Yes, Macbeth is dark and gruesome and not the easiest Shakespeare story to relate to. The Scottish thane Macbeth listens to witches who clearly should not be trusted and nothing good comes of it – listening to them, in fact, poisons his mind and damns him on earth to a life without sleep and without…
Merchant of Venice might be a politically incorrect play, but it is too good for us to ignore. While it makes moderns uncomfortable because the Jew is made to forcibly convert in the end, it is – particularly for its time – an anti-anti-Semitic play. The plot, the speeches, and the themes all deserve attention…
Fourteen years ago, a fresh English major graduate, I was hired by a group of homeschool moms to teach their middle schoolers how to write and tutor writing with them one-on-one. They gave me the original IEW teacher-training VHS tapes and 3-ring binder, and I gave it a shot. A couple weeks later I had…
Shakespeare doesn’t have to be scary or intense to incorporate into your homeschool. The stories are timeless, the language is beautiful, and they are chock full of ridiculous characters and jokes that are sure to make everyone laugh. Yet, they also demonstrate an understanding of the human condition and human relationships that make them a…
The Tempest is a story with betrayal, revenge, reconciliation, and devotion. It has something for everyone: slap-stick humor, violent men & monsters, friendly sprites, and a fairy-tale island setting where forgiveness and keeping one’s word wins out in the end despite long odds. Whether you introduce this story by picture book, movie, or reading the…
History should never be boring. History is the study of people – and people always have stories. Stories of individuals, stories of battles, stories of cultures, stories of legends – history is inherently fascinating and relevant. Dates are secondary to people. Dates are useful insofar as they help us place people in the right place…
At long last, here is the post I promised back when I wrote about how I teach writing on how I teach grammar. Grammar and diagramming is not something that has always come easily for me. I remember 7th or 8th grade when diagramming was introduced in my Bob Jones Language Arts workbook. My mom…
We’re in the midst of studying Julius Caesar this year. The boys are happy to be doing a play that has nothing to do with marriage or love, but rather with stern and noble Romans. Shakespeare doesn’t need to be intimidating or complicated. It’s really just about enjoying a good story together, as with any…
What is education? I love to collect quotes on what education means. Definitions are important, because without them we can be using the same word but with entirely different understandings of what we’re talking about. Without understanding what it is we’re trying to do each and every day with our children, we flounder and fall…
Writing, I believe, is one of the most vital skills we can teach our kids, whether we homeschool or not. It is so poorly taught in modern education, yet in modern society written communication is necessary & unavoidable. Teaching our kids to write well is one of the best ways to set them apart from…