Cheryl Swope's Blog, page 10

In Defense of Memory Work

Training the Memory with a Classical Education

In the Dickens novel Great Expectations, Estella admits, “There was a long hard time when I kept far from me the remembrance of what I had thrown away when I was quite ignorant of its worth.” So it is today with the lost art of training the memory through education. A classical education seeks to strengthen the mind and nurture the soul through meaning and memory with practice. This is for all students. Consider these words written in the 1500s, when Christian humanists sought to reclaim classical education: Students must daily be given something which trains both understanding and memory. Indeed, … as much must be offered as the powers of their memory and the nature of the subject matter can accommodate. Even material which they have already learned once must be repeated at brief intervals.¹

Understanding Through Questioning

Contrary to misconceptions and common accusations heard today from our progressive teaching peers, classical educators seek understanding and mental training; we do not seek mere “rote memory work” as an end in itself. But we do see memory work as a valuable means to noble ends. Questioning assists understanding, but the questioning occurs at the proper time for the child’s mind. With the younger child this often takes the form of catechetical question and answer. Example: “Who is the Lord?” (“The Lord is God.”) Memoria Press’ English Grammar Recitation program teaches grammar in this efficient manner. In later years, students will learn to analyze deftly and express themselves eloquently using all that is retained in the memory, when Socratic questioning leads to greater understanding of the meaning and, ultimately, to truth.

Memory Work Is Good Practice

Cognitive neuroscientist Daniel T. Willingham notes that untrained students “tend to gauge their knowledge based on their feeling-of-knowing as they read over their notes,” they get an increased feeling of familiarity. But a feeling of familiarity is not the same thing as “knowing.”² For this reason, Willingham suggests, “Students should study until they know the material and then keep studying.”

In a classical education, recitation promotes this theory of over-learning in a timeless, satisfying way. The practiced responses instill in students poise, confidence, and a vast fund of knowledge with only a brief investment of time each day. A good recitation is a joy to behold. Such a recitation can be accomplished in both home and school. Oral recitations can begin the day or the subject area to impress essential knowledge and understanding upon consequently strengthened memories. Similarly, the ancient practice of copying by hand assists memorization. Whether poetry, Holy Scripture, or the days of the week, Memoria Press Copybook exercises give students something worthwhile and often lovely to memorize.

Five Steps

Try these five steps for any child, especially the child who needs to strengthen his “working memory,” the term for holding material in ones mind for good use and application in his studies.

1. Introduce the whole, but teach in small bites.

2. Have the students echo each new portion. “The Lord …” (The Lord) “is my Shepherd …” (is my Shepherd).

3. Work on the partial memory passages each day, but always let them hear the verse as a whole.

4. Add new bites until fully memorized.

5. Establish a schedule for ongoing review.

Follow these steps for math facts, Latin sayings, conjugations, or declensions, hymn stanzas, and more.

Learn by Heart

More than merely assimilating large chunks of “useless information,” as some assume, all is enfolded into the child’s education over time with enriching results. For this reason, much of classical Christian memory work may be better characterized by a more appealing phrase: learn by heart. When my children were very young, they learned all of Psalm 23 with the five steps described above. The Little Golden Book The Lord Is My Shepherd served as the whole, poetic impression, with the psalm sung at the end. Due to my children’s special needs, they learned it in small portions, but they learned. As mentioned in the book Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for any Child, not long after they learned it we found a poignant moment to sing this psalm at the bedside of an aged friend just days before she died. Because the psalm had been learned by heart, the words could be shared freely.

Memoria, -ae

Memoria Press founder Cheryl Lowe named her publishing house after the Latin word for “memory.” She once explained, “I came up with the name ‘Memoria’ (memoria,-ae) because memory is so foundational to a classical education and is completely counter-cultural to progressive education. Training the memory is the first practical task of the teacher. Training teachers to focus on memorization in the classroom is really the first practical step in turning that teacher away from modern education to traditional classical education.

Let us carry on with diligence, joy, and delight as Mrs. Lowe envisioned, because when we give our children strong memories, we give them stronger minds.

