Money, Finance, and Giving

My 16 year old daughter, Tanille, has been so interested in money, finance, and investing lately.  It has been so exciting to see her feel passionate about learning this.  It is also good for her to have a connection with her dad.  My husband likes to dabble in the stock market - some good some bad - and his dream is to someday be able to retire and be a full-time investor.  I'll be honest: that scares me a little.

She first read "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George S. Clason.  This has been one of my favorite books about the importance of investing in yourself and you future for a very long time.  I think I first read it when I had been married about five years and it has affected the way I handle my money since then.  Next was "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments" (An Uncle Eric Book) by Richard J. Maybury.  That really got her excited about this subject.  Incidentally, I would highly recommend any of his books. Overall, this was one of her favorites.

Dave Ramsey

A couple of years ago, I read "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey.  I feel, with half of the world, that he is a truly inspired man who teaches true principles.  He made the idea of being debt-free real to me.  So, I bought the "financial peace" curriculum he has created for high schoolers and Tanille, Natalie, and Noelle have been working through it.  All the girls have learned, but Tanille has grasped onto these ideas and is thinking about them all the time.

So, I bought her two more books to read.  "The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth" by Richard Paul Evans and "Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!" by Robert T. Kyosaki.  I had read the first book before, but the second had just been highly recommended by a friend.  Tanille started with "Rich Dad Poor Dad".  Something occured which I was not expecting but which made me very happy: she told me when she was about 2/3 of the way through the book that, although she liked the principles and the things she was learning about investment, she did not like the author of the book.  She told me she like Dave Ramsey much better.  Why did she have such strong feelings about the author?  Remember, I have not read "Rich Dad Poor Dad", so these are her interpretations of he message of the book.  She said that this author seems to want money with no regard to other principles.  She stated that, although Dave Ramsey emphasizes the need to give as part of your financial picture, this author was not at all concerned about giving back.  She also said that some of the ways that he earned money seemed less than upright.  She was concerned that he described buying property at a ridiculously low price and selling it ridiculously high when the buyers didn't know better.  And lastly, she wanted to play a board game that he produced but found that it was $150.00.  We laughed and said that his next book should be titled, "How to Get People to Buy Your Overpriced Board Game and Get Rich". 

I don't know if selfishness was the intended message of the author.  I sincerely doubt it.  At 16 she does not know that it is not dishonest to buy low and sell high to make money.  But she felt that the way he had done it was cutthroat.  I am glad that my daughter, who seems to be "money hungry" right now to some of my other children, realizes that she has a responsibility to serve others, to be honest in all her dealings, and to give back to her family, her community, and her country.  She wants to have money and to live comfortably, but she also wants to use those resources to bless others. 

Another thing she said was, "Mom, I realized that if I wait until I am rich to help other people, I will never do it.  I need to start right now finding ways to use my money to help others.  Then, when I have more I will just be able to help more."  What an astute little girl!

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Skip These Books

I hate to write about books that you shouldn't read.  I don't read much that I really detest, and these books don't fall into that category either.  Mostly, they were just boring.  Here I am posting about four books that just didn't make the grade for me and I'll tell you why.

My first disappointment is "The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared" by Alice Ozma.  This book is based on the author's experience of having her father read to her every night of her life from the time she was about 9 or 10 until she left home for college.  Every night!  They didn't miss a beat.  What a cool idea!  If she was out late, the read when she got home even if it was midnight.  If she had a sleep-over, the read over the phone.  These times the reading time was short, but other times they read for much longer.  Sounds great and so intriguing, right?  The idea was very interesting to me and my son and I even decided to make a goal to do this for one month.  However, the book was just boring.  Her reminisces of her life are not exciting enough to engage an audience for an entire novel.  I have related to you already the best part of the book.  My disclaimer is:  I did not make it to the end.  I just puttered out after a while.

The next thumbs down is "Washington's Lady" by Nancy Moser.  Now right up front I have to admit that this one might just be me.  I have read extensively about George and Martha Washington and I found this book to be ridiculously elementary for an adult audience.  That is not to say that it couldn't be more appealing to someone who is less experienced in the subject matter.  However, there were a couple of glaring mistakes that made me want to scream, "Really?  Do you have an editor?  Does anyone know anything about this time period?"  The most obvious and appalling was referring to John Adams as the representative from Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania?  I am quite certain that John Adams was very much from Massachusetts.  The first time I read it I excused the mistake thinking it was a terrible oversight and I must be confused somehow.  After all, that is such an simple, obvious fact.  But, later in the book the mistake was repeated and I was chagrined and stunned.  A person who considers herself an authority on history should not make mistakes of this calliber.  I did read to the end of this book and the writing wasn't awful, just very shallow.  (This is apparently #3 of a 'Ladies of History' series by this author.  Number 2 is "Just Jane" about Jane Austen and #1 is so stunning that it is not even listed on Amazon.  I have no idea who it is about.  Or, possible, she is writing the a trilogy backward and #1 is not out yet?  Hmmm.....intriguing idea......)

