Simply Classical Journal - Summer 2018

A Publication of Memoria Press

Summer 2018

Mama Care

by Anita Veyera

A Communal Feast

by Cheryl Swope Boys, Men, & Poetry

by Catherine Saylor

Classical Education for Children with Special Needs

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR T H E SM ALL A N D T H E GR E AT

Y

by Cheryl Swope

ears ago my curly-headed, blue-eyed little boy toddled downstairs one morning in footed pajamas. He watched Daddy fill his briefcase and leave for work. Climbing atop the sofa to wave through the window, he turned to me and said with authority, "Daddy go to work." He slipped back down the sofa and went about his day. My little boy could not go to work, but he could behold one who did.

Today my son stands 6’2”. Knowing what is expected, he rises each morning to eat breakfast, put on his work clothes, and leave for work. I did not know back then that my son had autism, and I did not know what the future would hold for him. I know now that the small was being formed by the great.

We need not be great to learn from greatness. From early childhood onward, we can lead all of our children to that which is greater than themselves. That is the message of Simply Classical, the curriculum and the book. Even when taught "simply," a classical education elevates the lives of our children and ourselves.

If he cannot name the instruments of the orchestra, or if he cannot speak at all, he can attend a performance of Peter and the Wolf and listen for the voices of the animals. If he cannot solve complex mathematical problems, he can master orderly truths of arithmetic. If he cannot study the intricacies of advanced biology, we can help him appreciate the manifold wonders of insects or mammals.

This is also true for us as adults. Even the most learned among us is not fully educated in every area, nor can we be. Choose good books to read. Seek excellence in books, even if they are great children’s books. Listen to great music, even if you cannot yet identify the composer. Ponder the patterns and wonder of mathematics as you teach your children. Learn the names and characteristics of the trees in your area, even if you never master the natural sciences.

In his work, On Education, British classical scholar R. W. Livingstone explains: Am I not to look at a picture by Velasquez or Cezanne, because I shall understand and appreciate them far less than a painter or art critic would? Are you going to postpone any acquaintance with these great things to a day when we are all sufficiently educated to understand them—a day that will never come? No, no.

By example and through the lessons we teach our children, we can pursue, admire, and be stirred by greatness together.

Most reassuringly of all, the smallest child is welcomed by the great God Himself through the only Savior for mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Captured by artist Gustav Doré, this invitation graces the cover of Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child.

Let us lead our children to that which is far beyond ourselves, yet mercifully imminent every day. No need to wait. Welcome the child before you into a world of learning that is greater than himself, yet surprisingly attainable, one lesson at a time.

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Letter from the Editor

SIMPLY CLASSICAL JOURNAL

Summer 2018 FEATURED ARTICLES

2 4 11 13 14

CURRICULUM

3 6 8 9 12

Letter from the Editor by Cheryl Swope Mama Care by Anita Veyera Boys, Men, & Poetry by Catherine Saylor Book Notes by Michelle Swope A Communal Feast by Cheryl Swope

Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child Simply Classical Curriculum Packages

Ages 2-10

Enrichment

Ages 3-9

Myself & Others

Ages 4-13

New American Cursive, Copybooks, Thankfulness Journals

Ages 4-12

13 Language Arts

Use coupon code SCJ5OFFSUM for $5 off your next order!

Ages 6-9

New! Simply Classical Curriculum Level 4: Mammals, Myths, & Multiplication (p. 10)

Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child

by Cheryl Swope Text $24.95 | eBook $22.00 This revolutionary book guides parents and teachers in implementing the beauty of a classical education with special-needs and struggling students. Cheryl is an advocate of classical Christian education for special-needs students. The love of history, music, literature, and Latin instilled in her own children has created in Cheryl the desire to share the message that classical education offers benefits to any child.

• Increase your child's academic success.

• Restore your child's love of learning.

• Regain confidence to teach any child.

• Renew your vision of hope for your special-needs child.

• Receive help navigating the daunting process of receiving a diagnosis.

• Learn how to modify existing resources for your child's needs.

• Find simple strategies any parent or teacher can implement immediately.

• Appreciate a spiritual context for bringing truth, goodness, and beauty to any child.

Cheryl Swope, M.Ed. With a master's degree in special education, Cheryl holds lifetime K-12 state teaching certifications in learning disabilities and behavior disorders. She has served in public and private schools. Cheryl and her husband adopted boy/girl twins and homeschooled the children through high school. Both twins have autism, learning disabilities, and schizophrenia. Now young adults, their enduring love of literature, history, and Latin inspire Cheryl to share the hopeful message that a classical Christian education offers benefits to any child.

