Ideas on learning and teaching.
Essays and ideas on one-to-one teaching, homeschooling, learning science, and what we’re thinking about at Cicero.
Pros and Cons of AI in Education
Surface Level vs Deep Learning Imagine this: a million students show a 20–40% gain in learning outcomes after using AI-powered educational tools. Sounds like we’ve cracked the code. But what, exactly, are we optimizing for? AI can make certain metrics look impressive—speed, accuracy, surface-level comprehension—but deep learning is harder to measure. One study found that […]
The Science of ADHD
The Science of ADHD: Rethinking “Disorder” We’ve all heard ADHD described as a “disorder.” The label sticks in a way that feels heavy, like something broken that needs fixing. But the more you look at the science—and the more you listen to the lived experience of kids and parents—the clearer it becomes: ADHD isn’t a […]
Why Take Cognitive Science?
The brain is still one of the biggest mysteries of our time. The question of consciousness has plagued scientists and philosophers alike since the beginning of history. Our ability to metacognize has led to entire fields of study, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science. All of these fields are focused on finding out why we […]
Everything You Need to Know About School Choice and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).
For many families, finding the right educational environment is one of the most critical decisions we’ll make. Thankfully, we are living in a period when the range of options is expanding exponentially. One of the drivers of this is the school choice movement, which, in turn has driven the rise of voucher programs and Educational […]
5 Great Commencement Speeches
It’s that time of the year when parents and siblings gather in the pouring rain to celebrate their family members’ graduation, and sit through speeches that follow a fairly typical, and boring, arc: the world is your oyster, go forth and prosper, etc., etc. But, sometimes, graduation speakers nail it and share some nuggets of […]
Literacy and Knowledge
The last five years has seen a revolution in early childhood literacy, as numerous studies revealed that one of the most prevalent approaches to reading instruction—the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project developed by Lucy Calkins—was ineffective at best, and actually harmful in many instances, setting kids back months and years in their reading development. […]
Why Study Art History
Last year we had a student come to Cicero in order to take a few courses that would flesh out her junior and senior year. Beatrice (as we’ll call her) had been seriously disrupted by the pandemic during her first year of high school, and hadn’t ever really gotten back on track with traditional school. […]
Homeschooling: My Secret to College Success
A couple weeks ago I posted about how homeschooling is the ultimate college hack. Today, I'm going to take that idea a little farther and talk about my experience getting into Pomona College as a Cicero graduate. One of the biggest foundational flaws in the standard education system is the fact that it’s standard. Traditional […]
Why Take Marine Science?
Marine Science is a truly multidisciplinary discipline that incorporates elements of biology, physics, and chemistry—together, the core subjects in any high school science curriculum—with other multidisciplinary sciences like ecology and climate science. This is one of the reasons we encourage students to take our Marine Science course. It gives them a taste of the kind […]
How Homeschooling is the Ultimate College Hack
How Homeschooling is the Ultimate College Hack In an era where college admissions feel like a game with no rules, homeschooling can be a powerful strategy for students aiming to get accepted at competitive colleges. By opening a less-competitive “side door” to admissions departments and allowing students to tailor education to their individual strengths and […]
Why Take a Debate Class?
Debating teaches not only confidence and public speaking skills but also critical thinking, observation, researching, and problem-solving skills. Arguments are acrobatics for the mind. They teach us how to function under pressure and address opposition. As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas […]
AP Courses v Dual Enrollment
One challenge for homeschoolers and worldschoolers is building a viable transcript. Although there are many educational options for homeschoolers that provide accredited courses and a high school transcript, such as Cicero, there still remains that challenge for college admissions counselors to benchmark one student against another. For this, homeschoolers and worldschoolers have a couple of […]
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 the inherent power of getting […]
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 a scary and scathing op-ed […]
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 a smart study plan, how […]
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 at the average learner (by […]
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 one is the best possible […]
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 system is undeniably outdated and […]
Volunteering Opportunities for Students
There are many reasons why middle schoolers and high schoolers may want to volunteer their time. Volunteering opportunities for students can provide real-world, hands-on work experience. A well-chosen program that connects with a student school plan—especially for homeschoolers and worldschoolers who have the freedom to craft their own curriculum—can extend learning in unique and powerful […]
Worldschooling Hubs: School From Anywhere
Worldschooling, the act of taking your kids on an extended traveling experience, and using the world as their classroom, is on fire. More families than ever—impelled by the work from anywhere revolution—are hitting the road. At Cicero, we serve a lot of worldschooling families. Our model of 1:1, personalize school that happens on your schedule, […]
Blog Your Way To Better Writing
At Cicero we get a lot of requests for writing support—whether embedded into our normal ELA courses as a strong focus or, in some cases, as stand-alone programs. This makes a lot of sense. Writing clear, compelling prose is critical for success in college and life. With this in mind, we sat down with one […]
Let's Talk About Executive Function
We've been discussing executive function a lot in the halls of Cicero these days—ok, by "halls" we mean on our Slack channel for teachers. Executive function, or EF for short, is a professional term. It's a big bucket of life skills that includes how to organize ourselves, be on time, keep track of events, appointments, […]
Core v Electives
It's a classic dilemma for anyone who's cast off the yoke of traditional schooling. I've got the freedom to design my curriculum in whatever way I'd like. And yet, for a variety of reasons—college requirements, local rules, family priorities—I need to ensure that my child is covering the core. What is the Core? Four courses […]
Teen Life Coaching with Kate Stone
It's no secret that there's a crisis with teenagers. Mental health among teens has been eroding since 2010, with a significant dropoff during the pandemic. Middle and high school life isn't helping. A lot of kids feel adrift—disengaged from learning, unsure how to process their feelings. One place to turn is to hire a […]
What's Cicero Like? Conversation with a Parent
Families contemplating the shift from traditional, brick and mortar school to homeschooling, worldschooling, or some variant thereof, face a lot of anxiety. The questions and concerns can feel overwhelming. Will my child thrive? Will she succeed? Will he stay on track? What about college? What about socialization? We sat down with a Cicero parent, Hope […]
Study Hacks for Self Directed Learning
As a homeschooler or worldschooler you (and your parents) face a distinct challenge: What skills and habits will enable me to be a successful self directed learner? In traditional school a lot of organization, time management, and study skills learning is done for you. You move through the same class schedule every day. There are […]
School and the Digital Nomad Family
Pre-pandemic, the typical digital nomad was a young, childless professional who lived a couple of months here and a couple of months there, skipping from coworking hub to coworking hub, from Bali to Lisbon to CDMX. Like so much, this changed with the pandemic as older professionals with families transitioned to remote work. As more […]
The Science of Study Breaks
For a long time studies have reinforced the importance of taking breaks while studying. Study breaks have been scheduled in learning programs from preschool to college for decades. Many articles have been written about the positive effects of taking a break while studying, including increases in productivity and attentiveness, and a reduction in stress. Due […]
5 Homeschooling Tips and Tricks
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of our Cicero Voices, essays written by Cicero students reflecting on some aspect of their learning. Homeschooling is what you make it. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your personality. Personally, I love the freedom to design my own curriculum […]
Homeschool Climate Change Curriculum
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the earth has been warming at a rate of about 1/3rd of a degree each decade since the 1980s, which is about twice as fast as it was warming over the previous century. It’s no secret that climate literacy will be extremely important for students in […]