Office Hours Podcast 563m2q

Memorizing portions or large chunks of scripture has the benefit of forcing you to become very familiar with a section. Because you spend time looking at it, reciting, and chewing on it to move it into your long-term memory, you start to notice things you might not have before. * Pick a Bible translation and stay with it. * Start with a couple of verses and move on to bigger sections. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

Christian parents have a responsibility to train their children to know and love the Lord. The only source for that knowledge is in the Bible, although the particular methods of teaching and training need to be thoughtfully applied based on your knowledge of your own particular children. In this episode we discuss when to start reading the Bible to and with them, how to help it stick in their minds, and how to approach things like storybook Bibles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

In this episode, we continue our season dedicated to Bible reading, looking at some of the different types of reading plans and how to use them. , the most important thing is about making Bible reading a daily habit. us for our summer teacher training seminar live in Niagara! Find out more about Niagara Classical Academy, the classical Christian school we are involved with starting. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

We’re entering Season 2 of the Office Hours Podcast, and we triangulate our reading focus to look at reading the Bible specifically. To begin with, can you be a Christian without reading your Bible? Is it sinful to not read your Bible every day? We show what we love by what we do, so without adding to the Bible’s commands, we ought to recognize that as Christians, we’re expected to be regularly reading and meditating on the Word of God. This is true for all of us, but especially as Christian parents, we’re told to teach these things to our children; they are to be so much a part of our life that we talk of them when we sit down and when we walk, when we lie down and when we rise up (Deuteronomy 6:6-8). In this episode we discuss the importance and blessing of daily Bible reading. for Summer Teacher Training, happening July 22-23!Visit https://wolfsheadhouse.org/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

How do you prefer to get your books? In this episode we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of print books versus e-readers, their different applications, overcoming technology learning curves, and some of the different e-reader manufacturers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

In this final episode of Season 1, we discuss the horror genre, what it is, what it isn’t, and whether a Christian can lawfully and profitably read it. We also deal with the question of men’s and women’s tastes when it comes to fiction, and look ahead to our next season on reading the Bible. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

With special thanks to Davie for sending in some thoughtful questions, we discourse on some potential dilemmas that readers face, including what to make of abridged versions, how to choose a translation, and observing that a work is not necessarily a classic just because an author has written other classic works. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

On this episode we’re talking about our favourite literary characters. This is primarily an excuse to talk about and quote our favourite books.  One of the signs of a good book is a well-developed character, a character you can really “see” and can anticipate how they’re going to act. One of the worst things is when an author betrays you by letting a character do something that is inconsistent with who they’ve built. You can tell when an author has done their work well and built the back story for their characters and answered motivation and history questions themselves, even if the answers to those questions don’t show up explicitly in the story.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

Reading can help improve your life in many material and immaterial ways. In this episode we talk about a few of the advantages that accrue to those who cultivate a habit of reading. Improve your spelling – this is not a trivial benefit. People who can handle and discern words with excellence will quickly make themselves valuable in the workplace. Learn about the way they do things in other parts of the world – Expanding vocabulary and understanding will give you new words and phrases to apply to the world. These are usually contextual rather than stated outright. You might learn, for instance, that in England they call trucks lorries. This is powerful information. Deeper understanding of things – good authors take some part of reality, human experience, history, and present it in ways that make you understand it better, consider it from a new perspective, or just give you a new word to describe something familiar. Regular reading gives you words for something you have been thinking of already. It is an application of paideia - imprinting good patterns of thought on our minds. Better communication – the original meaning of vulgar was common, public, or plain; it was not necessarily an insult. Over time it came to mean unlettered, and later took on its present use to refer to people who constantly cuss; a cuss word might be the word in season, but ‘vulgar’ has come to be used this way because unlettered people, instead of using an appropriate phrase to describe something, will use a cuss word as a sort of universal stand-in. We are now living in an age where foul language has become so versatile as to be meaningless. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

Like any good thing, we can overvalue or prioritize reading at the expense of more important things like family, Bible reading, or just having a quiet moment. These are some of the pitfalls we’ve had to guard against. Can you relate? Can you think of others? * Neglecting Bible reading * Setting unrealistic goals * spending money you don’t have on books * Excusing bad content because it’s well written * Aalways listening or reading and never just being quiet; strong temptation to always put something on * Not giving times where your kids can talk to you about stuff * Reading as an excuse to be antisocial * Never finishing a book * Never quitting a book * Quantity over quality/reading to show off * Reading all the ‘right’ books but not letting them have any influence on your life This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

One great thing about being a reader is being able to participate in The Great Conversation. You learn to recognize quotations and take them and repeat them and tweak them and let them develop your own voice. This is not to be confused with your own truth. Do not under any circumstances try to develop your own truth. But how you express yourself, even in ordinary conversation does matter.  Clarity of speech is something that Christians in particular should strive after. Speech is a gift from God that we can and should take dominion of. There are better and worse ways of speaking. There is definitely a place for colloquial speech. But we also want to be able to elevate our speech when the occasion calls for it, and to be able to do so in a way that doesn't seem strained or forced. By reading, collecting, and USING the language of others, we can become funnier, clearer, and more gracious in how we talk. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