© Copyright 2018 (all rights reserved) Publisher | Memoria Press Editors | Cheryl Swope & Martin Cothran

Managing Editor | Dayna Grant Copy Editor | Ellen R. Hale Graphic Designers | Aileen Delgado & Jessica Osborne

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

MEMORIA PRESS MemoriaPress.com

“I

Mama Care

by Anita Veyera

think I need to go to the hospital." Those words felt really melodramatic, but I had just texted them to my husband.

"Don't worry," he said. "Help is on the way." I couldn't move; I just kept staring into space. It felt like my brain was broken. I was terrified.

A knock at the door broke my paralysis. I hugged the police officer on my steps and said "Come on in!" like nothing was wrong. He was followed in by another officer and two EMTs. We talked for a few minutes, bonding over shared homeschool experiences, before he finally asked: "Do you still feel like you need to go to the hospital?"

I looked at the floor in shame. The thought of getting immediate help sounded wonderful—an ambulance ride sounded like a lifeboat cutting through frozen waters. But I did not want to scare my children. I developed post-partum depression after my fourth child, and though prescribed exercise and a mild antidepressant had worked well for several months, a creeping dread had been quietly stealing back into my life. I had been slowly and soundlessly losing ground but refused to acknowledge it until I was in the grip of full-blown clinical depression.

The police officers and EMT workers standing in my living room were the wake-up call that I needed. I had already made an appointment with a local therapist, but I really needed more help. I was lost under a mountain of pain so heavy and so crippling that crossing the room felt like a monumental achievement.

Years of stress, long hours, little outside help, and a husband who frequently traveled meant I was almost constantly working. Instead of balancing my needs with the needs of my family, I ignored my own fatigue, depression, aches and pains, Anita Veyera is a homeschooling mother of four young children. She is a writer, painter, and singer who loves hot coffee and a good mystery. She and her husband, Jeff, an engineer, reside in rural Colorado.

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Heading Goes Here

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

personal goals, and aspirations. I concentrated on what my children needed—which was considerable. I had moved well beyond simple burnout.

Having children with special needs, for me, had translated into a pattern of behaviors. Those behaviors became habits. And those habits became beliefs: I could not give myself rest, community, creative space, good boundaries, permission to relax, or grace. There was too much at stake.

I mistakenly thought if I only worked harder, things would get better faster. But children with special needs require more help and for a longer duration. It is easy to convince ourselves that their needs are always more urgent. While this might be true in the acute short term, prolonged denial of our own needs begets neglect—of ourselves and our children.

Our Needs as Mamas

Getting back in touch with our own needs as mothers is paramount. We want our children to have our best, not our "leftovers" after we are spent from days and weeks of overworking ourselves. We must have boundaries that allow us to preserve our own resources.

How do we balance our obligations with our personal needs? We do this not by neglecting husbands and children, but by becoming ruthless in protecting our time against the constant nonessential demands made on us. We must prioritize good nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, good hygiene, and stable finances for our families without compromising belonging, creativity, play, spirituality, intimacy, laughter, and education for ourselves.

We need to dwell on essential things and reject wholeheartedly those things that merely distract.

But how? Well, let's go back to those officers and EMTs who responded to my own need. How do they, along with firefighters, pilots, and military personnel, operate in good order under extreme stress? In a word: preparation. A series of automatic protocols keeps high-adrenaline jobs from becoming dangerous to the men and women who do them. These procedures also keep those whom they serve safe.

Checklists

Firefighters at a three-alarm fire don't race into a building without a thought. They have a plan. They assess via a standard series of diagnostics what the situation warrants. They act with care.

Pilots who fly multiple times per day do not jump into the cockpit, start down the runway, and take off in a rush. They check and recheck a specific series of systems before they begin the flight.

1-877-862-1097

Consider the most common tasks and situations you face and break them down into checklists. This reduces the stress load and automatically boosts the likelihood of a positive outcome. Instead of relying on emotion or varying energy levels, we can rely on checklists. Checklists play a huge part in reducing "decision fatigue."

In addition, pilots are not allowed to fly without adequate rest. Flight professionals realize that lack of sleep can endanger not only the pilot, but the passengers on the plane.

This model is a good one for our own home environment, where the protections for ourselves are also protections for our children.

Decision Fatigue vs. White Space

A good way to understand the ailment of decision fatigue is to imagine your energy levels at the end of a big shopping trip in a gigantic warehouse store with no list. By the time you have searched the tens of thousands of options, weighed every decision about everything from the dozens of types of yogurt to multiple sizes of socks, you are invariably tired and may—or may not—have what you need in your cart.

Reducing the number of decisions you must make frees up vast amounts of time and energy. Turning off your smartphone, opting out of social media, and greatly decluttering your home or work environment can free up even more.

White space is exactly what it sounds like: blank time, reserved energy, and a savings account of creative bandwidth to engage in what you love.

