About

Since my wife and I homeschool our children, we have researched various homeschool methods, and I was pleased to find that Charlotte Mason made Plutarch’s Lives an important part of her curriculum. Plutarch is one of my favorite authors, and I wholeheartedly agree that he should be on everyone’s reading list.

However, I also noticed that many parents do not feel confident about teaching Plutarch, which gave me the idea of publishing the study guides that I make for our children and our co-op. I am a university professor with a PhD in Comparative Literature. The courses I teach cover topics like classical Greek and Roman literature, medieval literature, mythology, the works of C.S. Lewis, and the nature and history of language, so I feel very comfortable teaching the great works of literature, and I have experience teaching them to students of a variety of ages ranging from preteens to college-aged students.

Once I found out how rewarding and fun it is to make the Plutarch study guides, I decided to make guides and video lectures for other topics as well, but all of them, whatever their subject, have a similar origin. They begin as resources that I create for my own children, which I then publish for anyone else who might find them useful. As both a Christian and a father, I am very sensitive to the moral responsibility of providing young minds with reading that will nourish their souls, so it is my sincere hope that these guides, born from the love that I have for my own children, will help you in the education of yours.

The name “Rooted Willow” is inspired by Ephesians 3:16 – 19 (and the fact that I like willow trees).

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16-19
Tea in the garden with George MacDonald

Welcome to Rooted Willow Homeschool!