The Classical School - Winter 2021

Saving Western civilization one student at a time.

Winter 2021

WHAT IS A CURRICULUM?

BY MARTIN COTHRAN

The Debt We Owe the Greeks

by R. W. Livingstone Learning Isn't Fun and That's Okay

by Tanya Charlton

L etter from the E ditor

The Teacher's Almanac

by Martin Cothran

Martin Cothran is editor of The Classical School, and is a writer, speaker, and school consultant. He is a former Latin, logic, and rhetoric instructor at Highlands Latin School, as well as founder and former director of the Memoria Press Online Academy. He is also the author of several textbooks on logic and rhetoric.

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Letter from the Editor

In his Theaetetus, Plato compares the process of a teacher instilling wisdom in his students to the process of giving birth. "I am like the midwife," he says, "in that I cannot myself give birth to wisdom." Plato believed in the pre-existence of souls, and that the process of acquiring knowledge is just the rediscovery of what once, in some prior incarnation, we already knew.

Educators can be divided between Platonists, who see education as a kind of self-actualization—a giving birth to what is already inside you—and Aristotelians, who see education as a kind of formation—less like birth and more like growing plants.

Unlike the midwife who only arrives at showtime, the gardener is there at the plant's inception when he plants the seeds, he's there while the plants mature as he waters and fertilizes them, and he's there at the end when he plucks the fruit.

There are a lot of things that go into growing a productive garden. The first is good soil—a plant will not thrive without it.

The good gardener will make sure the garden is planted in dark, loamy soil and given plenty of nutrients.

The soil from which our students grow is constituted in large part by their home life, something over which we only have so much control—which makes what we do with them while we have them that much more important. It means that everything we do in class is contributing to the students' functional, cultural, and moral literacy. In some cases, it may be the only fertilizer they get. They must be shown the order of reality through structured training in basic skills; they must be constantly exposed to great (and good) literature; and they must be able to benefit from the teacher's good moral example, as well as the good examples they encounter in the literature we teach them.

The second factor for a garden is good weather. Plenty of water and plenty of sun will give the plant the energy it needs to flourish, and such an environment will facilitate growth.

We should constantly assess the atmosphere of our classrooms. While we cannot buy into the fallacy that learning must always be "fun," there should be something fulfilling about what our students learn. We don't need to entertain them, but we do need to inspire them.

Our passion for what we teach will cast a ray of sunlight on the lives of our students. They will be warmed by our warmth; they will grow toward the light we shine on them.

Finally, there is the matter of dealing with the threats to the garden—wind and weeds and pests.

Poor-quality literature should be plucked from the soil around your students, and social media and video games should be sprayed with a strong pesticide. Digital technology is the greatest threat to the intellectual and spiritual vitality of our children today. We should use it only when absolutely necessary in our classrooms.

We must be patient and diligent. There will come that season of life when the growing time is over and we can gather the fruit of our efforts and take some satisfaction in knowing that, while we did not give birth to the wellbeing of our students, we did have a strong influence on how they grew into wise and virtuous adults.

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THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL

Winter 2021 FEATURED ARTICLES

2 4 11 14 20 26

PRIMARY

17 17 18 19

Letter from the Editor by Martin Cothran How Latin Develops the Mind by Cheryl Lowe Book Review: Climbing Parnassus by Tracy Lee Simmons What Is a Curriculum? by Martin Cothran Learning Isn't Fun and That's Okay by Tanya Charlton

Grades 1+ Grades K-6

Phonics, Reading, & Spelling

Grades K+

Jr. Kindergarten & Enrichment

23 Writing & English Grammar 28 Literature 30 Upper School Literature & Poetry

Classical Education Resources

LATIN, GREEK, & FRENCH

6 7 8 9

Ages 4+

LITERATURE, GRAMMAR, & WRITING

The Debt We Owe the Greeks by R. W. Livingstone

RESOURCES

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New American Cursive Copybooks

Grades 1-4

Grammar School Latin

Grades 3-6

Latin Forms Series

Grades 4+

Latin Supplements

Grades 3+ Grades 4+

CLASSICAL STUDIES

24 Classical Literature 25 D'Aulaires' Greek Myths & Famous Men Series 25 Dorothy Mills Histories

Grades 1+ Grades 3+

AMERICAN / MODERN

Introduction to Grammar School Latin

10 Upper School Latin, Greek, & French

Grades 2+

Grades 6+ Grades 3-8

12 American/Modern Studies 13 Geography

Grades 1+ Grades 3+

SCIENCE & MATH

31 Science & Nature 31 Math

Grades 3+ Grades K+

LOGIC

22 Traditional Logic & Supplements

Grades 7+

Grades 6+

Find samples and full product descriptions at Charter.MemoriaPress.com!

Easy Reader classics These early readers introduce classic stories to young children and provide plenty of practice for students who are working on reading fluency.

Grades 1-2 | $3.95 ea.

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

The Jungle Book

The Wind in the Willows

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

#1: Animal Talk #2: The Circus Crocodile #3: Doctor Dolittle's Great Adventure #4: Doctor Dolittle's Magical Cure #5: Doctor Dolittle and the Pirates #6: Doctor Dolittle Goes Home

#1: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi Moves In #4: Mowgli Knows Best #5: The Boy and His Sled Dog #6: The Brave Little Seal

#1: The Riverbank #2: The Open Road #3: The Wild Wood #4: Home Sweet Home #5: Sneaky Toad #6: Restless Rat

#1: A Song for Aunt Polly #2: The Best Fence Painter

© Copyright 2021 (all rights reserved) Publisher | Memoria Press Editor | Martin Cothran Assistant Editor | Dayna Grant

Managing Editor | Tanya Charlton Copy Editor | Ellen R. Hale Graphic Designers | Aileen Delgado & Jessica Osborne

MEMORIA PRESS Charter.MemoriaPress.com

L atin

How Latin Develops the Mind

by Cheryl Lowe

M

any who are attracted to the idea of a classical education don't know exactly why, nor do they understand the necessity for Latin, or at least so much of it. A little bit of Latin is a good thing, they say, but every year? Spinach is a good thing, but every day?

In classical education, the primary focus of history is the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, and the primary focus of language study is classical languages. There are two—and only two—classical languages, Latin and Greek. I will confine my comments to Latin.

Yes, Latin helps with SAT scores. It does make learning a modern vocabulary easier. True, Latin is abundant in the technical vocabularies of the soft and hard sciences and law. A student of Latin should also gain a firmer grasp on English vocabulary by recognizing that almost all the big words come from Latin. But while these benefits are impressive, they are minor compared to the real value of Latin. There are important objectives that Latin achieves better than any other subject: The first is mental development and the second is an understanding of English grammar.

Latin develops the intellectual powers of the mind as no other subject can. How does Latin do it? In the same way as math.

Math is systematic, organized, orderly, logical, and cumulative. In a cumulative study, each skill builds upon the previous one; nothing can be Cheryl Lowe (1945-2017) was the founder of Memoria Press and the author of the Latin Forms Series, Classical Phonics, and many other books. She also founded Highlands Latin School in Louisville, Kentucky, where all Memoria Press materials are developed and tested.

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How Latin Develops the Mind

forgotten and everything must be remembered.

All knowledge and skills are interrelated. Math is hard because it builds so relentlessly year after year through every year of the child's education. Any skill not mastered one year will make work difficult the next year. It is unforgiving. It has to be overlearned.

The student continues to build a tower of learning, block by block, until he has reached a very high level of skill and knowledge.

Math forms the mind of the student to accuracy, logical thinking, and problem solving. It is formation, not information. Math truly educates and transforms the mind of the student through its order, logic, accuracy, and organization. The true purpose of education and all of the subjects we study in school is to develop and shape the mind and character of the student. The nature of the subject transfers its character to the student's mind.

Math is important, but it is secondary to language skills. In fact, math is dependent upon language skills. The math teacher teaches the concepts in words, and the mathematical symbols are used in place of words so they can be easily manipulated on paper. A truly educated person can be pretty lousy at math, because language skills are still the measure of the educated person—one who can speak and write with clarity and has power over his native language.

What do we have on the language side of the curriculum that is comparable to and that balances the rigorous, challenging, cumulative, formative study of math? Without Latin, the answer is, "Nothing."

Latin provides the missing component in modern education, the systematic language training comparable to and balancing the mathematics side of the curriculum. Almost Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Latin develops and enlarges the mind and brings the necessary balance to the curriculum.

everything I said about math could be said about Latin, but not about English, science, history, or French. Why not English grammar? English is not a classical language; it does not have the structure or the form, the logic or the rules. It would be like studying modern architecture or pop music, rather than classical architecture or classical music.

English doesn't follow the rules. The Romans were disciplined, and their language marched in columns, row after row, like soldiers. English is lax and loose, bending and changing wherever it fits our fancy. We are an independent, liberty-loving people, and our language shows it. Languages reflect the culture of the people who speak them.

The language influences the character of the people of a nation—and likewise the language is influenced by the people.

Furthermore, students have a very difficult time studying their own language. Students have grown up with their own language and they take it for granted. They are amazingly reluctant to analyze it because they can already put it to practical use 502-855-4824

instinctively. Beyond that, English grammar is abstract, whereas Latin is concrete. In Latin, you know the direct object because it is in the accusative case. In English, you have to figure it out based on the context. By teaching a language that is very different from English, the student, for the first time, really starts to see how his own language works. His own language comes alive.

Like English, modern languages are not classical.

Classical languages—Latin and Greek—are so different from modern languages that they seem strange to students. They open up a whole new world and give students the ability to think about language—a very difficult task since students use language naturally. The indirect method of instruction works best with languages, allowing the student to contrast and compare, to see the function of each part of speech and its role in our language.

It's like putting on 3D glasses that allow you to see all the dimensions of your own language.

Latin develops and enlarges the mind to a far greater degree than math and brings the necessary balance to the curriculum. The study of Latin is a complete education in that it develops the intellectual powers of the mind and, at the same time, develops English language skills far more effectively than English grammar.

Latin, like math, gives the student the experience of studying one subject to a mastery level. This is what is missing in modern education, where we try to teach everything and cover too many subjects superficially. There are few opportunities to use higher-order thinking skills when you are merely a novice. It is only when the student has studied a subject enough to have some depth that his mind can be stretched and challenged with higher-order thinking skills. Latin and math give students the invaluable experience of studying a systematic subject to a mastery level over a long period of time.

This is a key to mental and character development and is the most valuable academic experience a child can have in school.

Latin and math, when taught to a mastery level, require perseverance, hard work, stamina, will, grit. They require a plan, a never-give-up attitude, wits, flexibility, and preparation. Latin takes the student to the top of Mount Parnassus to survey the grassy plains below, where he frolicked as a child, and calls him to remember how little he knew years ago when he thought he knew everything. It says, "Now that you have climbed this mountain, you can overcome any future challenge you may meet."