What were your passions before you had children?

Art, music, community service, writing, ballet, choir, reading, trail hiking—all these serve the purpose of facilitating our well-being and fulfillment.

We are not merely physical creatures; we have souls. Souls need to be fed with the same care and attention as bodies. This prioritization is not selfish, but essential to our wholeness.

Prayer

Prayer infuses our activity and being with vivifying Love. It is easy to lose focus and forget priorities.

Prayer is the preventative and curative antidote. We must stay close to our one true Source in order to accomplish all that is healthful. Prayer and worship reorder our hearts and ensure that we are never far from the love of God. We will not prevent all the headaches, heartaches, and challenges of life. Good "Mama Care" just makes everything more manageable. And it gives us the chance to breathe deeply again the air of grace.

Mama Care

5

Full-Year Classical Core Curriculum Packages for Special-Needs Students Visit ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com to obtain detailed information about each level and to take readiness assessments.

Simply Classical Curriculum

LEVEL A PACKAGE PRICE

Readiness, Rhythm, & Rhyme Ages 2-3 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)

225

Curriculum Manual Only $30

$

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Level A Curriculum Manual Prayers for Children Jesus Is With Me Jesus Hears Me Jesus Knows Me Big Red Barn The Best Mouse Cookie Little Fur Family Bunny's Noisy Book From Head to Toe Goodnight Moon Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? • Numbers, Colors, Shapes

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Very Busy Spider Good Night, Gorilla The Tale of Peter Rabbit Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings My Very First Book of Shapes ABC: Amazing Alphabet Book Put Me in the Zoo Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb Cars and Trucks From A to Z My First Counting Book The Animals' Christmas Eve Big Dog ... Little Dog Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? My First Real Mother Goose 1 Is One

Simply Classical Curriculum

LEVEL B

RETAIL

212.14

$

Essentials, Etiquette, & Ear Training Ages 3-4 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)

PACKAGE PRICE

185

$

Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $34 Supplemental Read-Aloud Program $125

CHRISTIAN STUDIES, MEMORY, & MANNERS A Child's Garden of Bible Stories, Bible Pictures to Color, Prayer for a Child, Please and Thank You Book, Big Thoughts for Little People, How Can I Help?

CURRICULUM MANUAL Lesson Plans for One Year

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS, PHONICS, & READING Alphabet Coloring Book, My First ABC Book, Simply Classical Crafts Book One (p. 8), Alphabet Flashcards

ENRICHMENT

ARITHMETIC & FINE-MOTOR

My First Body Book, Do It Carefully, My Big Animal Book, A Child's Garden of Verses, A Child's Garden of Songs CD, Back to the Garden CD, Best First Book Ever!

Numbers Coloring Book, Adventures With Books, Everywhere We Go, Counting With Numbers

New to Simply Classical?

You need this item from Level A. Prayers for Children $4.99

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Simply Classical Curriculum

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

Simply Classical Curriculum

LEVEL C

Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $85 Supplemental Read-Aloud Program $335 CURRICULUM MANUAL Lesson Plans for One Year

CHRISTIAN STUDIES, MEMORY, & MANNERS

Animals, Alphabet, & Aesop Ages 4-5 (Chronological Age or Skill Level) PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS, PHONICS, & READING

RETAIL

224.67

$

PACKAGE PRICE

200

$

Alphabet Books 1-2, Classical Phonics, First Start Reading Student Book A, First Start Reading Teacher, Simply Classical Letters & Numbers Desk Charts (p. 12)

My ABC of Bible Verses

ARITHMETIC & FINE-MOTOR Numbers Books 1-2, Going on Eagerly, My Very Own Scissors Book (p. 8)

New to Simply Classical? You need this item from Level A.

ENRICHMENT Animals Animals, Simply Classical Crafts Book Two, Aesop's Fables, Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever, Finding the Answers, Hearing and Helping, Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book K, Animal Alphabet Coloring Book

Prayers for Children $4.99

Simply Classical Curriculum

LEVEL 1

Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $70 Supplemental Read-Aloud Program $150 Supplemental Science & Enrichment Set $125 CURRICULUM MANUAL Lesson Plans for One Year

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS, PHONICS, & READING

CHRISTIAN STUDIES, MEMORY, & MANNERS The Story Bible, The Creation Story for Children, Simply Classical Copybook 1 (p. 12)

New to Simply Classical? You need these items from Level C. Classical Phonics $16.95 Letters & Numbers Desk Charts $12.95 First Start Reading Teacher $14.95

1-877-862-1097

Sentences, Sums, & Stories Ages 5-6 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)

Fun in the Sun, Soft and White, Scamp and Tramp, Primary Phonics Readers Sets 1-3, Core Skills Phonics K-1, First Start Reading Student Books A-D, Phonics from A to Z

