A Path to Plutarch, Part Two: Beginnings

 I wrote a little bit about why to study Plutarch, and when, last month. 

So now we'll discuss how to start! 

The way I look at education is by examining the end goal. What's the point?  In citizenship studies, the point is to study the lives of other humans in order to gain wisdom and discernment on how we should live our own lives.  There are plenty of ways to do this. Plutarch is just one.

Right now I have a fourth-grader who is in what I will informally call my "Plutarch Prep Period." Here's the path that I take, and the rough ages of when, to prepare my children:

In the early years of Form 1 (roughly grades 1-3), Charlotte Mason advises that students should read tales, fables, and biographical stories. When I have a very young child, we read Aesop's Fables--such pithy little lessons! We have lots of versions, but the most-used one in our household is the Milo Winter edition.  To get a young-ish child used to narrating, read the story, then act it out.  I used to read my children one of the fables, then give them 5 minutes to grab props and organize themselves.  Their "acting narrations" were hilarious and on-point!  Then we would discuss the fable--what's the lesson here?  Do we feel it's the same lesson that Aesop presented?  

The next book that I enjoy using for younger students is the classic Fifty Famous Stories Retold, by James Baldwin. The stories are short and fairly easy to understand.  For a very young student, I'd go slowly, stop to discuss/narrate often, and keep expectations light.  Annie, who is now in fourth grade/Form 2, can hear an entire story now and narrate it, but we have worked on this skill for a few years.  

By Form 2 (grades 4-6), Mason notes that citizenship is a "definite subject" that centers on the inspiration of good citizenship, as opposed to simple facts about government or civic duty. The book that I like for this age range is Stories from the History of Rome by Mrs. Beesly.  These are, of course, stories based on ancient Roman history, and they're a good way to prepare a child to begin learning about some of the major characters in the ancient world. The stories aren't at all dumbed-down, so most children will need to go slowly and narrate often.  (When my son did this book in co-op, they did a LOT of acting narrations!)  Annie, who is in fourth grade, is still doing the Baldwin book.  I will probably transition her into Mrs. Beesly's book in fifth grade or so.  

The last "intro" book that I like is one that I'm actually using this year with Finn, who is in eighth grade and Form 3.  We are reading selected lives from Plutarch's Lives for Boys and Girls by W.H. Weston. This book goes a step farther than Mrs. Beesly's book about general Roman history; it actually is a retelling of Plutarch for children.  At first I was skeptical, but when I read it, I was impressed.  Lofty language and well-chosen details of each life make this pretty good reading for the student who is inching in the direction of reading North's translation, but isn't quite "there yet."  Last year in our co-op, I used this book because my juniors and seniors in high school had moved on, and I only had a couple of middle schoolers.  Weston's book was perfect! I simply choose two lives per year and focus on those.  We don't try to read it cover-to-cover. 

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As with anything in parenting, choosing when to begin teaching citizenship is highly individualized.  Mason's recommendation is that a child in Form 2--roughly 5th grade--would begin reading Plutarch.  In my own experience, I have found that my children appreciate an easing-in.  Finn was in no way ready for North's translation in 5th grade, and he's a language-loving reader who has been hearing Elizabethan English via Shakespeare since he was tiny!  The Holy Spirit does give us judgment and discernment and direction regarding our own families, and I think it's wise to follow the lead of the Spirit and study your own child.  I have no doubt that some children could tackle Plutarch in late elementary or middle school and flourish.  I also have no doubt that some children would wither. The great thing about being a homeschool parent is that, in general, you make the rules! :) 

Next time, we'll talk about preparing to teach the actual translation of Plutarch's Lives.

(It'll be fun! I promise!)