Review: Classical Conversations

8/4/2015

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to think when I signed up to read and review this book "The Conversation" by Leight A Bortins from Classical Conversations. I like the idea of a classical education, it makes sense to me, but it seems VERY daunting to me. Teaching latin and doing translation and limiting yourself to the classics, seemed a bit of a hard sell to me, BUT after reading this book it doesn't seem so very daunting. :) Good thing that! :)

It is obvious from the start of "The Conversation" that Leigh Bortins LOVES the classical method of schooling one's children.     In this book, the rhetoric stage of classical education is discussed, which is the level of teaching high school.   Ms. Bortins sees this as "Challenging your students with a classical education".   It's a challenge dominated by conversation. :)

Ms. Bortins talks us through very practical ways of using the rhetoic stage and words to teach the classical way through the high school years.   Helping children, by having conversations, to truly learn and understand the material they are learning.

Three parts of the book:
Part One: High school at home (two chapters)
Part Two: The Rhetorical Arts (chapters three - twelve, plus epilogue).
In this section nine different areas are studied with different examples given on how to approach a conversation with your students in each discipline.   Those nine areas are: : reading, speech and debate, writing, science, math, government and economics, history, Latin and foreign languages, and fine arts.   Examples of study area and how to work through the five canons for each section.
Part Three: Appendices - four appendices games, devices, resources and responses.

As I read the book I pulled out a variety of quotes and ideas.

I learned about the three stages: Grammar, Dialectic, Rhetoric
"As students enter the rhetoric stage of education they are on their way to becoming leaders of men," p. 41
The idea to have students rewrite their textbook in their own words to show their understanding of it.
"With practice, we will learn to recognize whether or not a literary work helps us to train students to recognize and love truth and whether it helps them to gain wisdom about how to live well." p.57

For each area of study the different canons of rhetoric are discussed.

Invention

Arrangement
Elocution
Memory
Delivery

I fully intend to hold on to this book. My lad is not yet at the highschool stage, but the sheer amount of ideas presented in this book for inducing conversation with my lad in the variety of areas of studies just floored me.

Excellent book to read and gave me a great understanding of what classical education can look like for the high school student. It's caused me to want to see if Leigh Bortins as written a book on the Dialectic stage as well.

Ms. Bortins writes in such an encouraging manner, helping and encouraging teaching parents to simply continue their journey, and engage in conversation with their children as they go through their high school years. I felt very much encouraged in my journey as a homeschool parent... even if I don't follow all of the classical method. I strongly encourage you to read it as well. :)

Product Details:
Vendor Name: Classical Conversations
Product Names: The Conversation, by Leigh A. Bortins
Pages:254
Age: for adults
Price: Sale price $12.00
Received: A physical book