My third adult dissatisfaction was "The Eyre Affair: a Thursday Next Novel" by Jasper Fforde.  This book received rave reviews and was on my wish list for some time before I bought it, so again this may be a book that is really great and I am the strange one.  But for me, this book was just that:  strange!  It would be classed as science fiction and I have to admit that is my least favorite genre.  Excepting 'Star Wars' I don't think I have every enjoyed anything in that area.  Not even 'Star Trek'.  So there is the disclaimer:  science fiction fans will probably love this book.  Again, I didn't finish it.  It just wasn't my thing.

The fourth of my "stay away" books is a children's book that I read aloud to my children, "A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home" by Henry Cole.  Doesn't it sound great?  Again, I have read worse but the premise of the book was objectionable to me and the action was not engaging enough to override that problem.  It is not a book I regret reading, but I wouldn't recommend anyone spend their money on it.  I wish I had not.  I have to say, though, I wanted to love this book because the art work is so amazing.  It is worth browsing through the book just to look at the pictures.  They are pencil sketches which I love, and the artist is truly talented!  One more positive aspect.  The book has John James Audobon as a supporting character and this led us to learn more about him and his work.  That was a good thing and very interesting.  We especially enjoyed reading "The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audobon" by Jacqueline Davies and Melissa Sweet and "Into the Woods: John James Audobon Lives His Dream" by Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor.  So, good things came out of it in the end, after all!

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Here I am again

Yes, it has been two months since I have posted for a variety of reasons.  First of all, I read a string of really dumb books I didn't want to post about.  (I am planning a post on 'what not to read' soon, however.)  Then, I just got derailed for a while.  Although reading is a passion in my life and has been since I was old enough to hold a book, I do have periods of time that it is hard for me to get into anything.  They usually correspond to times when my mental energy is taken up by other activities, and that has been so the last while.  I am pulling out of this funk, though, and I have just begun the latest and last in the 'Inheritance Cycle' by Christopher Paolini called 'Inheritance'.  I'll let you know how that goes, but I have high hopes since I enjoyed the first three books of this series. 

As an aside, fantasy is a genre that is relatively new to me.  My oldest son loved fantasy books in high school and since I try to read as much of what my children read as I can, that meant treading into the world of fantasy.  I have to admit that I enjoy much of it.  (Another future post: my favorite fantasy books.)

I have also been reading to my children a lot.  Again, nothing new, but we are spending a significant amount of time living in our motor home, and so to keep everyone busy during the evenings I read for a couple of hours every night to everyone.  We finished 'There's an Owl in the Shower' by Jean Craighead George.  Now we are in the middle of 'The Janitor's Boy' by Andrew Clements.  Both of these are favorite authors.  Last night, 'The Indian in the Cupboard' by Lynne Reid Banks was brought up and neither Bethany nor Benjamin were familar with it, so it will definitely be on my list to read right away.  That is the fun of having such a wide age range of children:  I get to read my favorite books two or three times to different groups of children.  Alicia and I were reminiscing about reading this book when she and Adam and Todd were young and then going to the theater to see the movie.

Again, I am looking forward to posting again in the next couple of days about these subjects and some of the cool books my teens are reading.  They have been pursuing some interests that I think will be fun to write about.

Until then............................

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Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters
by Mark Dunn

This was my second book of the day.  I must admit, my first birthday book turned out so well that I decided to read the other one I bought at the same time.  Just as good!  But completely different. 

This book features the fictional island country of Nollop and the people who live there.  It is definitely a dystopian society, but I hesitate to use that word because of the image it provides.  This dystopia is not similar to anything Upton Sinclair or George Orwell wrote.  As a matter of fact, for the most part this book is cute, light, and funny.  However, as things progress it does become more and more distressing.

"A curiously compelling...satire of human foibles, and a light-stepping commentary on censorship and totalitarianism." -The Philadelphia Inquirer

This work is epistolary (a novel of letters), takes place around a pangram (a sentence composed of all the letters of the alphabet), and as it progresses becomes a lipogram (a written work composed of words selected so as to avoid the use of one or more letters of the alphabet).  I won't say more about the plot except that "it is a hilarious an moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression and a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere". 

Let me know if you decide to read this one - I'd love to have a good chat about it.

