What would you say if I told you that your life was perfect? You’d probably say something like: “You don’t know my life.” I know, I know. That’s what I’d probably say, too. But really, think about it. Where does this knee-jerk response come from? What ideas undergird our common denial? Let’s do a thought experiment and examine our presuppositions together. I’ll go first…
Your Life is Perfect Read More »
by Missy Andrews Some of us love poetry all our lives. Others write it all of theirs. Edward Estling Cummings
Gateway Stories to the Classics: “enormous SMALLNESS” Read More »
When I was engaged in my homeschooling efforts, I thought I had that wholeheartedness part down. I pushed and strove and worked diligently. But whether I did this “as to the Lord and not to please men,” well, that varied from day to day, from moment to moment. And in those moments when the fear of man drove me, the homeschooling project became a snare, an idol that threatened to devour me and my children…
Finding Energy for the Work of Education Read More »
I was recently troubled by a conversation that occurred in a book club I attend. We’d read The Five Wounds, a contemporary novel by Kirstin Valdez Quade about a dysfunctional, multi-generational Hispanic family. A participant expressed doubt about his ability to read Quade’s novel with proper understanding and “sensitivity,” because he doesn’t share the author’s heritage or gender…
The Wound of Individuality and the Literary Experience Read More »
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say this past year of homeschooling was pretty mediocre. Even for long-time homeschoolers like our family, this pandemic has brought about some challenges and pulled more than a few weaknesses into the light! In fact, one of the only subjects that I can confidently say we’ve tackled with any measure of success is literature study. And, for my 8yo this year, lit study meant reading Anne of Green Gables…
Anne of Green Gables and the Case for Challenging Books Read More »
Welp, they’ve started canceling Dr. Seuss, and on his birthday, no less. And to think it could happen to Mulberry Street! March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, is National Read Across America Day (#DrSeussDay across social media). It’s an annual event by the National Education Association (NEA) encouraging reading among school-aged children. Yet this is the moment that the NEA, along with the White House, has chosen to break from tradition…
In Defense of Dr. Seuss Read More »
The use of language in any context rests on a single and essential tenet: words mean. And not only that, they mean something particularly. When anyone writes or speaks, they trust utterly, even if unconsciously, that they can, to someone who speaks their language, be understood. The next obvious question is, who decides what words mean? Here, we have two options…
Authorial Intent and Christian Education Read More »
I was recently enjoying a coffee with my dear friend and sister, Emily Andrews, and our conversation took a literary turn. Now before you get all excited and prime your pipes for some serious intellectual pontificating, I’ll warn you that my recent forays into the world of classroom teaching have left my mind mushy. I’m good for nothing when it comes to “The Greats” these days. My nightstand is a hapless home to stacks of penny reads and quick reads and trash reads and literary “junk food,” but Emily assured me that there may be those of you out there who don’t always feel up to the Anna Karenina’s of this world and might be encouraged by a friendly reminder that reading can just be…FUN…
A Meditation on Lite Reading Read More »
In An Experiment in Criticism, C. S. Lewis suggests that every work of literature is both Logos (something said) and Poiema (something made). What he means is that each work not only communicates an idea, but does so via form and technique; it is a creation of the hands, not just of the mind. “As Logos,” Lewis writes, “it tells a story…As Poeima, by its aural beauties and also by the balance and contrast and the unified multiplicity of its successive parts, it is an objet d’art, a thing shaped so as to give great satisfaction” (Lewis 132)…
Truth and Beauty in Peter Rabbit Read More »
Here’s a rule that cannot possibly be overstated: language proficiency is the single most important component of an education, period. If your students do not learn to use the right words, they will become prisoners of the wrong ones. This applies to any subject, to any activity, and to any relationship. Give your students the tools of language, and their education is complete. Fail in this, and it can never really begin…
A New (Old) Case for the Language Arts Read More »
