A Year With Shakespeare

Wow, this is more fun than I realized. I was just really intimidated, but after looking into it, I'm getting excited.

A friend of mine was hosting a homeschool highschool year long Shakespeare class and I put Dd#1 in it. After a month, I decided that it was too much time away from home and too hard to find a place for the younger kids while she was in it.

When I took her out, Dd#1 really wanted to continue to study Shakespeare, so I told her that we could get some homeschool kids who are close by and hold our own class. *Then I actually had to do it.*

Jenn's A Year With Shakespeare : Lesson Plans
Materials :

• Folger's Shakespeare Library of each work you want to cover. These run ~ $6 each. I chose 6 plays & we'll cover 16 sonnets. (I'd normally choose 8 plays, but I figure the sonnets make up for the other 2 plays.) If you want to take vocabulary or analysis, this series is the best student series I've found. I'm really pleased with it and so is Dd#1.
• Hewitt Lightning Literature Comedies & Sonnets also Hewitt Lightning Literature Tragedies & Sonnets $25 each This is normally a self-teaching 2 semester highschool course. I'm going deeper than that course goes, but it's a good jumping off point. A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night -&- Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth
• Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays by Peter J. Leithart ~$15 This is an excellent aid to reading Shakespeare from a Christian perspective. All the speculation about Shakespeare being anything but Christian is hooey and it's trying to remake the bard in the image of somebody he wasn't. This work could be all you need to make up a class for your kids' highschool course. The guy who wrote it ran a homeschool co-op class on the topic and then wrote the book off his lessons. GREAT stuff! Henry V, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing

Catholic Components :

• Dr. Henry Russell has a CD set that I bought through Kolbe called "The Catholic Shakespeare" It's interesting enough for your highschooler to listen to. The last fourth of the CD is the Catholic part, the rest is just literary, moral & biblical in nature. Good stuff. The CD's run $15-$20 but Kolbe added about $5 shipping when I bought 1. I've only listened to MacBeth, but Hamlet and The Tempest would be interesting listening, too. This CD gave me the vision and framework in how I wanted to tackle Shakespeare.
• Encyclical - Immortale Dei : On the Christian Constitution of States His Holiness Pope Leo XIII It's free at the Catholic encyclopedia site New Advent. It was tough to get through, as are most encyclicals (have a Catholic dictionary and maybe a regular dictionary handy) but once we got in the swing of it, good reading. I'm glad I didn't ask her to cover it without me. It's a good one to read with one of the king stories of Shakespeare (Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Ceasar, Hamlet)

After Listening to Dr. Henry Russell, I've decided how I'm going to teach Shakespeare. Much the same way we learn the bible. I'm incorporating Lightening Literature for Part I. It includes writing prompts that will be great with this class.

I. Literal Sense - what happened in the play.
II. Moral Sense - is what is happening good or bad (for the characters, for the larger themes as well as the subplots).
III. Biblical / Typological Sense - how is this character or circumstance like someone or event from the bible. Also biblical themes like Resurrection / Redemption, etc.
IV. Eschatological Sense - how does Christ factor in (or not) into the play and how does that fit with what we know to be the "big themes" of the bible (The Church, last days, heaven, hell), etc.

Within that framework, we'll fit in

• symbolism and all the literary devices that Lightning Literature has for this highschool course
• Information on Shakespeare's time period (some listed in Light. Lit., some listed in the Folger's books)
• Themes to each of the books

We'll meet twice a month. I thought we could cover 1 play per month and one pair of sonnets in a two week period. I'm also assigning 2 papers per play and one paper per sonnet pair.

The kids will come with play read and the Comprehension Questions anwered (from Light. Lit.). We'll spend about 15 minutes going over the comprehension questions and iron out any questions the kids have about what was going on in the play. Then we can move onto the good stuff : themes, symbolism, moral, biblical and escatology of the plays. We'll spend at least 2 hours discussing that. I'll let them choose a writing assignment (many listed in Light. Lit. and in the back of those lessons, more listed in Leithart's book.)

The next session we'll finish up (or continue depending on interest of the kids) discussion and if we have time well watch a recommended DVD. (Peter J. Leithart has very specific reviews and recommendations in his book listed above.) One of the papers per month can be an analysis of the DVD or play we've seen. They'll choose a 2nd writing assignment for that play.

In the third session, they'll turn in their previous assignment and we'll cover a set of sonnets with them choosing a writing assignment. Then, we'll do it all over again with the next play.

How do you handle the logistics of a classical education with a large family?

Specifically, this question was addressed with The Well Trained Mind in mind (sorry about the bad alliteration.) Classical Homeschooling may look different in your family during different years and from family to family. Here's some of our version.

I've got 5 children who are presently 13, 11, 9, 7 and 1 1/2.

