It is now the case, as it has always been the case, that by exposing our children to good character and inviting its imitation, we will help them develop good character for themselves. This means our schools must have what the ancient Greeks would have called an “ethos”—that is, our schools themselves must have good […]
Memorization is the cornerstone of a traditional education. At Memoria Press, we use repetition, memorization, and formal recitations to create a comprehensive, connected, and consistent experience for students from junior kindergarten through twelfth grade. Naturally, if memorization is the goal, repetition and recitation are the complements—repetition as the preparation and recitation as the proof and […]
When we talk about teaching, we tend to want to reduce it down to one goal. For some it might be an exclusive emphasis on knowledge, for someone else it might be basic skills, for another a deeper understanding of ideas and values. In classical education, we often fall into the habit of talking about […]
What is a classical education? The essential core of classical Christian education includes the study of Latin and the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. — Cheryl Lowe What is the goal of classical education? Classical education focuses on the development of the whole student—heart, mind, and soul. It strives to give students a broad […]
Too often we relegate religious instruction in our private and homeschools to a kind of secondary academic status. We teach it, but in a way that seems to communicate a lack of seriousness about it. We do this by failing to treat it like we would treat any other academic subject. But what I will […]
Each year at the Highlands Latin School opening ceremony, Cheryl Lowe gave an exhortation to parents and students, reminding them what education is and what a school is for. Mrs. Lowe knew the wisdom of Samuel Johnson’s admonition that men need “more to be reminded than informed.” In an educational world in which many institutions […]
From before most of us can remember we are soaked and steeped in the distinction between the town and the country. And as far back as Aesop we have been told that the ways of the city are not the ways of the country, and that, in fact, there is something about the country that […]
On the surface, the titular recommendation seems absurd. How can a gift shop provide an optimal avenue for encountering the beauty and meaning of art? Once the pedagogy of its design and the nature of its offerings are considered, the advice to start a trip to a museum with the gift shop will make more […]
Victorian writer, Charles Kingsley, was moved to pronounce this about beauty: “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting—a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God, for it is a cup of blessing.” Ancient Christian writers describe beauty […]
I inherited a set of red-and-white china that belonged to my great-grandmother, each piece showing lovely, detailed prints of the “Castles of England.” I inherited the plates, coffee cups, saucers, soup bowls, and pasta bowls, but I have come to learn that the set includes even more pieces, including tea cups (different from the coffee […]