3.5 stars.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I did find it very informative and liked some of the methods/suggestions/resources. At the same time time though, it made me feel like what I've been doing so far with my 6 and 5 year olds has been inadequate and that they are already "behind" and that it would be hard to catch them up to the standards of a classical education. ( )

When I read this book, I really had very little intention of homeschooling because I couldn't figure out how I would do it. Although I loved the idea of schooling my children at home, the whole idea seemed too daunting. But the authors lay out the process in such an organized fashion that it seems totally do-able to me, from the reviews of different curricula for sale to resource lists to the snapshot of a homeschooling day from kindergarten through high school. The classical education model really appeals to me with the focus on a child's natural stage of development and revisiting material again and again as the child moves through developmental stages. Every homeschooler I know combines approaches, and I'm sure I'll do the same, but I have a feeling that this book will be the foundation as I design curricula for my family. After reading this book, I'm really looking forward to learning along with my children. ( )

Every parent who cares about their child needs to read this book. That's not an overstatement; that is the honest truth. Classical Education, especially at home, is the very best education that a parent can give their child, teaching them to grow into logical, reasonable, intellectual, fulfilled, and happy adults, while exposing them to the wonders of God's creation and the marvels that man has created over the past thousands of years. And this book is the standard introduction to just how to do that. Rather than, as many others past and present have done, simply laying out the three stages of the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and what each consists of in a vague and open-ended way, Wise and her Classically Educated daughter Bauer give very specific information for how a child can be educated the right way even in a world like ours, featuring very lengthy reading lists, in-depth schedules, and specific advice, all by grade and subject. If you want the best, read this book. ( )

Any edition of this book is a must for classical homeschoolers! This book is filled with practical application of the classical method. Sample schedules, curriculum reviews and suggestions are also included. While many homeschooling books get tied up in theory, this book gets to the how. It gave me the confidence to know I could homeschool my children and a road map to do it. I lend it to all my new homeschool friends. ( )

I love this book. I wish at least weekly that I could homeschool my daughter, and follow the plans in this book. In fact, if you used the plans and schedules as an adult, and adapted it with more challenging reading material, your own self-education would benefit greatly too. I used to substitute teach, and in the summer used this book to create a homeschool preschool program for Bella. Now she is in first grade, and reads at a fourth grade level, so something must have gone right. We still use it for a little supplementary schooling. ( )