Thoughts about not coming between child and books

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  • February 6, 2019 at 3:44 pm
    Esther
    Participant

    I’m not sure how to word this.  I have been floundering between CM and classical.  My biggest concern about CM methodology is the idea that as parents we aren’t to come between the child and the resources.  This seems to come close to suggesting that children are innately wise, and don’t need parental wisdom.  Given the verses in the Bible about folly being bound up in the heart of a child, and about teaching the commandments of God to children when we sit at home, when we rise, etc, I start to have some concern in this apparently “hands off” approach.  To let the kids interpret things without our instruction seems like it could go south pretty easy.  Any thoughts?

    Thanks.

    February 6, 2019 at 3:49 pm
    Melanie32
    Participant

    Hi Esther! 🙂

    I think the point is that our children can be in touch with the greatest minds through the words that they have written and that we shouldn’t get in the way by trying to over explain or over teach the books. We should simply let our children take what they may from them.

    This doesn’t mean that we do not discuss what we are reading or draw out certain points or mention an area where we might disagree with the writer. It simply means that children will connect better with the actual book by reading it themselves and processing it themselves without us trying to “teach” the book in an artificial manner.

    February 6, 2019 at 4:07 pm
    ErinD
    Participant

    Agreeing with Melanie (as usual). 🙂

    I take it to mean that we let our children alone to enjoy books without dissecting and analyzing every single little thing. That to me, is entirely different than having discussions about moral issues, etc. The two are separate in my mind.

    February 6, 2019 at 5:18 pm
    sheraz
    Participant

    Agree totally  with Melanie and Erin. In truly good/great literature, good and evil are presented in such ways that the child can see the right or wrong decisions/actions in the story and the consequences for those choices. That is one reason why our children don’t need us to get in the way of the author – we often get preachy about something that will turn out to be obvious to the children without the need to tune a parent out. 😉 We don’t have to moralize or preach or dumb down a book. We let them the read it ( and it doesn’t hurt to read it ourselves) and then we discuss topics or situations that might need to be thought out a bit. It can be a fun ride. 🙂

    February 6, 2019 at 5:22 pm
    sheraz
    Participant

    I want to add that you use quality, well-written books which have stood the test of time, which generally will be classics in a CM or classical education. That is the key. You cannot just hand them any available book – because if you did; like you said, things could go south in a hurry.

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