Category Archives: Subjects

Educating Maria

  I have long been a devotee of classical education. For over a dozen years I’ve been teaching at a Catholic university dedicated to liberal education. Previously I taught at a college with an integrated Great Books curriculum. For two decades I’ve helped conduct seminars introducing teachers to the riches of liberal education. Moreover, both […]

My Prayer

I was still in bed when the phone rang. I answered groggily but my brain snapped awake when I heard my OB-GYN on the other end. I had undergone a diagnostic amniocentesis recently and I knew I was about to hear the results. “She’s definitely a sweet little girl.” Pause. “And she has Down syndrome.” […]

21 Tips For Teaching Students With Learning Challenges

Teaching Student with learning challenges math on chalkboard

Children with learning challenges will require more intentional thought and attention at home or in school. These twenty-one reminders can serve all of us no matter the educational setting. 1. Be Active Teach in short bursts, alternating between physical activities and seated activities. Low muscle tone or distracted minds can lead to fatigue. Provide movement […]

Letter From The Editor Summer 2021

We often receive questions about teaching children with specific conditions classically. In this issue we focus on intellectual disability and Down syndrome, but we trust that the articles and resources herein will provide help teaching any child with learning challenges. We begin with some facts: An estimated 93 million children globally have special learning or […]

On Vulcans And Androids

Science fiction has made popular a certain trope concerning us logicians. The common depiction is that logic is somehow cold and calculating, the activity of a merely robotic kind of intelligence. In the original Star Trek, Dr. Spock captures this stereotype with his pointy-eared precision. In The Next Generation, the role is taken over by […]

Reading The Bible As Literature

Should the Bible be read literally or literarily? This question must not only be asked but answered if the Bible is to be read in conformity with the twin demands of faith and reason. As is often the case, it will serve us well to begin by defining our terms. What’s the difference between reading […]

Haydn’s Creation

Pizzicato? Yes, what better way could Haydn have chosen to “ignite the divine light bulb” in his oratorio The Creation than to send a quiver of sound into the air through the pluck of a string? The dominant composer of Viennese Classicism, Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), knew well how to narrate a story in sound. […]

Teaching The Faith With Special Needs

When teaching the faith to children with special learning needs, begin with Bible stories depicted by the most beautiful illustrations you can find. Bible stories introduce us to God who is fiercely holy and righteous while also merciful, compassionate, and true to His promises. Bible stories are the bedrock of biblical literacy. Before a child […]

How Pride Ruined a Hero

How Pride Ruined a Hero

 He was a somewhat ignoble, half-bred Greek. He grew to be a prescient general, whose stratagem checkmated one of the ancient world’s most powerful villains. He was a hero of heroes, the opulent fortifier of a burgeoning empire. He grew to be a groveling outcast, whose final gulp was not the finest wine of […]

The Blessed Boon Of Sleep

I had five children in seven years. Hungry babies, teething toddlers, and preschoolers with vivid dreams left me intensely sleep-deprived for about a decade. All parents know this season. It is a time of sacrifice and love that we expect and accept. But even so, the pain of exhaustion is real. My mom likes to […]

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