¹Sturm, Johann, in Johann Sturm on Education: The Reformation and Humanist Learning, 91. Specifically, in 1538 Sturm recommended memory training for anyone opening an “Elementary School of Letters.”

²Willingham, Daniel T. “What Will Improve a Student’s Memory?” American Educator, Winter, 2008-2009, 22.

Originally published as “Memoria, Memoriae” in The Classical Teacher Winter 2018 edition

Autism Symptoms in a Young Child? 5 Steps to Take Now

The impact of autism is subtle, multi-faceted, and lifelong. Let’s explore the facets of a condition impacting up to 1 in 68 children in the United States alone.

We begin with my own daughter:

“Michelle wriggled and squirmed. She craved deep contact but could not sit still long enough to enjoy being held. Her sensory system seemed to malfunction. She leaned into our big dogs, especially her favorite black lab mix who leaned even harder back into her, slurping her face, giving her the constant sensory input she seemed to crave. Seemingly impervious to pain, Michelle combat-crawled into furniture and walls, banging into them as if on purpose. Nothing most toddlers would deem painful seemed to bother her, but then when we tried to remove a shirt over her head, she cried as if in agony. Only once in those early weeks, after she had developed a high fever, did she truly ‘snuggle in’ as a contented baby would. Language, too, appeared to be an early area of difficulty….” from Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child, Cheryl Swope, M.Ed. (Memoria Press).

With a master’s degree in special education, lifetime K-12 teaching certificate in both learning disabilities and behavior disorders, and as a mom with twins on the autism spectrum, homeschooled from infancy through high school graduation, I am a strong advocate for early intervention!

If you suspect autism symptoms in any child, take these 5 steps:

1 – Know the Signs

Begin with knowing the characteristics of autism. As you read each of the lists linked here, make a bullet-point list of any symptoms YOU see in the child. Know the early Warning Signs of Autism. Learn the signs in older children and teens. Find out how to distinguish between the symptoms of ADHD and autism. Ready for more in-depth study? Learn more about the newer, related diagnosis of Social Communication Disorder.

2 – Know the Impact

Autism impacts the child’s immediate family, extended family, and community. Understand the many aspects of autism including the safety risks for a child with autism, especially wandering, and obtain a medical identification bracelet immediately.

3 – Know the Hope!

Discouraged? Fearful? Dismayed? Watch this encouraging video: The Joy of Knowing. Equip yourself to advocate for the child and his education long-term. Then pour yourself a cup of tea and read this free article, The Path Less Traveled, for greater hope. Know that you can accomplish more than many “experts” will ever tell you! Read or reread these two articles, and you will gain an understanding of all that can be accomplished through an effective education focused on mastery, skills, and knowledge while embracing the child’s delight, humanity, and joy.

4 – Know How to Teach

We have done this part for you! Simply begin with Level A of the Simply Classical Curriculum for Special Needs from Memoria Press with any young child or beginning student on the autism spectrum. This program uniquely encourages oral language through predictable repetition, provides a framework for habits of learning, and is “open-and-go,” which makes it easy to teach in 30-minute sessions. Not sure where to begin? We offer free online readiness assessments for all Simply Classical programs: Readiness, Primary, and Grammar levels. All are fully customizable by subject for “asynchronous” learners who need subjects taught at varying levels; however, many students with autism succeed well when the program is taught exactly as written. More levels are coming in 2018.

5 – Know Where to Diagnose

You can obtain a formal evaluation from a pediatric autism specialist at a university, diagnostic clinic, or children’s hospital, or seek a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. If evaluators rule out anything of concern, this will be a relief. However, if they identify a real need, early intervention will be critical.

Take the above five steps, and you may well impact the child’s life in dramatic, measurable, and even inspiring ways.

Let me know if I can help in any way. cherylswope@memoriapress.com, or SimplyClassical.com – our free support forum.

