Hillsdale College Launches K-12 Classical Ed Series for ‘Common Sense’ At-Home Learning

Hillsdale College and its Barney Charter School initiative have launched a series of more than 40 free YouTube videos for parents and their children engaged in at-home learning during the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

The video series is specifically focused on at-home learning during this time and is based on an American classical approach to education.

In one of the opening videos, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 education at Hillsdale College, said, “Classical education, at its root, is common-sense education.”

O’Toole said the purpose of the series is to show parents, guardians, or other caretakers of children that teaching expertise is not required for children to achieve academic success.

“You have already within you the things that you need to help your children continue to make progress at home,” she explained.

In addition to addressing the concept of at-home learning and parenting for academic success, the Hillsdale video series covers the topics of phonograms, Latin, Singapore Math, science, classical literature, composition, history, grammar, physical education, and more.

Equally as important as the subject matter, however, American classical education stresses human virtue, moral character, and responsible citizenship, Hillsdale explains.

“Classical educators focus on cultivating moral and intellectual virtue, so that each student becomes capable of self-government and is therefore able to live a happy life,” the school states in a press release about the series.

“Our desire is to equip parents with the tools they need to inspire wonder and continue their child’s education from home,” said Rebecca Holland, director of curriculum and instruction for the Barney Charter School Initiative. “Instead of encouraging students to sit in front of a computer, these resources give parents the ability to teach meaningful in-person lessons, even if they don’t have teaching experience.”

For information on how to continue at-home learning with Hillsdale’s American classical education series, and for parent and teacher resources, visit the website.