Things they work on their own :

• Math (Math-U-See and they mostly work on their own)
• Grammar (CHC or Seton Catholic workbooks)
• Spelling (Natural Speller)
• Memory work
• Religion text

Things I pair them up on :

• Prayer memorization
• Latin (2 kids work together on a level)

Things they all work together on :
History*
Science*
Religion discussions
History discussions
History projects

When asking around and trying to implement academic excellence (remember: I said "trying") having a toddler running around dumping the dog's water into the dog's food and all over the floor or/and a baby crying to nurse...it seems incredibly difficult if not impossible. Here's my tip : It seems incredibly difficult because IT IS!! You may look back on this year of toddlerhood or infancy as one of the most challenging (please read - this is *hard*) particularly with several other kids to teach, a house to keep clean, errands, gym class...etc. That doesn't mean you can't get through it. Really, your kids may even learn more than you expected! Hard is not the same as impossible. Hard means life is really sucky right now and you have a lot of suffering to offer Jesus. Hard means He carries you through. Hard means you need carried through.

Back to logistics -

• Every kid takes a turn at "Baby Duty." Some of the younger kids can only handle 15 minutes at a time, but everyone has a turn at my attention (which they may have to stand in line and wait patiently for) and everyone has a chance at doing their seat work and everyone takes a turn on "baby duty." It's like a law at our house.
• I made the preschoolers montessori materials to work with (so they're in the same room as we are) and the toddlers have toys that are just for school time. Here are more toddler tips.
• As soon as a kid can read, he's reading out loud from a book that's on his level, but that we're all on the same topic about - religion, history, science.
• *The big kids read books and have papers due on their own level, but in the same topic we're all covering together. Some of the big kids' books are read aloud (by the big kid to a little kid) -- that's one of the GREAT benefits of living books : The reading level a kid can comprehend being read to is higher than his actual reading level -- so he can enjoy some of the big kids' books.
• *I have one book I'm reading aloud to the majority (if not all) the kids at all times in one topic or another. This is in addition to the books the kids may read to each other. 20 minutes a day gets us further along than we were before. Read aloud time is not always pretty. Some kids need to wiggle quietly, some can draw and others need consistently drawn back into the story with questions directed at them and OFTEN we just quit because I'm too frustrated at kids who can't be quiet or keep their bodies to themselves (boys!) but then we try again the next day.
• This is important : the biggest thing in a classical education is to try again the next day. And wake up and try again the next day. Day to day it can look like you're making very little real progress. A mom gets caught up in wiping noses and cleaning up messes and finding erasers and scrubbing peanut butter out of hair and...then at the end of the day you look at your lesson plans and realize "We didn't get to Latin AGAIN." or, "We forgot to chant our memory items." or even "We haven't hit chemistry in a MONTH." If you wake up the next morning and try again -- it will all come together. A classical education is about the years of learning building on one another rather than looking for accomplishment in the day to day. Don't give in to discouragement (or if you do, find encouragement FAST!)

I take a LOT of cues from TWTM, but I keep in mind what Susan Wise Bauer said in this article : Here is a great article

Academic Rigor vs. Readiness

I read a TOS article [the link is at the end of this post] (I get their weekly e-mail and enjoy it very much) that I found very interesting and it required me to do a little soul searching.

Although I thought I couldn't teach Latin and was shaking in my boots about it (especially considering I'd never taken it), the kids are doing fine with it. I'm pleased. Am I pridefully pushing my kids? I was able to answer 'no'. I've seperated the girls in their pacing of Latin, even though it's more work for me, so one is moving faster than another and they soon will be in 2 different books.

Although I don't want my kids' school to be too hard, I also don't want them to think it's all fun and games. Do I give them the impression that school is all about fun? Or do I make it too difficult for them? I honestly think I'm ok in both areas, although there have been times in the last 6 years that I've had to adjust things because I found myself falling into one of these pitfalls.

Although I want my children to get the best education they can, I knew several people in highschool that pushed themselves to their limit and emotionally burned out at an early age.

It's all a balancing act (BALANCE is one of Dave's favorite words).

That's one of the things I like about classical education. My children have not all reached the stages at the same chronological age. Some have been in the transition between two stages much longer than others and all have different strengths in different subject areas.

Here is a great article about an interview with Susan Wise Bauer who wrote Story of the World that we use extensively in our homeschool.

Classical Homeschooling

I have a friend (Hi, Kerri!) who asks me at least once a year to explain what my understanding of the "Classical" method of homeschooling is. I've written posts about it and we've talked on the phone.

This "Lost Tools" Chart from Logos school (click on "PDF Sample") gives one of the best synopsis I've seen for the stages of children and what this means for teaching them.

Another corollary to the Classical Method is the thread that weaves through the subjects in your school to tie everything together. Some classical schools are Latin based. Some schools are literature or science based.

Our school is history focused, so when we study the ancients in history, we study biology for the year (because that's what they would have studiied). So our science is driven by our history study. We also do much of our writing, vocabulary, dictionary skills, literature & religion studies to go alongside what we're studiing in history. Our math & grammar are about the only subjects we study independent of history. This can be done with whatever thread is important to your school.

Any questions???

What's your favorite homeschooling book?

