William C. Michael

Normally, when we consider the people of Israel we think of the ceremonial traditions they zealously maintained–and rightfully did they do so. We fail to compare and contrast this nation with the rest of the world. We take them for granted in the same way we take Moses for granted. Let us consider them with a fresh look at who they are and what they mean for us in the history of education. Return to Understanding Classical Catholic Education Before we enter upon this reflection, we must prepare ourselves to enter with faith in the content of Sacred Scripture. We … Continue

Recently, I have been enjoying an old book on ancient Greek education. In it, the author discusses the early education of Greek children in the ancient world. He explains that the education was based on the writings of the poets, and particularly of Homer. I believe homeschooling parents will find this helpful. “The study of the epic poets, especially of the Iliad and Odyssey, was the earliest intellectual exercise of schoolboys, and, in the case of fairly educated parents, even anticipated the learning of letters. For the latter is never spoken of as part of a mother’s or of home … Continue

Thales is said to have been born in the first year of the 35th Olympiad, which would have been approximately 640 BC. He was a Phoenician by descent, and he was the first man to whom the name of “Wise” was given, when the famous seven wise men of Greece had that title given to them. He was enrolled as a citizen at Miletus; but a more common statement is that he was a native Milesian, of noble blood. After having been immersed in Politics, he applied himself to speculations in Natural Philosophy. He studied Geometry and Astronomy with priests … Continue

In 2011, our friend Jared Haselbarth produced a beautiful version of the Confiteor for children. You can enjoy the video below. For more music by Mr. Haselbarth, visit his YouTube channel.

One of the topics in modern Arithmetic that students struggle with is the order of operations. By “order of operations” I mean that order in which operations are to be performed in a complicated Arithmetic problem. Here’s an example: 5 × 3 + 2 × 4 – 2 ÷ 2 = Let us solve this problem by moving left to right, performing one operation at a time: 5 × 3 = 13 + 2 = 15 × 4 = 60 – 2 = 58 ÷ 2 = 29 If we were to enter this answer on a test, it would … Continue

As we begin our study of the classical liberal arts, we will first consider the philosophy behind this ancient system of learning. Ancient education grew from man’s nature and man’s respons to God’s revelation, that is, through faith and reason. We will see that modern educational philosophies are not alternatives to the ancient system but errors leading men away from sound philosophy and ultimately, true happiness. Return to Understanding Classical Catholic Education We must understand, first of all, that as neither God, truth, nor man has ever changed in nature, true education has never changed either. What has happened over … Continue