Reading is an integral part of my life.
Not only is it good for my soul (who doesn’t love a good story?), it has also proven beneficial in my role as a homeschooling parent - or lead learner as I prefer to describe myself these days!
This year I want to deepen that experience and read more for my professional development.
Enter the Homegrown Learners Book Club!
Many readers gather in our private Facebook group, Equipping Homegrown Learners, to discuss homeschooling ideas, resources, and concerns. They come to the group for encouragement and support.
Our conversation naturally drifts towards books, so it is time to formalize that conversation into a book club.
In the Homegrown Learners Book Club we will discuss a book each semester that is pertinent to our roles as home educators.
These discussions will typically take place on a Thursday evening at 8 p.m. ET. You will be able to join in the discussion via Facebook or (if you aren’t on Facebook) through a simple webinar registration.
Beauty in the Word
I have long had Beauty in the Word on my shelf.
To be honest, it has intimidated me. It is quite deep - AND - it is written for Catholic schools and educators.
Let me debunk both of these myths: yes, it is deep, but after reading and re-reading I am finding so much BEAUTY and wisdom in this book! And, I am not Catholic, but am gleaning so much from the Classical principles in the book.
The central idea of the present book is very simple. It is that education is not primarily about the acquisition of information. It is not even about the acquisition of ‘skills’ in the conventional sense, to equip us for particular roles in society. It is about how we become more human (and therefore more free, in the truest sense of that word). This is a broader and deeper question, but no less practical. Too often we have not been educating our humanity. We have been educating ourselves for doing rather than being. We live in an excessively activist civilization, in which contemplation and interiority are often despised and suppressed in favor of mere action and reaction. ~ p. 11 - Beauty in the Word
Let the above passage sit with you for a moment.
This book is rich and timely - relevant and pertinent. I am excited to make this our first Homegrown Learners Book Club selection!
More information will be published soon, but we will meet on the following dates:
January 31 @ 8 p.m. ET
February 7 @ 8 p.m. ET
February 21 @ 8 p.m. ET
February 27 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 7 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 14 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 21 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 28 @ 8 p.m. ET
All sessions will be recorded and made available, so no need to worry if you cannot attend live. Live attendees, however, will have the benefit of an interactive discussion and asking questions.
Subscribe to the blog for updates and reminders about book club.
I hope you will join me - I look forward to learning with you and from you as we discuss great books together!