I've read...a few...(that's putting it mildly), but not as many as some people I know.
My old stand-by favorites are :

• Catholic Education : Homeward Bound by Kimberly Hahn - it was from this book that I internalized the "greenhouse" analogy (We're trying to raise an exotic flower in a caustic environment - a child that attains Godly virtue and balance despite the world's standards [in the world, but not of it]- and can withstand the violent winds of his environment. The only way we can strengthen this exotic flower is to grow him in a safe, loving environment, until he is strong enough to be able to withstand the caustic environment without immediately withering.)
• The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer - I began to see the value in utilizing the child's God-given "stages" of life to promote academic excellence, rather than fighting against the child's nature. This was my first introduction to a "classical education" and while I don't use this book as a bible, I do refer to it once a year to sharpen and define my own choices, rather than rely on the book's suggestions. It's a jumping off point for me.
• Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss - contains the striving for beauty in the everyday that I sorely lack and great literature, which I love. It's a Catholic Charlotte Mason style way of learning that I don't attain, but I do admire.

I'm wondering what your response will be. I'm tagging Amy, Heather, Anne & Jen who can post their favorites on their blogs, or you can place a comment here.

Classical Method - Stages not ages

In the Classical model of homeschooling, children’s learning is broken up into stages rather than grades. These are stages that roughly correspond to cognitive stages that children go through.

• Grammar Stage is roughly 1st grade through 3rd or 4th grades and is punctuated by a child who memorizes things (songs, Pig Latin, commercials, Ubby Dubby language from Zoom) really easily, even playfully. They often drive their parents crazy asking for the same book to be read or reciting the same lyrics or joke or riddle over and over and over. This is capitalized on by having children memorize dates, foreign language grammar forms, math facts, bible verses, quotations, poems and anything the parent deems of value that will be of later use or built upon at a later time. This doesn't mean a child shouldn't understand the math facts he's memorizing, but that once he understands them, memorizing them can be a game. Even if he'd rather not play, it will come easier than when he's older and so you're working with the child's natural abilities rather than against their nature.
• The next is the Logic Stage which roughly compares to 4th or 5th grade through 8th or 9th grade. At this stage children have a natural tendency to question why, particularly their parents - which, again, can be frustrating. Dorothy Sayer talks about this being the "pert" stage. This God-given questioning of life can be utilized by the parent by giving children the larger world view of civilizations or disciplines of science and allowing them to analyze, compare and contrast them. At a time when children think they know better, we can give them the better knowledge with which to base their self-perceived superiority on. We can give them higher thoughts to analyze their own and other’s behavior, even as they continue to give their parents a hard time about the inconsistencies in our own character. You've already given them the basics in reading, grammar, math, logical thought processes, possibly foreign language - now you can dig deeper and expand on that knowlege base while working with their natural tendencies instead of wishing they weren't quite so "pert".
• The last is the Rhetoric Stage when children are longing to stand out from the crowd and make their mark on the world during high school. They are given this opportunity by using the skills they’ve learned and built upon in the preceding stages and expecting them to speak and write. At this stage they have something concrete to contribute to the world and the skills to do it in a fashion that builds society up and prepares them to make their mark in the world. You are also preparing them with concrete skills to go out into the world.

These are roughly coorelated to the grades 1-4, 5-8 & 9-12. Some people consider a Beginner's Level as Pre-school - 3rd, Grammer as 4th - 6th, Logic as 7th - 9th, & Rhetoric as 10th - 12th.

The same things I like about Montessori - working with the child's natural abilities and trusting them to handle material that others think young children can't handle - the classical method just works for our family.

To read more about this, read the post called the Classical Method.

Classical Method

A philosophy that we use is the Classical Method. In many books, this defies definition as they often conflict. The two descriptions that I liked best came from

• The Latin Centered Curriculum :A Home Schooler's Guide to a Classical Education by Andrew Campbell - it's a much easier read than the title suggests.
• The Well-Trained Mind : A Guide To Classical Education At Home by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer - it's a huge, overwhelming book the first time through, but much of it is a blow-by-blow of suggested materials for each subject for each grade. The first few chapters are the overview of Classical education that spoke to me so much.

Both of these books may be available in you local library. I'll try and tell you through my reading, what I take from the Classical Method.

Classical Homeschooling is traditional taken a step beyond, or back, as it were. Classical models believe in teaching the way it used to be. An article by Dorothy Sayers entitled “The Lost Tools of Learning” really brought this thought process into the conscience of those looking for an academically rigorous type of school that taught children how to think. Dorothy Sayers only provided an outline of the stages used to teach in the classical method. There is a lot of variation from program to program. Usually, there is a thread that ties many if not all subjects into a cohesive whole. Often it is history studies as the focus of the classical school and often Latin or Greek is part of the overall program. Memoria Press has some fantastic articles on why children should be taught Latin, as well as an excellent Latin curriculum, Latina Christiana.

The Well-Trained Mind uses history as the thread and ties many subjects together based on history including science. RC History does this with Catholicism as the guiding principle incorporating writing, science, religion, bible history, and art into the scope of history.

To read more about the Classical Method, read the post on Classical Method - stages not ages.

Continue to look around concerning Classical Homeschooling. Many homeschoolers end up with a main focus of one type of homeschooling, such as classical, but supplement with other points of interest or balance and toss in Eclectic facets to their school. There are enough options in homeschooling to find the right fit for your school and your children.