Marianna Richardson is a mother of twelve children.  She has been involved in homeschooling for the past few years because of the needs of her children and the love she has for teaching and learning.  Marianna received her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in English literature and art history.  While having her eighth child, she finished up her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD in special education. She received her doctorate in education from Seattle Pacific University. Her dissertation was based on a motivation study she did comparing the motivation of Russian middle school students and students in Seattle, WA. She is currently the assistant to the editor of Counseling and Values, a scholarly journal for the American Counseling Association and has taught at BYU Education Week.  She enjoys reading educational research, novels, and the scriptures (not in that order).  She has also started a small private school, Cedar Springs Academy, which she uses as an extension service to help other homeschoolers and as a vehicle to teach her children.

Literature and the High Schooler!

 Reading the classics can be an arduous task for many children.  “Why does the author take so many words to say things?  Why is it so boring?  Why do I have to read this?” are all questions your students may have when you teach great literature.  Yet, there is great worth in helping children gain a love for great literature.  In this class, we will discuss how to help children see beyond the boring and enjoy the symbols and descriptive use of language.