The Week

Rome broke the making of a speech into five moves. We broke the week the same way — twice.

Once out loud, once in ink. Every course runs the same five-day rhythm. Your formation course carries the speech; your history course carries the essay.

Every day opens the same way.

Read for about fifteen minutes — a lesson built from primary sources, not a textbook. Then give it back: ten minutes of narration, spoken or written, alternating by day. What was claimed. What backed it. What it connects to. No worksheets, no blanks to fill. Your student reconstructs the argument in their own words because that is how a mind takes possession of an idea.

A course day runs roughly 25 to 40 minutes of reading and writing, depending on the lesson. The evening Bookshelf — optional, and as long as you like — is where the rest of the hours come from.

Monday · 5 minutes

Six questions on last week's reading.

At the kitchen table, five minutes. Graded the moment the last one is tapped, in the gradebook by breakfast — and nobody graded anything. Your student walks into the week knowing exactly what held and what didn't.

Two arcs, one ladder.

Rome named the moves two thousand years ago — inventio, dispositio, elocutio, memoria, actio. Your kid will just call it the week.

THE SPEECH

Built all week in your formation course. Friday night: delivered to the household.

THE ESSAY

The same ladder, in ink. Your history course — same question, argued on the page.

SPEECH ARC
MONinventiothe question
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
TUEdispositioarrange
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
WEDelocutiodraft + counter
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
THUmemoriasolidify
Read · 15m
Write · 10m
Speak · 10m
FRIactiodeliver
Read · 15m
Speak · 20m
ESSAY ARC
MONinventiothe question
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
TUEdispositioarrange
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
WEDelocutiodraft + counter
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
THUmemoriasolidify
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
FRIactiodeliver
Read · 15m
Write · 20m
IN THE EVENING
BookshelfWhole books — what the builders read, and what they wrote: Plutarch's Lives, Franklin's Autobiography, The Federalist, Grant's Memoirsoptional, any evening, as long as you like
FRIDECLAMATIOForum night — the speech, delivered to the household

One speech, built all week — not five on Friday.

What you're holding by Friday night.

One speech, delivered to the household.
One essay, argued in ink.
One graded check, in the book by breakfast Monday.
Five days of narrations — spoken and written, alternating.
Evening reading hours, already logged.
Get the free planner

Planner is free for every family — no card required.