Classical Christian Education 101 required readings
Have you ever been asked why would you want to teach your children a dead language?  You could, of course, use G.K. Chesterton's response: "A language must die to be immortal."  But you might also try the articles below, which will give you a solid grounding in the reasons not only for teaching Latin, but for making it the core of your curriculum.

These articles appear first in our printed magazine The Classical Teacher

Summer 2007

The Religious Roots of “Child‑Centered” Education by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
Modern “progressive” education is based on discredited 19th century romanticism, not good pedagogy.

What Ever Happened to Knowledge? by Cheryl Lowe
It is ironic that when man began the modern adventure of constructing a world without God, he thought he could know everything. He has ended up deciding he can know nothing.

Is Fiction False? by Martin Cothran
G.K. Chesterton once said that superstitions are most prevalent in rationalistic ages like our own.

In Defense of Latin by R.W. Livingstone
The language of the Romans reflected their character.

Progressive vs. Classical Education by Martin Cothran
The rise and fall of the Progressive Education Movement is a cautionary tale that explains why education reform in the United States has never worked.

Keep 'em Guessing by Martin Cothran
These simple and few rules will help make sure your Latin students pay closer attention in class.

Spring 2007

The Conservative Purpose of a Liberal Education by Russell Kirk
Liberal education is conservative in this way: it defends order against disorder. Liberal learning enables those who benefit from its discipline to achieve some degree of harmony within themselves.

The Classical Education of the Founding Fathers by Martin Cothran
The Founding Fathers possessed two characteristics that distinguished them from other men of their time—and most men in any time: wisdom and virtue.

Letter from the Editor - Spring 2007 Martin Cothran

Why Study Latin and Greek? by Andrew Campbell
The practical, cultural, and formative reasons to study classical languages.

Getting Beyond the Lord of the Rings by Martin Cothran
How to parlay an obsession with the Lord of the Rings into an interest in English literature.

A Short Lesson in Memorization - Disappearing Line Technique by Leigh Lowe

Summer 2006

Sample Latin Schedule: Here is a sample Latin curriculum from 2nd through 12th Grade. Don't feel like you have to follow this curriculum exactly or even at all. This is just an example of how a complete Latin curriculum might be organized.

Latin as an Ordering Principle  by Martin Cothran
Phonics provides structure for your language arts program at the primary level. But what do you use to provide that structure when you have finished phonics?

Latin is the Next Step After Phonics by Cheryl Lowe
     Have you ever wondered where the term "grammar school" came from?  Until the educational meltdown in the 20th century, parents taught their children to read and write English at home and then sent them off to school to learn...LATIN!  Grammar school =  learning Latin grammar = getting an education.  Here's a tradition that needs to be resurrected.  Latin teaches grammar, vocabulary, spelling, composition, history, geography, art, music, religion, and more. Why teach eleven subjects, when you can just teach one!

Multum non Multa (Much not More) by Andrew Campbell
Would our children really get a better education if they studied fewer subjects?

House System at Highlands Latin School
Can competition and camaraderie coexist? They do in Highlands Latin School’s house system.

Featured Articles from the Classical Teacher

Why Study Latin?  by Cheryl Lowe
Have you ever wished you had a good answer for those people who ask why you would spend your valuable education time studying Latin, when you could be spending it on something more "practical"? Here are three good reasons.

Curriculum Map (p1, p2)

Reasons of the Heart by Peter Kreeft
In Defense of Classical Education by Tracy Lee Simmons
How to Get the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer
How to Read a Hard Book by Mortimer J Adler

LATIN

Why Study Latin? by Cheryl Lowe
     Have you ever wished you had a good answer for those people who ask why you would spend your valuable education time studying Latin, when you could be spending it on something more "practical"? Here are three good reasons.

Why Latin Again? by Martin Cothran

Teaching Latin as Instant Gratification by Leigh Lowe
     Latin provides a perfect opportunity to engage enthusiastic young learners. It allows students to step away from the ingrained knowledge they have of the English language and observe it in a new form.

Latin: The Basic Subject by Cheryl Lowe

How Can I Teach Latin if I Don't Know it Myself? by Cheryl Lowe
How can a busy homeschool mom with no background in Latin even hope to teach this sometimes difficult subject? I can answer this question. I can answer it because, at one time, I was a homeschool mother who didn't know Latin.

How to Conduct a Latin Recitation & Why by Leigh Lowe

Which Latin Pronunciation? by Eben Dale
     Dante read Vergil with an Ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation. If it's good enough for Dante, should it be good enough for us?

Latin Scope And Sequence by Cheryl Lowe
     Are you slightly confused?  Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see the entire Latin curriculum outlined on one page?  Well, we aim to please.  This course outline will tell you what to do and when to do it and it is based on what our homeschoolers actually accomplish by attending our cottage school classes that meet once a week for two hours.  (Just think of what you could accomplish meeting with your child one hour every day!)

Latin: Where Should You Start? by Cheryl Lowe
     Have you been wondering whether you should start your child in Latina Christiana or an upper level course like Henle Latin? These scenarios and charts will help you make your decision.

Latin is the Next Step After Phonics by Cheryl Lowe
     Have you ever wondered where the term "grammar school" came from?  Until the educational meltdown in the 20th century, parents taught their children to read and write English at home and then sent them off to school to learn...LATIN!  Grammar school =  learning Latin grammar = getting an education.  Here's a tradition that needs to be resurrected.  Latin teaches grammar, vocabulary, spelling, composition, history, geography, art, music, religion, and more. Why teach eleven subjects, when you can just teach one!