ENRICHMENT Kindergarten & First Grade Art Cards, Hailstones and Halibut Bones, A Child's Book of Poems, Days Gone By CD, My Nature Journal (p. 12), Animals! GeoPuzzle

RETAIL

450.53

$

PACKAGE PRICE

350

$

ARITHMETIC & FINE-MOTOR Rod & Staff Arithmetic 1 Student (part 1), Teacher, Flashcards, Practice Sheets, Best Counting Book Ever, This First Thanksgiving Day

Simply Classical Curriculum

7

Simply Classical Curriculum

LEVEL 2 RETAIL

308.22

$

Comprehension, Calculations, & Character Ages 6-8 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)

PACKAGE PRICE

275

$

Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $125 Optional Extended Literature Set $19.50 Supp. Literature, Science, History, & Geography Read-Aloud Set $240 Supp. Arithmetic Read-Aloud Set $50

LITERATURE, COMPOSITION, & GRAMMAR Simply Classical Writing: Book One (Read-Aloud Ed.) (p. 13), Simply Classical StoryTime Treasures Student and Teacher (p. 13), Little Bear, Little Bear's Visit, Blueberries for Sal, Caps for Sale, At the Farm

ENRICHMENT

ARITHMETIC & FINE-MOTOR

CURRICULUM MANUAL

Rod &Staff Arithmetic 1 Student (part 2), Speed Drills

Lesson Plans for One Year

Second Grade Art Cards, Animal Tales CD

New to Simply Classical?

You need these items from previous levels.

Classical Phonics $16.95 Arithmetic 1 Teacher $20.95 Arithmetic 1 Practice Sheets $16.50 Arithmetic 1 Flashcards $17.80 Child's Garden of Bible Stories $11.99

CURSIVE Cursive Practice Sheets, New American Cursive 1 (p. 12)

CHRISTIAN STUDIES, MEMORY, & MANNERS

PHONICS & SPELLING Moose Moments: Silent E, Moose Moments: Short Vowels, Moose Moments: Digraphs, Core Skills Phonics 2-3, Phonics Flashcards, Core Skills Spelling 1, Simply Classical Spelling: Book One (p. 13)

SC Copybook 2: Manuscript (p. 12)

Enrichment Ages 7-9,

Ages 3-5,

chronological age or skill level

chronological age or skill level $19.95

Help your child develop hand strength, finemotor skills, and independence with one or both books in this set. In My Very First Scissors Book, the child learns to open and close his scissors to cut along thick lines which fade, grow wavy, and create shapes as the pages progress. In My Very Own Scissors Book, the activities coordinate with alphabet lessons in Simply Classical Curriculum Level C (p.

7) or may serve as a useful precursor to the Jr. Kindergarten Book of Crafts. Both books feature perforated pages and large "cutting boxes" to promote the child's success.

$9.95 ea.

(Book One or Book Two)

$6.00 ea.

Scissors Books

Ages 3-5,

chronological age or skill level

Simply Classical Enrichment Guide: Level 3 This supplemental guide is organized by week, and coordinates with the Level 3 Curriculum Manual. It explores in-depth the American History Read-Aloud books, and the art, music, and poetry selections that are scheduled in the Level 3 Curriculum Manual.

Included are artist biographies, background information on artistic and musical periods, suggested discussion questions, and activities to expand your child's cultural, scientific, and general knowledge.

Simply Classical Crafts The creative arts are an essential part of primary school education. These activities reinforce number and letter recognition, strengthen fine-motor skills, and foster creativity and confidence. Book One contains letter crafts from Memoria Press' Jr. K Book of Crafts. Book Two contains story crafts from Memoria Press' Jr. K Book of Crafts.

While the crafts in these books have been carefully chosen to promote skill growth and coordination, the most important component is fun. Enjoy each of your creations and the time spent together making them!

"I just wanted to say what a blessing this curriculum has been. I have seen such tremendous progress with my eight-year-old son. I suspect he has ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Reading for him had been such a struggle. Now I am so much more hopeful and have such a sense of relief. His reading, printing, and spelling have improved. So for those of you debating about trying this curriculum I highly recommend it." — Elise

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Simply Classical Curriculum

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

Simply Classical Curriculum

LEVEL 3

Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $130 Optional American History Read-Aloud Set $225 Supplemental Arithmetic Read-Aloud Set $50 CURRICULUM MANUAL Lesson Plans for One Year

CHRISTIAN STUDIES, MEMORY, & MANNERS

Literature, Latin, & Liberty Ages 7-9 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)

