The Educational Renaissance Bookstore is a place where you can find books on ancient wisdom and modern research that we use in our articles. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We will curate this list to provide great recommendations for you to read to take your teaching and your classroom to the next level.
Find great book recommendations by category:
- Books by Educational Renaissance Authors
- Books on Classical Christian Education
- Books on Charlotte Mason Pedagogy
- Books on Ancient Wisdom (Pedagogy)
- Books on Modern Research
Books by Educational Renaissance Authors
Jason Barney, Charlotte Mason: A Liberal Education for All
A devoted Christian and avid proponent of liberal education, Charlotte Mason developed a philosophy that became an international movement of parents and schools to reform education. This philosophy forged a synthesis between new and old educational approaches during a time of great educational upheaval and the birth of the progressive movement. Through her biography and writings, Mason is shown to be a modern educational reformer uniquely in touch with the heart of the Christian liberal education tradition. Though at war with the modern scientism and utilitarianism of her day, Mason nevertheless embraced elements from the emerging fields of physiology and psychology as she advocated for a Christian liberal educational model that respected children as persons and embraced the riches of all knowledge for all children. In this book, author Jason Barney situates Charlotte Mason’s educational thought and practices within the context of her life and influences. He then explores Mason’s philosophy of education under the main principles that she espoused in her writings: children are born persons; education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life; and education is the science of relations. Readers will see that, in dialogue with the past as well as the present, Charlotte Mason stands as one of the giants in the history of education.
Jason Barney, Rethinking the Purpose of Education
This book evaluates Bloom’s taxonomy from within the broader purpose of education as articulated in the classical Christian education renewal movement. Then it proposes a Christian vision of moral, intellectual and spiritual virtues as the proper goals of education. Lastly, it articulates the value of Aristotle’s five intellectual virtues as a rival paradigm for Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive domain objectives. The practical conclusion explores how to write learning objectives in a classical and Christian way.
Jason Barney, A Short History of Narration
A Short History of Narration is a follow up volume to A Classical Guide to Narration published by CiRCE that explores the history of narration as a teaching practice in the classical tradition, from Quintilian to Comenius. This history is explored through commentary on the primary texts of great educators, with practical reflections for the classroom and connections to modern learning science. Charlotte Mason’s own innovations in using narration as a central teaching method come into clearer focus, and suggestions for novel uses of narration in our contemporary context close out the book.
Jason Barney, A Classical Guide to Narration
A Classical Guide to Narration is a practical exploration of how Charlotte Mason’s approach to the art and skill of narration might be adopted in modern classical education settings. Full of step-by-step advice for how to implement narration in the classical school classroom, it presents the historical context of narration alongside contemporary studies that reveal its immense value in the development of young minds. By exploring the history of narration and its relationship to the liberal arts tradition, the book sets Charlotte Mason’s powerful practice on solid footing for wider adoption in the classical renewal movement.
Jason Barney, The Joy of Learning
The Joy of Learning is a stunning synthesis of modern research on the flow state, the classical liberal arts tradition, and the thought of the British Christian educator Charlotte Mason. Flow is the term popularized by the modern positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi for the optimal state of mind. Flow occurs when your challenges meet your current skills and you are lost in a timeless experience of euphoria in the pursuit of a meaningful goal. The Joy of Learning takes its cue from a chapter of Csikszentmihalyi’s book Flow that discusses routes into flow through what we know as the classical liberal arts. From training the memory, to the language arts of the trivium, the mathematical arts of the quadrivium—the ancient equivalent of STEM—to the joys of history, philosophy and amateur science, this book is packed with practical insights from an experienced teacher. Weaving artfully between practical tips for the classroom, insights from modern research, and explorations of the tradition, The Joy of Learning has something for everyone. If you’re wondering how to cultivate joyful students as a classroom teacher, a home educator or a school leader, Jason Barney’s playful and articulate style will charm and enlighten in equal measure.
