Understanding the Catechism of the Catholic Church: An Introduction In the life of the Catholic Church, few resources are as central, as trustworthy, and as transformative as the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is a gift from the Church to the world, offering a clear and complete summary of Catholic doctrine for believers of every age and background. Whether read by a parish priest, a high school student, or a parent leading religious instruction at home, the Catechism serves as a compass that faithfully points toward the truth of Christ. But what exactly is a catechism? Why is the … Continue

Any parents or students interested in learning how to manage self-paced studies in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy should read this article carefully and use it as a guide for their studies. When I tutor students, I prepare weekly planners that guide their studies and ensure steady progress in every subject. Over time, it became clear to me that the system I use could be reduced to a small number of simple actions. Once these actions were clearly defined, they could be automated and made available to all students. That is what now exists in the Management reports on the … Continue

If you would like to prepare a homeschool trasncript for a child, we recommend using the following template, which we developed with the help of a college admissions office for use by homeschool students. Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-27nthAuLL0yZJaJa9fM4LZvBH-WoYX8m5HTcTvrHCg/edit?usp=sharing

CLAA Homeschool Series Everything you need to know about homeschooling with the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. Most parents begin homeschooling with the assumption that “school” is something defined by the modern K–12 system, and therefore homeschooling must mean recreating that same system in the home. They imagine large facilities, bureacratic procedures, fixed schedules, grade levels, marking periods, and report cards—only performed around the kitchen table instead of in a school building. This misunderstanding is the root of almost all homeschool frustration. Homeschooling in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy is not “school at home.” It is a restoration of the Christian … Continue

Porphyry’s Introduction offers a careful explanation of how the five predicables—Genus, Difference, Species, Property, and Accident—relate to one another. These comparisons help us understand how each term functions in logic, and how they are similar or different when used to describe the natures of things. Genus and Difference Both genus and difference can be said of species and of individuals. They are not destroyed when their subjects cease to exist, because they describe general natures that remain in thought. Yet, genus and difference are not equal. A genus is said of more things than a difference, for it is broader. … Continue

Prelection Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture is intended for students enrolled in the Academy’s Classical Reasoning I course. If you’re not enrolled and would like to join us for self-paced studies, visit classicalliberalarts.com. My name is William Michael. I’m the academy headmaster, and I’ll be leading this study of Chapter One of Porphyry’s Introduction. Porphyry was a Greek philosopher who lived from 234 to 305 AD. He wrote this work, the Introduction, as a commentary on Aristotle’s Categories—really a preparation for the study of Aristotle’s Categories. He wrote this around 268–270 AD. The Introduction is called … Continue