{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Habits Every Homeschool Family Needs with Leigh Bortins","description":"What if the most important thing you teach your child has nothing to do with curriculum? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Emma Bortins sits down with her mother-in-law and Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins to discuss the ideas behind her new book, The Habits: Practicing the Art of Grammar. Together they explore how naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling build the foundational habits that help children \u2014 and homeschool families \u2014 truly flourish. If you're a homeschool mom looking for a classical Christian approach to raising lifelong learners, this conversation is for you. Leigh opens by sharing how it took her twelve years of homeschooling to truly understand what her husband had been telling her all along \u2014 that what children need most is consistency. It wasn't until she had a second set of young boys while her older sons were teenagers that the power of habits became undeniable. The routines she had built into Robert and John made it possible to keep the family functioning; without them, the whole thing would have fallen apart. From that personal foundation, the conversation moves into the heart of the book: a framework of five habits \u2014 naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling \u2014 that Leigh calls the building blocks of a grammar education. These aren't abstract academic concepts. They're what every good mother already does instinctively: naming the dog, teaching a toddler not to touch the stove, helping a child memorize where mom will be in Walmart. The point is to recognize these habits, name them, and practice them with intention. The episode takes a fascinating turn when Emma asks about AI and technology. Leigh's position is clear: children under 12 don't need screens at all. Not because technology is inherently evil, but because children who never learn to entertain themselves, sit still, or be alone with their thoughts will struggle with self-control for the rest of their lives \u2014 with or without technology. The habits of self-governance have to come first. The episode closes with Leigh's single most important piece of advice for new homeschoolers: find a mentor. Not a curriculum. Not a method. A person who seems to be doing it well and is willing to let you watch.  What You'll Learn - What the art of grammar actually means \u2014 and why it's about far more than memorization - The five core habits of the grammar stage: naming, attending, memorizing, expressing, and storytelling - Why Leigh says attending is the one habit she'd tell every family to start practicing today - How habits shape not just academic ability but character, self-control, and spiritual formation - Why parents need to self-assess their own habits before they can effectively pass them on - What Leigh thinks about AI and technology \u2014 and her recommendation for families with children under 12 - Why feeling inadequate to homeschool is universal \u2014 and why it's not actually the obstacle you think it is - How the habits formed in the grammar years show up years later in college anatomy and chemistry courses - Where to find Leigh online and which books to read alongside The Habits   This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by: Summit Ministries Do you want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endure, and friends and faith for life? Summit\u2019s Student Conferences equip young Christians with the hope, clarity, and confidence they need to follow Jesus boldly in today\u2019s world. It\u2019s not just about getting apologetics answers. Students learn how to live winsomely and bravely in today\u2019s world. Visit summit.org\/cc before March 31, 2026, and lock in the early bird rate. Save an additional $250 when you use the code CC26. Want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endures, and friends and faith for life? Grab their spot now at summit.org\/cc   Timestamps 00:00 \u2014 Welcome and Introduction 02:22 \u2014 Leigh's Reaction to Being Interviewed by Her Daughter-in-Law 03:10 \u2014 What Took So Long to Understand: The Role of Habits in Homeschooling 04:13 \u2014 How a Second Set of Young Boys Changed Everything 05:14 \u2014 What Her Husband Was Saying All Along \u2014 and When She Finally Heard It 06:40 \u2014 What Is the Art of Grammar? Beyond Memorization 07:33 \u2014 The Five Habits: Naming, Attending, Memorizing, Expressing, Storytelling 09:33 \u2014 Expressing and Storytelling in Everyday Family Life 10:19 \u2014 What Happens in Families Without Habits 12:04 \u2014 Emma's Daughter and the "Tell Stories, Dance" Moment 13:49 \u2014 It's Not Just What Students Know \u2014 It's How They Learn 15:45 \u2014 The One Habit That Distinguishes Flourishing Students: Self-Control 17:08 \u2014 Parents Must Self-Assess First: More Is Caught Than Taught 18:47 \u2014 Sitting on Daddy's Lap: Three Very Different Experiences 19:50 \u2014 Slowing Down in a World That Moves Too Fast 20:15 \u2014 AI, Technology, and Homeschooling with Humans 21:19 \u2014 Leigh's Recommendation: No Screens for Children Under 12 23:14 \u2014 Having the Conversation with Your Kids About Why 24:15 \u2014 How Habits Shape Character, Not Just the Mind 25:23 \u2014 You're Not Being Raised for Yourself \u2014 You're Being Raised to Serve 26:06 \u2014 The Story of Jonah's Timeout and What It Revealed About Siblings 27:15 \u2014 The Connection Between Intellectual Habits and Spiritual Formation 29:09 \u2014 How to Cultivate Spiritual Habits at Home: Find a Mentor 31:27 \u2014 There's No Single Answer \u2014 Fit the Liturgy to Your Family's Schedule 31:58 \u2014 Encouragement for Parents Who Feel Inadequate to Homeschool 33:55 \u2014 What Second-Generation Homeschoolers Bring to the Table 37:03 \u2014 If You Could Only Start One Habit: Attending 38:09 \u2014 Situational Awareness and Why It Matters for Everything 40:35 \u2014 How Early Habits Prepare Students for Logic, Rhetoric, and College 41:47 \u2014 What CC Students Say When They Call Home from College 42:32 \u2014 Thank You, Closing Thoughts, and Where to Find Leigh ","author_name":"Everyday Educator","author_url":"http:\/\/classicalconversations.libsyn.com\/podcast","html":"