Patrick Egan, Ecclesiology and the Scriptural Narrative of 1 Peter
The relationship between the church and the scriptures of Israel is fraught with complexities, particularly in regard to how the first Christians read scripture in light of the gospel of Christ. In Ecclesiology and the Scriptural Narrative of 1 Peter Dr. Patrick Egan examines the text of 1 Peter in light of its numerous quotations of scripture and demonstrates how the epistle sets forth a scriptural narrative that explains the nature and purpose of the church. Egan argues that 1 Peter sets forth an ecclesiology based in a participatory Christology, in which the church endures suffering in imitation of Jesus’ role as the suffering servant. The epistle admonishes the church to a high moral standard in light of Christ’s atoning work while also encouraging the church to place hope in God’s final vindication of his people. Addressing the churches of Asia Minor, 1 Peter applies the scriptural narrative to the church in unexpected ways.
Books on Classical Christian Education
Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain, The Liberal Arts Tradition
The Liberal Arts Tradition introduces readers to a paradigm for understanding a classical education that transcends the familiar 3-stage pattern of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Instead, this book describes the liberal arts as a central part of a larger and more robust paradigm of classical education that should consist of piety, gymnastic, music, liberal arts, philosophy, and theology. The Liberal Arts Tradition also recovers the means by which classical educators developed more than just intellectual virtue (by means of the 7 liberal arts) but holistically cultivated the mind, body, will, and affections. This is a must-read for educators who want to take a second big step toward recovering the tradition of classical education.
Robert Littlejohn and Charles Evans, Wisdom and Eloquence
To succeed in the world today, students need an education that equips them to recognize current trends, to be creative and flexible to respond to changing circumstances, to demonstrate sound judgment to work for society’s good, and to gain the ability to communicate persuasively. Wisdom and Eloquence takes the best of classical education and creates a fresh framework for a “Christian liberal arts and sciences approach to the classroom,” offering a new perspective on modern languages, classroom management, dialectic, the trivium and mathematics, while advocating for a reasonable synthesis of classical learning models with the equally important values of Christianity.
Christopher Perrin, An Introduction to Classical Education
An Introduction to Classical Education is an ideal introduction to classical education that traces the history of classical education and describes its modern renaissance. The booklet also highlights the distinctive elements of the movement, including its emphasis on teaching grammar, logic, and rhetoric (the trivium); the role and benefit of classical language study; and the extraordinary achievements of students who are receiving a classical education. This engaging and conversational booklet includes anecdotes, diagrams, and charts, and is especially recommended to parents just beginning their examination of classical education.
David Hicks, Norms and Nobility
Norms and Nobility is a provocative reappraisal of classical education that offers a workable program for contemporary school reform. David Hicks contends that the classical tradition promotes a spirit of inquiry that is concerned with the development of style and conscience, which makes it an effective and meaningful form of education. Dismissing notions that classical education is elitist and irrelevant, Hicks argues that the classical tradition can meet the needs of our increasingly technological society as well as serve as a feasible model for mass education.
Chris Hall, Common Arts Education
The academic foundations of classical education do not alone guarantee human flourishing. The liberal arts the trivium and quadrivium represent the core frameworks for cultivating virtue and practicing skills vital to our life in the world. And yet, they alone are insufficient, for we must eat, heal, defend ourselves, trade, build, find our way around, and more. It may seem evident that the common arts should be an integral part of education, and yet we see that every generation is losing skill in the common arts as we increasingly rely upon others to provide them for us. In Common Arts Education, author Chris Hall provides not only an argument for an integrated liberal, fine, and common arts pedagogy, but also some practical advice for crafting a robust, hands-on curriculum.