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Remembering Isaac

Remembering Isaac
by Ben Behunin

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache and a sore throat.  So, I decided to spend my resting and recovering.  I have to admit that feeling pretty lousy but not so sick that I was incapacitated left me looking forward to a quiet day to catch up on some reading.  I can't remember the last time I spent all day in bed with a good book.  It has been far too long.

First, I finished this book that I have been reading for the past few days.  It was so good - a little laughing, a little crying, inspiring, and uplifting.  The thing that makes me sad is this:  I ordered this book for myself at my last birthday (June 2011) on recommendation of a cyber-friend whose recommendation of books is always appreciated.  It has been sitting on my shelf for all these months being pushed behind books for classes, assignments, or opportunities to read what my children are reading.  A couple of days ago I decided that I was ready to read something fun of my choosing.  Wow!  I wish I would have done so many moons ago. 

"This is more than a book; this is an experience- a chance to be a voyeur into the life of Jake Kimball, the newest potter in a three-hundred year old town in western Pennsylvania. This is Jake's sketchbook, and as you might imagine an artist's sketchbook to be, it is full of pictures, doodles, journal entries and other artistic enhancements. This book also comes with a built-in self-propelled movie, entitled "The Little Potter Makes a Bowl." (You provide the soundtrack). Jake, a soon to be college graduate stumbles upon an ad in an art magazine. The town of Niederbipp is looking for a new potter to replace, Isaac, the seventh potter in a long string of potters reaching back to 1717. For the past 8 years, Jake has dreamed of being a village potter. He applies for the job, despite his plans for the summer and to his surprise, is awarded the Pottery, an apartment and a vast collection of old pots. As Jake begins his work in the old studio, he becomes aware of a unique collection of mugs hanging from an overhead beam. These mugs hold the keys to unlocking Jake's undertstanding of the man he has come to replace. With the help of his new friend Amy, Jake begins to piece together the secrets of life Isaac lived by and shared with all who knew him. Fall in love with Niederbipp and its people as they remember Isaac. Explore the complexity of human nature and the yearning we all have for love, hope, truth, purpose and especially joy. Discovering Isaac is a series of tales within interconnected tales that all grow from the nurturing wisdom and love of a simple man who truly undestood the universal and eternal secrets that lead to a happy life." (Amazon's book description)

I recommend this read to anyone who wants to be reminded of the most important things in life, of the reason we dream and we love, and of the One who orchestrated this plan.  I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy.

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Geography

I am not even going to divulge the name of the book that inspired this blog yet.  I am afraid it will be too 'ordinary' and nobody will read any further.  Let me start at the beginning.....
Our family has found a new passion for geography.  This isn't the first time this has happened.  We love to travel!  All of us have created our own personal map of the United States, coloring in the states we have each visited.  Even the little children are getting to have quite a beautiful map.  Our goal is to someday visit them all.  None of us has yet.  Benjamin, 8, and I are flying to South Carolina in May, and he cannot wait to color another state.  (He literally can't wait - he already colored it!)  Anyway, besides this, we have decided to learn more world geography by drawing and labeling maps everyday.  We only spend about 15 minutes doing it, but we are learning so many great things. 

Flat Stanley
by Jeff Brown

So....on to the book review.  Benjamin is required to read to me for at least 20 minutes every day.  Believe me, he loves books.  But, he would so rather be read to than read.  Sometimes we have a quandry finding something he will maintain interest in to the end.  "Frankie Pickle" by Eric Wight was a great little series, but it is only three long so far and didn't take us long.  His latest choice was "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown.  I know, I know.  You all know about Flat Stanley.  And he is cute, don't get me wrong.  How can you not laugh out loud at a little boy 1/2 inch thick being mailed in an envelope by his parents?  It really is a great book.  It has been around for several decades (since 1964) and thousands of children have enjoyed his antics.  However, did you know that he has had a recent come back?  Maybe many of you did.  Sara Pennypacker (favorite author of the "Clementine" book series) has revived Flat Stanley in a travel-themed series sending him around the world.  Now do you see the connection?  Considering Benjamin's current love of maps, this sounds like a perfect match.  Flat Stanley goes:
     #1 The Mount Rushmore Calamity
     #2 The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery
     #3 The Japanese Ninja Surprise
     #4  The Intrepid Canadian Expedition
     #5  The Amazing Mexican Secret
     #6  The African Safari Discovery
     #7  The Flying Chinese Wonders
     #8  The Australian Boomarang Bonanza
     #9  The US Captital Commotion

I am sure this is not the end for two reasons: #1 The last book was published in December 2011 and #2 Flat Stanley has yet to visit any place in Europe.  That can't be the end. 

