No name

Natural Structure

A Montessori Approach to Classical Education at Home
Book cover: 'Natural Structure: A Montessori Approach to Classical Education at Home'
Author(s): 
Edward and Nancy Walsh
Number of pages: 
145 pages
Copyright: 
2000
Publisher: 
Catholic Heritage Curricula
Binding: 
Softcover
Sample Pages
Subject(s): 
Methods: Montessori
Review: 

Dr. and Mrs. Walsh who are Catholic homeschool parents of three children and Third Order Carmelites (and have many years of teaching experience between them) have outlined a Catholic homeschool curriculum using Maria Montessori's philosophies to guide the teaching methods and Dorothy Sayers' essay "The Lost Tools of Learning" to direct the content (subjects covered, materials used, etc.).

This book came about from their own experience homeschooling their young children. They implemented ideas from both Montessori and Sayers and saw truth in each. They wondered if two methods that seemed so different could be compatible. They decided that in both methods "some critical elements were shared. Both rely heavily, classical education in the division of the Trivium and Dr. Montessori in the sequence of the work, on the natural development and interests of the child. Both also claim as one result the ability to learn on one's own. Looking at them from this perspective we realized that htey could indeed be combined, and in fact complemented each other perfectly. Dorothy Sayers' outline provided the overall framework, while Dr. Montessori's method provided the day-to-day detail. In reality this is simply an extension of the Montessori method which, when closely examined, reveals a pattern of free choice within limits. Dorothy Sayers provided us with the content and Dr. Montessori with the method of our curriculum" (pg. 12).

This book outlines the philosophies of both Montessori and Sayers (including a separate chapter on each - but slightly more emphasis on Montessori - which makes sense because Montessori wrote many volumes on education and was a true pioneer in her field, whereas Sayers' educational philosophies are contained in her one excellent essay). It is valuable for Catholic homeschoolers to be reintroduced to Montessori from a Catholic perspective. Most Americans have heard of Maria Montessori, but few realize that she was Catholic and that her philsophies have been, to a great extent, watered-down and/or misunderstood in the United States today. Not only are there Catholic Montessori materials (such as the Miniature Mass Kit and her own book The Mass: Explained to Children), but her writings and teachings about children reflect Catholic teaching from Christ's exhortation to "Let the Children come to Me" and "Unless you become like little Children..." to the Church's modern-day teachings on the dignity of human life.

The Walshes give us the details about what is and what is not true Montessori philosophy, the basics of those parts of her method which are applicable to a homeschool setting, some thoughts which may change your philosophies about educational videos, toys, etc. and the basic ideas for setting up a Montessori-type work area in your home. Following these more philosophical chapters (including one that answers "Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Structure") are chapters which outline the curriculum. Grades are grouped together as follows: Preschool through 2nd Grade (Preparatory), 3rd Grade through 5th Grade (Grammar), 6th through 8th (Dialectic), 9th and 10th (Rhetoric), and 11th and 12th (beginning of the Quadrivium). Recommended texts, literature and other educational materials for each part (with a chart that breaksdown which texts are used in which grade - many texts are used over the course of several years) and descriptions of the texts (along with publisher information, etc.) are included in one of the appendices. These chapters also provide some of the whys and hows of implementing these materials along with pertinent quotes from Montessori and Sayers.