Cheryl Swope, M.Ed.

cherylswope@memoriapress.com

SimplyClassical.com – free support forum

Do You See Autism Symptoms in a Young Child? 5 Steps to Take Now

1. Know the early Warning Signs of Autism in Toddlers.

2. Understand nonverbal OR pre-verbal autism.

3. Watch this video and read the embedded article for greater hope and understanding.

4. Immediately begin Level A of the Simply Classical Curriculum for Special Needs from Memoria Press. The program encourages oral language through predictable repetition and is open-and-go, easy to teach in 30-min sessions.

5. While you do all of the above, obtain a formal evaluation for your granddaughter. If they rule out anything of concern, this will be a relief. However, if they identify a real need, early intervention will be critical.

Let me know if I can help in any way. As a mom with twins on the autism spectrum, and with a master’s degree in special education, I know the impact of intervening early.

cherylswope@memoriapress.com

Growing in the Shade

One hot Missouri June when my children were very young, we decorated our front porch with a large white container of flowering impatiens. The pink and red petals with deep foliage cheered our doorstep. At the time, I knew that impatiens needed shade, but I hoped they would thrive in the full sun like other people’s front-porch flowers. We closed the door and walked inside. Anyone who knows about shade-loving plants knows what happened next. Over the next few days in our blazing Midwest sun, blossoms shriveled. Foliage burned. Sobered, I carried those flowers to our shaded backyard. Few would see them now, but maybe we would witness the plants return to life from our family’s backyard swing.

The Dangers of Full Sun

As I was raising my young children, local playgroup friends talked about their able-minded children who earned ribbons, juggled extracurricular activities, and made good grades. I already knew my experience was not like theirs. In the afternoons after our homeschooling lessons, my children played in the backyard pretending to be Henry and Violet from The Boxcar Children in the large wooden box my husband nailed to a tree. They collected eastern tent caterpillars in glass jars. They learned, with much practice, how to have conversations. Like the impatiens, my children thrived in the sheltered retreat of our backyard. My children did not attend a different scheduled activity every day. My daughter, especially, seemed to need far more attention, supervision, and protection than most children, not to mention specialized therapies, physicians, and extra help to learn. Sometimes we pushed our young children more than we should have, and invariably we then witnessed dangerous or odd behaviors such as wandering, nightmares, playing with matches, and even eating laundry detergent.

I did not know much, but I knew that our children would not thrive in the bright hot sun of excessive rigor, complex social demands, and overbearing pressures. To this day, the memory of those pink and red petals guards me against overtaxing my children. It also enlivens my desire to provide a beautiful, incremental, and purposeful yet properly gentle education for all children with challenges. Our children with challenges need the richly prepared soil of readiness, the shaded warmth of encouragement, the fertilization of regular practice, and the steady watering of good, clear instruction. With this, our children will grow and thrive, even if few ever admire or see.

Two Sisters

Over the past twenty years or so, two sisters from that first playgroup furnished a similar lesson for me. One spunky little girl with short hair, Susan, evidenced an astonishing intellect from the age of three. My own children’s distracted minds had become so familiar to me, that I marveled when I saw the orderly block designs Susan created. Little Susan spoke well, attentively organized her playthings, kicked balls with ease, and even opened her own bananas without squishing them. Suitably, young Susan received a full, rigorous education at our town’s only private school from award-winning teachers. By graduation, Susan had earned honors and scholarships in speech, mathematics, and athletics. She now attends a small liberal arts college hundreds of miles from home and studied a semester in Italy. Outgoing, intelligent, and capable, Susan needed full sun from the very beginning of her life.

By contrast, Susan’s big sister Amanda had long hair and a clear singing voice, but she cried easily, worried much, and preferred to play at home. She loved kittens and anything small. We marveled that the two girls were so close in age, yet so different. As a teen, Amanda had migraines, unexplained stomachaches, and social fears that kept her parents linked to their phones waiting for her anxious calls. While her sister Susan thrived in the demanding and highly social private high school, Amanda wilted. The girls’ parents chased doctor appointments and medications, and they finally decided to bring her home. Amanda began sleeping at night again. Her parents insisted on a strong education at home, but allowed Amanda time to rest, read, and play with her favorite cats. Removed from the intensity of her private school, Amanda slowly regained her strength, color, and vitality. She graduated a year after her peers, attended a small college near home, and this past summer began teaching music and theater to young children. Children warmed to her, and she to them.

