Education and the Seven Liberal Arts

Many people wonder why we homeschool our kids. We recognize the public schools would benefit from our Christian presence; we recognize there are valuable lessons to be learned in a Christian school setting that we cannot duplicate at home. After much prayer, however, we have decided that homeschooling is the best plan for us right now. In addition to the "Top Ten" reasons I listed in my February posting, we are onto something I haven’t seen anywhere else: the seven liberal arts.

Douglas Wilson, with his book, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, has popularized a return to classical education. Elementary school students are in the grammar stage (the first liberal art). Middle schoolers are mainly concerned with logic (the second liberal art). High school is the time to put it all together and focus on rhetoric (number three). TM helped start a classical Christian school and taught in two others. He decided to do a little more research to see if indeed the great minds of yesteryear were educated in this way. He found some conflicting information. These first three liberal arts (the Trivium) are not psychological or developmental stages, but subjects. The other four, known as the Quadrivium, are arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

These seven are our master syllabus. Each one is broad, encompassing many areas of study. Arithmetic is the algebraic branch of math; geometry is the analytic branch, extending into architecture and engineering, and even art. By music is meant mathematics applied in sound (music theory). Astronomy is math applied to the empirical universe (science proper)--broader than what we would call astronomy today. The Bible is woven throughout as we look at the world through a Christian worldview. Of course we do not teach our kindergartener all of these subjects. She is doing phonics, math, writing, music (taught by me), Bible (taught by Dad), and swim team. We have added formal grammar for our first grader. Our fourth grader is done with penmanship and phonics; she has replaced them with Latin, humanities, and spelling. Our sixth grader is doing a grammar-intensive Latin (Wheelock’s), humanities (the Bible, other Great Books, and history), and math, in addition to the music and swimming. She is becoming a very good writer because of the Latin. It also boosts her vocabulary and teaches her logic. She will start logic as a formal subject next year. None of the girls are using a science textbook. We much prefer the Charlotte Mason approach of experiencing nature first hand at this age. Formal science will begin in high school.

C.S. Lewis lamented that schools were teaching far too many subjects at a time. We do not want their education to be a mile wide and an inch deep; we are trying to limit the number of subjects in order to teach our kids to do a few things well (like the three Rs) before bogging them down with so many other things. So there you have it. I can’t say we invented these ideas: we just looked back a little farther in history. And why does it matter? Christians need to be able to engage the culture and participate in the Great Conversation if we are to have an impact.

Lent: part two

As promised, I am here to update you on my quest into historical, liturgical Christianity—also known as my first attempt to observe Lent. We were a little overzealous to give up coffee, but we are sticking to it. There was only one disagreement between TM and me about it. I thought it would be OK to have it when friends were over because we were having a party. It seemed like something that would be allowed. TM disagreed, so I had some and he didn’t. I was also offered coffee at a friend’s house. She was making cocoa for the kids. At first I thought it would be OK to have decaf, but then I decided to stick with the cocoa. I did give up coffee after all, not caffeine. I miss the coffee, but that is the point. I’m glad to have such a vivid reminder of Christ’s suffering. When I think about it that way, I know I have no business complaining.

I have gotten really into tea lately… I’m drinking iced tea every day and even started putting sugar in it. I guess I’m an official Southerner now. I am enjoying my cup of tea in the morning. Now the question is: What will happen after Easter? Will I start drinking decaf on a regular basis? Will I embrace my English roots and stick with tea? Only time will tell. But enough silliness. OK, just a little more. I saw a really good movie last week--the new Pride and Prejudice. (What with the Narnia craze, the tea, and TM’s Anglican seminary, I am getting a little obsessed with the English.) Right before we watched the movie, one of the girls asked me what it was about. I said, "It’s about a family with a lot of girls who all want to get married. Hmm… Little Women is about a family with four girls. All the good stories are about families with lots of girls. I guess that’s where the drama is. Maybe someday they will write stories about our family!"

Sorry, I’m really having trouble staying on topic here. In addition to giving up coffee, I have endeavored to read the morning and evening scripture selections from the Book of Common Prayer. All are centered on the themes of suffering, redemption, love, … After reading through the Bible in a year for a few years, I’ve been slacking on consistent Bible reading. This has been a great way to get back into a routine; having a theme has helped me better process what I’m reading and find applications. I plan to continue using the BCP for daily Bible readings throughout the year. He is Risen!