Books on Charlotte Mason Pedagogy
Charlotte Mason, Home Education
Home Education is the first of her six-volume series of books on pedagogy. Consisting of six lectures by Charlotte Mason about the raising and educating of young children (up to the age of nine), this is an ideal starting place to learn about Mason’s philosophy and methods whether you are a parent or teacher. In this volume you will be introduced to concepts such as “children are born persons” and “education is the science of relations.” She discusses the use of training in good habits such as attention, thinking, imagining, remembering, performing tasks with perfect execution, obedience, and truthfulness. She also details how lessons in various school subjects can be taught using the key tool of narration. She concludes with remarks about the Will, the Conscience, and the Divine Life in the Child.
Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education
A Philosophy of Education (also known as Towards a Philosophy of Education) is Charlotte Mason’s final book in her six-volume series of books on pedagogy. This volume gives the best overview of her philosophy, and includes the final version of her 20 Principles. This book fills in a gap in her first book by devoting considerable attention to the education of older children, yet provides a valuable overview for younger children as well. Part I develops and discusses her 20 principles; Part II discusses the practical application of her theories.
Karen Glass, Consider This
In Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition, Karen Glass connects Mason’s pedagogy to classical Christian education. The educators of ancient Greece and Rome gave the world a vision of what education should be. The medieval and Renaissance teachers valued their insights and lofty goals. Christian educators such as Augustine, Erasmus, Milton, and Comenius drew from the teaching of Plato, Aristotle, and Quintilian those truths which they found universal and potent. Charlotte Mason developed her own philosophy of education from the riches of the past, not accidentally but purposefully. She and the other founding members of the Parents’ National Educational Union in England were inspired by the classical educators of history and set out to achieve their vision in modern education. They succeeded—and thanks to Charlotte Mason’s clear development of methods to realize the classical ideals, we can partake of the classical tradition as well.
Karen Glass, Know and Tell
Narration, the art of telling, has been used as a pedagogical tool since ancient times. Over one hundred years ago, Charlotte Mason methodized narration and implemented it in scores of schools in Great Britain. Over the past few decades, educators in the US, mostly in home schools, have followed her guidelines with outstanding results. Know and Tell: The Art of Narration discusses the theory behind the use of narration and then walks through the process from beginning to end, to show how simply “telling” is the foundation for higher-level thinking and writing. In this book, you will find sample narrations and many resources to help you use narration with your students in any setting. If you’ve been wanting to try narration, but haven’t felt confident enough to rely on an unfamiliar method, this book will give you the tools that you need to make the process easier.
Karen Glass, In Vital Harmony
Charlotte Mason looked at the world and saw that it was governed by universal laws, such as the law of gravity. Then she wondered, “What if there were similar laws that governed the way people learn?” If we knew what those laws were, we’d be able to pursue education along the most promising lines. She devoted her life to finding the key principles of education and then developing methods to make the most of them. The result is a comprehensive picture of living and learning that breathes life into education at every level—from babyhood to the adult years. It’s not a rote system, but a flexible set of ideas that keep education in focus. These principles are for everyone concerned with teaching and learning. They are no more difficult to implement than the principle of gravity which allows you to walk, run, and even–when you know what you are doing–to soar. In Vital Harmony provides a great introduction to the key principles of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy of education.
Elaine Cooper, ed., When Children Love to Learn
Teachers and parents can either encourage this natural inquisitiveness or squelch it. There is joy in the classroom when children learn-not to take a test, not to get a grade, not to compete with each other, and not to please their parents or their teachers-but because they want to know about the world around them! Both Christian educators and parents will find proven help in creating a positive learning atmosphere through methods pioneered by Charlotte Mason that show how to develop a child’s natural love of learning. The professional educators, administrators, and Mason supporters contributing to this volume give useful applications that work in a variety of educational settings, from Christian schools to homeschools. A practical follow-up to Crossway’s For the Children’s Sake, this book follows a tradition of giving serious thought to what education is, so that children will be learning for life and for everlasting life.
