Repetitio Mater Studiorum. “Repetition is the mother of learning.” In our classical tradition we exalt repetition as a valuable tool for learning. But beyond prizing repetition as an aid in memorizing individual goals (Latin grammar forms, multiplication tables, Shakespeare soliloquies), a connected classical curriculum offers valuable repetition about important truths over the long course of […]
When I decided to write a second, expanded edition of Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination, my thoughts went through many iterations of the stories I might discuss in three new chapters. I could not include all the stories that came to mind. But I found room to […]
I remember being flabbergasted twenty-five years ago when my mother-in-law, Cheryl Lowe, casually mentioned that she’d like to start a college one day. At the time—the late 90s—Memoria Press operated out of the Lowe family garage attic. Mrs. Lowe and Martin Cothran worked on their Latin and logic programs on weekdays, and Cheryl’s son, Brian […]
Is a classical education still relevant? Is it worth the time and the effort, or should our students be studying the modern world and modern languages, preparing for modern jobs? Every one of us wants to give our students the best possible education—but what is the best? The latter half of the twentieth century has […]
Prior to a discussion of poems everyone should know, it would be good to ensure that everyone knows the meaning of the word “poem.” It derives from ancient Greek and means “a thing that is made or created.” A poet is one who makes or creates a thing, and poiesis is the act that brings […]
When the call came to contribute a “listicle” to this issue of The Classical Teacher, I did not shrink from the task (despite having never heard the word before). My first thought was: “That should be easy.” It has not been. The first difficulty in compiling a list of top ten compositions stems from the […]
Occasionally—okay, frequently—my wife asks me if I have done something that needs to be done. When I look at her blankly and say, “No. Was I supposed to do that?,” she says “You didn’t see the list I put on your desk?” as she scans the various disorganized stacks of paper. Then she makes me […]
To say that a book is a great Christian novel obviously and necessarily implies two things: first, that it is great and, second, that it is Christian. Many of the books here are widely considered to be great, but there seems to be little consciousness that they are also explicitly Christian. Although Dostoevsky’s The Brothers […]
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 […]
In this day of computers, and the triumph of science and technology, when there is so much to learn and so little time, why study a dead language? Why not study something practical and useful? Like Spanish, for instance. While we agree the study of Spanish is a very good thing, what I propose to […]