How Latin Develops the Mind

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latin Latin develops the mind of the young student as no other subject can. It is the next step after phonics, and it is the most efficient means of teaching grammar, making concrete what is abstract in English. What arithmetic provides to the sciences, Latin provides to the humanities: mental discipline, structure, and foundational skills necessary for advanced subjects. The study of Latin is the core of a classical education.

We begin Latin as early as second grade, and continue every year, culminating in the translation of Latin literature in grades 9-12. Introduction to Grammar School Latin, Grammar School Latin, and the Latin Forms Series focus on the memorization of the Latin grammar by the time-tested method of oral recitation and form drills. This is followed by a Latin translation course in which students master the syntax that was gradually introduced throughout the Latin Forms Series. Our Latin sequence then culminates in the reading of the literature of Caesar, Ovid, Vergil, and Cicero in the original Latin in upper school. A student starting in fifth grade or later can begin with the Latin Forms Series.

Introduction to Grammar School Latin

by Leigh Lowe | Grades 1-4

Are you looking for a gentle introduction to Latin and a course that prepares your young student for a more advanced study of the language? Introduction to Grammar School Latin is specifically designed for students and teachers with no Latin background.

This course was developed for students in 1st-4th grades who are still becoming familiar with English grammar and wish to learn Latin at a slower pace and learn English grammar in the process. Its goal is to teach and reinforce an understanding of the basic parts of speech while introducing Latin. It benefits the student by teaching him half of the vocabulary in Grammar School Latin and grounding him in the fundamental concepts of English grammar, the key to Latin study.

LESSON 2 – Consonants and Vowel Teams

LESSON 2 – Consonants and Vowel Teams

Vocabulary

Practical Latin

magister – teacher (male)

magistra – teacher (female)

Practice saying the consonant sounds and vowel teams.

1. glōria

Lesson – Consonants and Vowel Teams Consonant Sounds:

Consonant c g s

Latin Sound k, as in cat g, as in go s, as in sing

glory

2. Caesar

Caesar

3. laudō

I praise

4. clāmō

I shout

5. caelum

sky

The grammar lessons are set forth in a form appropriate for primary grades. The review lessons that follow each unit provide the consistent review needed to master Latin. With clear explanations and easy-to-read lessons in a two-color format, Introduction to Grammar School Latin is perfect for those schools that would like to start their students on an early study of Latin.

Compare the sounds of c, g, and s in Latin & English: • In English, c has more than one sound: cent, cello, cat.

In Latin, c always has one sound: the hard c in cat.

• In English, g has more than one sound: gem, go.

In Latin, g always has one sound: the hard g in go.

• In English, s has more than one sound: his, sugar, sing.

In Latin, s always has one sound: the s in sing.

Vowel Teams:

Each week, learn the bold portion of the Pledge and add it to what you have previously learned.

Iūrō in Vexillum

Cīvitātum Americae Foederātārum, et in Rem Pūblicam quō haec significātur, …

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, …

Derivatives

There are three vowel teams in Latin: Vowel Team ae oe au

The Pledge of Allegiance (Part 1)

Latin Sound eye, as in bite (English long I) oi, as in boil ou, as in cow

glorious glorify czar (tsar) laud proclamation celestial

wonderful (adj.) to exalt, worship, or honor (v.) the monarch of pre-revolutionary Russia (n.) to praise (v.) an official announcement (n.) heavenly (adj.)

Introduction to Grammar School Latin

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*Student $15.00 Teacher $15.00 CD $8.95 Flashcards $14.95

Student Book • 25 lessons + 5 review lessons • 5 vocabulary words per lesson with corresponding English derivatives • Practical Latin phrases and Latin poetry • Grammar skills appropriate for primary grades • Consistent review

Teacher Manual • Student book w/ answers keyed • Tests

Pronunciation CD • Complete verbal pronunciation for each lesson

Flashcards • Vocabulary with derivatives • Latin sayings • Conjugations & declensions

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Introduction to Grammar School Latin is also the perfect preparation for Grammar School Latin.

View samples online: Charter.MemoriaPress.com *denotes consumable book

Classical Education Resources

Climbing Parnassus:

A New Apologia for Greek and Latin

by Tracy Lee Simmons $15.00

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Latin

The Schools We Need: And Why We Don't Have Them

by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. $17.95

Seven Myths About Education

by Daisy Christodoulou $34.95

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Grammar School Latin

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*Student $16.00 Teacher $20.00 CD $8.95 Flashcards $14.95 *Review Worksheets $9.95 Review Worksheets Key $5.00

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Student Book • 25 lessons + 5 review lessons • 10 vocabulary words per lesson w/ corresponding English derivatives • Latin sayings

Teacher Manual

Grammar School Latin: Introduction to First Form Latin

by Cheryl Lowe | Grades 3-6

Grammar School Latin is, quite simply, the best grammar-based Latin course available for beginning students. Cheryl Lowe's clear explanations, easy instructions, and step-by-step approach have led thousands of teachers and students to declare, "I love Latin!" With the help of this course, you are sure to love Latin too!

Each lesson consists of a grammar form, ten vocabulary words, English derivatives to help build vocabulary, and a Latin saying that teaches students about their classical heritage. Five review lessons help ensure that your student has mastered the material.

LESSON I

EXERCISES: Lesson I

A. Phrases and Sayings: Translate.

Latin Saying Salvē.

• Student book w/ answers keyed • Weekly lesson plans • Tests, quizzes, & keys • Comprehensive teaching instructions

Hello. (singular)

1. Salvē, magistra. (p. 72)________________________________________________________________ 2. Salvē. ______________________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary amō

3. laudō __________________________________

I love, like

amateur

labōrō

I work

laboratory

laudō

I praise

laudable

ōrō

I entreat, plead

orator

1. A verb is a word that shows _________________________________ .

vocō

I call

vocal

2. The letter -ō at the end of a Latin verb stands for the pronoun ________________ .

4. ōrō_____________________________________ 5. amō ____________________________________

B. Grammar

3. A/An ______________________________ is included in every Latin verb.

Grammar Forms

Pronunciation CD

C. Derivatives: Complete these sentences with derivatives you have learned in class.

1st Conjugation Person

• Complete verbal pronunciation for each lesson

Singular

1. Scientists perform experiments in a/an ____________________________________ .

Plural

1st

amō

-ō

amāmus

-mus

2nd

amās

-s

amā tis

-tis

3rd

amat

-t

amant

-nt

2. Someone who is a good public speaker is a/an ______________________________ .

3. Something that is worthy to be praised is __________________________________ .

4. He is a/an _______________________________________, not a professional.

Flashcards • Vocabulary with derivatives • Latin sayings • Conjugations & declensions 10

Lesson I

Lesson I

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Exercises reinforce memory work and teach grammar in incremental steps through simple translation. Grammar coverage includes 1st-2nd declension nouns, 1st-2nd conjugation verbs (in three tenses), 1st-2nd declension adjectives, and the irregular verb to be.

The Teacher Manual includes a complete copy of the Student Book with overlaid answers and provides detailed weekly lesson plans, comprehensive teaching instructions, tests, weekly quizzes, and keys. The thirty lessons can be completed over two years for younger students or in one year for older students.

Move straight to First Form Latin after Grammar School Latin.

View samples online: Charter.MemoriaPress.com *denotes consumable book

Grades 3-6 *Games & Puzzles $12.00 Games & Puzzles Key $5.00

Games & Puzzles for Grammar School Latin This activity book includes enrichment activities like Latin hangman, Latin crossword puzzles, and a Latin Pictionary competition to help your students learn the vocabulary, grammar, and derivatives in Grammar School Latin.

The Great Tradition:

Classic Readings on What It Means to Be an Educated Human Being edited by Richard M. Gamble $20.00

faq:

Can we get by without teacher guides?

Teacher guides include quizzes and tests, answers to student guides, teaching guidelines, and additional key information for connecting the material to other subjects and to the previous knowledge students have gained. Thus, we strongly encourage the purchase of a teacher guide for each subject.

The Great Books:

A Journey Through 2,500 Years of the West's Classic Literature

by Anthony O'Hear $22.00

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Latin

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First Form Latin Latin Grammar Year One

by Cheryl Lowe Grades 5+ (4+ if completed Grammar School Latin)

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Second Form Latin Latin Grammar Year Two

by Cheryl Lowe Grades 6+

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Text $13.50 *Workbook $15.00 Teacher Manual $12.00 Teacher Key $14.95 *Quizzes & Tests $5.00 CD $8.95 Flashcards $14.95

Text $13.50 *Workbook $15.00 Teacher Manual $12.00 Teacher Key $14.95 *Quizzes & Tests $5.00 CD $8.95 Flashcards $14.95

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5 noun declensions 1st-2nd declension adjectives 1st-2nd conjugations in 6 tenses (active voice) Sum in 6 tenses Syntax: nominative and accusative cases; complementary infinitive; subject-verb agreement; noun-adjective agreement; predicate nouns and adjectives

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2nd declension -er, -ir nouns and adjectives 3rd declension i-stem nouns 3rd declension adjectives of 2 terminations 1st and 2nd person pronouns and possessive pronoun adjectives Prepositions with ablative and accusative Adverbs and questions 3rd, 3rd -io, and 4th conjugations in 6 tenses (active voice) Present system passive of 1st-4th conjugations and -io verbs Syntax: genitive of possession; dative of indirect object; ablative of means and agent

*denotes consumable book

Third Form Latin Latin Grammar Year Three

by Cheryl Lowe Grades 7+

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Fourth Form Latin Latin Grammar Year Four

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by Cheryl Lowe Grades 8+

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Text $13.50 *Workbook $15.00 Teacher Manual $12.00 Teacher Key $14.95 Quizzes & Tests (School License) $20.00 CD $8.95

Text $13.50 *Workbook $15.00 Teacher Manual $12.00 Teacher Key $14.95 Quizzes & Tests (School License) $20.00

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Perfect system passive of 1st-4th conjugations and -io verbs 4th declension neuter nouns 3rd declension adjectives of 1 and 3 terminations Imperative mood, vocative case 9 irregular adjectives Regular and irregular comparison of adjectives and adverbs Pronouns: 3rd person, demonstrative, intensive, reflexive Active and passive subjunctive of 1st-4th conjugations and -io verbs Syntax: apposition; adjectives used as nouns; objective and partitive genitive; subjunctive in purpose clauses; exhortations; deliberative questions

Latin

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Participles, infinitives, gerunds, and gerundives Deponent verbs Irregular verbs eo and possum Introduction to verbal prefixes and subsequent vocabulary expansion Plural nouns Locative case Pronouns: relative and interrogative Syntax: double accusative; relative clauses; sequence of tenses and indirect questions; impersonal verbs; indirect statements (accusative with infinitive construction); gerundive of obligation

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Student Text • 2-page lessons on facing pages • Small, concise, unintimidating text • Systematic presentation of grammar in 5 logical units • Appendices with English grammar, conversational Latin, vocab, index, & more!

Teacher Manuals

Latin Forms Series

Word Study  Grammar  Syntax

LESSON I In chorō recitēmus.

Grades 4+

Let us recite together.

