Office Hours Podcast

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 pu...

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 mind...

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. Remember, the most important thing is about making Bible reading a daily habit. Join 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. T...

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 re...

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 e...

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...

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 wit...

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 o...

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 writ...

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...

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.ni...

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...

Being able to remember 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 a...

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 read...

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 be...

Christians especially should be a reading people, because we are people of the Word. We'll unpack that more in this episode. - How to read Widely: - Read in more than one genre - Read fiction and non-fiction - Read poetry - Read kids books to yourself and to your kids How to read Deeply: - Spend time reading many books on a specific topic or area - With fiction, narrative non-fiction, and pop non-...