Identity Tools: Teaching Kids How to Think

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Episode Summary:
In this lively episode, Lisa and Gina—your trusty admin team from It's Not That Hard to Homeschool—tackle a big question that’s come up often in our community: How do you teach your kids how to learn?

The answer? The Five Common Topics—a powerful, flexible tool you can use across all grade levels and subjects to help your kids think critically and learn independently. Whether you’re homeschooling one child or ten, this method is a game changer.

Key Takeaways:

• ✅ What are the Five Common Topics?
  Originating from classical education and rooted in Aristotelian thought, these are:

  1. Definition – Start by clarifying terms to prevent miscommunication and build deeper understanding.

  2. Comparison – Explore similarities and differences to build critical thinking muscles.

  3. Relationship – Examine how people, places, and ideas relate.

  4. Circumstance – Understand context: time, place, and surrounding events.

  5. Authority – Identify where truth or information is coming from—and why it matters.

• 🎓 Gina shares how this tool naturally aligned with her Principle Approach to homeschooling and became central to teaching her kids to reason biblically and think independently.

• 📚 Real-world application examples: from WWI history to college debate frustrations, to understanding family dynamics and even dinner-table conversations.

• 🔁 Lisa gives practical ideas for using the Five Common Topics to make textbook learning deeper and more personalized—even with a unit study on trebuchets!

Resources Mentioned:

• 🛠️ Grab the eBook: Five Common Topics: Not So Common Anymore – available at True North Homeschool Academy

• 💡 CTC Math Free Trial: ctcmath.com

Final Encouragement:
The Five Common Topics aren't just for school—they're life tools. Equip your kids to think, reason, and engage with the world around them. And don't be surprised when these conversations continue into adulthood!

💬 Got questions or feedback? Reach out—we’d love to hear from you!

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