Why Teach the Classics? A guest post from Anya Leonard.

Plus the nuts and bolts and how to make it work on the road

I know that quite a few How We Homeschool readers also enjoy Classical KIDS from the team behind Classical Wisdom. Anya Leonard, founder and director of Classical Wisdom, also happens to be a homeschooling parent.

I really like the Substack posts from Classical KIDS. There was a recent one about how to handle head lice like a Stoic which I loved. Like many parents, I don’t feel my children have yet developed a strong Stoic attitude! There is also a series of posts on Ancient Greek words that are still familiar today, and another on figures like Aristotle and Plato, and of course it’s a great place to learn about the myths, legends, and history of the ancient world. I especially like that many posts come with a PDF download that you can print out, so your child can read it themselves off-screen, as well as printables so children can have a go at tracing Ancient Greek words. And Frida, Anya’s 8 year old daughter, often features in the posts and tells us about her travels and what she’s been discovering.

So I asked Anya to share why she thinks the Classics are so important, and how she makes it work in her own family. And she kindly offered a 3-month free trial of Classical KIDS just for readers of How We Homeschool, so even more of you can give it a go and see what you think. The offer runs for one week, so sign up now and don’t miss out!

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An educational practice for the ages

There will always be trends in education... fads and fashions that come and go.

Whether it’s coding or Chinese, rote free or social-emotional learning; it can be hard to keep up, to know what’s essential and best for your child. While potentially some may be amazing and revolutionary, others might actually be harmful. Honestly, I cannot say... because it’s impossible to know the long-term effects or benefits of these new trends! Whether they will be invaluable or obsolete, we simply haven’t had the time yet.

So, what’s a well meaning, overwhelmed parent or educator to do? How to separate the wheat from the chaff?

Enter the Classics.

Constantinos Kollias via Unsplash

This is the tried and true stuff. The concepts, the texts, the philosophies that have inspired and nurtured generation after generation after generation after generation... and they continue to inspire to this day, all over the world.  

They are foundational as well as fundamental, and when it comes to education you could literally not find a better place to start.

No prior experience required

First of all, it does not require previous knowledge or terms. You can begin just like the first philosophers, the pre-socratics, who, using their rational and observational skills, tried to make sense of the world around them and figure out how they should live to be good, happy people with meaningful lives.

Honestly, if that’s as far as you and the children you teach get, then that’s amazing!

But if you do go further, you will be rewarded with the stories and mythology that have survived thousands of years because they are still great, still captivating, still essential. You’ll discover the histories that are more fascinating than fiction, filled with figures that at turns inspire, forewarn and kindle an interest in learning even more.

And of course you can continue to encounter the amazing insights preserved from these ancient philosophers, mathematicians, historians, poets, leaders and more.

I like to think of it as this incredible toolbox, filled with resources for being a better person that can help one navigate the world, just waiting to be used and employed!  

When I asked my daughter Frida (8 years old) why she likes learning about the ancient world, she told me because it’s like she gets to experience another world, which is a great reason for studying any history! It’s humbling, it gives us perspective, and it also encourages a type of empathy for people living in another time and place.

Learning from the past to understand the present

And the benefits go even further. While the ideas and insights from the ancient world are interesting in and of themselves, they are also essential building blocks for just about every idea, philosophy, art and literature that occurs in the Western world (and many other places as well) afterwards. This is because the Classics were required learning for just about everyone up until the 19th century.

Want to enjoy the Louvre? The Prado? Or the Hermitage?

Want to understand Freud? Nietzsche? Or Hegel?

Want to appreciate Henry James, James Joyce or George Eliot?

Then... you really gotta know the Classics.

How to study the Classics

Okay, okay, I’ve probably sufficiently rambled about why we should teach (and learn) the Classics. What about the how? Those nuts and bolts referred to in the subject line? Where are those??

Good question, astute reader! I knew I liked you...

Honestly, this depends a lot on your own knowledge, passion, time and temperament... as well as your local offerings. As someone who spends a lot of time studying the ancient world, I enjoy teaching it fairly organically. When I walk through the park and find a sculpture, there is a discussion to be had... for even if it’s not directly Classical (depending on where in the world you are! Here in Argentina there are many, many classical works), they are oftentimes influenced by Classical figures, styles and more.

