TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments for the First Edition – xv
Acknowledgments for the Revised Edition – xviii
Acknowledgments for the Third Edition – xix
What The Well-Trained Mind Does: An Overview – xxi
Practical Considerations: Using The Well-Trained Mind without Losing Your Own – xxv
Supplementing Your Child’s Education: The Well-Trained Mind and Full-Time School – xxvii
PROLOGUE: THE STORY OF A CLASSICAL HOME EDUCATION
1. Uncharted Territory: Jessie – 3
2. A Personal Look at Classical Education: Susan – 11
PART I. THE GRAMMAR STAGE: KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FOURTH GRADE
3. The Parrot Years – 21
Now or Never – 23
How to Teach the Poll-Parrot Stage – 24
Priorities – 25
4. Unlocking the Doors: The Preschool Years – 26
Preschool: Birth to Three – 27
Kindergarten Years: Four and Five – 30
RESOURCES – 41
5. Words, Words, Words: Spelling, Grammar, Reading, and Writing – 50
How to Do It – 51
General Instructions for Grades 1 through 4 – 52
Overview of Language Work – 70
RESOURCES – 72
6. The Joy of Numbers: Math – 87
The Way Children Think – 88
Math Tables: A Defense – 90
How to Do It – 92
Choosing Programs – 97
Schedules – 98
RESOURCES – 99
7. Seventy Centuries in Four Years: History and Geography – 106
Seventy Centuries in Four Years – 108
What If You’re Starting in the Middle? – 110
How to Do It – 111
RESOURCES – 121
8. Making Sense of the World: Science – 157
Priorities – 158
Textbooks – 159
How to Do It – 160
RESOURCES – 175
9. Dead Languages for Live Kids: Latin (and Other Languages Still Living) – 188
Why Latin? – 189
How Does Latin Work? – 190
How to Do It – 192
Schedules – 194
What about Other Languages? – 194
RESOURCES – 195
10. Electronic Teachers: Using Computers and Videos – 198
11. Matters of Faith: Religion – 202
RESOURCES – 204
12. Finer Things: Art and Music – 205
Art – 206
Music – 207
RESOURCES – 208
Part I: Epilogue – 215
The Grammar Stage at a Glance – 215
Notebook Summary, Grades 1 through 4 – 219
Whole Language and Phonics: Whole to Parts versus Parts to
Whole – 221
PART II. THE LOGIC STAGE: FIFTH GRADE THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE
13. The Argumentative Child – 229
Building on the Foundation – 231
Logic and the Trivium – 232
Logic in the Curriculum – 233
How to Teach the Logic Stage – 234
Priorities – 235
14. Snow White Was Irrational: Logic for the Intuitive – 237
How to Do It – 239
For the Logically Challenged – 240
RESOURCES – 247
15. The Language of Reason: Math – 250
How to Do It: Fifth and Sixth Grades – 252
The Shift to Upper-Level Math – 256
RESOURCES – 262
16. Why 1492? History and Geography – 268
Organizing the Material – 268
Starting in the Middle (or with More than One) – 276
How to Do It – 278
RESOURCES – 300
17. Thinking Straight: Spelling, Grammar, Reading, and Writing – 333
How to Do It – 334
Spelling and Word Study – 335
Grammar – 338
Reading – 341
Writing – 357
Schedules – 360
RESOURCES – 362
18. Making Deductions: Science – 382
Your Goals – 383
Texts – 384
Schedule – 385
The Notebook – 385
How to Do It – 388
RESOURCES – 397
19. Looking into Other Worlds: Latin and Languages – 412
Teaching Options – 413
Which Languages? – 414
Which Texts? – 414
When Do I Do It? – 417
Schedules – 418
RESOURCES – 420
20. Away with Abusive Fallacies! Religion – 424
RESOURCES – 426
21. The History of Creativity: Art and Music – 428
Art – 429
Music – 433
Schedules – 436
RESOURCES – 437
22. Magic Boxes: Using Computers and Videos – 446
Software – 447
The Internet – 448
DVDs – 449
RESOURCES – 450
23. Moving toward Independence: Logic for Life – 453
Part II: Epilogue – 456
The Logic Stage at a Glance – 456
PART III. THE RHETORIC STAGE: NINTH GRADE THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE
24. Speaking Your Mind: The Rhetoric Stage – 463
A General Guide to the Rhetoric Stage – 464
The Study of Rhetoric – 465