The end (of the beginning) of the story is that Benjamin and I spent some time last night creating a four-page world map glued onto posterboard with all the places that Flat Stanley has (or will in our case) visit before he is done.  Benjamin is illustrating the edges as we read.  And most importantly, he is excited to read everyday!

Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventure #1

The World of Flat Stanley according to Benjamin

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Some of Our Favorite 'Little Girl' Chapter Books

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook
by Joyce Lankester Brisley

I forgot about this little treasure until this evening.  I should have mentioned it when I was blogging about Raggedy Ann.  These books were published in 1925 and are still going strong.  Amanda, 11, read our entire series of four books when she was 8 or 9 and they were her favorites then.  I think they have been sitting our bookshelf since then.  Bethany, 6, was looking for a new bedtime book for us to read together this evening and pulled this off the shelf.  I was so excited to read it to her.  As we started in on the first chapter, Amanda meandered in and sat and listened.  She immediately remembered Little-Friend-Susan, her favorite character. 

Milly-Molly-Mandy's full name is Millicent Margaret Amanda.  Since her family can't say "Millicent Margaret Amanda" everytime they need her, they have shortened her name to "Milly-Molly-Mandy".  Bethany thought that was quite hilarious: her 'short' name.  Once again, this is a favorite because of the good old-fashioned stories about a sweet little girl and her adventures with her family and friends. 

The Middle Sister
by Miriam E. Mason

When the Glosbrenner family decided to move west, each child was given the opportunity to choose something special to bring along.  They are moving in a covered wagon, so there isn't much room, but everyone gets one item.  Sarah Samantha, the middle sister, chooses a small apple tree named Miss Appleseed.  Her goal is to eventually make an apple dumpling from an apple from Miss Appleseed's branches.  As Miss Appleseed grows, so does Sarah Samantha.  She learns that she can be brave and she shares her adventures with her tree-friend.  Because we couldn't read so much about apple dumplings and not try them, we learned to make this delicious dessert several years ago.  It is still a favorite in the fall when the apples are ripe.

All-of-a-Kind Family
Sydney Taylor

Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century (the twentieth century).  They work and play and celebrate together all year round.  They are a Jewish family, so it is especially fun to hear about how the family celebrates the Sabbath, Purim, Passover, and Succos.  But, we also get to come along as they celebrate Papa's birthday, the Fourth of July, and have family vacation because, after all, they are also very much Americans.  My favorite story involves dusting while searching for hidden buttons.  I have got to remember to use that trick with my own children!  But the best surprise of all comes at the very end of the book......

I really do continue to read adult books, too.  I have several in the process right now-that is the problem.  When I feel really busy and I have a lot of different projects going on I get books going on all different topics all over the house.  I really will get a few wrapped up here soon and blog about them, too.  And, someday I'll talk about my favorite 'boy books' as well...

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Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Charlies and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Wow!  What an interesting couple.  My hat goes off to Emma Darwin and I have much better understanding of Charles Darwin, too.  I respect them both.

First, let me address why I liked this particular book.  The author, Deborah Heiligman, wrote a true biography which is a difficult find in young adult literature.  The information in the book is not a historically accurate story, it is a step by step explanation of the Darwins' lives taken from their own words (books, diaries, and letters) and from other people's accounts of them.  The author uses primary sources to construct her story.  At the same time, it is not dry.  She weaves an interesting account of them in a way that is instructive and entertaining.  Short of studying primary documents myself, this is the kind of biography I enjoy reading.

Next, let me share my feeling of the Darwin couple.  I was initially intrigued and motivated to buy the book because of the balancing act their lives must have been.  I want to understand more clearly how a couple, one religious and faithful and the other at best agnostic, could maintain a loving relationship.  And not just a difference of faith, but in a very real sense much of Charles's work was considered heretical.  I have to admire people who can see beyond that and maintain love and respect.  What I found was a very unique relationship that I can certainly learn from.  Emma was always worried about Charles's soul.  As they lost and buried three babies, she worried about her family's eternal welfare.  But, what I didn't understand was the Charles was equally worried.  He literally suffered for his beliefs.  He wanted to remain faithful, but his work showed him evidence that would not allow him to continue in a belief of a higher power.  The mental torment of that almost killed him. 

I am a Christian, a creationist, and firm believer in a God that loves me and guides my life on earth.  I believe he loves all his creations and that he is the great organizer of that creation.  However, with my modern-day faith and beliefs I can now more clearly see how Charles, faced with the close-minded theology of his day, felt he had to reject the religious teachings of his day.  I also do not believe in that point of view.  The thing that makes me truly sad, is that I can see how Charles Darwin was so very sincere and so interested in finding the truth.  I can also see and believe many of the things he proposed such as natural selection.  However, I can pair that belief with the guidance of a God.  The largest thing we disagree with is the extent to which he took his belief.  While natural selection seems very supported by fact, true evolution, the changing of one species into another, does not have scientific basis in fact in my opinion.  I have not seen anything that leads me to believe that there are creatures mutating into other creatures.  Cross-breeding is not evolution.  Natural selection or survival of the fittest is not evolution.  I have never seen a mutation that was beneficial; mutations always turn out an organism of lesser quality, weaker.

