Classical Et Cetera

My Child Refuses to Do Schoolwork. Here's What Actually Helps.

Every homeschool parent hits this wall. In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, we tackle one of the most common and frustrating challenges in home education: the child who just won't do the work. Is it attitude, or is something else going on? We discuss how to diagnose the real problem, why outside accountability matters more than you think, and what simple changes actually move the needle. If you're in the thick of it, this one's for you.
 
*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 
"Farmer Giles of Ham" J.R.R. Tolkien (Paul)
"The Marriage Portrait" Maggie O'Farrell (Jessica)
"The Calamity Club" Kathryn Stockett (Tanya)
"Miss Benson's Beetle" Rachel Joyce (Tanya)
"Why Knowledge Matters" E.D. Hirsch (Martin)
"The Schools We Need" E.D. Hirsch (Martin)
"The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion" Beth Brower (Martin)

The Best Resources for Classical Education: Journals, Books & More

What are the most essential resources for classical education, and where do you even begin? In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, Jessica, Paul, Tanya, and Martin share the books, journals, and periodicals that have most shaped their thinking on classical education. From Climbing Parnassus and G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy to the Wall Street Journal's review section, this is the list that we keep coming back to!Resources mentioned in this episode:• Climbing Parnassus - Tracy Lee Simmons• The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them - E.D. Hirsch• Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton• In Defense of Classical Education - Livingston• Seven Myths About Education - Daisy Christodoulou• Great Ideas from the Great Books - Mortimer Adler• Student's Guide series - Intercollegiate Studies Institute• Modern Age, The New Criterion, First Things magazines• Simply Classical - Cheryl Swope• The Classical Teacher magazine (free subscription on memoriapress.com)Have a question for the podcast? Email us at podcast@memoriapress.com

Do Comprehension Questions Kill the Joy of Reading? | Classical Et Cetera Mailbag

It's another Mailbag episode of Classical Et Cetera! This week the Core Four tackles your questions on several topics, including whether comprehension questions steal the joy of reading, how to school multiple children together as a family, and whether your kids even need to know why they're learning Latin. We also dig into the difference between the classical virtues and the fruits of the Spirit, and what to do with the Lord's name in vain when it shows up in literature. Send us your questions at podcast@memoriapress.com.
 
*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 
"After Midnight" Daphne Du Maurier (Paul)
"Brideshead Revisited" Evelyn Waugh (Tanya)
"Ironwood" Michael Connelly (Martin)
"The Marriage Portrait" Maggie O'Farrell (Jessica)
"Cloud Cuckoo Land" Anthony Doerr (Jessica)

How to Approach Nudity in Classical Art with Students

In this episode of _Classical Et Cetera_ the team discusses how classical educators and parents should approach nudity in classical art with students. What is the difference between beauty and sensuality? Why did classical artists portray the human form the way they did? And how can teachers guide students toward wisdom, dignity, and discernment when studying great works of art?
 
For those interested, here is Kyle Janke’s extended preface on nudity in classical art from _A Classical History of Art_ . In it, he explains the distinction between classical and modern views of the human body, beauty, and the purpose of art: https://www.memoriapress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/A-Classical-History-of-Art-Preface.pdf/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=222
 
Learn more about Kyle Janke’s _A Classical History of Art_ course here:https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/art-and-music/a-classical-history-of-art-set/?utm_source=PodBean&utm_medium=CETC&utm_campaign=222
 
What We're Reading from This Episode:
The Burnout Generation —Anne Helen Petersen (Paul)
Galahad and the Grail —Malcolm Guite (Kyle)
Lila —Marilynne Robinson (Kyle)
This Is Happiness —Niall Williams (Tanya)
The Fountains of Silence —Ruta Sepetys (Jessica)
The Odyssey —Homer (Jessica)

Are Homeschoolers Socialized Enough?

