“Why did you assign this book?” At Cedar Classical Academy, we choose books for each grade’s literature curriculum by committee. Individual teachers do not independently choose their own literature books, but occasionally do have the freedom to select books from among the larger list. We follow the principle of multum non multa, which is Latin […]
The Great Books
The Value of Reading Together
If you have a student in Cedar in Kindergarten, 1st Grade, or 2nd Grade, then you are familiar with this instruction on their take-home sheets: “Read at home with your student.” But what exactly does that mean? What should reading at home with your student look like? The Secret Sauce Let’s start with an encouraging […]
Christmas Gift Guide 2020: Books
Our staff has compiled some family read-alouds and gifts for grandparents or friends interested in classical education. Keep scrolling for our top book picks from the year. Family Read-Alouds Mrs. Berggren: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Mr. Hummel: The Binding of the Blade by L.B. Graham Mrs. Hummel: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Mrs. Peng: Where […]
The Mission Series, Pt. V | “A springboard to understanding the created world”: The Western liberal arts tradition
Those who become involved with classical Christian education quickly discover that, as with any specific discipline, there is a vocabulary that usually seems foreign and intimidating to newcomers. Classical educators liberally spice their conversation with words like “headmaster,” “dialectic,” “rhetoric,” “the Great Conversation,” and “trivium.” From context, most pick up some vague idea of what […]
Why Read Secular Works? Pt. II | What the pagans have to teach the Christians
In the last article, I began grappling with the persistent and important question of why we, as Christians, should have our students reading secular literature that was produced by pagans and often revolves around mature themes. If you remember, I argued that 1) a student – particularly a classical Christian student – cannot pretend to […]
Why Read Secular Works? Pt. I
“I’m curious as to why my son is reading a book in class that takes the Lord’s name in vain and contains cursing,” read the opening lines of an email from a rhetoric school parent. Thankfully, this email was courteous, genuinely curious, and was the beginning of a fruitful exchange. However, it was the latest […]