How to Do It – 466
Debate – 473
Schedules – 474
RESOURCES – 474
25. Skill with Words: Grammar and Writing – 477
How to Do It – 478
Schedules – 482
RESOURCES – 483
26. Great Books: History and Reading – 486
How to Do It – 488
How to Talk about the Great Books – 498
Writing Projects – 500
What about American Government? – 504
Starting in the Middle – 505
University Sources for Great-Books Curricula – 506
Schedules – 510
RESOURCES – 510
27. Comfort with Numbers: Math – 523
Possible Sequences – 525
Outside Help – 530
Advanced Placement – 531
Schedules – 531
RESOURCES – 532
28. Principles and Laws: Science – 538
An Overview of Rhetoric-Stage Science – 539
How to Do It – 540
Outside Help – 548
Sample Schedules – 549
RESOURCES – 550
29. Learning Other Worlds: Foreign Languages – 560
Which Languages? – 561
Texts and Courses – 562
Schedules – 566
RESOURCES – 569
30. Mastering the Magic Box: Computer Skills – 575
Generally Speaking – 575
Practically Speaking – 578
Schedule – 579
RESOURCES – 579
31. Apologizing for Faith: Religion – 582
RESOURCES – 584
32. Appreciating the Arts: Art and Music – 585
Art – 586
Music – 589
Schedules – 590
RESOURCES – 591
33. The Specialist – 596
General Guidelines – 597
Flexibility – 600
Specific Guidelines – 600
Evaluation – 604
Schedule – 605
RESOURCE – 605
34. Some People Hate Homer – 606
Part III: Epilogue – 610
The Rhetoric Stage at a Glance – 610
PART IV. COMING HOME: HOW TO EDUCATE YOUR CHILD AT HOME
35. The Kitchen-Table School: Why Home-Educate? – 617
Why Should You Home-School? – 618
Encouragement for Parents – 620
First Steps – 622
Taking Your Child Out of School – 624
Learning Challenges – 624
The Realities of Home Schooling – 625
A Personal Word from Jessie – 626
RESOURCES – 627
36. The Confident Child: Socialization – 629
RESOURCES – 634
37. The Character Issue: Parents as Teachers – 635
RESOURCES – 638
38. And Just When Do I Do All This? Schedules for Home Schoolers – 639
How Much Time Does It Take? – 641
Yearly Planning – 642
Weekly Planning – 644
Daily Planning – 645
Jessie’s Method of Organizing: A Personal Account – 646
Good Use of Time – 647
Home Schooling with Babies and Toddlers – 648
Schedules for Home Schoolers – 649
RESOURCES – 653
39. Paper Proof: Grades and Record Keeping – 654
Notification – 655
Elementary School and Middle School: Portfolios – 655
High School: Transcripts – 656
Diploma – 663
RESOURCES – 663
40. The Yardstick: Standardized Testing – 665
Yearly Testing – 666
AP and CLEP Exams – 669
PSAT, SAT, and ACT – 670
RESOURCES – 672
41. Where’s the Team? Athletics at Home – 677
RESOURCES – 679
42. The Local School: Dealing with Your School System – 681
RESOURCE – 684
43. Yelling for Help: Tutors, Online Resources, Correspondence Schools, Cooperative Classes, and Colleges and Universities – 685
Tutors – 686
Online Resources – 687
Correspondence Schools – 689
Cooperative Classes – 689
Community Colleges and Local Universities – 690
RESOURCES – 690
44. Going to College: Applications for Home Schoolers – 694
Planning for College – 695
Choosing a College – 697
The Application Process – 698
The Portfolio – 699
One Successful Application – 699
Transcript Help – 701
A Word about Early Admissions – 701
RESOURCES – 702
45. Working: Apprenticeships and Other Jobs – 704
RESOURCES – 706
46. More Stuff: The Annotated Catalog List – 707
General – 708
Elementary Grades – 709
History – 709
Classics, Latin, Logic – 709
Shakespeare – 710
Language: Reading, Writing, Grammar, and So Forth – 710
Science – 711
Mathematics – 712
Used-Curricula and -Book Vendors – 712
47. The Final Word: Starting in the Middle – 713
APPENDICES
1. Taking an Oral History – 719
2. HomeEducation Organizations – 722
3. National Science Competitions – 743
4. Sources – 749
5. Previous Recommendations – 777
Selected Bibliography – 779
Index
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