I highly recommend this book as an accurate, educational jumping-off point to understanding the Darwins and their beliefs.

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Natalie's Study of China

For the past six weeks, Natalie and I have had an agreement about her reading.  She is a voracious reader.  (Hmmm....)  Anyway, she loves to read the same favorite books over and over.  I can understand that to an extent.  She doesn't read junk either; she reads good books.  And they are definitely within the reading level of a 14 year old.  But, I want her to expand her horizons.  So we made a deal.  She chooses a book and then I choose a book for her.  It has worked out fantastically. 

Now, before I tell you what I have chosen for her I want to explain to you my philosophy behind reading and the reason I have chosen what I have chosen.  I am not trying to trap her into reading what I like, or in studying what I want her to study.  I am trying to expand her reading to include things that she might not otherwise have chosen within the bounds of her interests.  I have 11 children and they all have their own interests and genres that they prefer.  However, excepting the child with the learning disability, they all like to read and most read a lot.  So, I have had experiences in a lot of types of books. 

So Natalie told me that she had loved reading about Lang Lang and wanted to read more like that.  My first questions were, "More like what?  Music?  Musicians? China? What is it about Lang Lang that you enjoyed?"  Through the conversation I realized that she was very curious about China's culture, especially the Cultural Revolution.  So, I suggested she read "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-Li Jiang, "China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution" by Da Chen, and "My Name is Number 4: A True Story From the Cultural Revolution" by Ting-Xing Ye.*  These books each bring a different perspective to the phenomenon that the Cultural Revolution was.  After she read these (one of her own choice between each of mine), we discussed them and I felt that she had a pretty good handle on what happened in China during this time period.  She thought so, too, and wanted to see this fascinating country from another point of view. 

We had read about Lang Lang, and he is certainly contemporary, but his also a very unique story.  It is reading about a celebrity.  A celebrity's life is hardly 'ordinary'.  I remembered reading a book several years ago that I had checked out of our local library about a more modern Chinese schoolgirl who sacrificed much for her education.  This book was published in 2004 and is the story of a contemporary young girl.  I couldn't remember the name of the book, though, so I called the librarian.  She suggested the books she thought it could be, but none of them sounded like the right one.  I got on Amazon and searched for key works, "schoolgirl", "China", and "journalist" because I remembered that a French journalist had discovered this little girl and had been the one to publish her story.  Hurray!  I love modern technology and I love Amazon Prime.  Two days later Natalie was reading "The Diary of Ma Yan: The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl" by Ma Yan.  This gave her a better perspective of life in China for a rural young girl today.  By this point, Natalie was about done with China, but I wanted her to see one more side. 

The last book she read on this subject was called "Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze" by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis.  Unlike the other books, this one was fiction (a Newberry Medal book).  However, it takes place in a China before the Cultural Revolution happened. As a matter of fact, this story takes place in 1920 Chungking.  Fung Yu moves from a rural farming village to the 'big city'.  I think the book does a good job of portraying the Chinese culture before the Cultural Revolution. 

All this said, I am not expert on China; neither is my daughter. Our study has certainly not been exhaustive. But she has a handle on some issues and points of view that she did not have before.  She has been introduced to a culture and a way of life that is far outside of her own experience.  And, I have tried to give her a balanced picture of this culture from several time periods.

Now she has moved onto the Civil War.  I wonder how long it will take her to read "Gone With the Wind".................

*FYI, "My Name is Number 4" is $2.08 new on Amazon.

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Raggedy Ann and a Bygone Era

Do you ever have an epiphany as you are going along and wonder, "How did I miss that before?"  Something like that happened to me this evening.  I have mentioned that I have been reading Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy stories to Bethany at bedtime.  They are very sweet stories: the original antique 'Toy Story' about dolls in a nursery and their life when their owner, Marcella, is asleep.  Johnny Gruelle wrote these stories for and about his own daughter and her doll starting in 1918 and continuing until his death in 1938.  They are lovely and whimsical and great stories for little girls who want to imagine that their dolls are really alive; it is a chance to peek inside that secret mysterious world of toys.