First Conjugation - Present Tense present stem Person

• Key to workbook & quizzes/tests • Copy of student text inset with comprehensive teaching instructions • Recitation schedule • Chalk Talk scripted lessons • FYI notes for teachers with limited background

amā-

Singular

Plural

1st

am-ō

I love

amā-mus

we love

2nd

amā-s

you (sing.) love

amā-tis

you (pl.) love

3rd

ama-t

he, she, it loves

ama-nt

they love

There are three persons in grammar. Below are the English pronouns and the corresponding Latin personal endings. Notice that English has only one word for the singular and plural you.

First Person (person speaking) Second Person (person spoken to) Third Person (person spoken about)

SINGULAR I you (sing.) he, she, it

ō/m s t

PLURAL we you (pl.) they

Workbook

mus tis nt

First Form Latin and its sister products have been used by more than 100,000 students across the world to learn Latin! First Form is an ideal text for beginners in grades 5 and up, or as a perfect follow-up to Grammar School Latin. The Latin Forms Series' grammar-first approach focuses on grammar forms and vocabulary because these skills are suitable for the grammar stage student—and every student is in the grammar stage when he begins a subject.

The Latin present tense corresponds to the English simple present, progressive present, and emphatic present. In English amō can mean: I love I am loving I do love

Amō is our model to study 1st Conjugation verbs.

In the conjugation chart above, the Latin personal endings, ō, s, t, mus, tis, nt, are in bolded blue. The Latin personal endings correspond to the English personal pronouns.

• 4-6 pages of exercises for each lesson • Exercises for practice and mastery • Grammar recitation for daily rapid-fire review

simple present progressive present emphatic present

The present tense is formed by adding the personal endings to the present stem, amā.

To find the present stem of each vocabulary word, drop the ō and add ā, the stem vowel of the first conjugation.1

Oral Drill

1. amant

1. he is swimming

Latin

English

Derivatives

2. portat

2. they plead

amō

I love, like

amorous, amateur

3. servō

3. she washes

dō

I give

donate

4. natāmus

4. you are guarding

lavō

I wash

lavatory

5. lavās

5. he does give

natō

I swim

natatorium

6. ōrātis

6. we carry

ōrō

I entreat, plead

orator

7. dat

7. you (pl.) like

parō

I prepare

preparation

8. stant

8. we are calling

portō

I carry

portable

9. parāmus

9. you stand

servō

I guard, keep

conservation

10. vocās

10. they prepare

stō

I stand

status

vocō

I call

vocation, vocal

Vocabulary

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The uniqueness of the Latin Forms Series lies in two features: 1) Commitment to the trivium model of teaching grammar systematically in order to facilitate retention and understanding, rather than topically, to facilitate translation; and 2) Extensive workbook exercises to ensure skill mastery and rapid recognition of inflected forms.

Based on twenty years of teaching experience, the Latin Forms Series, beginning with First Form, helps the student make sense of what many consider a difficult subject.

Quizzes & Tests • Reproducible weekly quizzes & unit tests

Flashcards 11

• Vocabulary with derivatives • Latin sayings • Conjugations • Declensions

Pronunciation CD • Includes the pronunciation of all vocabulary, sayings, and grammar forms for each lesson

View samples online: Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Latin Supplements Grades 4+

Grades 4+ 8.5" x 11"

33" x 17"

First Form and Second Form $12.95

First Form Latin $20.00 Second Form Latin $20.00

Third Form and Fourth Form $15.95

Grammar Wall Charts for the Latin Forms Series

Grammar Desk Charts for the Latin Forms Series

Grammar forms organized on wall charts are a great visual aid for Latin grammar students and for teachers during Latin recitations.

These desk-sized grammar charts are in a clean and easy-to-read format that helps students see the organization of the Latin grammar at a quick glance.

*Most macrons are omitted in order to reduce visual clutter on the charts.

*Most macrons are omitted in order to reduce visual clutter on the charts.

Latin Recitation CD/DVD This CD/DVD combination includes a recitation of the entire Latin grammar.

The DVD has visual charts with the grammar as Cheryl Lowe pronounces it.

Grades 3+ CD & DVD $14.95

*Most macrons are omitted from DVD charts in order to reduce visual clutter.

502-855-4824

Latin

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AP Latin Resources Grades 9+ Text $43.00 Teacher $24.00 Lesson Plans $14.95

Mueller's Caesar: Selections from De Bello Gallico

by Hans-Friedrich Mueller

Mueller's text and accompanying Teacher's Guide will lead students through Caesar's account of his wars in Gaul. A perfect first text for Latin students who are ready to translate, this program includes vocabulary, footnotes, historical background, and other resources, preparing interested students for the Caesar portion of the AP Latin Exam. Memoria Press' Lesson Plans (strongly recommended) schedule the work and teach, step by step, how to approach Latin translation.

Vergil's Aeneid: Selected Readings from Books 1, 2, 4, and 6

Excelability in Advanced Latin

by Barbara Weiden Boyd

This course contains over 75 passages drawn from a variety of Latin authors, translation exercises, multiple choice tests, practice sightreading Latin, and a comprehensive review of Latin grammar.

Student $43.00 | Teacher $24.00

This course covers all lines of Vergil on the AP Latin Exam. Each page contains the Latin text, key vocabulary, and English summaries. The Teacher's Guide includes translations and discussion questions.

Student $29.00 Teacher $29.00

Caesar and Vergil AP Vocabulary Flashcards This flashcard set contains all vocabulary appearing five or more times on the Vergil and Caesar sections of the AP Latin Exam, and comes with pre-punched holes and a metal ring for easy storage.

$19.00

Greek

French Grades 4+ *Student $15.00 Key $10.00

Wall Charts (22" x 34")

Grades 5-8

(2 charts) $12.95

*Student $17.50 Teacher $17.50

Desk Charts (8.5" x 11") (2 charts) $8.95

The Greek Alphabet by Cheryl Lowe

Greek Alphabet Charts

First Start French I

The Greek alphabet is different enough from our own to be a major impediment to the study of Greek. The Greek Alphabet is a tour of the Greek letters, their formation, and their sounds.

A page is devoted to each letter and includes a letter diagram with arrows showing proper formation, letters to trace and copy, interesting facts and hints, and questions.

These two-chart sets make a great visual aid for students and teachers in the classroom. One chart has the upper- and lowercase letters of the Greek alphabet with their names in English and Greek.

The second chart lists diphthongs, accent marks, pronunciation helps, and syllable names.

This is a perfect introduction to French for students who would like to add a modern language to their Latin studies. This program will teach students the basics of French grammar, help them develop a large vocabulary, assist them in beginning to speak French, and introduce them to French culture.

Introduction to the French Language

by Danielle Schultz

WE’LL PAY THE

SHIPPING! All school orders receive free expedited shipping.

Contact us to place your order: schools@memoriapress.com or (502) 855-4824

10

Latin, Greek, & French

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

B ook R eview

by Martin Cothran

Climbing Parnassus

by Tracy Lee Simmons

When Tracy Lee Simmons published his book Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin, he had no expectations of the book having any noticeable effect on the actual practice of education in America. Its subject is classical languages, its publisher a small one. And even Simmons' text does not betray any hope that anyone would actually do something as a result of reading it.

William F. Buckley Jr. says in the foreword: Relax. Tracy Lee Simmons is not telling us to get off the bus and hire a Latin teacher.

We aren't going to do this, most of us, but that doesn't matter, any more than a written description of music would gall the deaf man. He wants us to know what is there, accumulated over millennia, and ponder its historic achievements and unique tones of voice.

A lot of people, it is true, aren't going to learn Latin. But in the years after the book was published in 2002 a whole bunch of people actually did try to learn it, and, in the process, created a hot market for Latin teachers. It turned out that this book ended up playing an important part in the classical education renaissance in America. Since this book was written, thousands of schools and tens of thousands of students have returned to the study of the classic texts and to the study of the languages in which they were written—mostly Latin, but also Greek.

The modern classical education movement in the United States was largely the product of the rediscovery of an old and largely forgotten Dorothy Sayers essay, "The Lost Tools of Learning," which National Review magazine (for which Simmons was a senior editor) would rerun every five years or so. Its republication in a book by Douglas Wilson, a prominent Presbyterian minister, unaccountably lit a fire, and within ten years classical schools had started cropping up across the landscape. Many homeschoolers too flocked to the idea.

But while Sayers' essay promoted the study of Latin for purely pedagogical reasons, Simmons delved into the satisfactions to the soul that such a study could bring about. Simmons' case for Latin is 502-855-4824

made not on the utilitarian grounds that most of us feel obligated to use when we speak in the context of education, but rather on philosophical, cultural, and historical considerations. There is a long history of classical education from ancient times to the present, and although there are competent and informative retellings of the progressivist takeover of American schools in the 1920s and 1940s (Lawrence Cremin's The Transformation of the School being the best of these), Climbing Parnassus gives a fuller account of the rationale behind the fateful debate about classical education that took place in the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Climbing Parnassus is, in many ways, an extension of the arguments contained in R. W. Livingstone's A Defense of Classical Education, written in 1916, which was the greatest book to come out of the debate during this period, and which Simmons quotes numerous times in his book. Like Livingstone, Simmons is concerned with what education should be­—in fact, what education is: the development of the soul of a human being. And like Livingstone, Simmons' understanding of what education is allows him to see what it is not—an understanding lacking in almost every book written on education today.

Although the book evinces a deep and learned understanding of the benefits of classical languages and the history of their teaching, his text spurns the pretentiousness found in most modern academic writing. Simmons is prone to meditation, and the book is written in the same casual tone and employs the same easy phrasings he practices in his talks and in his teaching. The reader will find no ostentatious Latinisms in this book on Latin, but rather the plain Anglo-Saxon that characterizes the clear English prose of those who know Latin and who know, just as importantly, when not to use it.

Climbing Parnassus is arguably the most important defense of classical education produced in the last hundred years.

Book Review

11

american

& modern studies

In American & Modern Studies, students focus on history since the Renaissance, geography, literature, and world cultures. Each program builds every year on the work of previous years, promoting mastery.

Students study and draw maps, and by the end of their study are able to label political and physical maps of both hemispheres from memory. Students also read a variety of books from our American Studies Supplemental Sets to supplement their knowledge of the U.S. and the world. All of this work prepares students for comprehensive studies of American and European history in high school.

American/Modern Studies Grades 5-8

Grades 5-8

Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

*Student $9.95 Teacher $5.00 Flashcards $12.95 Story of the World Vol. 4 $17.95

The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & the Great Republic

200 Questions About American History

We have combined Guerber's The Story of the Thirteen Colonies and The Story of the Great Republic into one edited volume that makes a perfect one-year survey of American history for the middle school years. The study guide includes important facts, vocabulary, and comprehension questions for each chapter, as well as enrichment activities such as mapwork, drawings, research, writing assignments, and more!

Flashcards: These cards are based on our 200 Questions About American History study guide, but can be used with any good American history course.

Supplemental Reading What a great way to study American history as a young student—by reading good books and immersing oneself in the lives and culture of those who have made history!

