The Benefits of Classical Homeschooling

What maketh a man? Is it manners, the way he carries himself, or is it that he can recite platitudes in the drop of a hat? Classical homeschooling has a lot to recommend itself because it covers so many subjects, all varied in their own respects. Literature, law, languages, mathematics, and history are but a few subjects covered in a classical setting. The humanities or what we call liberal arts focuses on the development of the person to be a well-rounded individual.

There is nothing to be denied that great individuals are the result of a classical education. Partly because if they grew up far from the cities, they learned to study on their own and partly because there is superior knowledge learnt in the direct company of books and tutors. It also gives the child access to a more liberated setting by learning at their own pace and allowing them to come to their own conclusions.

There are stages called “trivium,” which focuses on grammar, logic, and rhetoric; and “quadrivium,” which focuses on astronomy, arithmetic, music, and geometry. The Trivium is the foundation of classical education and thus bears more weight especially in the formative years. Modern interpretations of a classical education can include literature, government, Latin, Greek, history, art, and philosophy.

Classical homeschooling has more space in dispensing subjects to suit the child. That is not to say that the child is beleaguered by too much information. Rather, the child learns to integrate all his lessons for a more substantiated outlook in life and understands that knowledge is interconnected. Much of what the child learns is also systematic, where study begins with the ancients, the age of discovery, all the way to the modern period. Undoubtedly, the classical education has a more scholastic aptitude required because the student will study books and other lessons that is usually targeted to university students.

Much of a classical education is found in exclusive and private schools which cost quite a lot of money. While there are many who may not be able to send their kids to exclusive schools, the option of a classical education at home is more open and accessible to them. There are loads of sites that offer pre-made curriculums to parents. There are even websites that offer suggestions to visit particular places to enhance the learning experience.

Classical homeschooling is a good alternative if you wish your child to have a well-rounded education. A firm grounding in the liberal arts always enhances one’s outlook in life and colors all associations with it. Even more so, it will open the mind of the individual to the differences of each culture and in that mindset, appreciate and not discriminate. Another advantage is that a classical education will also develop a more scholastic approach to learning and give the child a more varied perspective on how the world has changed, is changing, and will change.