The Flowers

Far into October that year long ago, those backyard flowers grew into bushes of color with bright pinks and rich reds. Still delicate, they would never thrive in the bright heat of our front porch. I knew this now with certainty. I still remember that day. When I carried those tender, shriveled flowers to our backyard, the metaphor spoke to me in a sudden and deeply personal way. The flowers needed shade. I could not change that. My growing understanding of my children’s needs brought silent emotion as I made my way to the backyard. Yet somehow the understanding also brought a glimmer of contentment. I did not fully understand the implications, but I began to accept the truth: Some children grow best in the shade.

Originally published in Simply Classical Journal Winter 2018 edition — free to subscribe, the print copy comes with refreshment and the latest resources, right to your door!

Teach your own child for vibrancy, richness, and growth “in the shade” with the unique special-needs Simply Classical Curriculum.

Because He Daily Bears Us Up

Because He Daily Bears Us Up

Psalm by Psalm: 365 Selected Readings from Martin Luther from Concordia Publishing House is the perfect book for beginning a new calendar year. As the title implies, every one of the 365 daily readings comes from the Psalms. Consider this:

The Psalter ought to be a precious and beloved book, if for

no other reason than this: it promises Christ’s death and

resurrection so clearly—and pictures his kingdom and the

condition and nature of all Christendom—that it might well

be called a little Bible. In it is comprehended most beautifully

and briefly everything that is in the entire Bible.1

In Psalm by Psalm, each daily entry is brief but substantive and opens with related verses from Holy Scripture. Readings denote only a day and month, so selections can be repeated every year.

Why is daily reading important? I recently learned the answer to this question through the response to a similar question.

Getting Personal

Surprised by a painful autoimmune condition, I found myself in physical therapy to learn necessary exercises for my hands, wrists, and feet. These exercises were designed for my good, but this single question penetrating my mind suddenly escaped my lips, “How often must I do these?”

The therapist looked at me quizzically. I earnestly wanted an answer, so I exposed my lazy tendencies with this clarification, “What is the least often I must do these exercises in order for them to be effective?” The therapist gave the firm response I did not want to hear: Daily.

As we teach our children from the Small Catechism, so it is for us:

The Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance

be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and … a new

man should daily come forth and arise to live before God in

righteousness and purity forever.2

Mercies

Yet just as our need abounds daily, so his mercies toward us are new every morning. So we can pause in our day to read Psalm by Psalm: 365 Selected Readings from Martin Luther each morning, noon, or evening – by ourselves or with our families – for our daily and eternal good.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. – Psalm 68: 19-20

1 Luther, Martin (Luther’s Works 35:254) quoted in the Introduction to Psalm by Psalm.

2 Luther, Marin. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Small Catechism (CPH), What Baptism Indicates. Emphasis added.

Myself & Others — new manners program for children

Our new manners program for children released a few days ago! Teach alongside any curriculum. Designed for typical children and children with challenges,

Order today.

Details:

Based on classic literature, 4-day-a-week brief lessons, and books to help you teach, Myself & Others can help anyone impress good habits and manners upon the minds and hearts of their children, grandchildren, or classroom students. Charter-friendly, these 14-week programs can be taught one-on-one or in a group.

Any questions about placement? Take the free online readiness assessments.

If in doubt, begin with Book One. We continue Winnie-the-Pooh (hardback) for our friendship lessons when we teach Book Two.

Needed:

Book One Core Set — the teaching guide with lesson plans, the teaching resources taught throughout the course

Book One Read-Aloud Set — the accompanying books you can obtain at a library or in the convenient package

Book Two Core Set — the teaching guide with lesson plans, the resources taught throughout the course

Book Two Read-Aloud Set — the books you can obtain at a library or in the convenient package

Need something to teach manners to older children? Look for Books Three & Four to come in the Winter of 2018.

New Catalog — Simply Classical Journal

Sign up today! Free catalog.

