Classical Et Cetera

A bilingual mother in Canada wants to pass her French heritage on to her two-year-old, but worries there isn’t time for both Latin and a modern language. In this Classical Et Cetera we discuss why it isn’t an either or choice, how studying Latin first gives you the grammatical foundation that makes French and the other Romance languages far easier, and how one of us went from no French to li...

Some books stay with you long after the last page. In this episode of Margin Notes, the team talks through Harper Lee's _To Kill a Mockingbird_ - Is it a story about human dignity, about compassion, about what separates class from character? We follow Scout through Maycomb, weigh the mystery of Boo Radley, and wrestle with a verdict everyone senses is wrong and what it has to do with a mockingbird.   Check out our complete set...

What makes a picture book worth keeping, and how do you spot the difference between a great one and a forgettable one? In this _Classical Et Cetera_ we discuss the picture books that have earned a permanent place on the shelf, from _Ferdinand_ to _Blueberries for Sal_. We talk about what separates a book with “the magic” from one that isn’t worth your time, why these stories still reach grown readers, and how good...

Margin Notes is back, and this episode the group tackles Flannery O'Connor's short story "Good Country People." A PhD-wielding atheist, a pious-but-hollow Southern mother, and a "Bible salesman" walk into a barn. What follows is a very strange short story with a lot more going on beneath the surface than it first appears.   Margin Notes is a book club podcast from the team behind Classical Et Cetera, where host Paul Schaefer s...

Is classical education "light" on STEM? A listener asked, so we answered! The short answer is "no." Classical schools run math and science straight through calculus and physics. The deeper answer: if school is just job training, you're preparing kids for an economy that won't exist when they graduate. We're after something higher. We discuss what an education is really for, why the most durable skills come from Latin and math, and ...

Margin Notes is back, and this episode the group tackles Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Our conversation covers the duality of man, the addictive nature of sin, and the question at the heart of the story—if Hyde is pure evil, how does he end up destroying himself?   Margin Notes is a book club podcast from the team behind Classical Et Cetera, where host Paul Schaeffer sits down with thr...

Classical Et Cetera continues our best-books-by-century series, this time spanning 1500 to 1799 — from Gutenberg's press to the eve of the Romantics. Returning guest Kyle Janke joins Jessica, Paul, and Tanya to build a reading list from Don Quixote, Shakespeare, Paradise Lost, and more. Along the way: is Dracula secretly a Christian classic, why this era gave us more thinkers than storytellers, and how to read difficult old b...

Can your child sound out a word, or just guess from the picture? On this episode of _Classical Et Cetera_ , Jessica, Martin, and Paul are joined by returning guest Michelle Tefertiller to talk about teaching a child to read! We cover how to know if your child is reading-ready, what mastery actually looks like, where to start, and why a step-by-step phonics approach works when guessing doesn't. Whether you're just beginning to teach...

Why do we spend so much time on William Shakespeare, and is he still worth it? This _Classical Et Cetera_ talks about why Shakespeare remains everywhere, even in a culture that rarely reads him. From his mastery of human nature to Harold Bloom's idea that Shakespeare "invented the human," this conversation makes the case for reading him well. Start where it works for you, and remember that reading just one play is a real accomplish...

Every child needs support in their educational upbringing, and grandparents are often the ones who provide it! In this Classical Et Cetera Michelle Tefertiller joins Paul, Tanya, and Martin to talk about the role grandparents can play in education, whether at home or in a classical school. From reading aloud and celebrating small victories to filling gaps and simply being there on the hard days, grandparents offer something that no...

Why teach handwriting when everyone types? This Classical Et Cetera makes the case for penmanship in a classical education—and the reasons run deeper than nostalgia. Veteran first-grade teacher Julia Lasoi joins us to explain what handwriting forms in a child that a keyboard never will: from the Norwegian brain research on writing by hand, to the discipline and beauty of forming each letter, to the surprising return of mandat...

The core four are back for another mailbag episode! We're answering questions like: When should you teach your child to read? How do you use Memoria Press with non-native English speakers and families overseas? How do you teach the Reformation without taking sides? Plus more! Thanks to everyone who wrote in. Keep the questions coming by emailing us as podcast@memoriapress.com!

*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 

"Silas Ma...

How do you teach music from a classical perspective? In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, Carol Reynolds joins us to make the case that music and the arts were never meant to be a "Friday elective." Whether you're a new teacher, a homeschool parent, or someone who never learned to read a note, this conversation offers real footing: why the pedagogy already exists, why folk songs and hymns are the foundation, and how short, famil...

Margin Notes is back! This week, the gang tackles J.R.R. Tolkien's short story, _Farmer Giles of Ham_ . A humble farmer accidentally scares off a giant, earns a legendary sword, and ends up face to face with a dragon—all while the king and his knights argue about their hats. The conversation covers greed, good and bad pride, government incompetence, and what Tolkien is really saying about the common man as hero.   Margin...

What if standardized testing isn't the problem—but the tests themselves are? Jeremy Tate, founder of the Classic Learning Test (CLT), joins Classical Et Cetera to explain why the SAT and ACT keep getting easier, and how a test built on the Western tradition could change what students read, learn, and become.

Learn more about the CLT right here: Classic Learning Test (CLT) - Assessments for Grades 3-12

*What We're Reading* f...

Margin Notes is back! This time, the gang tackles William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The conversation covers ambition and its consequences, the danger of consequentialism, and the age-old question of fate versus free will. Is Macbeth the villain of his own story, or a victim of forces beyond his control?   Margin Notes is a book club podcast from the team behind Classical Et Cetera, where host Paul Schaefer sits down with three cl...

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has finally arrived—and the Classical Et Cetera team went to see it together! In this episode, we discuss our reactions to Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic poem and ask the big questions: Can a modern film capture the spirit of an ancient hero? Was it a faithful adaptation, or a great film that tells a very different story? What do we gain and lose when a classical work is r...

Poet and priest Malcolm Guite joins Classical Et Cetera to talk about his award-winning Arthurian epic, Galahad and the Grail! We explore why the great stories still matter, how he writes poetry meant to be read aloud, and what it means to recover wonder in a modern age. This is a conversation about poetry, legend, and the enduring power of the imagination. We hope you enjoy it!

*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 

"The S...