April Recipes

Baked Beans
Southern Living

4 bacon slices, crisp cooked, reserving fat
1 small onion, diced
4 (15-oz.) cans pork and beans in tomato sauce, drained
1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar
½ C ketchup
½ C molasses
1 ½ t Worchestershire sauce
1 t dry mustard

Saute onion in 1 T bacon drippings 7 min. or till tender. Combine with all ingredients except bacon. When well stirred, pour into a lightly greased 11x7 baking dish. Top with bacon slices. Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until bubbly.

Classic Fried Catfish
Southern Living

1 C yellow cornmeal
1/3 C flour
1 ¼ t ground red pepper
½ t garlic powder
2 ½ t salt
12 catfish fillets (about 3 ¾ lbs.)
vegetable oil

Combine first 4 ingredients and 2 t salt in large shallow dish. Sprinkle catfish evenly with ½ t salt. Dregde in cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Heat 2 inches of oil in Dutch oven to 350. Fry in batches, 5-6 min. or till golden, and drain on paper towels.

Biscuits and Gravy

Please note--there’s a typo in The Busy, Frugal Gourmet. The biscuits call for 2 t baking powder, not baking soda, and ½ t baking soda.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes
Southern Living

1 med. onion, sliced
4 med. new potatoes, cut into ¼-in. thick slices
2 C baby carrots
1 ¼ t salt, divided
½ t pepper, divided
¼ C chicken broth
¼ C white wine
1 t minced garlic
½ t dried thyme
1 t paprika
6 bone-in, skinned chicken thighs
Garnish: lemon slices

Place onion in a lightly greased slow cooker; top with potatoes and carrots. Combine ¾ t salt, ¼ t pepper, broth, and next three ingredients. Pour over vegetables. Combine paprika and remaining salt and pepper. Rub evenly over chicken, and arrange over vegetables.
Cover and cook on low 8 hours or till done. Garnish, if desired.

Coffee Coffee Cake
Better Homes and Gardens

1.5 C strong brewed coffee
1 C sugar
2/3 C cooking oil
½ C honey
2 T vinegar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 C flour
¼ C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
½ t ground nutmeg
1 C finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 recipe Coffee-Hazelnut Syrup
¼ C chopped hazelnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan. Whisk together coffee, sugar, honey, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Add eggs; whisk until combined. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk together with coffee mixture. Add 1 C hazelnuts; pour into pan.
Bake 1 hour or till toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 20 min. Transfer onto serving platter. Brush with some syrup. Cool 30 min. Brush with remaining syrup.

Coffee Hazelnut Syrup: In saucepan, combine 1 C packed light brown sugar, 1 C powdered sugar, 2 T butter, and 1 C strong brewed coffee. Boil, stirring occasionally for 25-30 min. uncovered. Mixture will thicken and reduce to about 1 1/3 C. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 T hazelnut-flavored liqueur.

Loaded Potato Soup
Southern Living

4 lb. new potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼-in. thick
1 sm. onion, chopped
28 oz. chicken broth
2 t salt, or to taste
½ t pepper
1 pt. half-and-half
Toppings: shredded cheddar, crumbled bacon, sliced green onions

Layer sliced potatoes in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker; top with chopped onion. Stir together broth, salt and pepper; pour over potatoes and onion. Cover and cook on high 3-5 hours, until tender. Mash mixture with a potato masher; stir in half-and-half. Cover and cook on high 20 more minutes, or till thoroughly heated. Ladle into bowls, and serve with desired toppings.

Maple Soda Bread

Blend:
1.5 C buttermilk
¼ C pure maple syrup
Sift together:
4 C flour
1 t baking soda
½ t salt

Make a well in flour mixture. Pour in wet ingredients. Kneed together until just combined. Do not overwork. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Press into a circle about ½ in. thick. Smooth surface of dough with dampened hands. Cut a cross in the top. Bake at 400 for 40 min. or until cooked through. Cool 1 hour wrapped in a tea towel.

Rainbow Finger Jello

1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 small (3 oz.) pkgs. Jello (each a different color)
6 envelopes Knox gelatin

In a small bowl, combine one box of Jello with one cup of boiling water. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan and freeze for 12 min. Meanwhile, in a med. bowl, dissolve 2 pkgs. gelatin in 2 cups of boiling water; stir in milk. Pour 1 cup of milk mixture into pan of Jello. Freeze 8 min. Continue layers with each color, always adding 1 cup of milk mixture between Jello layers and end with a Jello layer. Freeze each remaining layer 8 min. Refrigerate after last layer. Cut into squares when set.