Cicero Notebook

A collection of articles, posts, and other resources to help homeschoolers, worldschoolers, and other families navigate their learning journeys.

student doing project based learning

What is Project Based Learning?

Project-Based Learning, or PBL, is a method of learning where a student designs, develops, and constructs hands-on solutions to problems. Some trace its beginnings back to antiquity when Confucius quipped “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” The ancient Chinese philosopher grasped

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Books crumbling to illustrate learning loss

Learning Loss and High-Dosage Tutoring

The best data is finally out and pandemic learning loss is staggering. In both reading and math scores, students who perform below grade level rose 50% from 2019 to 2023, and students overall are, on average, 5-9 months behind—that’s a solid year behind for many. The New York Times published

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student study plan

How a Smart Study Plan Supports an Independent Learner

Embarking on the journey of independent learning requires more than just textbooks and notes. A robust study plan is a compass guiding students through the labyrinth of academic challenges, helping them achieve success in a manner tailored to their unique learning styles. In this exploration, we unravel the essence of

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neurodiverse learner

Neurodiverse Learners

No learner is the same. Although the theory of Learning Styles has been mostly debunked, it is true that we all learn in myriad and different ways. Some of us learn in very different ways. For these neurodiverse learners, traditional classroom instruction, in which the teaching style is generally aimed

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student learning one-to-one online

Some Principles of One-to-One Learning

We get mixed reactions when we describe our one-to-one learning model that pairs one teacher and one student, working together. Some people see it as the absolute in a range. If study after study have shown that smaller class sizes lead to better educational outcomes, then a class size of

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Alternative education for worldschoolers

How My Education Changed My View of Education

Many students thrive in a traditional school setting. Brick and mortar schooling where you sit at desks with 15-25 other students is a system that has been used for decades. (Sir Ken Robinson has a great description of the “industrial model” of education in his famous Ted talk.) However, this

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