
    Schedules - 554
    Resources - 555
  33. The Specialist - 559
    General Guidelines - 560
    Flexibility - 563
    Specific Guidelines - 564
    Evaluation - 567
    Schedule - 568
    Resource - 568
  34. Some People Hate Homer - 569

    Part IV Coming Home: How to Educate your Child at Home
  35. The Kitchen-Table School: Why Home-Educate? - 579
    Why Should You Home-School? - 580
    Encouragement for Parents - 582
    First Steps - 584
    Taking Your Child Out of School - 585
    The Realities of Home Schooling - 586
    A Personal Word from Jessie - 586
    Resources - 588
  36. The Confident Child: Socialization - 589
  37. The Character Issue: Parents as Teachers - 594
    Resources - 597
  38. And Just When Do I Do All This? Schedules for Home Schoolers
    How Much Time Does It Take? - 600
    Yearly Planning - 601
    Weekly Planning - 602
    Daily Planning - 603
    Jessie's Method of Organizing: A Personal Account - 604

    Good Use of Time - 606
    Home Schooling with Babies and Toddlers - 606
    Sample Schedules for Home Schoolers - 608
    Resources - 614
  39. Paper Proof: Grades and Record Keeping - 616
    Notification - 617
    Elementary School and Middle School: Portfolios - 617
    High School: Transcripts - 618
    Diploma - 624
    Resources - 625
  40. The Yardstick: Standardized Testing - 627
    Yearly Testing - 628
    AP and CLEP Exams - 631
    PSAT, SAT, and ACT - 632
    Resources - 634
  41. Where's the Team? Athletics at Home - 639
    Resources - 641
  42. The Local School: Dealing with Your School System - 643
    Resource - 646
  43. Yelling for Help: Tutors, Online Resources, Correspondence Schools, Cooperative Classes, and Colleges and Universities - 647
    Tutors - 648
    Online Resources - 649
    Correspondence Schools - 651
    Cooperative Classes - 651
    Community Colleges and Local Universities - 652
    Resources - 652
  44. Going to College: Applications for Home Schoolers - 656
    Planning for College - 657
    Choosing a College - 659
    The Application Process - 660
    The Portfolio - 661
    One Successful Application - 661
    A Word about Early Admissions - 663
    Resources - 663
  45. Working: Apprenticeships and Other Jobs - 666
    Resources - 668
  46. More Stuff: The Annotated Catalog List - 669
    General - 670
    Elementary Grades - 670
    History - 671
    Classics, Latin, Logic - 671
    Shakespeare - 671
    Language: Reading, Writing, Grammar, and So Forth - 672
    Science - 673
    Mathematics - 674
    Used-Curricula and -Book Vendors - 674
  47. The Final Word: Starting in the Middle - 676

Appendix 1 Taking an Oral History - 683

Appendix 2 Home-Education Organizations - 687

Appendix 3 National Science Competitions - 705

Appendix 4 Sources - 711

Selected Bibliography - 725

Index - 727