The Latin-Centered Curriculum: A Homeschooler's Guide to a Classical Education [Paperback]

This book is THE manual for why and how to implement a traditional, Latin-centered education in the homeschool. In a nutshell, a traditional Classical education is streamlined, focused on Latin and Greek, with fewer "subjects" than other methods, and built on a foundation of the principle of multum non multa, "not many but much". This means that traditional Classical is "simple but deep". Rather than attempting to shallowly cover a vast quantity of material, a few selections of the best are chosen, and are studied in great depth. Let's face it, many many good resources are available, so many that it can be overwhelming. Why not simply have your student(s) focus on those few that are The Best?

The bulk of the book is an outline of a K - 12 course of study based on this philosophy. The information is organized by subject area (e.g. Latin). Campbell gives a general overview of what you should hope to accomplish in each stage of the child's schooling: Primary (K - 2), Grammar (3 - 8), and Secondary (9 - 12). (e.g. "During the primary years, give your students a gentle introduction to Latin that emphasizes vocabulary words, phrases, and prayers. Plan to spend no more than 15-20 minutes a day on Lain at this stage.") Then, grade by grade, he recommends specific curricula and other resources to help you reach this goal.

The result is a book with tremendous appeal to old pros and newbies alike. If you were lucky enough to be Classically Educated yourself, and already know the ins and outs, this could still provide a very useful framework for giving your child a Classical Education. If you're new to the idea, this simple, straight-forward, concise guide will give you the reassurance and confidence that you can do this, and it won't be as hard as you might fear! If you are familiar with neo-Classical education, this streamlined approach may appeal to you for the way it can simplify your life while giving your child a truly great education.

Finally, as a non-Christian myself, I deeply appreciate the way this Christian author writes to a broad audience, and keeps an inclusive tone. Some Christian curricula are recommended, and a course of Bible study is outlined, but there is plenty of valuable information here for people of all faiths (including a note to non-Christian parents in the appendix about how to approach the Bible as literature).

In The LCC, Campbell brings a much-needed perspective back to the table for those homeschoolers interested in a classical education for their kids. He presents what the term "classical education" used to mean; how it differs from the "neoclassical" approach popularized by Susan Wise Bauer, Douglas Wilson, the Bluedorns, etc.; and how homeschooling families can put such an approach into practice. It's a slim volume, highly readable and very practical. For the historical and theoretical background, he draws heavily from Simmons' Climbing Parnassus (highly recommended reading). For the scope and sequence section, he draws heavily from Highlands Latin School/Memoria Press.

The LCC is recommended for those interested in a more traditionally "classical"--as opposed to a "Great Books"--education. The emphasis, first and foremost, is on the classical languages, Latin and Greek. Campbell's mantra is that less is indeed more: Making these languages the central focus of study means that other "elective" courses of study--and even other really wonderful classics--should fall away or be reserved for independent reading. This is a freeing perspective for parents who look at the 20-30 great books their 7th grader is "supposed" to be reading and want to just throw up their hands.

Another interesting difference is that Campbell takes a multi-thread approach to history as opposed to strictly chronological. I'll leave it to the book to explain more fully, but in a nutshell, he has students doing English Studies, Classical Studies, Christian Studies, and Modern Studies simultaneously (though on different days and possibly in different weeks). Very different from The Well-Trained Mind or Veritas Press chronological, cyclical approach.

Before discovering the Latin Centered Curriculum, I had become dissatisfied with our mode of homeschooling. I felt we were trying to cover too much, in too shallow a manner. Then I stumbled upon a sample chapter from LCC, and discovered the concept of "Multum Non Multa": not many things, but much. This approach of digging deeply into a few essential subjects answered the need I had perceived in our homeschool. Making Latin the center of our curriculum not only simplifies, but magnifies my childrens' educational experience. Author Andrew Campbell provides the methodology to follow, recommends materials to use, and suggests schedules to follow. I have no doubt his book will help to guide us to a new level of academic excellence. My only regret is that we didn't have the LCC when we started homeschooling 8 years ago!