Review of Traditonal Logic I & II from Memoria Press for High School

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Memoria Press. I received free copies of Traditional Logic I and II in exchange for my honest opinion.

Are you looking for a way to teach traditional logic in your homeschool? We were recently introduced to the Traditional Logic I Complete Set and Traditional Logic II Complete Set from Memoria Press.  Each set comes with the Student Text, Workbook, Teachers Key, Quizzes & Tests, and Instructional DVD. Basically, everything you need to teach traditional logic in high school.

Using Memoria Press Traditional Logic I

My daughter, Raena, only worked on the Traditional Logic I book from Memoria Press during this review, although I did preview the second book.  She began each week by watching the DVD related to the chapter she was on.  Then she would read the assigned text.

In the student workbook, it gives a schedule for the week.  The assignments in the workbook are broken into four days.  On day one she would watch the video and read the chapter.   On days 2-5, she would work on the workbook.  There is also a short quiz to go with each chapter and a final exam.

Do You Need the Traditional Logic DVDs from Memoria Press?

Introduction to Traditional Logic I

Traditional Logic I is an introduction to the formal logic style of Aristotle.

The first book focuses on the three acts of the mind that are involved in logic:

• simple apprehension
• judgment
• deductive inference

It ends with an introduction to syllogisms.  I found the material to be laid out quite well and each lesson built naturally upon the next.  The exercises in the workbook followed along nicely and worked well to reinforce what was taught in both the DVD and text.

The text also contained wide margins so if your child likes to make notes on the side there is plenty of room.

Teaching Logic with Traditional Logic II

Traditional Logic II picks up where the first book left off and continues to delve deeper into syllogisms.

Unlike the first book, this one also contains writing assignments and case studies.  I found the case studies intriguing. They will add interest and help with application once we get there.

These two additions do require more from the student and will also require more from the teacher.

For the first book, so far, my daughter has been able to work independently.  After I grade her assignments we discuss those she got wrong and why, but I have been able to have a mostly hands-off approach.

For book two, helping your child search out real life examples that are relevant to the argument being presented and then discussing them together will be important.  While your child may still be able to do the work independently, as the teacher you will want to stay involved in order to facilitate the necessary discussions.

If you plan to use both books during a school year, it is recommended that you finish book one in under a semester in order to have more time to devote to the harder material in book two.

Overall Thoughts on Traditional Logic Curriculum from Memoria Press

If you are Classical homeschoolers, then the Traditional Logic courses from Memoria Press should definitely be on the list for your child in the Rhetoric stage.  In fact, I enjoyed reading the text books myself.

While the books can be used with 7th and 8th graders, personally I would wait until at least 9th grade unless they come from a Classical background.  Even then you may need to take more time with the material.

We pull philosophies from both Classical and Charlotte Mason, and while I loved these books for my high school aged daughter, I would wait for my junior high aged daughter.  She could probably search through the text and answer the questions, but I do not think she is ready to internalize the material and completely understand it.  I feel an older student would benefit more, particularly for the second book.