Teaching the Classics teaches parents how to guide their children in the ability to understand literature; Teaching the Classics: Worldview Supplement goes further by showing families how to compare that literature to the Christian worldview. Adam Andrews provides the tools for analysis in a DVD seminar along with a teacher syllabus, engaging real audience members in discussions of classic stories to demonstrate his techniques.
Techniques, it may be said, which are quite old. Andrews employs the Socratic method, asking leading questions and providing some commentary to guide students' thinking rather than simply offering facts or pre-packaged ideas for them to memorize and regurgitate. The approach originated with the Greek philosopher Socrates, and forms the basis of true Classical education.
While there are products available to turn Andrews' two main programs into a curriculum of sorts, the benefits of Teaching the Classics: Worldview Supplement extend far beyond those of a mere school subject. Kids are expected to compare everything they read to the Bible and Christian thought, turning reading into much more than a rainy-day activity or source of entertainment.
Because Andrews follows the Classical model, he describes Teaching the Classics: Worldview Supplement as part of the Rhetoric Stage, and therefore oriented for older students. Elementary and middle school kids should learn the principles of finding the meaning in a text, while older kids are more prepared to evaluate it from a particular perspective.
The books listed below are those included at the back of the Teaching the Classics: Worldview Supplement teacher syllabus. All of them are for older and more mature readers, and are arranged by time period (for instance, Ivanhoe is included in the Romantic Literature section). Instead of describing theworks themselves, Andrews provides overviews of five main historical periods, with lists of works by key authors from each era.
Like the booklist in Teaching the Classics, this one isn't intended to be required reading, but a starting place for families wanting to explore the world's great literature. Space is provided to compile your own list of books and authors; because this is a tool rather than a curriculum, users enjoy a high degree of latitude. This is one of our favorite products, and we highly recommend these books and guide.
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Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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