Now, to the epiphany.  We have been having a difficult time around here lately with our little people understanding the commandment, "Thou shalt not covet".  It is very easy to be envious and to want everything to be "fair".  As a matter of fact, I'm about sick and tired of trying to be the constant judge of "fair".  At the end of tonight's chapter, Marcella picks Raggedy Andy up in the morning after a night of mishap and adventure for the dolls, and carts Raggedy Andy downstairs to breakfast.  The last line reads, "And all the other dolls smiled at him as he left the room, for they were very happy to know that their little mistress loved him as much as they did."  It hit me then:  the reason I love these old-fashioned, sweet, classic childhood stories is that they model lives of exemplary goodness, kindness, and love for our fellow man.  That's it.  They don't preach, they don't lecture, they don't show the antagonist being a brat.  They just demonstrate the best that can be in all of us.  Our littlest ones need just that kind of example set before them on a daily basis.  Of course, our own examples of righteous living is the best kind of example we can give them, but story-book heroes that melt our hearts and that we remember until we read about them to our own children - they are so great!

I encourage all of you to read a little "Raggedy Ann".......or "Secret Garden"......or "The Little Princess".......or "The Railway Children" ......etc, etc, etc.............................

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The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education

I just finished this book.  It was a life-changer for me.  As I mentioned in my previous posts, I have been searching for the right classical education fit for our family.  Every author has his/her own perspective on what this means, and there are a plethora of classes being offered at homeschool workshops to water-down the material even further for us so we don't have to actually do the work ourselves.  The question that begs answering for me is: how do we expect our children to immerse themselves in a classical educational model of we cannot study and learn what that model should look like for ourselves?  Do we want to mentor our children to have this education or do we want to follow the bandwagon down a less comon path, but still a path?  When presented with the opportunity to attend another workshop recently telling me what classical education is and how I ought to be doing it (at a price tag of mucho dinero), I decided that a true academic would find out the information for herself.  That would make the information a part of me, and immerse myself in the process of education.  I will not revisit that stack of books I read, but I will give a brief synopsis of what I learned. 

The Core

Classical education is not a new idea.  As a matter of fact, it is as old as humankind.  This model was used in Ancient Greece to educate the great thinkers and had a revival again during the Renaissance.  However, the world has never known such a high level of literacy as we had in the North American continent and in the United States of America from 1600-1950.  What changed in 1950?  That is another essay including moral degeneracy, political correctness, and apathy and ignorance, but for the purpose of this discussion, we stopped educating following the classical model.  We began to 'dumb-down' educational expectations.  We continue to do so at a steady decline.

So, why should this book be read and be better than the previous paths I mentioned of other leaders taking you down their road?  Because this book does a great job of summarizing what constitutes a 'classical education' while emphasizing the foundational stage, grammar.  The three componants of the trivium are grammar, logic, and rhetoric, but without a firm foundation in grammar it is virtually impossible to progress to the other levels.  Bortins gives us an understanding of what that means, but does not tell you how to do it, other than some advice from a person wiser and further along the path.  As a matter of fact, the constant debate in my own head as I read was, "Okay, but what specifically did you memorize?  Tell me the list of historical data you had your family learn," followed by "I am learning this so it will be mine.  I am glad she is not spoon-feeding me.  I need to figure out what our family will learn, why, when, and how."  She does give lots of great advice based on experience, but she does not do the work for you. 

It seems to be a popular mistake to skip straight to the rhetoric stage, or at least the logic stage without creating the grammatical foundation.  I asked myself why.  I believe it is because grammar is hard.  It is work.  We forget that anything worth having is worth working for and that in the attempt to help everyone 'feel good' and be 'successful' we have continually required less and less of ourselves and our youth.  Result:  an ignorant populace that values recreation above all else.  In her "Lost Tools of Learning" speech, Dorothy Sayers commented, "Is it not the great defect of our education today that although we often succeed in teaching our pupils "subjects," we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think?  They learn everything, except the art of learning."  While popular homeschool educational theories attempt to correct this deficit, there is key componant that is missing in the formula.  Bortins explains, "Some parents may disapprove of the idea of training children to obey, as if they were dogs instead of sentient beings with minds of their own.  It may be hard to believe, but inculcating obedience and expecting rigorous effort from our boys has actually helped my children to be free of me.  As teenagers they don't need to obey me any longer because they can confidently make choices and succeed without me policing them....I wanted our home to be delightful.  I wanted to have great experiences with our children.  I began to recognize...that the worst thing I could do for my children was abandon my children to themselves."  This is a principle that our Father in Heaven has given us through his laws and commandments.  Satan's great lie is that the rules bind us and restrict our freedom.  The truth is that the rules, the constraints, the systems free us for greater opportunities and ultimately eternal progression. 