In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, we tackle one of the most common objections to homeschooling: socialization. Are homeschoolers actually missing out socially? Do children really need classrooms and constant peer interaction to grow into mature, capable adults? We discuss the fears many parents face, the assumptions behind modern schooling, and what truly forms children. From co-ops and friendships to peer culture and family life, we explore how homeschooling shapes social development and why “socialization” may not mean what most people think it does. Join us for a thoughtful conversation on homeschooling, community, and raising well-formed children.
 
*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 
"Time of the Child" Niall Williams (Kathy)
"The Dean's Watch" Elizabeth Goudge (Kathy)
"This is Happiness" Niall Williams (Tanya)
"The Labours of Hercules" Agatha Christie (Tanya)
"The Violent Bear It Away" Flannery O'Connor (Paul)

Is Classical Education Too Hard? Too Rigid? Too Old-Fashioned?

In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, we discuss the “how” behind classical education. Why do we emphasize memorization, repetition, teacher-led classrooms, and rigorous books? Are these methods outdated, or are they essential to meaningful learning? We explore the purpose behind what we do, respond to common criticisms, and discuss how structure, discussion, discipline, and intellectual formation work together to shape not just knowledgeable students, but thoughtful and virtuous human beings.
 

What Actually Makes an Education “Classical”?

In this episode of Classical Et Cetera, we ask a foundational question: What actually makes an education “classical”? Is classical education simply a collection of methods and old books, or are there essential pillars that cannot be removed? The Core Four discuss Latin, literature, moral formation, the Western tradition, and why classical education is more than a modern curriculum with classical decorations added on. Join us as we explore what belongs at the center of a truly classical education.
*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 
"Galahad and the Grail" Malcom Guite (Martin)
"The Last of the Mohicans" James Fenimore Cooper (Martin)
"Smiling Through the Cultural Catastrophe" Jeffery Hart (Martin)
"The Sea Hawk" Rafael Sabatini (Paul)
"Mary Poppins" Pamela Lyndon Travers (Paul)
"The Confederacy of Dunces" John Kennedy Toole (Paul)
"A Tale of Two Cities" Charles Dickens (Tanya)
"Fountains of Silence" Ruta Sepetys (Jessica)

Why Read Roman Literature? Essential Works from Empire to Augustine

In this episode of Classical Et Cetera we continue our series on the best books of each era by turning from ancient Greece to ancient Rome. From Virgil’s Aeneid and Cicero’s orations to Roman historians, poets, philosophers, and early Christian writers, we consider the works that reveal Rome’s ideals of order, duty, virtue, and piety—and the world-changing arrival of Christianity.
 
Whether you’re new to Roman literature or looking to revisit the classics, this conversation offers guidance on what to read, why it matters, and how these books help us understand the foundations of Western civilization. Join us as we explore the essential works of ancient Rome, from empire to Augustine, and consider where to begin your reading.
*What We're Reading* from This Episode: 
"Mary Poppins" Pamela Lyndon Travers (Paul)
"The Confederacy of Dunces" John Kennedy Toole (Paul)
"84, Charing Cross Road" Helene Hanff (Jessica)
"The Sea Hawk" Rafael Sabatini (Tanya)
"The Little Colonel Stories" Annie Fellows Johnston (Tanya)
"Educational Wastelands" Arthur E. Bestor (Martin)
 
 
*Reading List for Ancient Rome*
Virgil- Aeneid- Other poetry
 
Cicero- Catilinarian Orations- The Republic- The Laws- On Duties / On Obligations- Pro Archia Poeta_ / _For Archias the Poet
 
Lucretius- De rerum natura_ / _On the Nature of Things
 
Marcus Aurelius- Meditations
 
Julius Caesar- Gallic Wars
 
Roman Historians- Works by Livy- Works by Tacitus- Works by Suetonius- Plutarch - _Parallel Lives
 
Roman Poetry- Works by Ovid- Works by Horace- Other poetry by Virgil
 
Early Christian Writings of the Roman Era- Didache- Writings by Clement of Rome- Writings by Ignatius of Antioch- Writings by Polycarp- Writings by Justin Martyr- Writings by Irenaeus- Writings by Tertullian- Writings by Origen- Writings by Eusebius
 
Augustine- Confessions- On Catechizing the Uninstructed- City of God