Third Grade $139 classroom set Fourth Grade $81 classroom set Fifth Grade $74 classroom set Sixth Grade $57 classroom set

These 200 questions everyone should know about American history are compiled from The Story of the Thirteen Colonies & the Great Republic and The Story of the World, Vol. 4.

A Concise History of the American Republic

Grades 9+

This one-volume history text can be used as a two-year American history course for high school that addresses the social, economic, and political issues that shaped our country.

Text $185.00

Year II: End of Reconstruction (1877) to the Reagan years (1980s). This includes industrialization, the Gilded Age, westward expansion, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the beginning of conflicts in the Middle East.

Grades 10+

Year One: Volume I (to 1815) Year Two: Volume II (since 1815)

Third Grade $12.95 | Fourth Grade $12.95 | Fifth Grade $12.95

These teacher books facilitate oral discussion of the books in our 3rd-5th grade American Studies Sets.

and Year II)

Year I: Pre-1615 life in North America through the Reconstruction years (1877). This includes early European explorations, the colonial period, the Revolutionary War, the development of U.S. government, the Mexican War, and the Civil War.

A History of Europe in the Modern World

Discussion Questions for American Studies Supplemental Sets

(use for Year I

Vol. I $150.00 Vol. II $150.00

This course covers the political, societal, and religious upheavals, particularly in Western Europe, that have shaped and reshaped the continent in the last seven hundred years. The texts include helpful maps, timelines, and illustrations. Volume I covers the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic Empire. Volume II covers industrialization and imperialism through the world wars, the Cold War, and the twenty-first century.

Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston Grades 1-3 $12.95

Eggleston says in his preface that "the primary aim of this book is to furnish the little learner reading matter that will excite his attention and give him pleasure" and "to make the mind of the pupil familiar with some of the leading figures in the history of our country by means of personal anecdote." We have included Eggleston's original illustrations in addition to our own. *denotes consumable book

12

American/Modern Studies

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Geography Grades 4+

Grades 3-6

Geography I Text $14.95 *Geography I Student $12.95 Geography I Teacher $14.95 *U.S. Review Workbook $5.00 U.S. Review Teacher $7.95 Geography Flashcards $19.95

Text $7.99 *Student $12.95 Teacher $12.95 Flashcards $3.95

States and Capitals

Geography I: The Middle East, North Africa, & Europe

In this study guide, each state is given a two-page spread that includes a map with room to write the state capital, nickname, abbreviation, and fun facts about the state. By the end of this course, students will be able to map all 50 states and capitals. We recommend that this guide be used with Don’t Know Much About the 50 States.

A unique geography program designed for students pursuing a classical education, Geography of the Middle East, North Africa, & Europe covers the area that constituted the ancient Roman Empire. Each region is explored in its historical context in "History's Headlines" as well as in the present in "Tour of Today."

Flashcards: This set includes 50 cards, with the name of each state and a map of the state's location within the United States on one side of the card, and the capital and detailed shape of the state on the other. Also included are 34 country cards that introduce key world countries and their capitals. Helpful teaching hints and suggested activities are also included.

The United States Review: Help students retain the knowledge they gained in their study of States & Capitals. This review takes very little time and makes a great companion to Geography I. Geography I-III Flashcards: We have a big fan club for our geography books.

Our customers like the basic maps that give just the essentials of world geography in a straightforward manner. Now we have the flashcards to go with them.

Covering the material from Geography I, II, and III, these flashcards will help your students master the geography of the world.

Grades 5+

Grades 7+

Geography II Text $14.95 *Geography II Student $12.95 Geography II Teacher $14.95

Geography III Text $16.95 *Geography III Student $17.95 Geography III Teacher $17.95 Classroom Atlas $12.00 + Geography Flashcards $19.95

*Geography I Review Workbook $5.00 Geography I Review Teacher $7.95

Geography II:

Geography III: Exploring and Mapping the World

After studying Geography I, students are ready to cover areas of the world outside the ancient Roman Empire.

Students will, in fact, map the rest of the world. Each lesson includes physical features, history, and culture. Students will continue to deepen their understanding of past and present as they learn about ancient and modern countries.

Students learn to map the world in our Geography I and Geography II programs.

Geography III solidifies these mapping skills and requires students to label major landforms and topography. Students will study the climate, recent and current history, cultures, and religions of every continent. This text has many illustrations of famous landmarks, architecture, and people from around the world, and the workbook has weekly mapwork exercises. This is a thorough world geography course that is perfect for middle school students before their advanced European and American history courses in high school.

Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Oceania, & the Americas

Geography I Review: This study guide will help students retain the knowledge they gained in their study of Geography I. The review takes very little time and makes a great companion to Geography II.

Large Wall Maps (22'' x 34'') $35.00 Small Wall Maps (11'' x 17'') $19.95

Ancient Civilization Wall Maps Make the ancient civilization stories come alive on your classroom walls. These wall maps are perfect for any classical classroom. Each set includes individual maps of Greece, Italy, the City of Rome, and the Roman Empire, and other common locations in the classical world.

502-855-4824

Classroom Atlas: This atlas contains detailed political, economic, environmental, and topographical maps of global regions. It is a recommended supplement for Geography III. same as flashcards used in Geography I

+

faq:

What do we need for initial classroom setup?

For classroom setup you will need: teacher guides for each subject, texts for each student plus one for the teacher, and student guides for each student.

If there are wall charts and flashcards available, one set per classroom is recommended. Likewise, only one Read-Aloud Set per classroom is needed.

Geography

13

What Is a Curriculum?

by Martin Cothran

fter many years of teaching, writing, and speaking about education—and discussing it with more professional educators than I could ever pretend to remember—I have come to an important conclusion: Most schools do not have a curriculum.

This seems like a preposterous thing to say, but it is true.

Every school thinks it has a curriculum and operates under the assumption that it does, but, whatever it has, it is usually not a curriculum. It may be a collection of curriculum-related things, but even when these things that are gathered under the "curriculum" label are very good, they usually do not constitute a curriculum.

A curriculum is not a mere collection of courses or subjects; it is an organized and coherent gradeby-grade course of studies. There are many ways to gather things together, but a collection of parts doesn't always make a whole. A whole implies some unifying principle, something that makes the parts, in this particular arrangement, a different thing than it would be if the parts were under some other principle. And, being a whole makes these things, together, greater than the sum of all of them.

For a curriculum to truly constitute what its title suggests, it should have several characteristics in addition to the mere list of subjects. One teacher I know told me recently that after arriving at a new school she asked the administration where she could find the school's curriculum. An administrator pointed her to the school's website, where she found a haphazard collection of lesson plans from teachers. That this was insufficient to constitute a curriculum had apparently Martin Cothran is the editor of The Classical School and author of Traditional Logic Books I & II, Material Logic, and Classical Rhetoric.

14

What Is a Curriculum?

not occurred to the administrators at the school.

Perhaps the chief impediment to the development and maintenance of an intelligible curriculum is the sheer lack of interest. The curriculum never gets any love.

A curriculum must be coherently organized, and it must be made clear to the administration, teachers, and parents.

A Curriculum Must Be Coherent First, a curriculum must be coherent—that is, its structure must make sense. I have said many times that the chief problem with the modern world is fragmentation—the lack of coherence. Many modern educational theorists mistake capacities and abilities for standards. They attempt to state what children should "be able to do" by giving a laundry list of discrete and disconnected intellectual functions and abilities in sometimes painful detail. This can be seen in many state-level standards documents. Instead of naming the traditional disciplines and stating the level of mastery students should have in each of them, they take the disciplines apart and list the disembodied and disintegrated functions for which the disciplines were designed to provide a logical context.

Classical schools should resist this temptation. An academic discipline is a tool by which a teacher can most efficiently present a body of study to a student.

It is perhaps useful in a college education to turn the tools of study back on to the tools themselves, but teachers don't need to make the tools an object of study. A meta-analysis of the disciplines is fine for ivory tower researchers, but for teachers the curriculum is not an object of study but an instrument of the academic operation of a school.

The disciplines are systematic and organized bodies of knowledge which incorporate both the subject Charter.MemoriaPress.com

knowledge relevant to their object of study and the unique methods of study appropriate to their object.

For example, history, which studies past events, will involve not only a different set of facts, but a different approach to these facts than, say, biology, which studies living organisms. The disciplines have been used and refined over centuries, allowing educators to benefit from the experience of those in the past who have developed and improved them. It serves no valid educational purpose to abandon them in favor of less coherent systems of academic organization. The traditional disciplines are cultural achievements to embrace, not academic corpses to be anatomized.

As its general components, every curriculum has two things: academic subject matter and academic skills. In a classical curriculum the subject matter should focus on the three "sciences" or organized bodies of knowledge: the human sciences (the humanities, mostly literature and history), the natural sciences (nature study, physical science, biology, chemistry, anatomy), and the theological sciences (belief, ethics, apologetics).

The skills emphasized in a classical school will consist of basic skills in the early grades (reading, writing, and arithmetic), and the liberal arts beginning in third grade and continuing (the language skills of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, and the mathematical arts of arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and calculus). Outside of particular subjects, the focus of middle school should be Latin (grammar) and math in preparation for logic and rhetoric, as well as the natural sciences in high school.

A Curriculum Must Be Clear Second, a curriculum must be made clear to everyone involved in implementing and using it.

There is a test by which to determine whether a school 502-855-4824

has a curriculum: If parents can walk into a school and ask the head of school what their child will learn that year and get a clear and coherent answer, then the school has a curriculum. The question "What will my fifth grader learn this year?" should not be met with vague answers. And yet, how many schools can boast of providing this kind of clarity?

A comprehensive description of the school's curriculum should be supplemented with plain, easy-to-understand summaries. The full description should consist of no more than twenty to thirty pages, but it should also be articulated in just two pages for parents considering the school. Lots of web space and printer cartridges are expended on lots of other school priorities, but very little trouble is taken to lay out in straightforward language what the school is teaching its students. This should be the first thing, not the last, about which trouble should be taken.

A Curriculum Must Be Calibrated Third, a curriculum should be calibrated from grade to grade. This just means that what a student is expected to accomplish in each grade should take into consideration what he is expected to accomplish in the grade before and the grade after.

What goes on in second grade must take account of what is expected of the student in the third grade, and what is expected in the third grade should take account of what will be expected in fourth.

Likewise, teachers in the higher grade need to be able to rely on the students they get each year being fully prepared for the new material. If this is not done, students are likely to waste time on what was already covered the year before or they will not be prepared for the higher grade and will be likely to fall behind.

What Is a Curriculum?

15

Unfortunately, many schools do not pay close enough attention to this, resulting in students who are either bored because they are being taught the same material again as if for the first time, or who are simply unprepared. The latter slows down the learning process for everyone because teachers are forced to slow down the entire class to bring the unprepared students up to speed.

The curriculum and its continuous implementation need to be monitored by the head of school (or another school administrator who reports to the head of school) through regular evaluation of classes.