Taking Latin Seriously by Cheryl Lowe
     We keep telling folks if they would just make Latin the center of the curriculum, all their problems would go away--well, a lot of them anyway.  But apparently some people still don't believe us.  So let's go over this again.

The Keys to a Successful Latin Program by Cheryl Lowe
     Okay, you already know that you want to make Latin the center of your curriculum.  Here is how you actually do it in your own homeschool.

Which Beginning Latin Program Should I Buy?
     Once you have decided to base your program on Latin, you want to know which Latin program to use.  Well, it just so happens that our specially-convened panel of monks takes St. Benedict's motto seriously ("ora et labora"), and along with praying, they have been working. Scribbling late into the night, they have completed their comparison of Latin programs on the market ... Okay, so the monks are a figment of our imagination, but the comparison isn't!

An Apology for Latin and Math by Cheryl Lowe
Yes, Latin helps with SAT scores. It does make learning a modern vocabulary easier. True, Latin is abundant in the technical vocabularies of the soft and hard sciences and law. A student of Latin should also gain a firmer grasp on English vocabulary by recognizing that all the big words come from Latin. While these benefits are impressive, they are minor compared to the real value of Latin....

Caveat Emptor: What to Look for in a Latin Program by Leigh Lowe

Henle Latin: the Next Best Thing to a Real Latin Tutor by Cheryl Lowe
Fr. Henle's Latin text, in our humble opinion, is simply the best that is available. So unless you know a professional Latinist who makes house calls, Henle is the next best thing.

LOGIC

How to Teach Logic by Martin Cothran

People Are Not Computers Classical Teacher 2004
by Martin Cothran
     The way we teach logic reflects our view of what humans are.

Logic Sequence Classical Teacher 2004
(requires Adobe acrobat reader)
by Martin Cothran
     Here is an overview of the current and future logic books from Memoria Press. Get a "bullet point" understanding of the entire logic sequence.

Logic is Not Math by Martin Cothran
     Classical educators have always known that the trivium is about language. Grammar teaches the structure of language; logic teaches right reasoning with language; and rhetoric teaches the adornment of language with power and beauty for persuasion.

Thinking Logically About Logic by Martin Cothran
     Forget Mr. Spock; he isn't half as logical as you will be after reading this article.  What is the definition of logic?  What are the main branches of the subject? How is it best studied?  Discover  the basics of the second leg of the classical trivium. 

RHETORIC

What is Classical Rhetoric? by Martin Cothran
     The classical ideal of a great person was a good man speaking well.

CLASSICAL EDUCATION

Order and Simplicity by Martin Cothran
One of the nice things about classical education is that it is not new. After all, the human race has been engaged in education for at least two millennia now--surely it has learned something.

What is Christian Studies? by Cheryl Lowe

"What is Classical Education?" Revisited by Martin Cothran

Why Study the Pagans by Cheryl Lowe
     A classical education involves two things primarily: the study of the classical languages, Latin and/or Greek, and the study of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome.

The Why of Classical Education by John Seel

Teaching Classical Literature Classically by Andrew Kern
     In a classical education, students read texts rather than merely reading about them.

OTHER

1 Myth, 2 Truths: How to turn good readers into good writers too by Andrew Pudewa

Books to Live With by Bryan Smith

A Brief History of Memoria Press & Highlands Latin School Classical Teacher 2004
by Marcia Cassady

How to be a Student Classical Teacher 2004
by Bryan Smith
     Socrates never claimed to be wise, but always insisted that it was his knowledge of his own ignorance that opened to him the possibilities of learning.

Two Methods of Instruction by Andrew Kern
     The Didactic and Dialectic methods explained.

Latin, Logic, and Christian Theology (NEW !!) by Martin Cothran
     What if there was a way to teach all three of these at one time to young high school students?  There is.

Memoria Press Philosophy by Cheryl Lowe
     Have you been hacking through the jungle of homeschooling curricula wondering why it has to be so complicated?  It doesn't.  Here's why.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton, 1934
     Many people don't know that the more difficult "classical pronunciation" of Latin is, historically, a fairly recent phenomenon. 

De Optimo Genere Magistrorum by Martin Cothran

The Language that Rose from the Dead by Rev. Randall Paine
     The best article we have ever come across on the importance of Christian Latin.  Latin's not dead, it's immortal! 

The Greatest Single Defect of My Own Latin Education by Dorothy Sayers
     Sayers explains why Christian Latin is the natural gateway to the more difficult classical Latin.

A Classicist Explains Why Classical Latin Pronunciation Should Be Abandoned
by  Charles Bennett
     Pupils do not exist for Latin, but Latin exits for the pupils.

Blood and Morality: G.A. Henty and the Tradition of Adventure Writing for Boys
by Martin Cothran (about him)
     If you had used our program, you would know that obiter dictum means "an incidental remark."  This article doesn't bear directly on classical education per se--another Latin phrase, by the way (shameless, aren't we?), but it is relevant to homeschoolers nonetheless.  We like the Henty (no relation to Henle) books and the idea of learning history through historical fiction. So even though we don't sell Henty books, we just threw this article in.  Besides, learning history this way leaves more time for important things, like LATIN.