Blog

The CLAA vs. Everything Else

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Dear parents, Before I begin, I want to encourage you in homeschooling.  When you get started, you’ll find it’s a real mess of publishers and books and resources–that’s America.  Everyone’s selling something.  Fortunately, there are two very simple differences between the Classical Liberal Arts Academy and all the mess. First, unlike all other homeschool programs, the Classical Liberal Arts Academy is not a book selling business. In 1994, Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com.  He was a Princeton grad, and wealthy hedge fund manager in New York City, and he saw the great potential for online business.  As he considered what products … Continue

Prayer before Reading Scripture

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Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts and minds of thy faithful servants, and inflame them with the fire of thy divine love. Let us pray: O God, who by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, didst instruct the hearts of thy faithful servants; grant us in the same Spirit, to discern what is right, and enjoy his comfort for ever, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth one God, with thee and the same Spirit, world without end. Amen.          

Prayer Before Study

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by St. Thomas Aquinas Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding.  Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance.  Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.  Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm.  Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this … Continue

Recommended: Life of St. Dominic

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After many years of anticipation, my wife and I are finally free to pursue what we have discerned to be a vocation to the Third Order of St. Dominic and are currently participating as “Inquirers” in 2021.  I first communicated with the Lay Dominicans in western North Carolina in 2008, but their meetings were almost 4 hours away and there was no way to participate at the time.  Thanks be to God, a chapter was organized at the new St. Joseph Seminary in Charlotte, which is only 40 minutes from our home, so we’re able to answer this call at … Continue

Why Pray the Rosary?

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As a convert from Protestantism, I have struggled through the years to understand and appreciate the Rosary.  Nevertheless, I am wise enough to know that any aversion to a devotion recommended by so many saints and wise men is a problem with me, and not the Rosary.   Before I pray the Rosary, I have asked God to help me understand and appreciate it personally, so that my mind can comprehend and my heart embrace it as I should.  In this article, I’d like to share some of the reflections I have had over time.  I hope that this helps others, … Continue

There is Only One Way to Learn the Classical Catholic Curriculum

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It is common today to hear teachers, parents and students talking about “learning styles”.  While there may be truth in this analysis of student learning, it is irrelevant when we consider classical Catholic education.  If mastery of the classical Catholic curriculum is our goal, there is only one way to learn. For more videos, please subscribe to the CLAA YouTube channel.

Advice on Writing

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I’d like to take some time to talk to students about learning how to write. It seems basic, it seems like every school teaches children to write. But the truth is that they don’t. In fact, modern schools fail terribly in teaching writing. And colleges often have to do the work of teaching 1819 20 year old students how to write basic themes and essays. Because in 12 years of schooling, they never learned to do it. A modern schools do not teach writing well, and many homeschool programs commit the same exact mistakes that modern schools do. The number … Continue

What is the Goal of a Classical Liberal Arts Education?

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The goal of education is not to lead students to practice the skills of wise men or successful professionals, but to teach them the objective content of the arts and sciences needed to do so if and when they choose to.  In a classical liberal arts education, we avoid the errors of modern schools and homeschool programs that reach beyond the mission of schools. To get this right, let’s ask some basic questions most never ask. Understanding the Student A student is normally a child, being prepared by adults for his future life.  The child is growing and developing, gaining … Continue

How to Prepare a Homeschool Transcript

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When children teach the end of their homeschool years,  I often get messages from parents asking about transcripts.   I tell them,  “No, I am not the administrator of your homeschool.  You are.”  Other homeschool publishers like to pretend that they are the school administrators,  and they need to provide the transcripts,  but they do this for money– and it’s not good for your children. In this article I will explain how to prepare a homeschool transcript. Give Your Child the Best Education Possible As a home school parent you have the right to give your children an education that serves … Continue