“Do you or a friend have a child with learning challenges? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to receive the very first issue of our new special-needs catalog, the Simply Classical Journal. This catalog will feature articles from Cheryl Swope, author and creator of the Simply Classical curriculum, along with veteran Simply Classical users, as well as special-needs curriculum and teaching supplements.” — from Memoria Press – your first issue arrives January 2018.

While adding the catalog, sign up also for The Classical Teacher. Each issue features articles by Cheryl Swope and fellow educators Martin Cothran, Carol Reynolds, and more! At a time when other print magazines struggle to survive, join the smart readership of >100,000 people who enjoy this “magalog.” Part magazine, part catalog — your free copies arrive four times a year.

Lutheran Catechesis for Special Needs

It breaks my heart and baffles my mind that with 1 in 5 children facing learning challenges, we do not (yet) have from CPH formal, effective, confessional confirmation materials for our young teens with special needs. Here is a common question I received from a pastor this morning.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for catechesis/confirmation class materials for young teens with special needs? I can already tell that I will need to teach him individually. What can I use for teaching?

A: Yes, one-on-one will be best for instruction, although it might be nice to include the student in group recitations once a month. In this way, he could recite the same portions of Scripture & the Six Chief Parts, pray our prayers, and sing liturgical elements and hymn stanzas corporately. Sometimes children with autism can become surprisingly good memorizers with practice. Others might learn only the refrain of a hymn but can then join the singing at the refrain. A tutorial approach for catechizing often works best, and this is a good start; but even students with social challenges appreciate being part of a confirmation class for Christian community and, eventually, for photos!

What is his intellectual level?

 

Lower Level of Ability and Maturity

 

If he needs something basic and simple, and if he would not be “insulted” by something written for children, consider these resources:

 

1. My First Catechism Workbook Activity Book – look inside: https://www.cph.org/pdf/223069.pdf

 

2. The Small Catechism and LSB as written for the “spine” of your memory work and private instruction. (If this is too challenging, consider teaching from this: My First Catechism.)

 

3. For biblical literacy, you can teach from The Story Bible. I have lesson plans for 34 weeks of reading these, if you are interested. See also this copybook for Scripture memory work (sample here). For boosted comprehension (and bonus writing instruction), you could use this composition course based on The Story Bible (sample here)

 

If the above sounds good, teach from these with as much visual input as you can give: art posters, wall maps, posters of each of these: Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, & Lord’s Prayer if he does not yet know these.

 

Give him the same sequence of lesson each day:

 

Prayer (stand)

Hymn stanza sung together (stand)

Memory work recited together (stand)

Lesson (sit)

Writing activity (sit)

Same hymn stanza sung together (stand)

Prayer (stand)

 

Think repetition, repetition, repetition.

 

To add a devotional component for him to complete at home, you could assign one of these My Thankfulness Journals. Though it says for ages 6-12, this is a “cognitive age.” Few things are more important than thankfulness to cultivate in teens with significant special needs. Each page provides a repeated template for a prayer.

 

 

While much work for you, the above is the relatively “easy” scenario and could be satisfying for both of you.

 

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Higher Level of Ability and Maturity

 

If, however, your student is intellectually higher than this OR if he would deem all of the above “babyish,” then you will need to do more work on your own.

 

I recommend the following:

 

Your Lesson Plans/Goals:

1. Teach the first three of the Six Chief Parts of the Small Catechism to mastery.

2. Teach only 1-2 key verses of Holy Scripture (to mastery) that support each of the Six Chief Parts.

3. Teach and sing with him every lesson ONE key LSB hymn throughout his confirmation to encapsulate all you desire to teach him. Consider LSB 555 if he memorizes easily; We All Believe in One True God, if he does not.

