This morning, a website visitor wrote and asked, “Please direct me on your website to where I will find the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur for the written material presented in your educational programs and on your website.” I don’t know whether this was a sincere request or just a scrupulous individual being annoying, but I’m happy to respond. First of all, the question of “Church approval” is addresed in canons 822-832 in the Catholic Church’s Code of Canon Law. In Canon 822, we learn that the approval of Catholic books is a matter that concerns only the bishops of the … Continue

In my article, “How to Study for Mastery“, I provide a set of steps that will allow students to work through any lessons–and master them. One of the steps requires study and note-taking and parents and students frequently ask me, “How should we take notes?” In this article, I’ll answer that. The Goal of Note-Taking Before all things, we should be studying to gain wisdom that helps us to live according to God’s will in this life. Our studies should be leading us to this wisdom, and the happiness of our life is the ultimate test of that learning. Within … Continue

It’s common to hear homeschool parents speak about their plans to “raise saints”, but the results of 40+ years of homeschooling in America suggest we’re not doing that.  We may be raising children who have higher test scores than their public school peers, and children who do well avoid scandalous sins, and children who go to college, establish stable careers and start families–but there are scarcely any religious vocations being raised, and fewer “saints”. I’ll be the first to admit that we Catholics have greatly underestimated the difficulty of the task before us.  We have not prepared for the spiritual … Continue

In another article, I explain, “How to Study for Mastery“, which is necessary for real arts and sciences that are worthy of mastery.  More recently I explained “Mastery vs. Familiarity” in studies.  The study of history belongs to both categories, for we would master as much as possible, but, because of the amount of material that is to be learned, we must patiently progress to that mastery over time–but make sure we acquire familiarity as soon as possible. Cicero said, “To not know what happened before one was born is to remain forever a child.”  In his day, he had … Continue

When a Catholic parent chooses to homeschool, they will face many distractions. Many publishers exploit the anxiety and inexperience of homeschool parents and lead them on an endless pursuit of “the right resources”. Others falsely advertise resources as “traditional” and “classical” that are not so at all. If you don’t ask questions and demand proof for claims made by publishers, you’re going to pay for it. Even worse, there is an incredible amount of ignorance and laziness in homeschool circles that has become the normal culture of homeschooling in many place. Some even give this a name, calling it “unschooling”, … Continue

The Classical Liberal Arts Academy is the only source for the education that existed throughout Church history.  Anything else called “classical” or “Catholic” has no basis in history.  In the Academy, I have provided all of the evidence necessary to support these claims, and add more to it with this post.  The text below is taken from A.F. West’s book “Alcuin and the Rise of Christian Schools”, published in 1910, which clearly demonstrates that the seven classical liberal arts taught in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy are the only subjects ever taught in Christian schools throughout history. -William C. Michael … Continue