The appendices include the aforementioned "Text Descriptions" (generally a few lines of description for each text), "Curriculum Samples" (several brief pages of information regarding a one year Music Appreciation Curriculum and an outline of topics to research for the 12th grade Government Curriculum), "Materials Samples" (21 pages of sample worksheets that can be photocopied and serve as examples for making your own), "Foreign Language Curriculum" (which gives recommended texts for grades 5-8 and grades 9-12 along with a listing of which languages are available in each course), the "Sensorial Materials" Appendix has two Sections: First, an outline of the those manipulatives that Maria Montessori is well-known for (explaining that some of the materials will be expensive or hard-to-find, but the authors believe that explaining what they are and how they are used may lead homeschool parents to find adequate substitutes) and a basic explanation of the Sequin Method and the Education of the Senses. The Second Section, "Educational Materials for the Natural Structure Method", includes a book list by subject area, an "Alternate and Supplementary Text" LIst, a Suggested Reading List (literature and biographies), a list of Math Manipulatives used by Natural Structure (along with brief descriptions), "Shoestring Suggestions" (ideas for saving money in several subject areas) and a listing of the hands-on Montessori-type materials and activities suggested for each subject (along with descriptions of how to use them. Final appendices include "Curriculum Materials Sources" (recommended reading and supplier listings, an explanation of Maria Montessori's philosophies in light of Church teaching, and suggested quotes on Children from Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The text is illustrated with approximately twenty full-color photos depicting Montessori materials and substitutes and how they can be used in the home. The "Frequently Asked Questions" (which was not included in the first edition of the book) should be very helpful and includes pointers on dealing with ADHD and dyslexia, Natural Structure in the large family and further explanation of Montessori philosophies.

Note: As of 9-17-2016, this book is long out-of-print and not easy to find. I have kept the review here partly because I think there is value in the sample chapter found above.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
9-8-2000

New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms

Copyright: 
1991
Publisher: 
Various
Subject(s): 
Family Bibles
Review: 
The New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms (RNAB) has several problems that prevent my recommending it for Bible study or devotional reading. These can be classed into three major groups: (1) failure with regard to dignity, beauty, and doctrinal precision, (2) bowing to the externally-imposed linguistic norm of so-called “inclusive language,” and (3) a skeptical attitude toward the Sacred Scriptures. Not incidentally, the second problem contributes significantly to the first, and shares roots with the third. Further, the Sacred Scriptures and the Sacred Liturgy are demeaned when turned into a vehicle for an ideological agenda in this manner. While the original New American Bible (NAB) of 1970 was not particularly beautiful or dignified in its language, the remaining problems largely originate in the revisions made since. To give a single, but very representative example of the kind of problems introduced, let’s look at the scenes of the Annunciation and the Visitation in the first chapter of the gospel according to St. Luke. In the original NAB, v35 (“The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you ...”) carries a footnote that begins: “The overshadowing of Mary recalls the cloud that covered with glory the Meeting Tent (Ex. 40:34f) and the temple of the Lord (1 Kgs. 8:10; Hg. 2:7).” That offers a beautiful and profound connection between the New Covenant and the Old. The RNAB, however, has other ideas. The footnote above has been removed, and instead, a new note to verses 46-55 (the Magnificat) offers the following commentary on the origin of this prayer: “Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary's pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: ...” (!) So, in the RNAB, not only is Mary’s authorship of the Magnificat casually dismissed, but Luke is accused of putting it in because, essentially, it fit well with other stuff he’d written. In contrast, let me share what scholar Catherine Brown Tkacz has lately written: “Only in recent decades have some biblical scholars ... asserted that Mary 'could not' have composed the Magnificat herself. ... It is worth noting that for nearly 2,000 years Christians had no difficulty in crediting Mary with the ability to understand her religious tradition and its scripture and to praise God in terms expressive of them.” (“Is the Education of Women a Modern Idea?” pp. 16-21, This Rock, Mar 2008) The fact that the revisers of the NAB would have thought this new footnote to be more edifying than the one they removed is very telling. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated problem. Indeed, the Holy See rejected the revised Psalms of the RNAB as unusable even as a base text for the Lectionary, because the revisions introduced doctrinal problems. And while the revised New Testament was used as a base text, hundreds of “amendments” (i.e. corrections) were required. I’ll provide just a handful of examples from the RNAB demonstrating some of its problems. Fr. Neuhaus has written that it is, "not to put too fine a point on it, a wretched translation. It succeeds in being, at the same time, loose, stilted, breezy, vulgar, opaque, and relentlessly averse to literary grace." (Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, "Bible Babel," First Things, May 2001) One verse that illustrates his point is 1 Cor. 12:28, which reads: “Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.” There is something very odd about “people” designated to be “mighty deeds,” “gifts of healing,” etc. A gloss in place of a faithful rendition of the original creates a more serious problem in Ps. 103:11,13. In these verses, the phrase "those who fear Him" has been transformed into "the faithful." This change was most likely made merely to eliminate the reference to the Lord as “Him,” but it has also eliminated the concept of “fear of the Lord” from Psalm 103. Forced removal of the masculine pronoun has compromised doctrinal precision. A similar situation in the revised New Testament occurs in 1 Pt. 1:22, in which “sincere love of the brethren” (RSV) or “genuine love of your brothers” (1970 NAB) has been remodeled into “sincere mutual love.” It doesn’t take a linguistic expert to see that the RNAB rendition does not mean at all the same thing as the others. Mutuality or reciprocity is not the point here; rather every Christian is called to love his fellow Christians as brothers. Once again, doctrinal clarity is compromised. My final example comes from the footnote to Psalm 58, verse 2. Readers may be familiar with this psalm, in which, as the NAB explains, “judges are called ‘gods’ in the sense of ‘possessing godlike power’ or of ‘taking God’s place in pronouncing judgment.” The RNAB, however, provides a novel and frankly stunning explanation: “Gods: the Bible sometimes understands pagan gods to be lesser divine beings who are assigned by Israel's God to rule the foreign nations. Here they are accused of injustice, permitting the human judges under their patronage to abuse the righteous.” Oh, my!
Not Recommended!
Perhaps not surprisingly, given its inadequacies, the RNAB is used only by Catholics in the United States – and then largely because its use is mandated, e.g. in the liturgy. The USCCB does use the RNAB for its publications. The Holy See, however, employs a more worthy English translation, for example using the RSV for the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as the more recent Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. So should we. Resources for further investigation: Liturgiam Authenticam, the Holy See’s latest instruction on translation, May 2001. Though it applies primarily to the Sacred Liturgy, it also strongly encourages the Bishops’ Conferences to produce a complete Bible in accordance with its principles. (Summary here) “Jesus, Son of Humankind: The Necessary Failure of Inclusive-Language Translations,” by Paul Mankowski, S.J., Touchstone, Oct. 2001 (This is a great article, and this reprinted version is easier to read than the original, which appeared in The Thomist, July 1998.) “Can Bible English Be Only Half Emasculated?” Adoremus Bulletin, May / June 1996. “More on Bible Babel,” by Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, First Things, Jan 2006. Many more resources on the translation of Sacred Texts
Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