LATIN

ARITHMETIC & FINE-MOTOR

Prima Latina Student, Teacher, and Pronunciation CD

Rod & Staff Arithmetic 2 Student Units 1, 2, and 3, Teacher Units 1-2 and 3-5, and Blacklines, Write-On / Wipe-Off Demo Clock

RETAIL

382.37

$

PACKAGE PRICE

300

$

ENRICHMENT

LITERATURE, COMPOSITION, & GRAMMAR

SC 3 Enrichment Guide, Map of the U.S. Sticker Picture Book, States & Capitals Flashcards

Simply Classical More StoryTime Treasures Student and Teacher (p. 13), Billy and Blaze, The Story About Ping, Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, Stone Soup, Wagon Wheels, Prairie School, Prairie School Student Guide, Simply Classical Writing: Book Two (Read-Aloud Ed.) (p. 13)

Copybook Cursive 3

NEW USER ADD-ON SET $95 New to Simply Classical?

You need these items from prior years.

Classical Phonics, The Story Bible, K, 1st, and 2nd Grade Art Cards, Phonics Flashcards, Core Skills Phonics 3

CURSIVE

PHONICS & SPELLING

New American Cursive 2 - Famous Americans (p. 12), My Thankfulness Journal - Beginner (p. 12), New American Cursive Desk Strip

First Start Reading Book E Student and Teacher, Core Skills Phonics 4, Core Skills Spelling 2, Sounds of the Sea, On the Trail, Simply Classical Spelling: Book Two (p. 13)

Character Building Myself & Others:

Lessons for Social Understanding, Habits, and Manners

by Cheryl Swope

These 14-week sets provide simple, standalone lessons in common courtesy, character, and compassion that often seem neglected today.

With easy-to-teach instructions, each book provides 4-day lessons that can be taught in as little as 30-60 minutes per day over a single semester or summer. Myself & Others has five components: Rules, Health, Safety, Manners, and Listening.

Ages 4-13 Guide Books $19.95 ea.

Book One Core Set $52 Book One Read-Aloud Set $95 Book Two Core Set $22 Book Two Read-Aloud Set $92 Book Three Core Set $55 Book Four Core Set $48

To view guide samples and full book set lists, visit MemoriaPress.com.

1-877-862-1097

Simply Classical Curriculum

9

Simply Classical Curriculum RETAIL

514.88

$

LEVEL 4

Mammals, Myths, & Multiplication Ages 8-10 (Chronological Age or Skill Level)

PACKAGE PRICE

400

$

Curriculum Manual Only $30 Consumables Only $130 Optional Level 2 Extended Literature Set $19.50 Optional Level 4 Extended Literature Set $25.00

LATIN

PHONICS & SPELLING

Prima Latina DVDs, Prima Latina Flashcards

Traditional Spelling I Student, Traditional Spelling I Teacher, Traditional Spelling I Practice Sheets

CURRICULUM MANUAL Lesson Plans for One Year

CURSIVE New American Cursive 2: Famous Quotations and Scripture, My Thankfulness Journal: Beginner, Prima Latina Copybook

LITERATURE, COMPOSITION, & GRAMMAR Animal Folk Tales set, The Courage of Sarah Noble set, Little House in the Big Woods set, Second Grade Literature Dictionary, Core Skills Language Arts 1 and 2

ENRICHMENT

ARITHMETIC

Heroes, Horses, and Harvest Moons: A Cornucopia of Best-Loved Poems, Vol. 1 CD, Don't Know Much About the 50 States, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty & The Beast, King Midas and the Golden Touch, Cupid & Psyche, Persephone, Pegasus, The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War, Mammals Student Guide, Mammals Teacher Guide, The World of Mammals, What Is the Animal Kingdom?, What Is a Mammal?, My Nature Journal, Composition & Sketchbook II

Rod & Staff Arithmetic 2 Student (Unit 4), Rod &Staff Arithmetic 2 Student (Unit 5), Flashkids Flashcards: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division

NEW USER ADD-ON SET $83 "Simply Classical maintains the classical approach for which Memoria Press is so well known, but it dials back the difficulty, inserts more incremental step-by-step lessons, and adds more hands-on and active learning that might be needed for children with special needs. It might work well with children who have minimal developmental delays, but is also well suited for children with more significant intellectual disabilities, language disorders, autism, or learning disabilities." — Cathy Duffy

10

New to Simply Classical? You need these items from prior years.

Rod & Staff Arithmetic 2 Teacher Manual Units 3-5, Prima Latina Student Guide, Prima Latina Teacher Manual, Prima Latina Pronunciation CD, States & Capitals Flashcards, Map of the U.S. Sticker Picture Book, Classical Phonics, Phonics Flashcards

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

BOYS, MEN, & POETRY

by Catherine Saylor Alone stood brave Horatius, But constant still in mind;

Thrice thirty thousand foes before, And the broad flood behind.