4. Plan to read, teach, and reread every one of the Six Chief Parts with him, along with explanations.

5. Consider movement in your instruction. For example: standing bounce-pass. You say “First Commandment.” Bounce the ball to him. He says, “You shall not….” He bounces it back to you. You say “Second Commandment.” Bounce the ball to him, and so on. If he does not need or respond well to this level of movement, incorporate other memory helps:

a. underlining in different colors corresponding to Law/Gospel or six colors to correspond to Six Chief Parts.

b. chanting recitations to create a pleasing, memorably rhythm

c. word searches for key theological terms

d. mnemonic devices (S.O.S. — Law shows our sin/ Gospel shows our Savior)

e. call and response to learn hymn and liturgy portions

6. Include oral recitation, rather than writing, whenever possible. Ex. Orally recite the Apostles’ Creed in every class period. Close every session with The Lord’s Prayer.

7. Pray for him.

8. Enjoy the challenge! The needs of such students often help us “strip down” the task of catechesis into its essential elements and can be refreshingly simple in this way. Prepare him for the Lord’s Supper, as he will need throughout his life the forgiveness and fortification that comes only through Jesus Christ.

 

 

Both of my adopted twins (now 22) have ADHD, autism, severe mental illness, and social difficulties. Yet both have read through the entire Book of Concord with us. Possibilities abound. Most importantly, they both hear the Word of God and receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ for their eternal good every week.

 

 

If I can help further, please let me know.

 

Cheryl

 

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 ESV

 

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CherylSwope.com

 

Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child (Memoria Press, 2013)

 

Curriculum Resource Guide for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE Press, 2014)

 

Eternal Treasures: Teaching Your Child at Home (LCMS, 2015)

 

NEW Simply Classical Curriculum for Special Needs (Memoria Press) voted #1 for Special Learners

 

Church History Studies

Solus Christus (Christ alone) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6, KJV

The Reformation in the Context of Church History

If your serious, history-minded homeschooled high school student cannot bear to read yet another homeschool treatment of church history extolling Semi-Pelagianism or the Great Awakenings; if he is irritated by texts alternately omitting and demonizing the work of Martin Luther, or if he simply wants a thorough book on church history, consider this new CPH resource entitled Church History: The Basics.

Far more than mere basics this extensive, scholarly compilation provides charts, dates, names, and detailed accounts of disputes, themes, and philosophies. About the book, Dr. Alvin Schmidt writes this, “Covering two thousand years of Christian history, from the birth of Christ to the twenty-first century, Church History: The Basics is well researched, highly informative, and definitely not boring.”

Advanced students may study this book in a single year. Other students might spread the course over two or three years by time period. Chapters divide in this manner:

1. The Early Church (from the Apostles to AD 250)

2. The Church in a Changing World (Events and Trends from 250 to 600)

3. The Church of the Middle Ages (Growth and Change from 600-1400)

4. The Church of the Renaissance and Reformation (Decline and Reform from 1300 to 1600)

5. The Church in the Age of Orthodoxy and the Enlightenment (Consolidation and Challenge from 1600-1800)

6. Christian Churches in Modern Times (Changes from 1800 to the First World War)

7. The Spread of Global Christianity (Mission and Message from the World War Era to the Present)

Your upper-level student will receive a firm understanding of, and appreciation for our historical context. As Christians, Church History: The Basics offers an admirable course of study. This single volume provides more than history; the reader leaves with wisdom, edification, and encouragement. As the editors conclude, “Jesus Christ promised that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail’ against the Church (Matthew 16:18). … In all circumstances, the promises of God have upheld and strengthened the Church. Knowing the past likewise allows Christians and congregations today to face the future more wisely and confidently. … From the shores of Galilee to the corners of the globe, there is every reason for bold action and certain hope.”

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” — Ephesians 3:20-21, NKJV

“The plans are well-crafted but also delightful and beautiful!” – New Testimonials & Reviews – Simply Classical Curriculum

My daughter and I appreciate every one of these new, gracious testimonials. When Michelle said, “I want my story to help other children like me,” we did not even begin to envision the abundance, far above what we could ask or think. (photo taken by my son Michael Swope on our back porch)

“Thank you for striving to help us grow as parents and educators and for desiring not just the best education for our children’s minds but for them to have strong wills and loving hearts as well. So many expect too little, and of the wrong things. You help us to remember to dwell on the lofty things.” — MA

