I’m trying to saturate my mind with the meaning, structure, and embodiment of a liberal arts, or classical, education. So I’ve been tearing through some related books lately and will post some short reviews both for your interest and to help me think about what I’m reading. The author’s first name irritates me immensely. It’s pronounced “lee,” and I always… Read more →
A lot of the time when thinking about education policy, I don’t like the positions of either side on an issue. That’s how I feel about testing and anti-testers: Despite all the people with great credentials who will tell you otherwise, standardized tests are accurate, cheap, and valid measurements. But that doesn’t mean I think states and governments should impose… Read more →
The kids have spent about 75 percent of their waking hours this past week screaming. Esther is teething and snuffly, insisting on being held constantly, and Ransom is just a bear. I don’t even have to mind the varmints during work hours, mostly, because Nathaniel does, but it still frays my mind and nerves. That’s a cover-up for the truth:… Read more →
In Part 1 I talked about basic things you can do to help your child gain verbal ability, the biggest predictor of later intelligence (and, therefore, job prospects and likely increased happiness): Start early, talk to him a lot, get some books, read to your kids, and avoid screens. This time, I’m going to talk about what to do while… Read more →
Verbal ability is one of the best, if not the best, predictors of a child’s future academic and life success. What does that mean? If a child hears lots of words early and often, he will be much more likely to think clearly and creatively, do well in school, hold down a job, get better jobs, and enjoy the world… Read more →
Many mornings I stand in our upstairs bathroom and watch my husband poke around the backyard with one or both children orbiting. He checks the bedraggled garden, pulling weeds and harvesting vegetables. Sometimes I can hear him talking: “These are tomatoes, Ransom. No, don’t eat. It’s not red yet.” He keeps the ragamuffins busy each morning so I can shower… Read more →
I cried at the DMV today. It was all the Maryland Communists’ fault. Last Friday, after 15 months of not switching my driver’s license to Indiana from Maryland, where I have the misfortune to hold it, I went to the apparently renowned Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. It took me three minutes to get to a pleasant lady who informed… Read more →
My almost-two-year-old can already name several colors, count to three, and draw lines and circles, all with no obsessive Tiger Mothering. I take a rather dim view of preschool for most children because I’ve read so many studies that indicate it’s not programs but rich exposure to language that “prepares a child for school” (I have critiques of that phrase,… Read more →
One of the greatest moral challenges living in Washington, DC posed to me was the “card check.” Whenever you met people, inevitably the first question after names was, “What do you do?” and your erstwhile correspondent would evaluate how long to talk to you by your professional status. Since I was there on my first job after college, my status… Read more →
Last week, though it feels like a year ago, I spoke at a conference to mothers and their daughters about modesty. It was a surprise topic for me. In coming up with what I would say, I had a lot of assorted thoughts that did not end up making it into the talk. Here’s one set. It’s my list of… Read more →
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