Copyrights 1970 - Old Testament, 1986 - New Testament, 1991 - Psalms

The Imprimatur was granted before the Holy See found portions of the text to be defective.

Reviewed by: 
Suchi Myjak
First reviewed: 
4-14-2008

New Catholic Picture Bible

Book cover: 'New Catholic Picture Bible'
Author(s): 
Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, S.V.D.
Number of pages: 
232 pages
Copyright: 
1988
ISBN: 
9780899424354
Publisher: 
Catholic Book Publishing Company
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
Children's Bibles
Bible Stories
Grade / Age level: 
Preschool
Elementary
Review: 

Father Lovasik includes many more stories in this work than Tomie de Paola's work. The pictures are more traditional (although not fine art), yet the stories are still short enough to make this a good choice for preschoolers as well. He explains parts of the Bible in light of our Catholic tradition within the story. For example, in the story "Jesus Appears to the Apostles" Fr. Lovasik explains what Jesus said to the apostles with the following quote:
"In these words Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins, which He had promised them. This power Jesus wished to remain in His Church forever. The apostles passed it on to their successors–the bishops of the Catholic Church. This power is exercised by the priest in the Sacrament of Penance."
Some may appreciate his "additions" to the stories, others may find it a little confusing. The book also contains the Stations of the Cross and photos from the Holy Land.

