Asleep at the wheel re: Logic

[DebinOH]

I just have a basic question about Logic. I think I have been completely asleep at the wheel regarding it. My dd is a 9th grader this fall and is starting debate in a club. Tonight I was asked what Logic program she has done. My reponse, "Err, uhm, none, I guess." My friend was shocked because she knew I was doing classical education and she told me logic is core to the teaching of classical.

How did I miss this? I've been using TOG for 5 years and have had my children dabble in puzzle and brain-teaser books "when they had time", but didn't even realize there was such thing as formal Logic curriculum. Ugh - I am embarrassed.

I guess my question is, if Logic is considered core teaching in classical education, why doesn't TOG have a week-by-week plan for it just like literature, history, fine arts & worldview? I know I would not have missed it if it was listed on the "yellow bordered sheets"/week plans. Or is taking a Logic class considered as optional as Latin with classical education?

I'm embarrassed to be asking such a basic, foundational question especially since I've used TOG for 5 years.

Thanks in advance for sharing any perspectives with me, and/or where in the binders I've missed the Logic sections.

Deb

[Pat]

I think sometimes people forget that a "classical education" is a pretty open term and that different people define parts of it differently. I used to tease people who were seriously focused on classical education by asking them which classical sports their children participated in. They do exist but are rarely a part of most home schools.

Yes a formal logic course would be good for your child and there are lots of good ones out there, but I'm guessing that if she has used TOG for 5 years and done discussions with you that she'll be okay in debate without knowing all the names for various logical fallacies. She'll still be able to begin to identify reasoning and flaws in it which is as much as any student in the 9th grade can do.

[DebinOH]

Thanks Pat. And yes, if you would have asked me what classical sports my children participate in, you would have gotten a blank stare! I'll have to go look that up because now I'm curious.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I did go ahead and order a formal logic course. I think I'll feel better knowing she's at least had some intentional training with it. I have never used the word "fallacy" in any of our discussions that I can recall. We'll see how it goes!

Thanks again.

[Pat]

Originally posted by DebinOH:
Thanks Pat. And yes, if you would have asked me what classical sports my children participate in, you would have gotten a blank stare! I'll have to go look that up because now I'm curious.

Truthfully there's a bit of a divide. If you go all the way back to the ancient Greeks as the "founders" of classical education, you'll get a lot of sports you kind of know from the Olympics, plus some we don't do any more.

In England in the 18th and 19th century you can see some of these continue or are revived such as wrestling and archery (except the English wore clothes) but they add others like fencing and fox hunting and later even boxing.

On this front I find myself amazed to read that Thomas Jefferson who was reading Greek and Latin pretty young was also expected to be in his saddle four hours a day!

And then you'd also have to get picky about whether your daughters are going to have the same education as your sons or should they learn to embroider, paint, and play a suitable musical instrument?