Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Well Trained MInd describes a system of home education reminiscent of old-fashioned tutor systems drawing on classical literature and subject matter, including the early study of logic and Latin for 'building the mind.' It will appeal to parents (and students) already interested in an early, firm start in math and reading and its practical ordering of subject areas with precise resource recommendations. It may offend parents concerned about 'the hurried child' syndrome and who would rather 'let kids be kids' a little longer. It is possible that the success the authors describe with themselves and others is due to other factors not carefully studied, such as high motivation and high intelligence. (In fact, the other two children in the family are not described much; it may be that they turned out like Susan (the daughter, product of this program) & the authors are merely protecting their privacy. Still, as a reader, I wondered how the siblings turned out.) It may offend parents concerned about overly-coercive 'programming' of the young child into a highly academic, studious life. Although the Wises certainly tout the importance of early attention to art and music, there is some risk here of over-emphasis on the three R's. Its greatest appeal is perhaps its emphasis on drawing on the whole cycle of human history, from the dawn of Man to the present. Devotees of Ed Hirsch ('Cultural Literacy') will highly appreciate the emphasis on keystones of human culture. Children who successfully follow this program would indeed turn out firmly grounded in 'culture.' Because this is a home education program, families of different backgrounds might choose to emphasize different cultures as focal points although such resources could be harder to find. The central focus of the Wises' program is identifiably Western European but perhaps one must forgive them this unfortunate necessity--is it bias? That could be argued elsewhere. They point out that it is a family's job to incorporate the subject matter of faith and religion & otherwise shy away from prescribing in this area except to include it in the schedule. I appreciated this ecumenical view. Parents timid about homeschooling will appreciate the explicit timeframe described in terms of age; school grade; and daily, weekly, yearly overviews. But one could easily feel intimidated by the caliber of the academics--you'll be looking for a Latin tutor, music teachers, etc., as needed. The program itself appeals to me personally; I was already doing similar activities with my children. However, we follow a more 'Attachment Parenting' lifestyle. So we will not follow the Wises' recommendation of using cribs and naptimes to secure home-education time. We will take a more relaxed approach while incorporating some of their ideas. The danger is always that some parents will go whole-hog without being willing to reject unsuitable portions. I hope readers will be critical and astute, choose what they need, and tailor the Wises' recommendations to fit their family, not vice-versa. One more caveat: I was raised in a very similar fashion to this strict 'classical' approach. Although I welcome the idea of seeing more young adults turn out highly educated in history, logic, and language skills, it is an awkward fit with today's society that fosters quite different values. To choose this program or homeschooling at all, parents need to be responsible about supporting their children through some awkward years of figuring out how to fit in with a world (i.e., beyond college) that has run amok with very different values and ideas.