C. S. Lewis’ Homeschool Schedule
March 9, 2010
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Posted by Ray Fowler
As a child C. S. Lewis attended a number of schools (which he hated), but in 1914 he moved to Bookham at Surrey to study privately with his father’s former tutor, William T. Kirkpatrick. Lewis homeschooled under Kirkpatrick for the next two years before receiving a scholarship to Oxford in December of 1916. In a letter dated October 12, 1915, Lewis described his typical day of schooling to a friend. (Lewis was 16 years old at the time, soon to turn 17.)
Typical Schedule:
- Breakfast and a short walk
- Thucydides and Homer
- 15-minute break
- Tacitus
- Lunch at 1:00
- Free time until tea
- Tea at 4:30
- Plato and Horace
- Supper at 7:30
- German and French until 9:00 p.m.
- Free time until bed (usually about 10:20 p.m.)
As soon as my bed room door is shut I get into my dressing gown, draw up a chair to my table and produce, like Louis Moore, note book and pencil. Here I write up my diary for the day, and then turning to the other end of the book devote myself to poetry, either new stuff or polishing the old. If I am not in the mood for that I draw faces and hands and feet etc for practice. This is the best part of the day of course, and I am usually in a very happy frame of mind by the time I slip into bed.
(Source: They Stand Together: The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves, edited by Walter Hooper, p. 84)
So, any homeschoolers out there who follow the same schedule? Anyone who wants to? 🙂
HT: The Scriptorium
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Categories: Education, Narnia, People
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Weird. I never knew this was Lewis’ schedule. I have home-schooled for 16 years (yes, I’m 44) and 6 kids with a similar schedule. We do Homer but add Dostoevsky, Stendhal, Austen, Lewis and others in lieu of those on the above itinerary. Also rely on university tutors for Physics and such. Results are still out but my first born just graduated in 4 years with a double major / double minor. My youngest wrote her first novel at 12, and now at 13 is on her third novel and publishes 2 blogs, plays piano, guitar and writes music. I like the creative license and literary structure. My kids may not be many things but one thing they definitely are not is typical.
This is awesome! I am really still learning about what a true education consists of, but this is right up my alley. He enjoyed learning, and was a great thinker. This is what I want for my girls.
my kids are home schooled and they are always performing well in class during their High School years;`”
i was home schooled when i was still very young and i have to stay that it is also a great way to educate your kids ‘~: