We live in Bridgeport, a poorer, though not the poorest, neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. With the lower income, come schools with less potential, individual attention, and fewer talented teachers. I have been struggling with the curriculum since I first began participating in raising Vizhon (three years ago). At first, I thought that math practice and reading assignments at home would do the trick. But the kiddo is in sixth grade and the paucity of education she is receiving is devastating. So, the poor child is faced with math, grammar, science, geography, world history and US history lessons at home. It's hard, but doable.
Below is an article that, I believe, shows a mom taking what I do to an extreme, but it illustrates an important point about the modern approach to education. We are so focused on having an emotionally healthy child that we forgo traditional studying and strict parenting fearing that it will turn the child away from education.
One of the books I have found in the process is a world history series by Susan Wise Bauer. Her focus lies in educating a classical mind, which I appreciate greatly, especially with today's focus on cultural relativism that turns into disdain towards studying the history of the Western World. The series is divided into four volumes that introduce a child to world history. We have recently finished the first volume and the impact the book has had is quite obvious. Vizhon now catches references to Julies Caesar or Alexander the Great and his horse Bucephalus; she recognizes Tigris, Euphrates, and other landmarks that defined the ancient world; Ancient Egyptian is not the only culture from the ancient world that she is aware of. Though the text is written on a level that may be a bit too simplistic for 6th grade - this is a wonderful book to use as an introduction to the study of history for your child. If only I found it a bit earlier.
Susan Wise Bauer > Books
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