It is not a simple thing to learn how to use words to say exactly what one wants to say in the most effective way possible. But the words themselves should be simple. Here is some of the best writing advice I have come across. The first two were written by Canadians, the third by … Continue reading Effective Words
reading
Just open it and read
What is the best way to read the Bible? Just open it up and start reading. It’s that simple. I quit attending church when I left home. I had heard all the old familiar Bible stories that are taught in Sunday School. I had also absorbed a lot of contradictory teachings in school, through the … Continue reading Just open it and read
Weeds and stones in our writing
Floyd McNeill* farmed near the banks of the Moose Jaw River, one of those prairie rivers consisting of a deep, wide valley with a little creek meandering its way along a narrow channel on the bottom. Being near the river bank, there were stones scattered through the fields, some small enough that a man could … Continue reading Weeds and stones in our writing
Lowering the basket
A cartoon appeared in the Québec City daily le Soleil a couple of weeks ago depicting a gangly young student on the basketball court attempting to make a basket. The basket was placed at waist level and the coach was saying, “We have an excellent success rate.” There would be cries of outrage from students … Continue reading Lowering the basket
Is this why today’s society seems so childish?
To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child. - Marcus Tullius Cicero Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. - George Santayana
Discovery learning
The Province of Alberta recently announced a complete transformation of their teaching methods. The new model is based on the wonderfully naive expectation that a classroom of 30 children of the same age will learn much better if the teacher is relegated to the background and not allowed to teach. Where does this dewy-eyed credulity … Continue reading Discovery learning
Precious memories
My mother died seven years ago today, December 31, 2006 at 9:00 p.m. If she had lived another 18 days, she would have been 99. Not that I would have wished another 18 days for her just so she could reach that landmark. She began to show signs of dementia in her early nineties and … Continue reading Precious memories
Why parents need to be involved in their child’s education
Governor Jeb Bush of Florida was in Toronto at the end of October to speak on the educational reforms that have moved Florida schools from the bottom tier of educational achievement to near the top. He spoke to the Economic Club of Canada at the Royal York Hotel, the talk was well-publicized and co-sponsored by … Continue reading Why parents need to be involved in their child’s education
Things they didn’t teach us in school: W is a vowel
Most of the time w is used as a vowel. They didn't teach me this in school; I'm not sure it's being taught in school even now. Consider the following: Fawn / faun: aw has exactly the same sound as au. Can you think of any words in which aw is not a vowel sound? … Continue reading Things they didn’t teach us in school: W is a vowel
Don’t quit before you’re done
Sixty years ago, Ted Geisel was challenged to write and illustrate a book for six- and seven-year olds, using only 225 words. Nine months and 500 revisions later, The Cat in the Hat was ready for publication. The Cat in the Hat actually uses 236 words and is 1629 words in length. Of the 236 … Continue reading Don’t quit before you’re done
Flatlander Faith 