A Curriculum Must Be Consistent from Year to Year Fourth, a curriculum must maintain a high degree of consistency from year to year. Grade-bygrade goals should not be changed every year and programs should remain in place when possible. The chief impediment to curricular consistency i n m a ny s c h o ol s i s t h e constant desire for change a nd t he never- endi ng lust for the newest thing.

Educ at ion i s a mong t he t rendiest of profession s, a nd it requ i res st a lwa r t sc hool admi n ist rators to tie themselves to the mast and avoid the siren song of textbook publishers and overenthusiastic teachers.

Ma ny sc hools have a curriculum department, but this does not seem to translate into curricular consistency. One would think that the main priorities of a curriculum department would be, first, that the school have a curriculum and, second, that the curriculum be consistent. But this is not the case in many schools.

In addition, some of the best teachers are ambitious and creative, but if there is too much leeway given to the personalization of classwork from one year to the next, the student's ability to progress will be hampered. Creativity should be employed in better teaching the material students need to learn in a particular year, not in reworking the curriculum for that year. Adjustments are certainly acceptable in the way something is taught, but the skills and content that are taught should remain consistent.

I have seen Latin classes in which a teacher decides not to emphasize the Latin grammar but instead to spend time teaching conversational Latin to students. Unfortunately, the result is almost

always that the students forget the oral Latin through inevitable disuse, and that the teacher at the next level is forced to make up for the lack of attention to the fundamentals in the previous year, slowing down student progress.

A Curriculum Must Be Complete Finally, let me say something about "lesson planning." I have a number of friends and family who teach, and they will frequently refer to the time they spend "lesson planning." When I ask them what they mean by the term, they consistently tell me that every year they actually write up a plan, sometimes from scratch, sometimes from other lesson plans on the same subject they find on the internet. Many times the school requires them to submit these to an administrator, who files them somewhere, from whence they are never seen again. The reason they do this, I discover, is that the programs they are using do not provide any specific directions on how to teach the subject. In fact, one teacher told me that she does not even have a textbook for her Spanish class because she was told to "do Common Core," which necessitated the shelving of the previous Spanish program.

Teachers should not have to go through the random process of scouring the internet for lesson plans on their subject and then tailoring them for their specific program.

A curriculum is not complete without lesson plans that are well thought out, so that the teacher, rather than having to construct them himself, can simply review the existing lesson plans and make whatever reasonable additions or subtractions are necessary.

I joke with many of these teachers, pointing out that these subjects have been taught for hundreds of years—some for thousands. Surely someone has written down clear and fairly complete instructions on how to teach these subjects. It is a measure not only of the inefficiency of many schools, but of the lack of awareness of the long tradition of education that teachers should have to do this. There is simply no reason for every teacher to reinvent the wheel every week. Each piece of a complete curriculum should include lesson plans.

A curriculum must be coherent, it must be clear, it must be calibrated, it must be consistent, and it must be complete. Any so-called curriculum that is not these things is a curriculum in name only.

The chief impediment to curricular consistency in many schools is the constant desire for change and the never-ending lust for the newest thing.

16

What Is a Curriculum?

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

penmanship Penmanship, both manuscript and cursive, is an important part of education. Neat, legible penmanship is a crucial factor in the development of accuracy in spelling and arithmetic. The physical act of writing requires focus, discipline, and patience of students—values which cross over to all of their other academic subjects. Our manuscript copybooks teach penmanship, basic grammar, spelling, literature, accuracy, attention to detail, and memory—all through the simple skill of copying.

Starting cursive in first grade means that students are learning this new skill after they have a solid grasp of manuscript writing but before they encounter the heavier demands of written work in the grammar school years, when cursive will allow students to write more efficiently and with greater accuracy. Writing at a high level begins with the humble skills of speed, accuracy, and beauty in writing letters and words.

copybooks Grades K-6

Grades K-2

Grades 1-2

*$8.50 ea.

*$14.95 ea.

*$14.95

Manuscript Copybooks I & II Composition & Sketchbooks

Our Composition & Sketchbooks allow each student to write and illustrate compositions.

These books are a great resource for all subjects and become a journal of the student's work for each year.

Copybook Cursive I

by Michelle Tefertiller

by Michelle Tefertiller

Our primary copybooks teach penmanship, basic grammar, spelling, literature, accuracy, attention to detail, and memory—all through the simple skill of copying. We have carefully selected quotes from famous people so you can teach history and culture while working on penmanship.

Perfect as a companion to New American Cursive 2 or for an older student needing more practice.

Cursive Grades 1-4

Grades 2-4

New American Cursive 1

New American Cursive 2

*$22.95

*$22.95

NAC 1 is for the first grader or older beginning cursive student. The character Mr. Meerkat is the book's guide; he makes learning cursive a pleasure as he shows how to form each letter step by step with clear starting dots and directional arrows. Emphasis on correct pencil grip, paper position, and posture are illustrated throughout this delightful workbook.

A three-page teaching guide is included, as well as 105 instructional lessons and fun artwork exercises to help build fine-motor skills. Fifteen minutes of workbook practice a day is all it takes!

In NAC 2, Mr. Meerkat continues the process of teaching correct letter forms and how to easily connect each letter. Proper size, spacing, and slant are emphasized in this enjoyable workbook.

A seven-page teaching guide is included, along with 125 instructional exercises, lessons to develop creative writing skills, and reproducible practice pages.

by Iris Hatfield

by Iris Hatfield

Grades 3-5

New American Cursive 3

by Iris Hatfield *$22.95

In NAC 3, students build on the skills they developed with workbooks 1 and 2. To further enhance cursive skills, they practice writing in their best cursive while learning about manners and correspondence protocol. NAC 3 combines proven teaching methods with the needs of the contemporary student for a fast, legible script. Includes a seven-page teaching guide, 100 instructional lessons, journaling pages, and progress evaluations.

*denotes consumable book

502-855-4824

Penmanship

17

phonics , reading ,

& spelling

The primary goal of the kindergarten year is to teach students to read. Our program for phonics instruction is First Start Reading. Phonics is most effective when taught methodically, thoroughly, intensively, and logically. We begin with one sound for each letter and start blending consonants with short vowels immediately to form the three-letter phonetic words that children learn first. Additional sounds for letters are taught in the context of word families. Common sight words that break phonetic rules are taught and reviewed throughout the year. Formal phonics instruction continues after kindergarten within the Traditional Spelling program and literature guides.

Reading & Phonics

•

First Start Reading:

Grade 1

Phonics, Reading, and Printing

by Cheryl Lowe Grade K

*Student Book E $7.00 Teacher Guide for Book E $9.95

*Student Books (A-D) $7.00 ea.

Teacher Guide for Books A-D $17.95

First Start Reading, Book E Your students can begin reading instantly as they progress through 4 simple student books and more than 30 phonetic stories. The Teacher Guide includes helpful assessments, tips, and more!

• consonants • short & long vowels

• 57 common words • manuscript printing

• artist-drawn coloring pictures • drawing pages for every letter

FSR is a balanced, age-appropriate approach to phonics and reading, with a serious focus on correct pencil grip and letter formation. The FSR kindergarten program includes student books with artist-­drawn pictures to color, drawing pages for each letter or phonogram, and phonetic stories to read. The Teacher Guide leads you through the program and provides helpful assessments and teaching tips.

Classical Phonics

Grades K-2

A Child's Guide to Word Mastery $16.95

by Cheryl Lowe Classical Phonics consists of phonetically arranged word lists for students to practice their growing word recognition skills.

In a word list there are no context clues, so the learner must rely on his mastery of letter sounds. Classical Phonics can be used as a supplement to any phonics program, and covers nearly all English phonograms and sounds taught through second grade.

by Michelle Tefertiller We complete our phonics for reading program at the beginning of first grade with First Start Reading Book E. After students have completed Books A-D in kindergarten, they are ready for the long vowel teams, sounds of soft c and g, and the three sounds of y in Book E.

Phonics From A to Z $27.99 Teaching Phonics & Word Study $33.99 These books are excellent resources for teachers looking for additional help with phonics concepts, tips on how children best learn to read, and additional lists of resources.

I Can Read It! (Books 1-3) Phonics Flashcards (5.5" x 4.25")

Grades K-2 $24.95

There are nearly 200 phonograms used to spell the 44 sounds used in the English language.

In our Phonics Flashcards we have organized these phonograms into nine categories to give some rational order to the irregularities of English spelling.

$10.49 ea.

These controlled-vocabulary early readers can be used in conjunction with First Start Reading or as additional reading practice for beginning readers.

Each story has plot, action, and humor that will be sure to engage the student's interest.

Spelling Traditional Spelling I & II

by Cheryl Lowe Grades 1-2

*Student $14.95 ea. | Teacher $16.95 ea. | *Practice Sheets $5.00 ea. *Supplemental Wkbk. $7.95 ea. | Supplemental Wkbk. Key $7.95 ea.

Traditional Spelling is a comprehensive, phonetic approach to spelling, and is the culmination of our primary phonics program. It incorporates reading, writing, and dictation of spelling words. Each lesson features a short story that utilizes the week's spelling words so students can practice words in context.

18

Phonics, Reading, & Spelling

Spelling Workout D-H Grades 3-7

*Student $12.97 ea. | Teacher $14.97 ea.

Spelling Workout teaches spelling skills based on phonics, which makes it a good follow-up to Memoria Press' Traditional Spelling program. Each lesson has a spelling rule that is tied to the spelling words for the week, a reading passage, and interactive activities.

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Our approach to reading includes systematic phonics and daily exposure to good literature in the form of read-aloud books. These are scheduled in our Enrichment Guides and lesson plans. Good books captivate the imagination of children and motivate them to want to be readers. Good books teach vocabulary and a fascination with words. Good books teach geography, history, science, and, most importantly, the condition of human life. Good books open the mind of the child to the whole world. *denotes consumable book

Jr. Kindergarten

Curriculum Manuals Grades Jr. K-2

Alphabet Flashcards

Alphabet Books

(Part I & Part II)

by Leigh Lowe

$10.00 (4¼'' x 5½")

Letters are on one side of the card and a corresponding image is on the flip side.

Recommended for Ages 4-5 $30.00 (*2-book set)

$30.00 ea.

Never plan another lesson again! These Curriculum Manuals have every day already planned—just open them up and teach from the correlating books in the plan!

Teach letter recognition, letter formation, and pencil grip through repetition and tracing.

WEEK 1

MONDAY □ Recitation for Week 1

OPENING RECITATION

*The Recitation schedule is in the Appendix.

You will need to refer to it each week.

□ Basic consonant sound introduction/review

PHONICS

□ First Start Reading Book A, pp. 4-5 (Mm)

TUESDAY □ Arts Recitation

WEDN □ Recitation for

*This time should be used for showing students the paintings learned cumulatively up to, and including, the current week. It isn't necessary for students to memorize the title of the work and the artist each week. That is a matter of personal preference.

□ Core Skills Phonics

*The Recitation sc You will need to r

□ Core Skills Pho

□ K - p. 25 □ 1 - p. 18

□ K - pp. 3-5,

□ Phonics Flashcards: m-man (#13) *You will want to familiarize yourself with the Introduction on pp. 4-14 of the FSR Teacher Guide. Also, it would be helpful to read through the "Suggestions to Teachers" on pp. 132-136 of Classical Phonics.

