Teaching the Trivium is a book written by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn.  They have given their children a neo-classical education but they did it radically different from WTM.  TT takes more of a laidback approach, especially in the elementary years.  They still follow the neo--classical's designation of the Trivium as academic stages  but the age ranges for each stage is different than WTM's as well. 

The Bluedorn's  do not believe that academics should play a major role in a child's education before the age of 10.  "The goal of Classical Education is to give students the tools with which to learn on their own -- to liberate them from the drudgery of task performance and to make them independent  scholars."  They do not advocate  doing a formal math program with a child under the age of 10.  Sure, you fill their days with living math, like doubling a recipe, measuring out wood to make a birdhouse, etc.  The child is introduced to numbers and their operations, but that is as far as it goes for math.  They also do not recommend a formal science program druing these years.  So what do they suggest that a child does until he is 10?  They recommend that you have a strong emphasis on learning how to read/phonics, copywork, read-alouds (read lots of history and use a timeline for this) oral narration and memorization.  These are the only academic--looking things that is on the Bluedorn's list of what you do before a chld is 10.  The other things on the list deal with a  child's spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.  According to the Bluedorns,  academic studies before the child is 10 is not an efficient use of  your time or the child's.  

 In the Teaching the Trivium camp,  the ages before 10 are considered pre-grammar stage.  The Grammar stage consists of children between the ages of 10 and 12.  A formal program of math and grammar are started at this time, as is Latin and a study of the Greek alphabet.  History continues to be reading living books, narrating  and using the timeline. Keeping a nature study notebook  as well as reading articles or living books  constitutes science for this stage.

The Logic stage is for students  ages 13 to 15. A more formal logic program is started at this time as is Latin and Greek grammar.  Primary sources are used for History and science projects and more elaborate experiments take place at this time as well.

Finally,  the Rhetoric  stage takes place during  16 to 18 years  of age.  A formal study of rhetoric begins now. 

As I said before,  when people think of Classical Education,  they automatically think of rigid and exhausting due to the WTM's use of many subjects and textbooks.  The Bluedorn's are the anti-thesis of all that.  There is a time and a place for a rigorous education.  The early years is not that time.  As the child grows older, they are mentored and taught how to learn on their own in a more serious fashion.  Latin, formal history, math and science does not need to be done when they are young.  There is a time for all of that.  Children need the early years to explore and enjoy.

Julia Torgrimson  lives wth her husband on the Canadian Prairies, homeschooling their 3 children (9,7,5) and attempting to give them a Classical Education at the same time.

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