I walk away with this book excited about the possibilities.  I can't wait to work hard and to bring my children on the journey with me.  I can't wait to build a foundation, with them, that enables us to truly understand and enjoy the conversations of the world through all time, to be a part of true education, and for all of us to more completely reach our full potential.

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Classical Education and Mentoring - Fiction



Eight Cousins

I also wanted to share of my favorite classical education 'stories'.  Our minds work so well with a story; we remember the information and can visualize concepts that become laborious when written as a descriptive non-fiction guide.  My friends know that my two favorite of these books are written by Louisa May Alcott, "Eight Cousins" and "Jo's Boys".  They are probably my favorites because I began loving Alcott and her stories so long ago, when I was a young girl, and they have continued to give meaning and direction to me as I have taken on the task of educating my children.  Several years ago, I read "The Lonesome Gods" by Louis L'Amour and enjoyed that as well as a guide and an example of a great education.  On the way home from St. Thomas, I finished what I will add as my latest classic education favorite story.  The book is "The Song of the Lark" by Willa Cather.  (Alcott and Cather books are all free downloads.)

Song of The Lark

I have to admit that I haven't like the previous books I have read by Cather.  I felt that "O Pioneers" and "My Antonia" were both too dark for me, but this book is unlike either of those.  In "The Song of the Lark", a young Swedish emigrant pioneer, Thea Klonborg, pursues her dream of discovering herself and the world.  She fights against all odds to succeed and eventually becomes a famous musician who is truly gifted.  The thing that I loved about the book was how well it illustrated the relationships she had with various people who could be called her 'mentors'.  In the book mentioned below by DeMille and Earl, "The Student Whisperer", the authors describe several types of student/mentor relationships.  They are each valuable and important.  They each serve a purpose in the development of great character and in pursuing a great education.  These mentor-types are found all along our journey of life and some are formal and some are informal.  These authors suggest that when a mentor is necessary, one will be found.  This was certainly true for Thea Klonborg.  Now, don't get me wrong, Thea must work hard.  Not much comes easy for early pioneers especially for a young girl interested in pursuing a musical education in a very savage land, but Thea's mother notices that she is different and supports her in her pursuits.  Her first formal mentor, a music teacher named Harsanyi says to Thea, "Every artist makes himself born.  It is very much harder than the other time, and longer.  Your mother did not bring anything into the world to play the piano.  That you must bring into the world yourself."  That spoke to me.  I have longed many times for the 'gift' of some talent or another.  Talents are work, plain and simple.  You must want it enough.  "There were hours, too, of great exaltation; when she was at her best and became a part of what she was doing and ceased to exist in any other sense.  There were other times when she was so shattered by ideas that she could do nothing worthwhile; when they trampled over her like an army and she felt as if she were bleeding to death under them." and "While she walked she cried.  There was scarcely a street in the neighborhood that she had not cried up and down before that winter was over."  Real break-throughs are so often emotional: the highest highs and the lowest lows.  When we feel passion, we are learning. 

I also learned about the sacrifice for greatness.  One of her informal mentors, Dr. Archie, told Thea, "Only, if you want a big thing, you've got to have nerve enough to cut out all that's easy, everything that's to be had cheap."  And later, "If you love the good thing vitally, enough to give up for it all that one must give up for it, then you must hate the cheap thing just as hard.  I tell you, there is such a thing a creative hate! A contempt that drives you through fire, makes you risk everything and lose everything, makes you a long sight better than you ever knew you could be." 

As Thea performs at the climax of the book, many of her mentors are there to see her and she is brilliant.  She is scared to death, but it all pays off.  "That afternoon nothing new came to Thea Kronborg, no enlightenment, no inspiration.  She merely came into full possession of things she had been refining and perfecting for so long.....While she was onstage she was conscious that every movement was the right movement, that her body was absolutely the instrument of her idea.  Not for nothing had she kept it so severely, kept it filled with such energy and fire.  All that deep-rooted vitality flowered in her voice, her face, in her very finger-tips.  She felt like a tree bursting into bloom.....everything in her at its best and everything working together."

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Classical Education and Mentoring - Nonfiction

It has been a while since I've posted, but I have had a FANTASTIC week with my husband on St. Thomas Island, US Virgin Islands.  Sand and sea are great for relaxing and I soaked up some much needed Vitamin D by the bunches.  It was so much fun.  Besides swimming, sunbathing, eating, and enjoying my husband, I had a chance to catch up on some reading. It is somewhat difficult to take notes on a beach while trying to keep a Kindle from becoming too sandy, but apparently it is possible.