COPYBOOK/ MEMORY

Wall Charts (Manuscript or Cursive) (11" x 17") $14.95 ea.

Numbers & Colors Recommended for Ages 4-5 *$15.00

Introduces each number through 15 and color words.

Coloring Books

□ Learn pencil grip. Talk about Student Guidelines on p. 8 of Copybook I using a blank lined page from back of the copybook. □ Home address including city, state, country Read-Aloud Book for the Week: □ A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry *Introduce each week with an initial reading of the book for the week. Then refer to the book throughout the week, preferably with a rereading each day.

Recommended for Ages 4-5

LITERATURE & ENRICHMENT

*Familiarize yourself with the Literature Guidelines in the front of this curriculum manual and use them in your discussions each week.

□ Practice writing first name correctly using a blank lined page from back of the copybook.

□ Using a blank back of the co writing Mm a

□ Home address including city, state, country

□ Telephone nu with area cod

Music Enrichment Guide: □ Biography: Ludwig van Beethoven

Poetry for the We

□ Symphony No. 6 in F Major, op. 68, "Pastoral": I. Allegro ma non troppo

□ "I'm Glad"

(A Child's Book of

*Using the Poetry of this curriculum study of the poe

Art for the Week: □ Birch Forest by Gustav Klimt

*It would be ideal poetry on Monda before delving in of the poetry on

*Familiarize yourself with the Music and Art Study Guidelines in the front of this curriculum manual, and use them in your discussions each week.

*If you wish to me using the "disapp discussed in Cop

*Consider posting the art in a prominent place for the week and turning on the music during seatwork or transition times daily.

*Numbers $6.00 *Alphabet $6.00

The Book of Crafts: □ A Tree Is Nice, p. 8 AND/OR Precisionism craft, p. 44

Primary Enrichment 16

Enrichment Guides

The Book of Crafts $16.95 ea.

(Grades Jr. K-2)

These activities reinforce number and letter recognition, strengthen fine-motor skills, and foster creativity and confidence. There is a craft for each read-aloud book and additional crafts that focus on art concepts.

$19.95 ea.

(Grades K-2)

These supplemental guides are organized by week, and coordinate with our kindergarten, first, and second grade programs. Each guide includes an overview of each readaloud book, author and illustrator biographies, oral reading questions, and a simple language lesson. These activities will help bring each read-aloud book alive for the student. Also included are resources for the development of history, culture, art, and science lessons.

Scissors Books My Very First Scissors Book and My Very Own Scissors Book help prepare students for the crafts in Memoria Press' craft books, and for skills they will need in kindergarten and beyond.

*My Very First Scissors Book $6.00 *My Very Own Scissors Book $6.00

Alphabet Wall Poster

$7.00

(22" x 34")

If you don't have the space for wall charts, this poster is perfect. The alphabet is shown in both manuscript and cursive.

Music Enrichment Read-Aloud Sets available for classrooms!

View book lists at Charter.MemoriaPress.com

502-855-4824

$12.95 (Used in Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grades)

Music Enrichment goes into more detail on each song presented in our Enrichment Guides, including information about the songs and a biography of each composer, as well as a few interesting facts and discussion questions about the song being studied.

Primary

19

LEARNING

ISNʼT FUN AND THATʼS

OKAY

by Tanya Charlton

20

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

T

he trouble with saying that learning should be "fun" is that it isn't. It's work.

Children know what fun is—it's Disney World, video games, cartoons, and playing with friends. When you interject the word "fun" into learning, you have set yourself up for failure because you have created expectations that you can't fulfill. We insult our students when we try to thinly veil education as entertainment. They know better. They know when they are learning and they know when they are being entertained.

The fun of learning is not in being entertained; it is the feeling of satisfaction and pleasure we derive from knowing and understanding. Aristotle said that man is a rational being and desires to know.

Knowledge that is orderly and logical appeals to the human mind. Knowledge that incorporates meaning and understanding is satisfying, fulfilling, engaging, even pleasurable. But the idea that learning must be fun in order to be worthwhile trivializes the important work of learning. Why do we assume students should be begging to conjugate Latin verbs or memorize their times tables?

I learned very little in high school, but I sure had a lot of fun. For literature I was given a choice between such genres as science fiction or mystery. No one ever made me read Shakespeare or Homer or Chaucer.

No one taught me to write. Social studies was always a survey course that hit the high points but never delved below the surface or discussed the mistakes made or the driving forces behind the people who shaped history. I wanted better for my children.

In my search for a true education for my sons I found Cheryl Lowe and her vision for a classical education, and sent my children to her school, where I eventually also taught. When my oldest son was in seventh grade he came home with Homer's Iliad—in poetry. He was struggling with it. This teacher made her students summarize every chapter of the Iliad and Odyssey, answer dozens of questions, and memorize long passages. But, miraculously, by the time the teacher got finished with him it had become his favorite class. How did such a previously unmotivated student suddenly become enthralled with Homer? My lazy child did not like all the work, but he loved the class, he loved his teacher, and he loved Homer.

So, what is the difference between the "fun" I had in high school and the sense of accomplishment my son Tanya Charlton is the curriculum director and operations manager for Memoria Press. She homeschooled her two sons, has taught in Highlands Latin School classrooms, and is the author of several study guides.

502-855-4824

had in his academically rigorous school, where he had to pour hours and hours of his time into hard work?

There is tremendous pressure on teachers today to make learning entertaining and exciting. Teachers are often blamed for the lack of learning along with the lack of interest and motivation in their students.

This is all part and parcel of progressive education, and it is terribly confusing. It is the impetus for all sorts of foolish learning activities that rob children of a decent education. Effective learning activities resemble work, and since we are all naturally lazy, they aren't fun.

I taught under the wise leadership of Cheryl Lowe. Her goal was that we teach with passion and enthusiasm, working hard to ensure our students were successful. But we were not charged with making sure students were having "fun." It is the enthusiasm, passion, and knowledge of the teacher that makes a lesson compelling and motivates students to learn. The common thread that should run through all classrooms is enthusiasm and passion channeled into content that is concrete, elevated, and meaningful, with lots of review questions, memorization, bees, and drills. Here is the secret: The joy of learning is in actually learning something.

Schools love to show pictures of students doing anything in school except learning. Look at a typical school brochure, and you will see pictures of students in drama, art, music, athletics, labs, debate— anything but sitting at a desk reading or writing, which admittedly doesn't make a compelling picture.

However, only one image really shows enthusiasm for learning: rows of students with their hands high in the air, facing a teacher at the front of the room.

Why do these children have eager, happy, excited faces with hands reaching for the sky? Why are they so enthusiastic, so engaged, so motivated? Why are they enjoying themselves so much? Why do they look like they're—dare I say it—having fun? Because they know the answer! The teacher has asked a question and they all know the answer.

Anyone walking into your classroom should see students delighted and engaged—it should be a joyful place, not because your students are being entertained, but because your students know their time is not being wasted. Students are being challenged appropriately. They are achieving, and their human natures are being honored with worthwhile tasks and content. In this circumstance, the child is receiving genuine satisfaction for genuine effort. This is truly satisfying and repeatedly rewarding. And though it may not be "fun," that's okay.

Learning Isn't Fun and That's Okay

21

logic Logic is the original thinking skill. Memoria Press' logic program has brought back many of the lost tools of this essential subject. The Traditional Logic program is an in-depth study of the classical syllogism. The textbooks provide brief but comprehensive explanations of the complex subject matter in clear, concise language, and well-structured daily exercises in the workbooks ensure student mastery.

In Traditional Logic I students will gain a basic understanding of terms, statements, and simple categorical arguments. Traditional Logic II covers the figures of the traditional syllogism, forms of rhetorical arguments, kinds of hypothetical syllogisms, and kinds of complex syllogisms, as well as relational arguments. Book II also includes a wealth of examples of famous arguments throughout history. Traditional Logic I can be used as early as seventh grade as a year-long course, or older students can complete Traditional Logic I and II as semester courses.

Traditional Logic differs from modern logic programs in that it focuses on the language-centered logic developed by the ancient Greeks, which was actually used in the classical trivium. If your goal is to teach students how human beings think and how we actually argue in real life, traditional logic—which is a language art and not a mathematical art—is the place to start.

Traditional Logic I

Traditional Logic II Advanced Formal Logic by Martin Cothran

Introduction to Formal Logic by Martin Cothran Grades 7+

|

|

Grades 8+

|

|

|

|

Text $14.00 *Workbook $15.95 Key $9.95 *Quizzes $5.00

Text $14.00 *Workbook $15.95 Key $9.95 Quizzes & Tests (School License) $20.00

Advanced Concepts & Argument Forms

Basic Logical Terms, Concepts, & Procedures

• Figure & mood in syllogisms • Syllogism reduction • Hypothetical reasoning • Chain arguments • The dilemma • The oblique syllogism

• Truth, validity, soundness • 4 ways statements can be opposite • 3 ways statements can be equivalent • Distribution of terms • The 7 rules for validity

*denotes consumable book

Logic Supplements How to Read a Book:

The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren

Figures of Speech:

Aristotle's Rhetoric

60 Ways to Turn a Phrase

by Arthur Quinn

translated by W. Rhys Roberts

$36.95

(optional supplement)

(optional supplement)

$5.00

$18.00 (optional supplement)

22

Logic

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

writing

& english gr ammar

The teaching of English grammar is most efficiently accomplished through Latin instruction. The English Grammar Recitation program solidifies the grammar students have learned in Latin by having them memorize and recite the grammatical and usage rules in English, while also supplementing with English-specific rules for capitalization and punctuation.

Once students have mastered the basic rules of how language works, they are ready to learn how to use that language persuasively. In the Classical Composition program, students learn one of the most important liberal arts, rhetoric—the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and persuasively. Training in rhetoric begins in the earliest grades, when young students are asked to answer reading comprehension questions in simple sentences and paragraphs in their literature and history guides, and continues with formal training in rhetorical skills in the Classical Composition program, culminating in the study of the advanced theory of persuasive communication in Aristotle's Rhetoric. *denotes consumable book

Classical Composition Classical Composition (Stages I-V available)

by James A. Selby

Grades 4+ *Student Book $19.95 ea. | Teacher Guide $29.95 ea.

Ancient writers invented a way of teaching writing known as the progymnasmata (or "before exercises"), which provided a method of teaching composition that not only taught budding writers a disciplined way to approach communication, but also helped them appeal to the hearts and minds of their audience.

The fourteen exercises, organized from the simplest and most basic to the most complex and sophisticated, were the core education of a classical speaker, designed to produce what Quintilian once called "the good man, speaking well."

Jim Selby has blown the dust off of the writing curriculum that was used in schools for over 1,500 years and put it in an easy-to-teach format that will revolutionize your curriculum. Presented clearly and systematically, Classical Composition will give you a clear road map to writing excellence.