Art museums are absolutely ripe for conversation, as you can find classical references even in the most modern of art... and if your kid begs for stories all day every day (like mine does), then you can dip into a vast well of myths and history at your disposal. At meal times we often bring up philosophical questions that are actually super simple and really fun to talk about. Getting a kid’s perspective on what makes a good friend, a great leader or virtuous person is gold!

But if you prefer a more structured format, or aren’t as comfortable with the materials yourself, don’t worry! There are tons of awesome resources out there... there are books, more books and still extra books. The Well-Trained Mind has a very helpful curriculum for those who don’t know where to begin. There are fun movies and youtube channels dedicated to mythology—and of course there is Classical Wisdom (for the parents) and Classical KIDS, which offers weekly lessons on the ancient world. We try to make it as engaging and relevant as possible, along with games and review sections to both introduce and reinforce the Classics.  

[Side note from Catherine: For a list of books and audio, you might like to see my post An Ancient World reading list for children aged 5-10. It includes a book written by Anya herself, Sappho: The Lost Poetess.]

How it works for our family

Now, because we usually travel about half the year there are different tactics, again depending on your circumstances as well as your plans, to teaching while on the road. Last year, for instance, we spent 5 months frog-hopping the Mediterranean. Obviously teaching the Classics was pretty easy in this situation, because all we had to do is explore! Museums and archeological sites are must-dos and if you can do any research in advance you can certainly make the most of your boots-on-the-ground exploration. Studying the history, discovering mythological stories, and appreciating the art and literature of the location really illuminates any destination on another level. 

To make the most of the experiences (or at least help them ‘stick’), our daughter often brings notebooks with her while we are out. She can take notes on things she likes, she sketches, and then afterwards she can write out stories or postcards about what she has seen. I like to encourage her to read the posters and descriptions of the exhibits that she likes and sometimes I give her the phone so she can make a video about what she is learning. As you can imagine, she loves this! By giving her a role to ‘teach’, she actually learns the materials much better.

Frida taking notes at the Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi

Of course, you don’t need to be in situ to learn about the ancient world, and it’s important to remember there are amazing ancient histories to discover all around the world! In fact, our next trip will be to Australia and southeast Asia, so while we are there, we will focus on the history and mythology of these unique places—there is so much to learn!  

Like many home/un/world schoolers out there, I do vacillate between going with the flow and making sure we are ‘ticking the boxes’. When we are traveling more quickly, I just take the learning as we go without stressing too much. We use lunch and dinner time to discuss topics and my husband and I take turns doing activities. We both run our own businesses while we travel, so there is certainly a need for everyone to do their own stuff during quiet hours! When we are in one location for longer, I like following Catherine’s suggestion of making a short list. This was super effective and allowed us to just ‘check in’ from time to time to make sure Frida is on track. (See post The life-changing magic of a homeschool To Do list)

The most important thing to do though is just to continuously encourage a love and an excitement about history, philosophy, literature and just... learning in general! Offering these cool lessons early in life takes away the intimidation, but also lets kids know just how much ancient wisdom can be at their fingertips! 

Frida and Owly meet another owl, and introduce an Ancient Greek word

A giveaway just for readers of How We Homeschool

In fact, Catherine and I have been discussing a fun way to introduce more Classics for kids and I would like to offer a free 90 day trial of our Classical KIDS Club here on Substack. We provide games, worksheets, activities and more to help reinforce and teach these critical lessons from the ancient world. Every month we delve into a new historical figure and discuss their life, works and legacy... helping build a fantastic foundation in the Classics.

You can redeem it here:

https://classicalwisdomkids.substack.com/Homeschool

The offer is available for this week only, so please make sure to check it out before March 29th!

I hope you can join us and discover more of the wonders of the ancient world for both yourself and the kiddos in your life... It’s a wonderful journey!

All the best,

Anya Leonard

Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom

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And if you want more from the Classical KIDS family, Anya’s husband

Joel Bowman

shared a guest post last June where he shared his family’s experience of ‘away schooling’, travelling around Europe.

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