—Horatius at the Bridge, Thomas Babington, Lord Macaulay Amid the bustle of boys just released from school, I searched the crowd for my 12-year-old son, Louis.

He approached me with tears in his eyes. Both he and his younger brother, Ben, had competed as finalists in their school's poetry recitation competition that day. The previous year, the boys had won first place together. But today, in front of a crowd of over one hundred people, Louis had blanked in the first stanza, stood silent for several moments, and then started over, defeated. Ben had won first place for his grade again.

At my sons' all-boys classical school, students choose poems or dramatic speeches to memorize and recite, first in front of their class, and then in front of a crowd of schoolmates. The winners earn points in a House System and are cheered as heroes by their peers. The boys' teachers, all of whom are men, also regularly memorize and recite poetry for their students and for their colleagues, inspiring the boys to perform well.

The combination of stirring poetry and intense competition has given these recitations a prominent place in the life of the school, assuring that the boys begin practicing the skills of rhetoric long before they have left the grammar stage of learning, and also cementing the idea that beautiful poetry is an essential part in the life of a man.

Losing a competition teaches valuable lessons as well. For Louis, it took a good talk with Dad and a story from Grandma about her own "most embarrassing moment in front of a crowd" for the tears to dry. That evening at dinner, I heard him gallantly say to his younger brother, "No one had a chance against you."

I have another son, William, whose special needs would make it difficult for him to benefit from the vigorous culture and intense academic pace of his brothers' school. Homeschooling is a perfect fit for him, as it provides him the opportunity to pursue a classical education at his own pace and in a less stressful environment. At the same time, I want to inspire in him the same love of poetry I see in my other sons and have him experience the thrill that comes from a successful public oration. Reading and analyzing poetry are essential, but poetry, like drama, must also be read and performed aloud to be fully appreciated.

We can and should take the time in our homeschools to have our students memorize the poetry they study. Even in a homeschool setting, you can provide opportunities for your child to recite in public.

Practice performing at family dinner or when guests visit. Organize a children's poetry recitation through your local homeschool or special-needs support group, church youth group, scout troop, or informal group of friends.

Of course, many children with special needs struggle with anxiety and have difficulty with losing games or competitions. Depending on the needs of your child, a competition may not be the best way to begin with poetry recitation. However, William overcame anxiety and severe perfectionism last summer through such a competition held at a summer day camp. Not only did he win the competition, but now he is earnestly working on earning the medal Memoria Press offers for memorizing Horatius at the Bridge.

While sports and music lessons can provide many of the same benefits of practicing a difficult skill and overcoming anxiety to perform in front of others, poetry recitation is an art that can be accessible to many with special needs. The benefits of poetry recitation may be even greater for our children with special needs than for other children. All in one activity, a child strengthens his memory, practices poise, eye contact, and enunciation, and fills his heart and soul with beauty. These are gifts he will carry with him throughout his entire life.

Catherine Saylor is an English teacher and editor who lives in Houston, Texas. She is a wife, homeschooler, and mother of seven children, five of whom are boys.

1-877-862-1097

Boys, Men, & Poetry

11

SPOTLIGHT Myself & Others Grateful for the excellent books we get to dive in to with Memoria Press! We are using the Myself & Others Book One set and just finished the book Rikki Tikki Tavi this week.

All three of my boys loved it, and my oldest has been asking for a mongoose since the first day we read it.

Today, our little chihuahua mix killed a garden snake in the backyard while the boys were playing, and now they can’t stop talking about how loving and loyal our dog was to "save their lives" (although they weren’t in any real danger).

I love that both my autistic five-year-old and his neurotypical brothers all learn so much from each week and that their love of good books continues to grow!

Thank you for putting these sets together! They are wonderful for everyone!

—Jeannette

Copybooks & Cursive Ages 6-12, chronological age or skill level

Ages 4-11, chronological age or skill level

Beginner Journal $8.50 Intermediate Journal $8.50

$8.95

My Nature Journal

My Thankfulness Journals

by Cheryl Swope

These journals let students practice their cursive writing while thinking about God's daily blessings in their lives. Each page begins "Dear Heavenly Father," and closes, "Your child," with space for the child's signature.

In between is room for students to list their blessings each day. The Intermediate Journal is a smaller font size and has less tracing as students progress.

Savor small moments of wonder with your child as he learns the simple beauty of nature. Create a keepsake for your child as you witness improvement in his knowledge, attention to detail, and writing skills through the exercises. Help your child make essential connections between oral language and written language, even as you assist his ability to observe and enjoy the wonders of nature.

This book can stand alone as a delightful supplement to any program.

