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This chapter from 'The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home' addresses the challenge of beginning a classical homeschooling curriculum with older children who are beyond the early elementary years. The authors provide a comprehensive set of guidelines for parents to navigate this transition across various subjects, emphasizing the importance of establishing a strong foundation even when 'starting in the middle.'
The chapter stresses the significance of reviewing foundational materials in subjects like reading, writing, and mathematics. It suggests that for students struggling with reading, returning to basic phonics instruction can be beneficial, regardless of age. The authors recommend starting grammar at grade level, as most programs include review sections. For writing, they advocate beginning with fundamental exercises like dictation and narration for students who find writing challenging.
In subjects like history, science, and the Great Books curriculum, the authors provide flexibility, allowing parents to begin at any point and progress chronologically or thematically from there. They emphasize using age-appropriate resources and adjusting the complexity of assignments based on the student's level. The chapter also offers guidance on when to introduce more advanced skills, such as research paper writing, suggesting that it's acceptable to delay these until high school if necessary.
For families homeschooling multiple children, the chapter provides strategies for managing instruction across different age groups. It suggests keeping certain subjects (like math and grammar) individualized while synchronizing others (like history and science) to streamline the teaching process. This approach allows parents to teach the same general content to multiple children while adjusting the depth and complexity for each child's level.
The inclusion of an oral history interview outline in the appendix underscores the importance of primary sources and personal narratives in a classical education. This practical tool not only serves as a resource for history projects but also emphasizes the value of connecting academic learning with real-world experiences and family histories.
Overall, the chapter provides a flexible and practical approach to implementing a classical education curriculum for older beginners, emphasizing the importance of strong foundations, individualized instruction, and the integration of various subjects and skills.