| Everyone needs some light reading while on their | | | | seriously reading and examining the classics |
| vacation, but this was NOT my light reading book. | | | | ourselves if we want our children to do this. |
| (In fact, if I wasn't currently on vacation, I would | | | | Though this should be a 'duh' thing, it is something |
| have finished it sooner, but reading while at | | | | that I think we often neglect. |
| Disneyworld is tough, even for me!) It provided | | | | Although I've seen references to a Thomas |
| me with a great deal of insight and many things | | | | Jefferson education all over the LDS home |
| to think about and ponder over. | | | | schooling boards, DeMille points out the ability and |
| I think this book quantifies the essence of my | | | | the need for such an education in all the different |
| home schooling goal - to teach my children how | | | | types of school, including public schools. He also |
| to think. DeMille did a wonderful job of explaining | | | | discusses how a public schooled child can receive |
| how the classics in every type encourage kids to | | | | an education that helps them think. |
| do so. This book came at a particularly good time | | | | As a Latter-day Saint, this book takes several of |
| in my reading schedule, because it did a | | | | the points made in various LDS Conference talks |
| remarkable job of clarifying several of the points | | | | that discuss spiritual learning and applies them to |
| made in "The Curriculum Debate" and I found | | | | secular learning - which shouldn't be a surprise. |
| myself nodding and saying, ah, yes, now THAT | | | | Basically, the student is the one who is responsible |
| point is suddenly clear! Specifically, I enjoy how he | | | | for their own education. A student who does not |
| made clear the idea that the classics do a superb | | | | think that what they are learning is not important |
| job of modeling humanistic behavior, and provide | | | | will not learn the subject matter. |
| us all with the ability to learn as we reason our | | | | This book solidified much of the vague notions I |
| way through them. I also appreciated how he | | | | had in mind for my home schooling, and so I am |
| broke down the various books into categories, | | | | going to have to give it another good read - |
| with each category clearly defined. This is a big | | | | probably with a notebook in hand - before I mail it |
| help to me as I determine what types of books I | | | | back to its owner. I am also going to have to give |
| should be reading. | | | | in and make an actual purchase of the book! I |
| The thing that stood out the most, however, was | | | | enjoyed the clear way that it was laid out, and |
| the need for parents to model the type of | | | | the methods the author used to move through |
| behavior we want our children to portray. In this | | | | each section. |
| case, he states that we as parents should be | | | | |