This program is about education, not about forcing parents or students to conform to our programs, views or rules. We respect parental authority over the education of their children., even if we happen to disagree or think we may know better. We are simply here to help and assist them, make suggestions and educational recommendations, to whatever degree they wish and we are able. We are anti-bureaucratic - if we can say "yes" to any parental request, schedule or proposal, we do so. We are not taxpayer-funded, so we do not have to bow to political correctness or fads of social experimentation [...]

The Academy allows parents to pick and choose whatever courses they wish, from whatever levels they wish. We believe this is a parental right, and duty. We do not believe every student should take every course we offer, neither all the time nor every year. There is a give-and-take in education, that is highly individualized, which is why it is called a co-operative art by Aristotle, like medicine and animal husbandry. If a doctor gave all sick folks the same remedy for every illness, many would die needlessly. Likewise, if a farmer gave all animals the same food, or the same [...]

The amount of time will, of course, vary from student to student and family to family, but, on average elementary level, homeschool students spend only about 2 to 3 hours a day studying (excluding reading literature) and still surpass students in schools. But if you wish your students to excel in life, we believe it takes more time than that to do well. But no precise number is valid for all. Nevertheless, double that time or even more would not be unreasonable in some cases. It obviously depends on a number of factors: available time; educational goals; grade level, number of [...]

The listings are a rough guide for parents. Certainly, in the youngest grades, the parents will be doing some, or most, of the reading. This is not only acceptable but also beneficial for the students, even for some older students, as they learn how the language should sound and also helps the student learn to listen well. It is a good thing for students [for all of us, in fact] occasionally to read a book that is difficult and makes them stretch intellectually. It is for this reason that some of the books are listed where they will be a challenge [...]

No. Again, parents are the primary educators. We are here to aid them. While we believe our materials are the finest available we understand that in some circumstances parents may wish to continue using some materials they already have or prefer for some other reason.  Of course we cannot grade tests for other curricula as we do not have their materials and answer keys. We are happy to add those courses to your Angelicum transcript – just send us the relevant information at your leisure.

The earlier the better – and the easier. Studies show that learning a foreign language is more difficult after puberty. But better late than never. We offer the classical languages – ancient Greek and Latin – and encourage the study of those inflected, root languages, but any foreign language is far better than none. A good understanding of English is nearly always one happy result of learning a foreign language and its grammar and syntax.

The natural sciences are learned analytically in the traditional sequence of biology, chemistry, physics – usually sometime in 9th-12th grades. Texts are available to prepare for those years – in a simplified format for 6th-8th grades – entitled Life, Earth and Physical science (or similar names). These are important subjects. However, these texts all assume a certain level of experience of the natural world. Students who do not actually know what a butterfly does, who have not seen turtles in water, blown seed stars off of dandelions, made mud pies nor followed rabbits to their holes, simply cannot do as well [...]

Only until the students can read for themselves. Before then, they are often read to the children before bedtime. But once they can read, they typically read in the evening by themselves. No doubt this varies a great deal as well. Our Good Books literature program begins at the nursery level, though 8th grade (15 levels in all). It is followed by our Great Books Program, beginning in 9th grade and up.

That is a matter of opinion of course, but we believe religion, literature, English language arts (such as phonics, grammar, writing), math, art (and/or music), history, and by 7th grade – science, are all very important subjects. Geography, philosophy for children, foreign languages, and dialectics (aka Socratic discussions) are also important. None should be entirely neglected. That is why some parents rotate weeks, or do some subjects only one day a week, or some over the summer, etc. There are all kinds of options for home education, which avoids the one-size-fits-all blunder of mass education.