Royal Fireworks Press News & Blog
Posted on: 03/13/2013
Royal Fireworks Press
2nd Homeschool Curriculum Conference
June 27-29, 2013
Valley Forge, PA
We are sure you will be as excited as we are that Michael Clay Thompson, Dr Shelagh Gallagher, and homeschooler Laurel Dodge will be joined by more curriculum experts at our second homeschool conference June 27-29, 2013, at Valley Forge PA. Those who attended our first in 2011 appreciated the focus on academics, the relaxed and informal ambience, and the fact that there was ample time to listen to and talk with the speakers. They also took the opportunity to socialize with one another and share experiences.
View and download the schedule to see two packed days of presentations for you and your children!
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Posted on: 05/01/2013
Assessing the Cult of Assessment
Those new to the MCT language arts curriculum can be puzzled by the absence of sets of stock worksheets and assessments, which other curricula commonly include as the things for students to do. Many programs feature activities that center around pencils, where students sit silently to fill in blanks, connect matchings, write short answers into boxes, and circle multiple choices. In such questions students FIND the answer in the book and then copy it into the blank. Such simplistic documents are seen as evidence of accomplishment and completion. Indeed, there may be a feeling of reassurance that comes with seeing short right answers on paper. There is a feeling that such questions are “objective,” but is any array of small questions that does not get at the heart of the knowledge–of the concepts–truly objective? Must we be superficial in order to be objective?
For many activities in my curriculum, I am sometimes asked, “What are we supposed to do with this? Just READ?” as though reading and discussion lack substance that can only be provided by filling in right answers with pencils. It is true: my curriculum is different, particularly in its philosophy of assessment. I think it is worksheets that lack substance, not reading. I think we must change the terms from what students can FIND to what they can THINK after careful reading.
What is the true substance of education? Does it consist of small items that can be copied into small blanks, or does it consist of ideas, concepts, principles, understandings about human dimensions, and things like that which are better suited to elaborate discussions followed by thoughtful essays that incorporate the facts and terms to which worksheets are limited? Certainly we do want students to absorb the vocabularies and terminologies of the disciplines, but not at the cost of ignoring the understandings that those vocabularies are really about.
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Posted on: 04/09/2013
- Homeschool Curriculum Conference
- Problem-Based Learning Units from Dr Shelagh Gallagher
- New from Royal Fireworks Press
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Posted on: 03/25/2013
Royal Fireworks Press is proud to be associated with the Institute for Educational Advancement. Elizabeth Jones, President and Founder of the Institute writes…
At the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA), we believe that gifted children are more than their amazing intellect. We believe that each child should be given the opportunity to experience hundreds of “aha” moments that spark continued growth in all aspects of self. We believe in exploration for knowledge and discovery for personal growth.
We believe that these wonderful complex little beings should not have to fight for understanding, but rather live and learn in an environment of compassion that embraces the human spirit and leads to an intrinsic desire to strive for personal excellence, continued growth and joy.
It is critical that we all model and live into aspects of character which promote healthy problem solving and discovery: integrity, passion, creativity, and perseverance.
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Posted on: 03/04/2013
Dr Shelagh Gallagher shares her insights on conceptual learning
Goodbye, Bugs
Ogden Nash
Some insects feed on rosebuds
And others feed on carrion
Between them they devour the earth.
Bugs are totalitarian.
Using only seventeen words Ogden Nash’s poem is funny, insightful, and even a bit chilling. How does he achieve so much with so little? The poem works because, as every gardener knows, bugs really do consume everything in sight, and because, as every historian knows, totalitarian governments consume not only political power but entire societies.
Said differently, Nash’s poem works because he makes clever use of concepts.
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Posted on: 02/25/2013
Dr Thomas M Kemnitz, publisher, President of Royal Fireworks Press, and contributor to the new editions of The Word Within The Word and Caesar’s English, talks about how new technology allows us to enhance the learning experience.
This is such a great time to produce educational materials. With digital photography and printing, iBooks and ebooks, it is possible to do so many more exciting things now than it ever was in the past.
I was struck by the enhanced possibilities technological change has fostered when I came to write the Greek history and culture parts for The Word Within the Word I.
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Posted on: 12/06/2012
- Upcoming Mud novels from MCT: pre-publication price
- 4th NAGC award for Problem-Based Learning Curriculum
- Major new work: Asynchrony and the Gifted Child
- Holiday Specials from Royal Fireworks Press, this weekend, saving 25% on regular prices
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Posted on: 10/11/2012
Major Upgrade of Vocabulary Curriculum
A new edition is announced of Michael Clay Thompson’s The Word Within the Word, Volume I, part of a major upgrade of the Royal Fireworks Press Vocabulary Curriculum. Word I now has additional enrichment pages about the history of Greece in the Classical Period (from 490 to 323 BC.), together with maps, timelines, and scores of especially-taken photographs of buildings, sculpture, and artefacts.
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Posted on: 10/10/2012
Poetry Presentation is Now An iBook
Michael Clay Thompson’s presentations are unique, powerful, and supremely creative, and people who hear them always ask if they can have copies. But because of the nature of the graphics, audio elements, and visuals, this has not been possible–until now.
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Posted on: 05/15/2012
- Caesar’s English I: Classical Education Edition
- Also new from RFWP
- Recent New Novels
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Posted on: 03/08/2012
Boy, are we excited! We have completed the Enhanced Classical Education edition of Caesar’s English 1 in the MCT Elementary Vocabulary program. It is everything we want a textbook to be. It is as beautiful as we could make it. …
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Posted on: 12/29/2011
from the Publisher: Dr Thomas Milton Kemnitz
At the end of 2011 we want to send to everyone in the Royal Fireworks family our very best wishes for a happy and successful 2012. We hope that we have been a part of your having a great 2011; we are looking forward to an exciting New Year.
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Posted on: 12/15/2011
We are pleased to announce that we have the start of an exciting new curriculum designed to empower children as artists.
The first part is entitled How To Draw a Straight Line, and there are a dozen Practice Pads in the series available alongside it. Aimed at those already involved in art, the next book to follow will be for absolute beginners just starting to draw and paint.
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