by Oliver DeMille “[S]implicity has been difficult to implement in modern life because it is against the spirit of a certain brand of people who seek sophistication so they can justify their profession.” —Nassim Taleb, Antifragile The Word This quote certainly applies to education. I [...]
A Better Way If you’re mentoring young people today, or even adults, you simply must know something very important. You must know about the three economies. If not, you’re going to make huge mistakes in how you mentor. You’re going to mentor today’s young people [...]
by Oliver DeMille Where's the Value? She shook her head. “I just don’t think it’s that important,” she said. “Why would anyone read Little House on the Prairie to their kids? There are so many other books to read, like scripture and important works of [...]
by Oliver DeMille To Read or Not To Read “Girls, are you ready to read tonight?” Rachel asked. A look of concern crossed nine-year-old Abi’s face, and eleven-year-old Meri sighed and said slowly, “Okay, I guess so.” Rachel closed the book she had just opened [...]
by Oliver DeMille What is Enough? “I get what you’re saying, in theory,” she said into the microphone. “I just don’t know if example is enough.” She paused, so I waited to see what she’d say next. “Is it?” she asked. “Yes,” I responded. Then [...]
by Oliver DeMille “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” —Coach Jim Valvano What They're Looking For There are three things dads can do that will make a huge positive difference in the education of their [...]
by Oliver DeMille “The only expensive books are the ones we don’t read.” A Powerful Story I’m not sure who first said the words in the quote above, but I’ve repeated them for years. Think about it: in your home, you probably have a hidden [...]
by Oliver DeMille Page vs. Chapter “Are you enjoying it?” Emma asked. “Absolutely,” I responded passionately. I put the biography of Winston Churchill on my lap. “This is a really great book.” Then I paused, reconsidered, and said, “Actually, in some ways it’s kind of [...]
by Oliver DeMille To Topic or Not to Topic I was recently talking to a fabulous homeschooling dad, and he said something that rang too true. “We read the scriptures together aloud as a family pretty much every day,” his wife said, “and we discuss [...]
by Oliver DeMille The Problem The report is entitled: “Nurturing Children: Why Early Learning Doesn’t Work.” It was written by Andrea Mrozek of the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada, and I was especially struck by three important ideas: 1) “Probably the greatest myth that [...]
