The life well-read requires some tools along the way: bookmarks, pens, journals for commonplacing. Why not make them beautiful as well as useful?

When we read aloud to young children, we give them access to ideas they could not comprehend on their own and expose them to vocabulary and sentence structure way beyond their abilities to employ in their own writing. They hear words pronounced properly, which can help to counteract the “creative pronunciation” of teens and young adults who read a great deal on their own. Reading aloud from the best literature develops the ear of the listener. Descriptive vocabulary and beautiful language patterns will capture the child’s imagination and will naturally overflow into conversation and writing.

When I was expecting my first child, who turned out to be children (twins!), I heard a radio program about homeschooling. My husband and I were immediately convinced — we would certainly home educate our children. Rick never wavered in that conviction, but when we hit the toddler years, my conviction was severely shaken.

Here at Cottage Press, we have adopted the Progym exercises of fourth-century teacher Aphthonius. We have arranged them into a comprehensive language arts curriculum with levels appropriate for students from around fourth grade through high school. Classic literary works serve as both models and content for student compositions throughout all levels.

Welcome to the Common Room, a virtual teacher’s lounge for reading mothers and fathers, educators pursuing the good, true, and beautiful for their children—and themselves.