John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), America’s “Quaker poet” of freedom, faith and the sentiment of the common people, was born in a Merrimack Valley farmhouse, Haverhill, Massachusetts, on the 17th of December 1807. Family Ancestry &...
Bookstore / EIL Curriculum / Excellence in Literature: The Curriculum
by Janice Campbell · Published June 4, 2020
You can read all about the Excellence in Literature curriculum and Handbook for Writers at Everyday Education shop, but if you already know which study guide you want, you can click here to buy...
E5-Resources / English 5: World Literature / Reading
by Janice Campbell · Published June 29, 2017 · Last modified November 27, 2023
A Letter to Students Why We Read The Odyssey Tuesday, March 9, 2010 By Deborah Stokol I’ve been full-time substitute teaching English at Harvard-Westlake, my Alma mater, for six weeks now, lecturing on The...
Style: Canons of Rhetoric Style concerns the artful expression of ideas. If invention addresses what is to be said; style addresses how this will be said. From a rhetorical perspective style is not incidental,...
Arrangement Arrangement (dispositio or taxis) concerns how one orders speech or writing. In ancient rhetorics, arrangement referred solely to the order to be observed in an oration, but the term has broadened to include...
Classics-Based Writing Resource
by Janice Campbell · Published April 4, 2016 · Last modified May 11, 2017
The White Ship, a ballad by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, tells the story of the sinking of the White Ship, and the death of William Adelin, the son and heir to King Henry I. The ship...
Invention Invention concerns finding something to say (its name derives from the Latin invenire, “to find”). Certain common categories of thought became conventional to use in order to brainstorm for material. These common places...
The Canons of Rhetoric invention | arrangement | style | memory | delivery Rhetoric, as an art, has long been divided into five major categories or “canons”: Invention Arrangement Style Memory Delivery These categories...
Classics-Based Writing Resource
by Janice Campbell · Published February 9, 2016 · Last modified May 11, 2017
Although “The Mice in Council” is sometimes attributed to Aesop, it dates from the Middle Ages, and has been retold in many ways by many different writers. The version below is written in the style of an...
The Hind and the Panther, Part Three by John Dryden “The Hind and the Panther” by John Dryden was published in 1687. It is an allegory told in heroic couplets, and it has also been described as...
The Hind and the Panther, Part Two by John Dryden “The Hind and the Panther” by John Dryden was published in 1687. It is an allegory told in heroic couplets, and it has also been described as...
The Hind and the Panther, Part 1 by John Dryden “The Hind and the Panther” by John Dryden was published in 1687. It is an allegory told in heroic couplets, and it has also been described as...
The William Blake biography from the 1911 Encyclopedia Brittanica offers an opinionated glimpse of the life and style of author and artist, William Blake.
Classics-Based Writing Resource / Poetry
by Janice Campbell · Published January 5, 2016 · Last modified May 11, 2017
To Winter by William Blake (1757 – 1827) O Winter! bar thine adamantine doors: The north is thine; there hast thou built thy dark Deep-founded habitation. Shake not thy roofs Nor bend thy pillars...
7 Tips for Taking Your Research Paper from Snoozeworthy to Spectacular by Janice Campbell If you have mastered the basics of writing a research paper, it’s time to take your paper to the next...
by Janice Campbell · Published December 15, 2015 · Last modified March 6, 2021
“A cold coming we had of it . . . “ Journey of the Magi, by T. S. Eliot Here are two readings of “Journey of the Magi” by T. S. Eliot. The first reading...
Classics-Based Writing Resource / Elocution / Poetry
by Janice Campbell · Published November 6, 2015 · Last modified May 11, 2017
“The Roman Sentinel” by Ward M. Florence was included in many elocution books of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this pre-television era, families and friends entertained one another with performances of...
Audio / Video / Biography / Classics-Based Writing Resource / E1-Resources / E2-Resources / E4-Resources
by EILeditor · Published October 24, 2015 · Last modified November 18, 2023
Why do William Shakespeare’s plays still touch us today? This Renaissance playwright, poet, and actor had a unique way with words and a timeless grasp of human nature. His works are considered to be...
Understanding Emma’s World by Pamela Whalan Difficulties for modern readers Timeless Human Nature Good Breeding: A Marriage Consideration Wealth through Marriage: Dowries Work for Single Women Marriage as a Business Deal Men Earning Money:...
Audio / Video / Classics-Based Writing Resource / Elocution
by Janice Campbell · Published September 28, 2015 · Last modified October 24, 2015
“All the World’s a Stage:” the Seven Ages of Man monologue from As You Like It by William Shakespeare All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They...
Classics-Based Writing Resource / Poetry
by Janice Campbell · Published July 31, 2015 · Last modified April 26, 2017
There are poems especially suitable for memorization and recitation, and George MacDonald’s “The Wind and the Moon” is an excellent example. The rhythm and cadence of the language is delightful to young readers young...
Emma: A Play by Pamela Whalan Sometimes, acting out a section of the novel can help you understand the text. We’re delighted that Pamela Whalan has given us a sneak peek at Emma: A...
by Janice Campbell · Published May 26, 2015 · Last modified September 2, 2016
What is a graphic organizer? Graphic organizers are useful visual tool that help students brainstorm ideas, organize information, and draft papers with just a few words or phrases. There are many different kinds of organizers available,...
Resources for Teaching / Writer's Handbook
by Janice Campbell · Published May 11, 2015 · Last modified December 5, 2016
Reverse Outline: A useful tool As you work with a text —essay, story, speech, article, or fable, it can be helpful to create a reverse outline. This can help you see the structure of the...
Children's Literature / Reading
by Janice Campbell · Published April 16, 2015 · Last modified April 15, 2015
Fairy Tales an essay by G. K. Chesterton Some solemn and superficial people (for nearly all very superficial people are solemn) have declared that the fairy-tales are immoral; they base this upon some accidental...
In choosing curriculum, do you want a Christian worldview or Christian content? Excellence in Literature is written from a Christian worldview, but it does not focus on explicitly Christian content, for reasons explained here.
If you read actively and annotate your books, you will understand and enjoy the text more deeply than if you simply skim. Here are suggestions for effective annotation.
Elocution / Resources for Teaching
by Janice Campbell · Published March 31, 2015 · Last modified June 22, 2017
When teaching the art of recitation or rhetoric, we sometimes forget to teach one element essential for confident presentation: a pleasant, well-modulated speaking voice. A timid, squeaky, mumbling, or breathy voice is not only be tiring to use, but can be a social and business liability. Here are a few ideas for cultivating a pleasant, well-modulated speaking voice.
Classics-Based Writing Resource / Short Stories
by Janice Campbell · Published March 30, 2015 · Last modified April 6, 2015
The Happy Prince is the title story in a collection of short stories by Oscar Wilde. The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of...
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an immensely gifted English writer who produced a large variety of work ranging from humorous to tragic. He had the capacity to be ridiculous (The Importance of Being Earnest) as well as deadly serious (De Profundis).
Here’s the Everyday Educator — our annual newsletter handout. It has book lists and helpful articles about homeschooling topics. We’d rather be sharing it in person, but for now, you can download the Everyday Educator here. I hope you enjoy it!
Resources