On this episode we talk about commonplace books, what they are, and some ways to use them profitably. Registration is open for Niagara Classical Academy! Visit www.niagaraclassical.com today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

It's called Niagara Classical Academy and in this episode we break from our normal format to talk about a philosophy of education and what it might mean for you. We've been homeschooling happily for the past five years, but a school environment allows us to better serve our children as well as other families by providing a division of labour and more comprehensive instruction. Learn more at www.niagaraclassical.com. Email us at [email protected], and make a tax-deductible donation at [email protected] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

Why Listening Counts As an adult, is goal of reading to decode the words, or consume, consider and then digest ideas Historically, reading was a group activity, done with one person–the literate person–reading aloud to another or a group of another.  The Old English word, raedan means to advise, guess. …It’s not about the act of decoding at all! You likely have significantly more time to use your ears than to use your eyes How to Leverage Listening as a Way to Read Widely, Deeply, and Frequently 1. While you get ready for the day.  2. Commute Time: Swap out music or radio for audiobooks during your daily commute (or any regular consistent time in your daily/weekly routine) 3. Household Chores: Turn mundane tasks into opportunities for literary enrichment.  5. Exercise Routine 6. Waiting Periods: waiting in lines, at the doctor's office, or during any other moments of waiting 5. Multitasking: If your tasks don't require intense concentration, consider listening to audiobooks while working on other projects or tasks. **This one is a bit tricky; multi-tasking is a bit of a lie, but I digress. 6. Before Bed 7. Lunch Breaks Instead of scrolling through social media during lunch, use that time to listen to a chapter of an audiobook 8. Mindful Listening: during activities that don't require your full attention, such as doing puzzles, knitting, or other hobbies. 9. Family Time: Consider incorporating audiobooks into family activities, such as listening together during road trips or quiet evenings. 10. Podcast or News Substitution: Swap out one or more of your regular podcasts for an audiobook episode. That could be an additional 15 or so minutes every day! Tips for Listening If you aren’t used to learning by listening, start with small chunks of time. If you aren’t a default auditory learning, start by choosing audiobooks that align with your interests or learning goals to make the most of your listening time as you get used to learning by listening. Scheduled Listening Sessions: Figure out times in your day and week that you can treat as a planned activity rather than an impromptu one. Experiment with listening at different speeds. Slow it down or speed it up. Some people find that increasing the playback speed allows them to consume content more quickly and more effectively. Make it easy: Get yourself a nice bluetooth speaker that you can take with you to the beach or camping or the park; get comfortable headphones, etc. Accessing the Listening Library If you have a CD player, take them out of the library Librivox (for classics) Hoopla Cloud Library Canon Press Audible YouTube Spotify This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

Being able to what you read is almost the entire point of reading. Here are some good habits to develop when approaching a book Before Don’t skip the introductions! Do read the reviews (Good Reads is great for this.) During Read with a pencil in hand Look up words that you don’t know Remove all barriers and distractions (my phone is the worst distraction for me when reading) Be cautious about reading for sake of ticking the box of “Being a Reader” Talk about what you are reading with others Practice summarizing in your own words the points, plot, etc. Talk about what is different about this book or similar to other books Share quotations that stuck with you Keep a Commonplace Book After Talk about it with others If you have chosen a good book based on the best information available to you, and it’s presented in an interesting way, you probably will want to talk about it. So write a review of it.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

In this episode we offer some suggestions for finding books that you'll enjoy, hear a cautionary tale about librarians, and realize too late that Erika's mic wasn't on. We promise it's better next time. Ask people who you know you already share a worldview Think about what you like and enjoy.  There is a difference between something you enjoy and something that is objectively good. Becoming a reader involves a level of humility; you need to develop your taste in good books. Use a standard booklist; classics in most cases are classics for a reason, and this general consensus can be helpful. Short books, children’s books, abridged versions, etc. are good places to start This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com

Last time we talked about reading widely and deeply and didn’t quite make it to frequently. To catch up in summary, what I mean by frequently is every day. Read every day. Today we’ll talk about how to make reading a habit. Set goals: * Find the balance between realistic and challenging * Start by either setting a page goal (3 a day) or a time goal (10 minutes) * Pick a time of day; just before bed might not work * Attach to another habit * Remove friction * Make a habit tracker; use postit notes, alarm on your phone, location reminder, background  * When you fail, keep going * Stick to the new plan religiously for a few weeks, don’t be a slave to your goals Keep track of what you read * Goodreads, spreadsheet, notebook  * Community  One at a time/multi on the go * Try one style for a few weeks then change if that isn’t working * Multi - one audio, one serious, one “easy”/fun This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit officehourspodcast.substack.com