(New American Cursive font)

by Cheryl Swope

Ages 5-9, chronological age or skill level

Ages 9+ chronological age or skill level

$8.95 ea.

Aesop Copybook

Book 1, Manuscript Book 2, Manuscript or Cursive Book 3, Cursive

Strengthen penmanship, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, fine-motor skills, and memory, through the time-honored tradition of copybooks. Students learn habits of accuracy, neatness, and patience, while receiving truth and comfort from Holy Scripture. Shorter selections help accommodate for writing difficulties while providing the full benefits of copybook exercises for all beginning writers.

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Book 1 $22.95 Book 2 (Scripture or Famous Americans) $22.95 Book 3 (Scripture or Famous Quotes) $22.95 Startwrite CD $29.95

Simple, clear, & effective!

• Natural right slant (easier for beginners & lefties) • Illustrations/Exercises for letter connections • Bound at the top for right- or left-handers • Focus on accuracy and legibility • Simplified classic letter forms • Multi-sensory teaching methods • Takes only 15 min./day

$8.95

Aesop's Fables $12.95

Simply Classical Copybook Series:

Book One, Two, and Three by Cheryl Swope

New American Cursive

by Iris Hatfield Grades 1-4

Aesop Copybook

Aesop Copybook Set $20.00

by Cheryl Swope

The Aesop Copybook is a lovely companion to Aesop’s Fables. The simplicity of New American Cursive and the brevity of lessons will assist students to become stronger, more capable thinkers and writers.

Teaching instructions are included.

Ages 4-7, chronological age or skill level $12.95

Letters & Numbers Desk Charts Reinforce your teaching with desk charts formatted to accompany lessons. Bold, targeted letters assist visual discrimination.

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

Language Arts Ages 6-9, chronological age or skill level

Ages 6-9, chronological age or skill level

Student $19.95 ea.

Teacher $10.00

$40 each set

(Book 2 only)

Simply Classical Writing: Books 1 & 2 (choose from Read-Aloud or Bible Story editions)

"What should I write? I don't know what to say." The so-called progressive approach leaves beginning writers ill-prepared for the art of writing. This series combines classical copybook, grammar rules, and composition into one carefully sequenced series of explicit instruction, so students can practice early writing skills with confidence.

Simply Classical StoryTime Treasures (Student, Teacher, Little Bear, Little Bear's Visit, Caps for Sale, & Blueberrries for Sal)

Simply Classical More StoryTime Treasures (Student, Teacher, Billy and Blaze, The Story About Ping, Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, & Stone Soup)

Blossoming readers need to discover the riches of a good story. With simplified exercises in word study, composition, and oration, this delightful guide provides a joyful introduction to children's literature.

Simply Classical Spelling: Books 1 & 2 This series gives your struggling writer an incremental, multi-sensory approach with an oral/aural emphasis. Each week includes targeted Word Study exercises to promote linguistic awareness, cognitive flexibility, and improved spelling skills. ✓✓ Improve auditory discrimination ✓✓ Increase cognitive flexibility

BOOK NOTES

Charlotte's Web

Ages 6-9, chronological age or skill level $14.95 ea.

✓✓ Strengthen listening skills ✓✓ Build spelling confidence

A Book Review by Michelle Swope This book is about understanding the world as you grow up. From a young runty pig to a grown hog, the first gift of words came to Wilbur as "some pig." The pig's friend who spun the words, a spider named Charlotte no less, spends her life and days making the pig happy, when he is far from his blissful home with Fern Arable, the young girl with whom he spends his days.

Now he is a hog and Fern is grown up, or at least a young lady who sees boys (particularly Henry Fussy) in a whole new way. Charlotte’s final hours come when it becomes evident that she has saved Wilbur the pig from the dire fate of becoming the Christmas ham. Now people will never look at him as food—crunchy or otherwise.

You will read about Charlotte’s magnum opus—her great work— although it must be confessed that her greatest work is her willingness to help Wilbur in his darkest hour. You will love all of the characters in this striking story, even Fern’s dotish brother Avery.

You must read the book for yourself.

by E. B. White

Happy tales!

This book is included in the literature selections of the upcoming Simply Classical Curriculum: Levels 5-6.

Michelle Swope was born in 1995 with her twin brother, Michael. She likes reading, listening to music, and playing with her cat Silky. Despite having schizophrenia, autism, and learning disabilities, Michelle graduated from her homeschool in 2013 and has since written two books of fireside poetry, Through Time's Looking Glass and her recent release, God's Harvest.

1-877-862-1097

Language Arts

13

A Communal Feast

I

n some circles the word "curriculum" is anathema.

It is far better, this thinking asserts, to take a relaxed approach to education, to teach a la carte, or to let the child decide what and when to study. We must not be "dogmatic."