I have been interested in making a study of classical education.  I have read things here and there about different interpretations, but I have kind of an eclectic approach in my home.  It has worked for us.  My children have been successful thus far, but there have been some holes that needed filling and some adjustments I'd like to make, as well as expanding my mentoring to some other children.  In the LDS community, Oliver DeMille's approach to classical education has taken on a life of its own.  In his book, "A Thomas Jefferson Education", he outline his vision of classical education and I have watched the way that works in many homes. I read his new book co-authored with Tiffany Earl, "The Student Whisperer".  I wanted to expand my knowledge, however, and decided to read Susan Wise Bauer's latest book, "The Well-Educated Mind: A guide to the Classical Education You Never Had".  I have previously read "The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home" and enjoyed it.  Although I implimented some of her ideas, much of it was a bit daunting when trying to educate a large number of children at once.  It seemed much more adapted for educating one or two children.  I knew that Douglas Wilson was also a respected writer and proponent of classical education, so I bought a couple of his books including "The Case for Classical Christian Education".  And, lastly, I have Leigh A. Bortins "The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education" of which I have not read in its entirety, but what I have perused looks very intriguing. 

The bottom line is, I want to be able to guide my children on a journey that will fulfill their educational requirements while allowing them to pursue their own interests by studying those things that are of most value and interest to them.  I want to be a teacher and a mentor.  These books have given me a beginning to that ideal.  They each have ideas to implement.  While I don't agree with 100% of any of them, I agree with many things, which put together, will fit me and my children's personalities and styles of learning.  I can't wait to get started with what I've learned.

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President's Day

George Washington
Cheryl Harness

Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington
Cheryl Harness

Since it is President's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my favorite books about Washington and Lincoln.  There are a million of them available and I have read my fair share.  However, these truly are fantastic books about these great men!  The art is captivating and interesting.  However, the text is truly wonderful.  They are listed as ages 6-9, which is appropriate, but I think older children and adults will enjoy these books.  The narration includes direct quotes from these men woven into the story, and their stories are each explained with historical accuracy.  The Civil War is handled especially well, I think, since there is some confusion and contention about that conflict.  Cheryl Harness is a wonderful children's author.  I have other books by her and will definitely be purchasing more.

Other books that I recommend as President's Day goodies are:  "Mr. Lincoln's Boys" by Staton Rabin, "The Lincoln Stories" by Honore Morrow (out of print), "The Real George Washington" by Jay A. Parry,  "The General and Mrs. Washington" by Bruce Chadwick, "The Bulletproof George Washington" by David Barton, "George Washington Soldier, Hero, President" by Justine and Ron Fontes, and "Abraham Lincoln Lawyer, Leader, Legend" by Justine and Ron Fontes.

There are lots of others we like and read, but these are our favorites covering a lot of age and ability.  Here you should be able to find something for everyone.  What are your favorite President Day books?

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The Prince

by Niccolo Machiavelli

Link

The tables have turned and the teacher is now the student.  I think it is great.  For Christmas, Adam, now a junior in college after having been homeschooled his whole life, gave me a political phylosophy class.  He is the professor.  This is his major and his love of study.  The syllabus included the reading and study of three books:  "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Second Treatise of Government" by John Locke, and "The Federalist Papers" by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. I also have to write papers periodically.  My first book and paper was on "The Prince".  Machiavelli is not an easy read.  I stumbled through it with much direction and discussion with my professor, and I learned a lot.  My writing assignment was to make "The Prince" relevant to me and my life in the 21st century.  Since I an a mother and that is my career, I used "The Prince" as a parenting guide.  It was admittedly not the best parenting guide ever written.  The application is much more relevant to running a country, but it certainly had some points worth considering. 

It is a political classic, considered the first political philosophy book.  Anyone who is interested in government should take some time to read it.  I included the first paragraph of my final paper on this book just because.  Hope you like it.  (I got an A- on the entire paper!)

            The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, continues to have modern relevance and application in the 21^st  century.  One can certainly apply many of his philosophies to the modern day parent.  After all, parenting is the quintessential leadership position.  “He who rocks the cradle rules the world”.  Although not all that Machiavelli had to say could be directly applied to parenthood, he does make some very valid and powerful points that a parent interested in raising well-behaved contributing members of society would be wise to understand and to emulate.  Parenting in the recent century has become a lost art, and parents too often flounder trying to buy their children’s love and happiness, or else refrain from being disciplinarians because of their need to be friendly with their children.  They forget the relationship that is their responsibility of leadership within the family.  The Prince is the original leadership training handbook.  Machiavelli addresses liberality versus parsimony, cruelty versus mercy, and the role of laws and force.  He also advises one on how to avoid creating hate or contempt in carrying out your responsibilities as a leader and how to place yourself in a position to be held in esteem by your children.

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