This response was written by guest contributor Matt Bianco, a contributor to the Writers Circle for Classical Conversations, and local community director for a Challenge III program in North Carolina. A Homeschool Response to the State of the Union by Matt Bianco In Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Barack Obama, he predictably addressed Read more
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Happy Constitution Day*! Read more
Tomorrow on Leigh! at Lunch, I will be talking to Janine Turner about our American Constitution. My interview with Janine will be followed by a Start of School address. Janine is an actress and author with a passion for history and politics. She has started a new foundation called Constituting America: A Republic for Which Read more
Do you have a Kindle or another e-book reader? If you do, or even if you’re lamenting the new popularity of non-traditional books, you might find a recent news story encouraging. In “The Golden Era of Books Isn’t Over,” a Washington Post article proclaims, “Amazon has extracted from amber the DNA of pamphlets and short Read more
It’s Tuesday morning. There are shards of exploded firecrackers and used-up sparklers in the street. The morning commuters may be clutching larger cups of coffee, thanks to last night’s celebrations — their own or their neighbors’. But whether you’re returning from vacation or getting back to life-as-usual after a “staycation,” the day after a holiday Read more
What’s your favorite way to celebrate? To help you celebrate Independence Day in a meaningful way, these links provide further reading you can enjoy with your family this weekend, store up to use when you study history or social studies in the fall, or print out to read while your children are at their next Read more
As Americans, we think of the Declaration of Independence, and celebrations of it, as a high point in American patriotism. For good reason: it is! But thinking about the Declaration in isolation can make the Founders’ choices seem logical–natural–even easy. If we look at the bigger historical picture leading up to July 4, 1776, we Read more
In just a few weeks, Americans across the nation will be setting off fireworks and having cookouts and wearing flag t-shirts. For some, that’s all that Independence Day means. For our nation’s Founders, however, it meant much more. On July 4, 1776, when representatives of the thirteen united States met together and signed the Declaration, Read more
This week has seen another of the rash of articles decrying American students’ lack of knowledge about civics and government. The Washington Post says only a quarter of high school seniors are “proficient” in civics knowledge and skills, even though many are now old enough to vote (Many students lack civics knowledge, study shows). “Knowledge Read more
Are you thinking about taxes this weekend? The real question is, are you thinking about taxes as a family of learners? What do I mean by that? I mean taking a few minutes of time to turn this (often unpleasant) experience into a conversation for the whole family about history, civics and government, or even Read more
In an age when many are telling
parents who they aren\'t...
Leigh Bortins reminds parents who they are.
Leigh Bortins is a nationally acclaimed educator,
perhaps best known for her ability to demystify
the fundamental tools of learning. As a teacher,
author, and commentator, Leigh is credited with
helping to launch the “home-centered learning”
education movement.
David Hicks: Norms and Nobility
Stanley Fish: How to Write a Sentence: and How to Read One