Different children must study different things—or so we begin to believe. We should not determine what is good for them to read or even to know.

by Cheryl Swope

It runs like this: all men are different; therefore, all men require a different education; therefore, anybody who suggests that their education should be in any respect the same has ignored the fact that all men are different; therefore, nobody should suggest that everybody should read some of the same books; some people should read some books, some should read others.

This dogma has gained such a hold on the minds of American educators that you will now often hear a college president boast that his college has no curriculum. Each student has a course of study framed, or 'tailored' is the usual word, to meet his own individual needs and interests.

We should not linger long in discussing the question of whether a student at the age of eighteen [or six or eleven] should be permitted to determine the actual content of his education for himself ‌.

Educators ought to know better than their pupils what an education is.1

Nourishing Children Some of us remember our mothers or grandmothers who prepared, like clockwork, well-rounded meals with good sources of proteins, vegetables, and bone-building foods on our plates. We did not always like our food, but we ate. No debating, begging, or whining. No placing individual meal orders. We dined with both portions and nutrients predetermined, and we were nourished.

Not only were we nourished by the food, but also by the conversations that accompanied the food.

Postmodern-parenting experts advise, by contrast, that if a child does not like the nutritious food he has been given, he should not be compelled to eat it. Let him choose. He knows best. How well is this working?

Many of us see young parents chasing their children around the house with "hidden" nutrients in squeezable green cartoon-character packets.

Cheryl Swope is the author of Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child and Memoria Press' Simply Classical Curriculum, as well as editor of the Simply Classical Journal.

14

Children and their parents seem exhausted and frustrated. Young children often eat large amounts of sugar, fast food, and empty calories, while learning little more than that they can control their parents at least three times daily.

Often it is the same with our school days, even among homeschooling families: Children are not compelled to complete their studies if they do not like them. Like full plates of uneaten food in the trash, stacks of uncompleted homeschool resources fill the homes of homeschoolers. Sometimes these were purchased by the same parents who once said, "I cannot afford a full curriculum."

Perhaps rather than cost, the real driving force behind curriculum decisions is this: As parents, we don't truly believe we should impose extrinsic standards. We scorn a prepared curriculum, even if it is one brimming with purposeful enculturation, the highest quality teaching resources, and classic literature.

We trade this for largely hands-on projects, splashy entertainment, or following the child's lead. When we do this, what is being lost is our communal, cultural birthright—the accumulated wealth of knowledge, beauty, and reason that a curriculum is intended to pass down to a student.

ClassicalSpecialNeeds.com

Different, Yet the Same

A Curriculum for Community

Learning differences of mind and body may necessitate more intentional teaching strategies, or a different pacing, but we can modify without compromising content. We need not let the child's differences diminish the richness of his studies. We can reaffirm our devotion to an education founded upon our common humanity.

A shared curriculum creates community. Community among those with special needs is not only possible; it is essential. Everything starts with the understanding that all children are similar. Hyper-individualization based on perceived differences or immature preferences will serve no one well, least of all the child himself. Let us read the same books, sing the same songs, and hear the same stories to the greatest extent possible.

All men are different; but they are also the same. If any common program is impossible, if there is no such thing as an education that everybody ought to have, then we must admit that any community is impossible ‌.2

Let every child hear Charlotte's Web to learn the beautiful art of self-sacrifice. Let him "live inside" the Little House books to understand duty to family, hard work, and appreciation for simple joys. Let him grow into greater works that will fill his days and his mind.

More than this, let him hear and learn Holy Scripture, for "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?"

(Romans 10:14, KJV) 1-877-862-1097

In view of the urgent need for unity and community, it does not seem an exaggeration to say that the present crisis calls first of all for an education that shall emphasize those respects in which men are the same, rather than those in which they are different. [We need] an education that draws out our common humanity rather than our individuality. Individual differences can be taken into account in the methods that are employed.3

With a return to the intent of education, the Simply Classical Curriculum seeks to bring educational nourishment to children who may need modifications, yet whose humanity begs for the common truth, goodness, and beauty needed by all.

1 Hutchins, Robert M. with Adler, Mortimer. The Great Conversation, Britannica Great Books (University of Chicago, 1952), 49.

2 Ibid, 50.

3 Ibid, 50-51.

A Communal Feast

15

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Memoria Press

4603 Poplar Level Road Louisville, KY 40213

presents

THE ORDER

OF THINGS The Classical Tradition of Teaching the Best Things at the Right Time

July 9-10

2018

TO REGISTER: MemoriaPress.com/SG18

Join us for the Special-Needs Track with workshops led

by Cheryl Swope and experienced Simply Classical users

GATHERING AT: Highlands Latin School Louisville, KY

ISBN 9781547700325

90000 >

9 781547 700325