William C. MichaelWilliam C. Michael

Mr. William C. Michael, O.P., is the founder and headmaster of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy and a Lay Dominican in the Catholic Church. Mr. Michael received an honors degree in Classics and Ancient History from Rutgers University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He led the CLAA to accreditation with Cognia in 2024. He has been studying and teaching the classical liberal arts for over 30 years.

Where Do the Rules of Grammar Come From?

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Nouns, verbs, tenses, moods. Where do the rules of Grammar come from? In this video, Mr. Michael leads students through the first lesson in Aristotle’s “On Interpretation” and explains where the original of Grammar is found.

Secular Homeschool Curriculum

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A secular homeschool curriculum?! In most homeschool circles that sounds like an oxymoron. Most families who have been interested in homeschooling through the years have been compelled by religious convictions that they did not feel were supported by available schools. Today, however, more and more families are considering homeschooling without any religious motivations. As one who was introduced to classical studies in a secular context, I know there are many benefits of studying them in such a context. I strongly recommend the classical liberal arts to any family interested in an elite secular homeschool curriculum. Goal of a Secular Homeschool … Continue

English, Latin and Greek Roots Cheat Sheet

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The words of the English language are drawn from a number of different sources: Latin, Greek, French, German, Old English, Middle English and more. Below, you can find over 200 English, Latin and Greek roots from which many English words are constructed. The knowledge of the roots below will be very helpful in learning to analyze English words and determine their meaning. This is helpful with English composition, reading comprehension, SAT scores and much more. English Roots – Prefixes a = at, in, on, or adds force after = behind all, al = wholly be = to, cause, by for … Continue

Afraid to Cross the Old Fence Line

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When we kept sheep, we used electric fencing to control their grazing. They’d learn where the fences were and eventually stay away from them. However, when we wished to move the sheep, we’d take down a line of the electric fencing and give them access to an area of fresh pasture. But they wouldn’t go. Even through the electric fencing was gone, the sheep wouldn’t cross the place where the fencing was. They were trained to stay away from that spot–and they did. In my experience, this is what it’s like working with homeschool parents. They have been raised in … Continue