How to Raise Readers, in Thirty-Five Steps

How to Raise Readers, in Thirty-Five Steps by Brad East at Front Porch Republic. It is not too much to say that everything in our culture pushes against habits of deep reading. Our ears are filled with noise, our eyes are stuck on screens, and our attention is scattered and distracted by a thousand entertainments…Nevertheless, within varying limits, there are certain things parents can do to make it more likely that their children will learn good reading habits—even become lifelong readers themselves. Here are the ones that have worked well for our family. Read

A Deep Dive on U.S. Reading and Math Scores, and What to Do about Them by Cory Turner at NPR. U.S. students were still nearly half a grade level behind in both math and reading in the spring of 2024, compared with achievement levels before the pandemic. That's according to the latest release of the Education Recovery Scorecard, a data-rich deep dive into student learning. Read

The 4 Best Things Flannery O’Connor Teaches Us About How to Read Fiction by Andrew J. Zwerneman at Cana Academy. On my short list of must-reads for literature teachers is Flannery O’Connor’s essay, The Teaching of Literature, found in a collection of ten wonderful pieces of hers entitled Mystery and Manners. This essay reveals O’Connor as a teacher of teachers on the subject of fiction. Collectively, her essays represent a great mind and expansive heart that open up the world in ways that are insightful and compelling…Let’s take a look at the 4 best things Flannery O’Connor teaches us about how to read fiction. Read

Virgil and the Christian Imagination by Paul Krause at Front Porch Republic. “Love conquers all things; let us yield to love.” It would be perfectly reasonable to misattribute this quote to a famous early church father or a book from the Bible. Instead, it is from the great Roman poet Virgil. Anyone familiar with Dante’s Divine Comedy will remember that Virgil is a prominent character, serving as Dante’s guide through hell and purgatory. Saint Augustine, while critical of aspects of Virgil’s mythopoetic political theology, held him in great esteem and went so far as to call him the “best and most renowned of all poets.” Read

The Sacrament That Haunts Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ by Dr. Tod Worner at Word on Fire. There are two hauntings that occur in Shakespeare’s tragedy of Hamlet. The first, obviously, is the king’s ghost. But the second is more discomfiting. It is the haunting of unforgiven sins and the dark destiny of a sin-wracked soul. More than I ever realized, Hamlet is about a sacrament—the Sacrament of Confession. The play speaks to the confession of the king, the confession of Claudius, and the confession of Hamlet himself. Read

The Divine Vision for Lent: Walking our Students through Lent with Beauty by Marie Kelly at The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. As Catholic educators, parents, and friends, I invite you to ponder how you, your students, and your family and friends will grow closer to Christ this Lenten season; through fasting and almsgiving, yes, but especially through prayer. How can we lead our students to walk the road to Calvary with Christ this Lent? One idea is to pray with Visio Divina. Read

Mentoring for Temperance by Kyle Blackmer at The Heights Forum. As a basis for mentoring, there may be no better starting point than knowledge of the virtues. Any school or organization endeavoring to begin or strengthen a mentoring program should consider this. If, from early on, we develop in our students a vocabulary of the virtues, a concrete understanding of these all-important ways of living, then our ability to mentor them is enhanced tremendously. Read

Beauty & Truth Summer Conference at Christendom College. Inspired by the Catholic Church’s rich and living artistic tradition, Christendom’s Summer Conference 2025 will explore the topic of Beauty with faithfully Catholic experts on art, literature, music, theology, and philosophy from among our own faculty and invited guest speakers. Join us for a weekend that will feature a rare blend of intellectual enrichment, spiritual renewal, and cultural celebration, surrounded by a community of fellow Catholics. Register

Throwback Thursday

Forming a Child’s Taste for Beauty by Haley Stewart at Word on Fire on July 19, 2024. In this episode Haley interviews Daniel Mitsui, a professional artist specializing in sacred art. They discuss the artistic traditions that influence his work and how to help our children not merely be familiar with art history but to truly develop a love and appreciation for beautiful art. Daniel also shares specific recommendations for great illustrators and wonderful picture books to share with the children in your life. Listen