Questions
Before you sign up
Does my student need to know anything about Greek myth first?
No. We start from zero. The first session lays out who's who and what the Trojan War is, and the reading guides keep the names straight. Curiosity is the only prerequisite.
Which translation should we buy?
I recommend Stanley Lombardo's for its readability, or Robert Fagles' if you want something more lyrical. Either works — I'll confirm the exact edition after you enroll so the whole cohort is on the same page numbers.
Isn't the Iliad too violent or mature for middle school?
It's an honest poem about war, and we don't hide that. But it's handled the way a good teacher handles it — thoughtfully, in context, and pitched to the age in the room. Sixth graders and seniors get different discussion questions from the same text.
What if we miss a class?
Every session is recorded and shared. Life happens; students catch up and rejoin the next week without falling behind.
Tuesday or Thursday — what's the difference?
None. The two sections are the same course — same teacher, same syllabus, same pace — offered on two days so you can pick what fits your week. Each section is capped at 8–10 students so discussion stays real, so if one fills, the other is your spot.
Do we have to commit to the whole year?
No — enroll one term at a time. Fall is a complete course on its own: it reads Books 1–12 and ends at the poem's great turning point, the moment Hector breaks through the wall. From there a student can continue with the cohort in Spring, or read the second half on their own with a strong foundation. If you know you want both, the full-year bundle saves 10%.
Can this count for high-school credit — even if we only do Fall?
Yes. In homeschooling, credit is issued by you, the parent, and it's measured by hours of work. Fall on its own is a one-semester course and lands as roughly a half credit — a literature or Great Books elective. Fall and Spring together cover the whole poem across the year and make a full (1.0) English/Literature credit. I'm not an accrediting body, but I give you exactly what you need to record it: a course description, the weekly hours, graded essays (on the + Writing plan), and a progress report with a grade. Credit rules vary a little by state, and some families run it through an umbrella or cover school — either works.
How much reading is there each week?
Just one book of the poem — about 20–35 pages — and we read it together in class, discussing as we go. Whatever we don't finish, students complete at home, usually only a few pages. That's the whole point: a manageable amount, read closely, instead of a flood no one remembers.
