Ep 07 | Reads of Requirement: An Interview with Rachel Woodham

It’s generally accepted that children need good stories. It’s not generally accepted that good stories are the most important thing read to children. We moderns think of fiction as a treat, a bonus, or an escape; it’s nice but certainly not something we have to require for school. This is why many new classical moms find themselves confused while looking over a book list of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, and The Secret Garden for next term. If education is about the future, then we have a question: Shouldn’t I give my children real stories to prepare them for the real world?I’m joined by Rachel Woodham to discuss how stories are a better preparation for Reality and why every mother-teacher should create her list of Reads of Requirement for her home.Footnotes for this episodeMudd and Sapphires | SubstackThe Still Point | CiRCE Institute column“Harry Potter, Read of Requirement”“No Bottom: Delighting in Shakespeare with the Young”Chance or the Dance?: A Critique of Modern Secularism, Thomas HowardTil We Have Faces, C.S. LewisBrideshead Revisted, Evelyn WaughEverything Sad is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri __________You can find the full episode notes here (including my footnotes for this episode). You can leave the podcast a rating and review here. (I thank you!)---------Join the 800+ mother-teachers in Common House (It’s like a Patreon, but better.) where we think deeply and learn together through full courses, bonus minisodes, monthly Q+A video calls, resources, and more!Right now, you can join a number of self-paced courses like Charlotte Mason Habits 101, and Virtues and Vices!