Category Archives: Analysis

How to argue against an opponent’s points of view

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imgur.com/gallery/dHJg4o1 This summer, I will be posting some rhetoric theory, as we finish up our rhetoric handbook. You may, I hope, recognize some political tactics that occur across the entire political spectrum in terms or explanations, accusations, spins, and general … Continue reading

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Outlining Essays — a little theory

We look to the ancients for ideas on how to organize our writing better. Parts of an Ancient Speech If you include an introduction and a conclusion, Aristotle says the basic parts of a speech are four: I. Introduction (Also … Continue reading

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Words Have Meanings — A Case for a Strong Emphasis on Language Arts

I am currently reading The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams (by Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski). About a third through, I get introduced to Owen Barfield who is a … Continue reading

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Musings about a Classical Education

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I want to share some thoughts about classical education, the idea of a classical education, its origins, and why this type of education seems to deliver the sort of rigor and mastery we wish our students to have. This summer, … Continue reading

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Plagiarism – and when to worry about it

Because Classical Writing is BIG TIME into imitation, paraphrasing, and copybook, we often get asked where the line is between imitation and plagiarism. It is a valid question, one I have answered on the message boards and in blogs before, … Continue reading

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Spelling Lessons

Does Classical Writing teach spelling? We are often asked that question. Spelling Instruction Everything we do we do in light of the weekly stories the kids analyze and write about, including spelling. Do I have to have a separate spelling … Continue reading

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Journaling as part of writing across the curriculum

Journaling is to formal writing what sitting in your pjs sipping a cuppa is to being formally dressed in company sipping a cuppa. Journaling is getting your thoughts down on paper, whatever form they might take, whatever sense or lack … Continue reading

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Read Aloud to your Kids

WE all hear it, “Read to your kids!” but how do we fit it into a busy day? Some of my fondest moments in homeschooling were the times when we read aloud literature to each other. We plowed through so … Continue reading

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More on Student Motivation – Clear Directions in Writing Assignments

Direction, the first step in student motivation When my oldest homeschooled child was in 3rd grade, I started him in a simple Latin curriculum, one of the few elementary grade Latin curricula available at the time. At the end of … Continue reading

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Motivating Students to Write

One of the questions I often get is “How do I motivate my students to write?”This post will simply deal with the skeleton of motivation, and then in future blogs we can examine each component separately. According to Natalie Ekberg … Continue reading

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