Available from many sources including those listed below.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Newton and Me

Author(s): 
Lynne Mayer
Illustrator(s): 
Sherry Rogers
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
2009
ISBN: 
0160718067
Publisher: 
Sylvan Dell Publishers
Binding: 
Glued Hardcover
Sample Pages
Subject(s): 
Science
Grade / Age level: 
Preschool
Resource Type: 
Picture Books
Review: 
With the release of Newton and Me I was hoping to find an elementary science book written as an engaging story but, unfortunately, I was disappointed. The book is about a boy and his dog, Newton, discovering various forces in their daily lives, forces first described by Isaac Newton. The difficulty I have with this book is that the reading and concept levels do not match. I very much promote and encourage introducing science concepts at a young age; however, the basic story and rhyming text, appealing to preschool through first grade, does not introduce any concepts they do not readily realize naturally, and yet this same age group would have a hard time understanding the concepts presented in the "For Creative Minds" section, like friction, or pushing something "twice as hard." The colorful yet simple illustrations are well matched to the text and theme. Some of the concepts presented are things like: a ball rolls easier on a sidewalk than on the grass; when it is thrown into the air always comes down; a toy truck stays stationary on level ground yet rolls on a hill, and others. Many of the activities in the "For Creative Minds" section are cross-curricular relating mostly to language development. Sylvan Dell has long struggled to publish non-nature science story books for elementary-aged children. Based on how few titles from any publisher actually fit that description, it must be a tough genre. I am still holding out hope that they will publish better offerings in this area.
Reviewed by: 
Kris Correira
First reviewed: 
5-10-2010

Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa

DVD cover: Nicholas, the Boy who Became Santa
ISBN: 
9781568140032
Publisher: 
CCC of America
Subject(s): 
Saint Stories
Resource Type: 
Animated Video
DVD
Review: 

Published by CCC Animated Video
This story of St. Nicholas is very appealing for little ones and portrays him as an excellent example of charity and love for the poor. If you're trying to encourage a more religious understanding of Santa Claus (which is Dutch for Saint Nicholas), I recommend this video.

Updated March 2024: This 30-minute video is now available on a trilingual English / Spanish / French DVD.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Nine-Note Recorder Method: Easy Duets for Beginners

Book cover: Nine-Note Recorder Method: Easy Duets for Beginners
Author(s): 
Penny Gardner
Number of pages: 
87 pages
Copyright: 
2002
ISBN: 
9781576360743
Publisher: 
Penny Gardner
Subject(s): 
Recorder
Grade / Age level: 
All ages
Review: 

Whether you are an accomplished musician or a complete novice, this simple, inexpensive book will have you playing beautiful music in less than an hour. (I have children in both categories, and have been unable to pick up the book to review it for almost three months since it's been in constant use!) By learning the nine easiest notes to play, and then playing music in parts, learners at all levels are immediately successful.

The book begins with an explanation of how to read music (notes, rhythm, etc.), and directs those to whom those concepts are new to Penny Gardner's website for more information. Correct recorder technique is then covered. By page 4, you are playing music, by page 5 you are working on a duet! Over 70 arrangements include folk songs ("Shoo Fly," "Michael Row the Boat Ashore") and Christmas Songs ("O Come All Ye Faithful," "Ding-Dong Merrily on High"), as well as classic melodies by Mozart and Bach and popular fiddle tunes such as "The Irish Washerwoman" and "Old Joe Clark." The variety lends itself to lessons and/or performances. Several of the pieces include a third part for use by a trio.

In her introduction, Penny Gardner reminds us that a recorder often proves to be a springboard to further music study. Armed with the knowledge in this one book, your child(ren) will have a great start in both music theory and technique.

Reviewed by: 
Mary Zelinski
First reviewed: 
12-17-03

Noble Heroine of Charity

Copyright: 
1995
Publisher: 
Regina Martyrum Productions
Subject(s): 
Saint Stories
Setting: 
19th century
20th century
Grade / Age level: 
Elementary
Resource Type: 
Audio Tape
Review: 
This is the story of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the little Italian nun who came as a missionary to help the Italian immigrants, orphans and many others in America. She was the first American citizen to be canonized. This audio drama is very nicely performed with a full cast and narrator, music and sound effects. My daughter especially enjoyed this story since we had recently read Joan Stromberg's, The Orphans Find a Home: A St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Story.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

48 minutes

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Pages