Sharpened pencils, new markers, clean binders, shiny new timeline cards, colorful math bears to weigh and count . . . I smile happily as I gaze at our homeschool shelves filled with supplies for the new school year. Next, I turn my start-of-the-year zeal toward our schedule and curricula....
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All good classical educators know about Susan Wise-Bauer’s book, The Well-Trained Mind. We would love to do everything she recommends, but before we can achieve a well-trained mind, I propose we begin with The Well-Made Bed. I mentioned this at dinner with some fellow Classical Conversations moms. Everyone was talking about...
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Can an education be both classical and Christian? Many parents ask this question every year, unknowingly echoing an age-old query. Parents often associate a classical education with “non-Christian” content such as Greek mythology or philosophy. Naturally, they then wonder how these studies can be Christian. Tertullian, an early Church Father, was perhaps...
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Dr. Glen Arbery may well be right when he suggests in his book, Why Literature Matters: Permanence and the Politics of Reputation, that “of all the poems in the history of the West, actual scripture aside…. God loves the Iliad most.” But if so, Homer’s other poem, the Odyssey is a close second. To...
Read the Full ArticleTo those of you who submitted Latin questions I say, “Thank you.” Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions: What is the difference between the dative and the accusative plus the preposition ad? The dative is used as the indirect object with verbs of giving, showing and telling,...
Read the Full Article“Tell me why I am the greatest teacher that has ever lived.” We laughed when Andrew Kern stood before us asking something so ridiculous. He is a deeply modest man, and we knew it. He knew we knew it. We knew he knew we knew it. He gave us...
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Grading a homeschool child’s assignments requires a proper understanding of evaluation and assessment. We need to understand—and effectively communicate to our children—the expectations of each assignment. Consideration has to be made for whether the assignment is to be assessed quantitatively or qualitatively; that is, with numeric evaluation or feedback....
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“What do you do?” “Well, I work in a coffee shop, but I just finished a Ph.D. in literature.” “Well, I work in sales right now, but I have a degree in biochemistry.” “Well, I’m trained as a chiropractor, but now I’m a stay-at-home mom.” “Well, I taught for...
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I sometimes cringe when I hear Jesus called a great teacher. All too often, those words are used to label Jesus as “merely” a great teacher, and He is so much more. Nevertheless, He was a great teacher. Like Jesus, the best teachers lead by example. Think about the...
Read the Full ArticleHollywood is now well into an age of remakes. Almost every big movie that comes out is based on a comic book, novel, video game, or prior movie. I used to think that this was because “they’re running out of ideas,” but as it continues, I have discovered reason...
Read the Full ArticleA pastor friend began serving a plateaued traditional church many years ago. He helped the church grow tremendously, and the church continues to thrive under his leadership today. In the process of leading the change, he had to get rid of the old church constitution and bylaws. He persuaded...
Read the Full ArticleHow much do you think about the quality of your homeschooling? If you are like many of the homeschoolers I know, you probably spend a great deal of time thinking about that. In one way, this is good; we are responsible for the education of our children and...
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