A new study found that about 83% of water passing through public lands uses monument designation for its only protection.

Chapter 21 Reading and the Growth of the Mind The final chapter wraps up with a brief discussion about how to find books worth reading, and the benefits we get from reading good (and great!) books. The methods for analytical and syntopical reading, as laid out by Adler and Van Doren, do not apply to every book. What is the reason given by the authors?

It's my favorite time of year - planning season! I've put together my 2026 Reading Plan and I am pretty excited for the upcoming year. A couple things to mention: I am a big fan of the phrase "failing to plan is planning to fail." I like having a plan for my reading, because it gives me a sense of direction.

Chapter 20 The Fourth Level of Reading - Syntopical Reading This is a longer chapter, and more discussion questions reflect this. But syntopical reading pulls together everything we have learned so far. What is the fundamental paradox of syntopical reading, and how does Adler propose to resolve it? (p. 305) When we read two or more books on the same subject, this implies that identification of the subject matter has occurred before reading begins, however, in a sense, identification of subject matter must come after the reader, not before.

Early in our homeschooling journey, many years ago, we used Five In a Row curriculum, and were introduced to a wonderful book - Cranberry Thanksgiving - part of the beloved Cranberryport series by Wende and Harry Devlin. In this book Grandmother hosts her annual Thanksgiving dinner, where she makes her famous Cranberry Bread recipe. Grandmother is well-known for her Cranberry Bread, and has turned down multiple offers to sell it to local bakeries.

Chapter 19 How to Read Social Science Social science is such a broad field, and the concepts and terminology of the social sciences are found in much of what we read. It is also fitting, as we see below, that social science is the final area of reading as we transition into the topic of Syntopical reading. What fields and departments typically constitute the core of social science?

Chapter 18 How to Read Philosophy Philosophy, according to Aristotle, begins in wonder. While children begin with deep curiosity, adults and schooling often dull it. The task of philosophical reading is to recover that childlike wonder while combining it with mature understanding and judgment. What are the main questions that philosophy attempts to answer? Distinguish between first-order and second-order questions. (p.

Chapter 17 How to Read Science and Mathematics This chapter discusses the reading of two primary types of books - the great classics of the science and mathematics traditions, and the modern popular science titles we see today. Discuss how the major scientific books written before the end of the nineteenth century compare to modern scientific writing. (p. 249 - 250)

In today’s podcast episode, we explore the profound impact literature has on shaping identity and why it’s essential for all children.

Ch. 13 How to Read Practical Books What do the authors say about the rules of expository reading and the need for flexibility and adaptability? (p. 187) General rules may be too remote from the intricacies of an actual situation, and this applies to reading expository books as well. A person can’t read a book ‘in general’ but rather books are usually are of a particular sort (for example, history or philosophy or math) and so following the general reading rules will require some flexibility and adaptability in order to follow them.

Chapter 12 Aids to Reading What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic reading? What do the authors have to say about using extrinsic aids when reading? (p.166-167) Intrinsic reading is reading a book by itself, apart from all other books. Extrinsic reading is reading in light of other books. While extrinsic reading includes bringing our experience of reading other books, it also refers to using extrinsic aids to assist in reading.

Chapter 11 Agreeing or Disagreeing with an Author Discuss the two concepts of “agreement” that exist between author and reader. (p. 151-152) When we have read a book, and assuming it is a good book (meaning it is intelligible), we come to a point where we come to terms with an author, grasp his propositions and reasoning – Adler describes this as “sharing the author’s mind.” There is a meeting of the minds between author and reader and there is agreement about the use of language to express ideas.

Devotionals can be a great addition to our daily reading. Short, succinct – sometimes it may be the only reading we make time for out of our reading stack. Each day’s entry may be a sin…

December is usually the month I start planning my Reading List for the upcoming year, while frantically trying to finish all the books in my Currently Reading stack. This year is of course no different. I have my reading list 2024 here, and if you scroll down, you can see all the books I had hoped to read this year, and those I actually completed marked in Blue with the date completed.

Chapter 10 Criticizing a Book Fairly Reading a book is like a conversation between the author and the reader. As such, the job of the reader is to talk back to the author. Describe the responsibility of the reader. (p. 137) A good book deserves an active reading. The reader owes the author a considered judgement. Even if the reader does not agree with the author, they should at least be able to state on what grounds they disagree with the author.

Chapter 9 Determining an Author's Message In this chapter the authors discuss the propositions that a book’s author makes in the course of their writing. What is a proposition, and describe briefly. (p. 113) A proposition is a declaration, an expression of an author’s judgment about something. The author affirms something they think to be true, or denies something they believe to be false.