Dwell

Mandi's book, Thoroughness and Charm: Cultivating the Habits of a Classical Classroom, offers readers beautifully written principles of classical education and practical ideas and tips for creating a culture that nurtures our children and embodies the tradition. Listen for inspiration to encourage you as you make plans for the fall and for ideas to incorporate into your morning time.

The summer is nearly here and Renee and Karen offer suggestions for making the most of your summer schedule while leaving room to discard the schedule and go to the pool! These days and years are fleeting; read books in the hammock, eat the ice cream, learn a new skill, make lasting memories!

Join Renee and Karen as they talk about the importance of assessing not only the end of the academic year, as in the skills, ideas, and facts learned, but also the growth and maturity that has taken place in your children and in yourself. They also chat about how assessment is a tool for planning the next year, and that to not finish a curriculum is not a sign of failure, for we are not slaves to the curriculum.

Join Renee and Karen for Chapters 11 and 12 and the Epilogue of Norms and Nobility. They discuss Hicks' compelling answer to the question, "Why read the classics?", his statement that the heart of the curriculum is humane letters, and his last two beautiful paragraphs in which he describes true learning. We hope you were encouraged to read along with us, and if you haven't yet read Norms and Nobility, now is the time to get the new edition and dig in!

Join Renee and Karen as they talk to Heidi about her soon-to-be-published book called The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life. She describes how she came to view every story as the expression of the conflict between duty and desire—the same conflict that each one of us fights too. We hope that you enjoy this fun conversation and will run to pre-order her book!

In this episode, Renee and Karen chat with Joyce McPherson, author of fiction and non-fiction for children ages 8-12, English teacher at Covenant College, and mother of nine children! We discuss the importance of developing the imagination and the genre of fantasy, her passion for making the stories of historical Christian figures accessible to children, and her love for George MacDonald and his stories. You will hear her advice for the homeschool mother who also has a passion for writing and how she found time to write while homeschooling.

Dr. Matthew Bianco joins us for a discussion on the three faculties of the soul: the belly (the appetites), the chest (which desires honor and despises shame), and the mind (which desires wisdom and hates ignorance). We explore how being aware of these faculties can help us to train our children's affections and lead them toward virtue.

In this episode, Renee and Karen offer encouragement and practical ways to avoid and combat homeschool mom burnout.