Suggested Sequence: Grade

Stage

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11

I: Fable II: Narrative III: Chreia & Maxim IV: Refutation & Confirmation V: Common Topic VI: Encomium, Invective, & Comparison (coming soon) VII: Characterization (1 semester) (coming soon) VIII: Description (1 semester) (coming soon) IX: Thesis & Law (coming soon)

English Grammar Grade 2 Student $7.95 Teacher $10.00

English Grammar Practice Designed for the final year of primary school, this program is an oral practice of many basic aspects of language arts from capitalization and punctuation to language and reading skills. This book includes two worksheets per week that can be added to morning work or used as supplements to Latin or literature studies. English Grammar Practice makes an excellent addition to language study at the end of primary school and prepares students for more in-depth work in grammar school.

502-855-4824

English Grammar Recitation We've been saying for years that Latin teaches English grammar better than English teaches English grammar, and we have written a course that makes the perfect English grammar supplement for your Latin program.

Grades 3-8 English Grammar Recitation $9.95 Flashcards $12.95 *Student $11.95 ea.

Teacher $12.95 ea.

Our English Grammar Recitation is a manual of about 150 grammar questions, answers, and examples designed to be studied and memorized. Brief exercises in the Student Guide, including some diagramming, accompany the grammar questions. However, mastery of the English grammar recitation is the primary goal of this course, not its application. It is hoped that this course can be completed in much less time than the typical English grammar course, leaving more time for composition and Latin.

Workbooks I-III are available now, with IV-V coming soon! Each lesson in the workbooks covers two to three grammar questions along with practice exercises. English Grammar Recitation also covers common capitalization and punctuation rules by means of concise style sheets.

Writing & English Grammar

23

classical studies Classical Studies covers Greek mythology, ancient history, and the Middle Ages. We do not study history chronologically, but rather in accordance with the age-appropriateness of the content for the student. We begin in third grade with Greek myths, fantastical stories that appeal to young students and are suited to their age level.

Next we study Rome and then the Middle Ages, saving the complexity of the Greek civilization for later in the grammar school, though it comes before Rome chronologically. Students are then prepared to read Homer's Iliad and Odyssey in middle school as they review each time period with Dorothy Mills' ancient history series. This cyclical approach to Classical Studies prepares students to read and understand the classics of Greek, Roman, and British history in upper school, and to gain insight into the modern world.

Students starting their classical education in later years will skip the Famous Men series and acquire their ancient history with an overview from the Dorothy Mills books. We would also recommend reading D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths (p. 25) and The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge (p. 28) as an introduction to the characters and plot of The Iliad and The Odyssey before taking on these difficult works. *denotes consumable book

Classical Literature

Iliad Text $12.95 *Iliad Student $11.95 Iliad Teacher $12.95 Odyssey Text $12.00 *Odyssey Student $11.95 Odyssey Teacher $12.95

Grades 7+

The Iliad & The Odyssey Samuel Butler translation

Western civilization begins with The Iliad and The Odyssey. This is a perfect place to start your study of the great books. Our study guides will help bring Homer's great works alive for your student.

Our Teacher Manual has inset student pages with answers, teacher notes for each lesson, quizzes, and tests, giving the teacher all the background information needed to teach these books.

The Aeneid

Grades 8+

David West translation Text $15.00 *Student $16.95 Teacher $16.95

After Homer, The Aeneid is logically your next great book to study. Virgil's epic story of the founding of Rome will come alive when read with the help of our study guide as you continue your quest to master the classics. This is a great preparation for AP Latin also. Our Teacher Guide has inset student pages with teacher notes and background information for each lesson.

Greek Tragedies Grades 9+

Oresteian Trilogy $13.00 Three Theban Plays $15.00 Medea & Other Plays $11.00 *Student $17.95 ea.

Teacher $17.95 ea.

Aeschylus was the first of the three great tragic playwrights. The Oresteian Trilogy is the exciting story of the end of the curse of the House of Atreus. Sophocles, "famous for wisdom," won the playwright competition at the Festival of Dionysus many times. Here, in The Three Theban Plays, is his story of Oedipus.

It is the great myth, influencing all subsequent literature. Euripides further developed the tragedy in Medea & Other Plays, instituting the deus ex machina, a prologue with a background, and greater realism. These plays together provide a comprehensive year-long literature or classical studies course for high school.

Questions about placement? Starting late?

Speak with a Schools Representative: (502) 855-4824 24

Classical Studies

The Aeneid for Boys & Girls

Grades 6-8

by Alfred J. Church

$9.95

Alfred Church's retelling of Virgil's Aeneid is a great introduction to the story of Aeneas, who escaped from the burning city of Troy and founded Rome.

Horatius at the Bridge

Grades 6+

*Book $14.95 | Medal $5.00 | Lapel Pin $2.00

This study of Macaulay's 70-stanza ballad includes vocabulary, maps, character and plot synopses, meter, comprehension questions, teaching guidelines, and a test. Send us a recording of your students reciting the poem, and we'll send them a Winston Churchill Award certificate to present with the medal.

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

Classical History for Grammar School Grades 3-8

Grades 4-8

Text $19.99 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95 Flashcards $12.95

Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

D'Aulaires' Greek Myths

Famous Men of Rome

Myths are everywhere in Western art and literature and are the essential background for a classical education. Each of the 30 lessons presents facts to know, vocabulary, comprehension questions, and a picture review and activities section.

Famous Men of Rome is ideal for beginners who are fascinated by the action and drama of Rome. Thirty stories cover the great historical characters of ancient Rome, from its founding to its demise. Witness the rise and fall of a great civilization through this biographical approach to history.

Grades 5-8

Grades 5-8

Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95 Flashcards $12.95

Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

Famous Men of Greece

Famous Men of the Middle Ages

If the Romans were history's great men of action, the Greeks were history's great men of thought. Dive into the lives of 32 famous Greeks whose stories detail the rise, Golden Age, and fall of Greece. Learning about the triumphs of Aristotle, Ptolemy, Alexander the Great, and others will show your students why the scope of Greek accomplishment is known as "The Greek Miracle."

The story of the Middle Ages is told through the colorful lives of Attila the Hun, Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Edward the Black Prince, and Joan of Arc, among others. This course guides students through the turbulent "dark age" of history and illustrates the transition from the end of ancient times to the birth of the modern era.

Classical History for Upper School The Book of the Ancient Greeks

The Book of the Ancient World

Grades 6-9 Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

Grades 6-9 Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

502-855-4824

Dorothy Mills takes the student on an adventure, exploring the geography, culture, architecture, and most prominent people of Egypt, Persia, Anatolia, Israel, and more, teaching the valuable history and lessons of these ancient peoples.

Grades 6-9 Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

The journey continues, starting in Crete and ending in the Hellenistic Age ushered in by Alexander the Great. Students learn about the development of democracy, the primordial defense of democracy in the Persian Wars, the heyday of Athens (also known as the Golden Age), and that sad self-destruction known as the Peloponnesian Wars.

The Book of the Ancient Romans

The Book of the Middle Ages

Like any good Roman course, this one begins with the she-wolf who nurses in infancy the legendary founders of Rome: Romulus and Remus. The rise and fall of a monarchy, the embrace of a republic with the simultaneous dislike for kings, and finally the rise of the Roman Empire teach unforgettable principles about human nature and society.

See how Western civilization spread, building a new civilization on the remnants of the Roman Empire. From the foundation of monasteries to the bell towers of universities, from the crowning of Charlemagne to the execution of Joan of Arc, this program will walk your students through the tumult and growth of the Middle Ages.

Grades 6-9 Text $16.95 *Student $17.95 Teacher $17.95

Classical Studies

25

THE DEBT WE OWE THE

GREEK S Ψ

BY R. W. LIVINGSTONE

IF

we trace the life of Europe to its origin, we come to three sources. Rome gives us a great legal system, the vision of a highly organized and partly successful worldempire, splendid examples of great men of action, and some noble works in poetry and prose. Our spiritual and intellectual life we owe chiefly to Judaea and Greece.

Besides the specific gift of Christianity, Judaea shows us a strong sense and hold of the unseen world, the stubborn persistence which in the Bible is called Faith. Greece is the author of the intellectual life of Europe and she represents an outlook on the world and a way of life.

When the curtain rose on Homer, European literature did not exist. This is the entire work of a single people, politically weak, numerically small, materially poor—according to the economy of nature which in things of the mind and the spirit gives a germinating power to few.

Modern civilization largely rests on the will to give a rational account of things; this will originates in Greece.

All branches of modern philosophy, from metaphysics to psychology, and many of the sciences, spring from seeds that first germinated in Hellas (the Greek name for Greece). This is one part of the Greek Legacy.

Another part are the works themselves. The first testimony is that of the Romans. It is borne by their literature, adopting one after another of their genres, permeated through and through (and most of all in the greatest writers) by imitations, reminiscences, influences of Greek, confessing and glorying in the debt. "In learning," says Cicero, "and in every branch of literature, the Greeks are our masters." A Roman boy should begin his studies with Greek, Quintilian thought, "because Latin learning is derived from Greek." The same note is repeated in the literature of the Renaissance, and re-echoed by the most various voices of our own century.

"Beside the great Attic poets, like Aeschylus and Sophocles," said Goethe, "I am absolutely nothing."

He spoke with great animation of the advantage of classical study, Greek especially. "Where," he said, ''would one look for a greater orator than Demosthenes; or finer dramatic poetry, next to Shakespeare, than that of Aeschylus or Sophocles, not to speak of Euripides."

All—Goethe no less than the others—had English literature in their hands, knew it well, and appreciated its greatness. Yet this, given in their own words, is the impression which Greek made on them. And the verdict here is plain: The Greeks created our intellectual life; Sir Richard Winn Livingstone was a British classical scholar, speaker, university administrator, and proponent of the liberal arts. The full version of this essay first appeared in Pageant of Greece (1923).

Charter.MemoriaPress.com

they laid down the lines which European literature has followed; they wrote a body of prose and poetry which has won the homage of the world and which is of unique interest to any one who cares for literature.

ECONOMY If a reader new to the classics opened Thucydides, his first impression would probably be one of baldness. He might see little in it but a prosaic want of colour. Greek literature is always at its greatest when most simple. There is a difference between the Greek method and the English: the latter is rich and profuse, following the flow of an opulent fancy, the former reticent and restrained, leaving the reader's imagination room and need to play its part. In their theory and in their practice the Greek writers were true to this principle of Economy. Their proverbs proclaim it; the great passages of their literature illustrate it.

This manner of expression seems bald to us. We prefer amplification, bringing out the moral and telling us what to feel.

Something of course may be said for bot h met hods.

A mpl it ude of t reat ment and fullness of detail enrich t he i mag i nat ion; economy stimulates it. The latter may become bland or banal, and is safe only in the hands of great writers: The former may provide too rich a feast and leave the full-fed mind inert.