Books on Ancient Wisdom (Pedagogy)
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
The Nicomachean Ethics is one of Aristotle’s most widely read and influential works. Ideas central to ethics—that happiness is the end of human endeavor, that moral virtue is formed through action and habituation, and that good action requires prudence—found their most powerful proponent in the person medieval scholars simply called “the Philosopher.” Terence Irwin’s edition of the Nicomachean Ethics offers more aids to the reader than are found in any modern English translation. It includes an Introduction, headings to help the reader follow the argument, explanatory notes on difficult or important passages, and a full glossary explaining Aristotle’s technical terms. The Third Edition offers additional revisions of the translation as well as revised and expanded versions of the notes, glossary, and Introduction. Also new is an appendix featuring translated selections from related texts of Aristotle.
Aristotle, The Art of Rhetoric
For more than two thousand years Aristotle’s Art of Rhetoric has shaped the theory and practice of rhetoric, the art of persuasive speech. In three sections, Aristotle discusses what rhetoric is, as well as the three kinds of rhetoric (deliberative, judicial, and epideictic), the three rhetorical modes of persuasion, and the diction, style, and necessary parts of a successful speech. Throughout, Aristotle defends rhetoric as an art and a crucial tool for deliberative politics while also recognizing its capacity to be misused by unscrupulous politicians to mislead or illegitimately persuade others. The Bartlett translation offers a literal, yet easily readable, edition of Aristotle’s “Art of Rhetoric.” Bartlett’s translation is also accompanied by an outline of the argument of each book; copious indexes, including subjects, proper names, and literary citations; a glossary of key terms; and a substantial interpretive essay.
Plato, The Republic
Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, The Republic is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation other questions are raised: what is goodness; what is reality; what is knowledge? The Republic also addresses the purpose of education and the role of both women and men as “guardians” of the people. With remarkable lucidity and deft use of allegory, Plato arrives at a depiction of a state bound by harmony and ruled by “philosopher kings.” Long regarded as the most accurate rendering of Plato’s Republic, this widely acclaimed translation by Allan Bloom was the first to take a strictly literal approach. In addition to the annotated text, there is also a rich and valuable essay — as well as indices — which will enable readers to better understand the heart of Plato’s intention.
Quintilian, Institutes of Oratory
This is the first single-volume English translation of the Institutio Oratoria, a treatise on all stages of the orator’s education that was written in Latin under the emperor Domitian (81–96 CE) by the Roman rhetorician and teacher Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, commonly known as Quintilian. In the course of twelve books Quintilian discusses the education of young children, rhetorical theory (including discussion of invention of arguments, arrangement, style, memory, and performance), literary criticism and history, gesture, rhythm, the ethics of persuasion, and much more. It is a treatise that has had a profound influence on education from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance and into the present day.
Augustine, The City of God
Augustine’s The City of God is the first full-scale attempt at a Christian philosophy. The work covers, among other topics, theodicy, civil and natural theology, the history of creation, philosophy of history, eschatology, and martyrdom. One of the great cornerstones in the history of Christian philosophy, The City of God provides an insightful interpretation of the development of modern Western society and the origin of most Western thought. Contrasting earthly and heavenly cities–representing the omnipresent struggle between good and evil–Augustine explores human history in its relation to all eternity. This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition is a complete and unabridged version of the Marcus Dods translation.
Comenius, The Great Didactic
The Great Didactic is commonly referred as the first great work of pedagogy. John Comenius, a 17th century Czech (Moravian) educational reformer and religious leader, recommended learning from nature, outside school contexts. If a child is in a school, he argued that learning should extend beyond the classroom and take place in everyday life. He systematized knowledge to make it more accessible and relevant to the children’s interests and life needs. Comenius’s educational program is built upon a set of principles, many of which are based on how teaching methods should follow the rules of nature.
Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education
John Locke is most well known as an Enlightenment political philosopher. However, his work on education addressed to parents is so full of common-sense and traditional wisdom that it stands as an important contribution to the theory and practice of education. This volume contains a helpful scholarly introduction and breaks out the text into its many subheadings and topics. It also includes the shorter work Of the Conduct of the Understanding. Lock draws from the great tradition of educators from Quintilian to Comenius and was an important source for later educators like Charlotte Mason.
Books on Modern Research
Learning Science and Teaching Techniques
Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel, Make It Stick
To most of us, learning something “the hard way” implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming more productive learners. Memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks, such as applying knowledge to problems never before encountered and drawing inferences from facts already known. New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated, and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn. Grappling with the impediments that make learning challenging leads both to more complex mastery and better retention of what was learned.
Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher, Neuroteach
Teachers are brain changers. Thus it would seem obvious that an understanding of the brain – the organ of learning – would be critical to a teacher’s readiness to work with students. Unfortunately, in traditional public, public-charter, private, parochial, and home schools across the country, most teachers lack an understanding of how the brain receives, filters, consolidates, and applies learning for both the short and long term. Neuroteach was therefore written to help solve the problem teachers and school leaders have in knowing how to bring the growing body of educational neuroscience research into the design of their schools, classrooms, and work with each individual student. It is our hope, that Neuroteach will help ensure that one day, every student –regardless of zip code or school type—will learn and develop with the guidance of a teacher who knows the research behind how his or her brain works and learns.
Doug Lemov, Teach Like a Champion 2.0
Teach Like a Champion 2.0 is a complete update to the international bestseller. This teaching guide is a must-have for new and experienced teachers alike. With ideas for everything from boosting academic rigor, to improving classroom management, and inspiring student engagement, you will be able to strengthen your teaching practice right away. Organized by category and technique, the book’s structure enables you to read start to finish, or dip in anywhere for the specific challenge you’re seeking to address. With examples from outstanding teachers, videos, and additional, continuously updated resources at teachlikeachampion.com, you will soon be teaching like a champion. The classroom techniques you’ll learn in this book can be adapted to suit any context. You can access Kolby’s free eBook The Craft of Teaching, which provides in-depth analysis on how classical educators can utilize the techniques in TLaC 2.0.
Positive Psychology and Self Improvement
Angela Duckworth, Grit
Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” In Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, she takes us into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance.
Carol Dweck, Mindset
After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow
The bestselling classic that holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s famous investigations of “optimal experience” have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness, unlock our potential, and greatly improve the quality of our lives. You can access Jason’s free eBook 5 Tips for Fostering Flow, which how the idea of flow can make a difference in your classroom.
Cal Newport, Deep Work
Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there’s a better way. In Deep Work, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four “rules,” for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill.
Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You
In this eye-opening account, Cal Newport debunks the long-held belief that “follow your passion” is good advice. Not only is the cliché flawed-preexisting passions are rare and have little to do with how most people end up loving their work-but it can also be dangerous, leading to anxiety and chronic job hopping. After making his case against passion, Newport sets out on a quest to discover the reality of how people end up loving what they do. Spending time with organic farmers, venture capitalists, screenwriters, freelance computer programmers, and others who admitted to deriving great satisfaction from their work, Newport uncovers the strategies they used and the pitfalls they avoided in developing their compelling careers.
Daniel Pink, Drive
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That’s a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.
Elite Performance Research
Daniel Coyle, The Talent Code
In The Talent Code, award-winning journalist Daniel Coyle draws on cutting-edge research to reveal that, far from being some abstract mystical power fixed at birth, ability really can be created and nurtured. In the process, he considers talent at work in venues as diverse as a music school in Dallas and a tennis academy near Moscow to demonstrate how the wiring of our brains can be transformed by the way we approach particular tasks. He explains what is really going on when apparently unremarkable people suddenly make a major leap forward. He reveals why some teaching methods are so much more effective than others. Above all, he shows how all of us can achieve our full potential if we set about training our brains in the right way.