The Well Trained Mind
Susan Wise Bauer
Jessie Wise
I would recommend any parent in quest of educating his/her child in the Classical method, to peruse this book by Susan Wise Bauer (author of Story of the World) and Jessie Wise. Many of us were educated in the public school system, which has long abandoned the Classical method used by generations of early American scholars. When we read speeches, letters, and documents written by early American men and women, we see a drastic difference in the vocabulary and quality of the writing compared to today’s writing. Education in America has drifted from challenging and expanding the minds of our children to expecting little from our young people. In our quest to not leave any child without an education, we have neglected the vast millions of children who yearn to be challenged, and have turned them into mediocre video game zombies. Jessie Wise taught her daughter, Bauer, using the Classical method, and both mother and daughter explain the success they achieved in this inspiring book.
Jessie Wise
I would recommend any parent in quest of educating his/her child in the Classical method, to peruse this book by Susan Wise Bauer (author of Story of the World) and Jessie Wise. Many of us were educated in the public school system, which has long abandoned the Classical method used by generations of early American scholars. When we read speeches, letters, and documents written by early American men and women, we see a drastic difference in the vocabulary and quality of the writing compared to today’s writing. Education in America has drifted from challenging and expanding the minds of our children to expecting little from our young people. In our quest to not leave any child without an education, we have neglected the vast millions of children who yearn to be challenged, and have turned them into mediocre video game zombies. Jessie Wise taught her daughter, Bauer, using the Classical method, and both mother and daughter explain the success they achieved in this inspiring book.
As parents of Providence students it is our job to partner with Providence in giving our children a Classical education which will give them the scholastic advantage they are entitled to. Classical Education is quite simple, and a study into the trivium will give you the fortitude you need to continue this journey with your child. Bauer explains the trivium this way, “Encourage your child toward absorption in grades 1 through 4, critical thought in grades 5 through 8, and expression in grades 9 through 12” (XXVIII). The chants, jingles, math facts, grammar rules, etcetera, can seem like an endless monotony, but a child in the grammar stage is an expanding sponge; he is creating categories in his mind into which he will later add critical thought. Understanding the purpose of these recitations will help us as parents encourage our children to persevere.
I will leave you with this quote from Bauer, as she explains the education her mother gave her as a child, “Our education was language-centered, not image-centered; we read and listened and wrote, but we rarely watched. She spent the early years of school giving us facts, systematically laying the foundation for advanced study. She taught us to think through arguments, and then she taught us how to express ourselves” (13). It is my hope that we, as Providence moms, can embrace this vision of distinction which transcends the laissez-faire attitude of many parents regarding their child’s education, and raise intelligent, righteous men and women to the glory of God.
Cindy Palen,
Providence mom and teacher
Wise-Bauer, Susan and Wise, Jessie. The Well Trained Mind. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York, N.Y. 2009.