Everything is done for it and nothing left for it to do. Economy, on the other hand, throws the reader on his own resources, and sets the mind wandering in the fields of infinity.

everything and nothing. … It enjoys light and shade …

A poet is the most unpoetical of anything in existence, he is continually in, for, and filling some other body." In such a mood men will write literature that may justly be called truthful. Avoiding the didactic, they will not distort truth to suit personal bias; avoiding rhetoric, they will not sacrifice it to fine phrases; avoiding sentiment and fancy, they will not gratify their own or their hearer's feelings at the expense of truth; avoiding mysticism, they will not move away from facts into a world of emotions. Their care will be to see things, and their delight will be in the mere vision. The Greek poets, more than any others, bring us in a manner entirely simple and natural into immediate contact with what they describe, and thus escape the thousand distortions for which epigram, rhetoric, sentiment, fancy, mysticism, and romanticism are responsible.

This secret may be called "directness." It is the habit of looking straight and steadily at things, and describing them as they are, the very contrary of the habit of didactic comment and of rhetorical or emotional inflation. The "direct" writer, in the fullest extent that is possible, keeps himself and his feelings in the background. He does not allow the mists which rise from a man's personality to come between him and his subject.

Greek "truthfulness" is the parent, not only of Greek science and philosophy, which are the children of a desire to see things in themselves as they are, and not as the seer wishes them to be, but also, in part, of Greek Literature, where truth is never sacrificed to beauty or sentiment or emotion, and where neither the light nor the shade on the canvas of life is ignored, but both are depicted with an even-handed justice. It is the lesson which Europe began at the Renaissance to relearn from Greece, and which she has been perfecting ever since.

But it is dangerous to talk of qualities and to dissect a writer or a people. The living being vanishes, and isolated limbs remain on the dissecting table. We shall see the Greeks as they were, if we think of them, not as incarnations of simplicity or beauty or truthfulness, but as human beings, entering on the common inheritance of life with the clear eye, the open mind, the eager enjoyment, the generous receptivity of children, and yet with the faculties of full-grown men.

THE GREEKS

CREATED OUR

INTELLECTUAL LIFE; THEY LAID DOWN

THE LINES WHICH

EUROPEAN LITERATURE HAS FOLLOWED.

TRUTHFULNESS Of another quality of Greek literature we have already seen something: its Truthfulness. The Greeks told no fewer lies than other races, but they had the desire and the power to see the world as it is. So they came to give Europe the conceptions of philosophy and science.

The Greeks were fascinated by the spectacle of man and the world, and their fascination is seen not only in their formal philosophy. Of their poets it may be said that they were born to see the world and human life— not to moralize or to indulge in sentiment or rhetoric or mysticism about it, but to see it. Keats' description of the poetic temperament fits them closely: "It has no self, it is 502-855-4824

The Debt We Owe the Greeks

27

literature Literature and poetry are essential to a classical education. Why? Because, along with history, literature and poetry are the chief ways we pass on the ideals and values of traditional Western culture. Not only will your students' affections be trained to love the good (and hate the bad) through characters they encounter in great literature, but they will get a glimpse into the wonder of reality that only good poetry can reveal to us. Memoria Press' literature and poetry programs bring you a choice selection of the best books by the best authors.

Primary School Literature Grade 1 StoryTime Treasures

Grade 1 More StoryTime Treasures

*StoryTime Treasures Student Guide $14.95 StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide $16.95 Little Bear $4.95 Caps for Sale $7.99 Frog and Toad Are Friends $4.99 Make Way for Ducklings $9.99

*More StoryTime Treasures Student Guide $14.95 More StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide $16.95 Billy and Blaze $8.99 Blaze and the Forest Fire $8.99 The Story About Ping $4.99 Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie $7.99 Stone Soup $7.99 The Little House $7.99 Miss Rumphius $8.99

*denotes consumable book

Grammar School Literature

28

Grades 3-4 Farmer Boy *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $8.99

Grades 3-4 Charlotte's Web *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.99

Grades 3-4 A Bear Called Paddington *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.99

Grades 3-4 Mr. Popper's Penguins *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 4-5 My Side of the Mountain *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 4-6 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.99

Grades 4-6 Heidi *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.99

Grades 4-6 Lassie Come-Home *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 6-8 The Trojan War *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 6-8 Anne of Green Gables *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.95

Grades 5-7 The Twenty-One Balloons *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 6-8 The Hobbit *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $10.99

Literature

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Reading requires an active, discriminating mind that is challenged to think, compare, and contrast. Students who have been challenged by good literature will develop into superior readers and will never be satisfied with poor-quality books. Each novel has been carefully selected to nourish your students' hearts and minds and improve their reading abilities. The study guides focus on vocabulary, comprehension, and composition—skills that train students to become active readers.

Grades 2-3 Animal Folk Tales of America *Student $11.95 Teacher $7.00 Novel $12.95

Grades 2-3 Prairie School *Student $11.95 Teacher $7.00 Novel $4.99

Grades 2-3 The Courage of Sarah Noble *Student $11.95 Teacher $7.00 Novel $5.99

Grades 2-3 Little House in the Big Woods *Student $11.95 Teacher $7.00 Novel $8.99

Grades 2-3 Tales from Beatrix Potter *Student $11.95 Teacher $7.00 Novels $7.99 ea.

Grades 3-4 The Moffats *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.95

Grades 3-5 The Cricket in Times Square *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 3-5 Homer Price *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 3-5 The Blue Fairy Book *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.95

Grades 5-7 Adam of the Road *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.99

Grades 5-7 The Door in the Wall *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.99

Grades 5-7 Robin Hood *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.99

Grades 5-7 King Arthur *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.99

Grades 6-8 Treasure Island *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.95

Grades 6-8 The Wind in the Willows *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.95

Grades 6-8 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.95

Grades 7-12 As You Like It *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $9.95

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Literature

29

Upper School Literature

Grades 8-9 Little Women *Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $14.95

Grades 9+ The Scarlet Letter Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $7.00

Grades 8+ The Hound of the Baskervilles Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $11.00

Grades 8+ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $12.00

Grades 9+ A Tale of Two Cities Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.95

Grades 9+ To Kill a Mockingbird Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $15.99

Grades 8+ Beowulf Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $10.95

Grades 9+ Pride & Prejudice Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $6.95

Grades 9+ Henry V Student $11.95 Teacher $12.95 Novel $5.99

Mix and match any 10 or more Memoria Press literature guides and receive 15% off your literature guide purchase!

Use coupon code LITGUIDE at checkout!

Poetry

faq:

Which books can be used as class sets and which are consumable?

All student guides are consumable (except upper school literature guides).

One per student is required.

These books travel to and from home and are used as study guides. For literature, we suggest that all students have their own copy of each novel so they can highlight and underline as needed.

Textbooks for other subjects can generally be purchased as reusable class sets since the student guides will contain all the material needed for study after the text has been read.

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Literature & Poetry

Grades 3-7

Grades 9+

*Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95

Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95 Anthology $19.95

Poetry for the Grammar Stage This poetry book is intended for use in the grammar school years as a companion study to literature, science, and American studies. Poetry study includes questions to help students analyze meanings of the poems, including vocabulary work. Poems increase in difficulty each year.

Literary and Rhetorical Terms

Grades 9+ $9.95

This handy companion book is a compilation of all the literary and rhetorical terms used in our upper school literature guides.

Poetry & Prose II: The Elizabethan to the Neoclassical Age Did you ever wish you didn't have to sort through all the thousands of poems that have been written over the years to find the best of the best? Cheryl Lowe has done the work for you in this British Poetry Anthology. This anthology and study guide cover the English Renaissance, the Cavalier Poets of the early seventeenth century, the great Puritan writers, the Restoration period, and the Neoclassical Age. The accompanying guides utilize reading notes, comprehension questions, and Socratic discussion questions to lead students to discover the Central One Idea of each work.

Questions?

Speak with a Schools Representative: (502) 855-4824 Charter.MemoriaPress.com

science There are two choices for elementary science: the survey course which raises many questions with little time for answers, and the in-depth study of one topic, in which questions can be explored, curiosity can be satisfied, and understanding can take root. Memoria Press' in-depth science courses for the grammar school focus on observation and classification—the natural starting point of science—rather than experiments.

We introduce students to the world of nature by studying the things it is made up of—birds, insects, trees, mammals, and the heavenly bodies. We give students the gift of knowing the world they live in and an appreciation of that world that will benefit them throughout their lives. *denotes consumable book

Science & Nature Grades 3+

Grades 4+

Grades 3+

*Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95 The World of Mammals $17.99 What Is a Mammal? $7.95 What Is the Animal Kingdom? $7.95

Text $14.95 *Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95 Peterson Guide $7.95

*Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95

Mammals

Young students love to study animals! Our Mammals Student Workbook covers rodents, elephants, primates, marsupials, and much more!

Students will answer comprehension questions and draw the animals they are studying. The Teacher Guide includes quizzes and tests.

The Book of Trees

The Book of Insects

The Book of Astronomy

With a reader that takes a narrative approach to the life of insects and a workbook that takes your students through the different kinds of insects, this course will enthrall your students by taking creatures many of us revile and making out of them a fascinating study!

Using the system of the Greeks and Romans, your student will learn the story of the sky. This guide covers stars, constellations, the motion of the earth, and the zodiac.

Grades 6+

Grades 5+

Text $14.95 *Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95 Peterson Guide $7.95 The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown Ups $15.95

Text $17.99 *Student $14.95 Teacher $16.95 Peterson Guide $8.99 *Coloring Book $10.99 Flashcards $9.95 (31 cards per set)

Our Book of Trees, along with a student workbook and teacher key, will teach students the different parts and kinds of plants, the processes of photosynthesis and respiration, and about flowers and fruits and other wonders of the natural world.

The Book of Birds

Study the anatomy of birds and how they live. The workbook includes facts to know, comprehension questions, and characteristics of each bird.

Students will learn 31 common birds and several incredible birds!

Math Numbers Books

(Part I & Part II)

by Leigh Lowe Recommended for Kindergarten

Arithmetic Flashcards: Addition & Subtraction $9.95

$30.00 (*2-book set)

This book set includes practice in counting, patterns, and writing and tracing numbers. It makes a good supplement for kindergarten math.

Flashkids Flashcards Multiplication or Division $5.95 ea.

502-855-4824

College of the Redwoods Prealgebra

Textbook $20.00 Solutions Manual $20.00 *Quizzes & Tests $9.95 Quizzes & Tests Answer Key $5.00

McDougal Littell Geometry

Textbook $109.20 Teacher Edition $225.93 Solution Key $70.75

Science & Math

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PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Memoria Press

10901 Shelbyville Road Louisville, KY 40243

TEACHER TRAINING & SCHOOL CONSULTATION

Martin Cothran

Ethan Gotcher

Shane Saxon

Tanya Charlton

Memoria Press' training team has worked with schools all over the country to assist teachers and staff in understanding the vision of classical education and to better implement a coherent and rigorous classical curriculum.

Our staff is also available to address your parents and your community to answer questions about classical education.

Contact us: schools@memoriapress.com or (502) 855-4824 ISBN 9781547701544

90000 >

Kathy Becker

Jim Duncan

Michelle Tefertiller

Sarah Jo Davis

9 781547 701544