“I am excited to begin this new journey with my son! I feel a sense of peace and confidence. Thank you so much for your care and concern not just for me and and my child, but for all those who struggle.” — Shanna

Simply Classical Curriculum

Level A

“I’m really excited about this program! I can’t thank you enough for making it available.” — JM, new mother of a child with Down syndrome

“For my son, working on pointing has been huge and now he can isolate his finger and point, and as a result is exploring his environment more, pointing at pictures (non-verbal) to ask what is on the picture. — Cortney

“I started level A with my 4 yr old son this past week. My husband and I are now completely sold on this curriculum. My son is already making a ton of progress and today he talked to the lady at our local store and said “please” to her (usually he won’t say anything ….). He wakes up wanting to do school each morning. I told him we would have the weekend off and he said he still wants to do school anyway. He even started saying a couple simple prayers out loud as well! My husband was a bit on the skeptical side, but told me tonight that he’s glad I got the curriculum and that we need to keep going with it. I wanted to share how just one week has helped so much!! — Melissa

Level B

“The pre-writing skills are one of my favorite things about the special needs curriculum!! I was thinking, ‘What? This can be FUN?’ (Because we were not having fun before the Simply Classical Curriculum. Before, there were many tears!)” — Jatina

“Thank you for this curriculum!” — a grateful mama of a child with apraxia of speech

Level C

“I’m loving Level C! It’s been a joy to do with my daughter. I appreciate the open and go of well crafted plans.” -FA

“The plans are well-crafted but also delightful and beautiful!” — CH

Level 1

“He is reading! My mom told me over Christmas break that she didn’t think he’d ever learn to read. It’s all thanks to this program. (I’ve tried lots of others.) This program makes no leaps in knowledge. It’s just little steps, one after another, that lead to results. I couldn’t be happier with my switch to MP and especially Simply Classical.” –MB

“I am already amazed at his progress. Thank you!” — a homeschooling mother

Level 2

“The language lessons are absolutely wonderful!! I love them!! [T]hrough the language lessons his comprehension has soared!! The amount of copywork in these lessons is great too. It’s the perfect pace for my son. He loves spelling and all the stories we read. I am amazed at how comfortable he has gotten with not getting things right, his ability to keep trying until he …learns things. His expressive language through memorizing things is greatly improving! He is learning some beautiful things that will hopefully impress in his little heart and provide him comfort when he needs it. My son sits at the table each morning to wait for me to wait to get started! It’s a wonderful sight. Thank you all for everything. Just everything!!” — Nubia

“My son is doing amazing with SC Level 2.” — Jessica

“I wanted to thank you for the multiple choices in SC Level 2. I’m thankful I bought them all. I think we will be using every single thing! You made it perfect for our asynchronous children! I have been able to challenge my daughter enough, while still focusing on the most important things right now!” — CH

Level 3

“We’re in Level 3 now. It just keeps getting better and better!” –Christine

The book

Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child

“If you think you are out of hope — get this book! Two of our children were adopted through foster care, and both are quite low-functioning, although the non-verbal one is probably higher functioning than the one who “has words” but isn’t able to use them effectively. This book brought me SO MUCH HOPE. … I was almost in tears last night, after having gotten everybody to bed, and desperate to dive in to see if this book lived up to the expectations I… had after reading reviews of it. Due to the needs of these two children, I have all but lost my ability to focus–and reading ‘deep’ books is not even something I seem capable of any more, especially at night when I fall into bed exhausted. I was instantly captivated by the author’s story, as well as her ability to speak to me in terms my ever-shrinking brain could comprehend. … I couldn’t put this book down–I felt like this is the lifesaver that even specialists couldn’t send a drowning woman. I feel like I found somebody who understands my life!” — Heidi

“Your book is such a gem.” – Betty

“Yesterday my son won first place among the 4th graders at his school’s poetry recitation competition. He worked every day of spring break on this piece from Henry V without any prompting from us. I know without your book and your personal help he would still be sitting at home frustrated and feeling like a poor student. Thank you.” — Catherine

My daughter and I thank the artistic, hard-working, visionary people at Memoria Press for making all of the above possible every day.