Thoughtworthy: da Feltre Notes, Easy Readers, Dessert, and More!

:: 1 ::

Let’s talk about the da Feltre book club thingie. First, please feel free to share quotes you loved on any of the de Feltre posts. Or even on this post. I really don’t care if they are related to the topic I chose to write on or not. Second, here are a few bits that might be helpful as you read the first pages of the first chapter:

• Who was Petrarch? Wikipedia page here. Important contribution: he was the one who rediscovered Cicero’s writings.
• Here is a helpful link on Christian humanism, courtesy of Lexy.
• There is mention of persons, including da Feltre himself, becoming famulus — this seems to be a type of domestic servant or assistant profession.

And also, if you’re feeling confused about where we are in the book, I’m a little past page 10. I would tell you exactly except that I’d have to go get the book in another room. Ahem. Here are the posts for the book so far:

1. Read Along with Me? Vittorino da Feltre and Other Humanist Educators
2. Why Vittorino da Feltre?
3. Everything New is Old Again
4. Bacchus and the Collegiate Scholar

:: 2 ::

This week, I posted over at Teaching Reading with Bob Books about our favorite easy readers.

My littlest guy has been reading Frog and Toad each night before bed. It’s so sweet!

:: 3 ::

As you know, I have one gluten-free daughter and one sugar-free son. This makes my already complicated relationship with dessert even more … complicated. Generally, I avoid it by saying helpful things like, “Well, you could always make yourself some yogurt.” But, I was feeling adventurous, so we tried this recipe for Instant Peanut Butter Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, except that I used blueberries because it was convenient at the time. It was a hit! I’m making it again tonight, actually, this time with strawberries.

:: 4 ::

This past weekend, we went over to Morro Bay for the day. On our way, we drove through Cayucos, and inadvertently stumbled upon a library book sale. It was providential, I tell you! Paperbacks were fifty cents and hardbacks were a dollar. For the most part, it was obvious why they were selling these books: they ought never to have bought them in the first place. But, amongst the piles of twaddle, there were a couple gems I managed to locate. A large book of poetry, for one. But also, Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer. I see after searching Amazon that this is back in print and the used prices have fallen decently, which is nice. I didn’t realize this, and even last Christmas when I was looking for a copy, they were out of my price range for a book such as this.

I love Ruth Sawyer, and it’s a joy to add another one of her stories to our family library … to think it was only a dollar!

:: 5 ::

This month in 2009:

It is always interesting to look back at one’s own archives because one never knows what one might find. Take this, for instance. It is hard to believe I’ve been thinking about this subject for seven years!

:: 6 ::

This week’s links collection:

• Pronouns, Ordinary People, and the War over Reality from The Public Discourse
  • You really can’t go wrong with anything by Anthony Esolen.
• Believing You’re a ‘Visual Learner’ Doesn’t Exactly Help You Learn Much from New York Magazine
  • This is the subject of an upcoming Scholé Sisters episode!
• On Being A Master Teacher (and Other Impossible Dreams) from CiRCE
  • Something beautiful and encouraging from Missy Andrews.

:: 7 ::

Answering your questions:

• Question:  I am using your planning post in which you showed how to build the schedule from the main Form matrix. You put “Watership Down” ch 1-9 in one slot of 30 min. Was that enough time for your son? It would not be for me … so I think I will have to put in more time slots for Literature reading.
  • Answer: First of all, it’s probably not very helpful that I’m answering this now, over a month after school started. Sorry about that. But, for what it is worth, I think we did have to spend more than one day on those chapters. After that, we read a few chapters a day (one day per week), which generally worked out fine because the chapters were short. It might be helpful to know that during the first four or five weeks of the school year, I have my students track how long the different assignments take them, and we compare the time spent with the time I allotted. From there, I make adjustments where necessary. Sometimes, with literature books, I let my students go slower if they really need to and then they just finish them up as free reads.

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