Telling Our Stories
Creating a Culture of Virtue: Why a Classical Curriculum is the Bedrock
By Margaret Ruwe, Grammar School Assistant Headmaster on September 3, 2026
From Aesop's fables to Anne of Green Gables, the stories students fall in love with do more than entertain. They quietly shape a school's culture, scattering seeds of courage, humility, and perseverance the way Miss Rumphius scattered lupines, seeds that may take years to bloom, but eventually leave a community more beautiful for it.
The Little Island and the Purpose of Children's Literature
By John Peterson, Assistant Director of Curriculum, Hillsdale College K-12 Education on July 21, 2026
"The Little Island" uses a child's simple questions about a picture book to explore something bigger: how, through literature, we introduce children to the world, and what it means to belong to something while remaining distinctly yourself.
Virtues in The Wind in the Willows
By Lori Andaloro, 5th Grade Teacher on April 29, 2026
If ever a novel might be said to embody the cardinal virtues in their fullest expression, it is The Wind in the Willows.
By Brenda Combie, Kindergarten Teacher on March 31, 2026
The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a compelling book to encourage even the youngest students to be steadfast and persevere in the face of great difficulty.
By Michael Berndt, DIrector of Curriculum, Hillsdale College K-12 Education on February 27, 2026
This post explains why prudence, justice, moderation, and courage are "cardinal" virtues and why they provide the best framework for moral education.
Featured Stories
By Michael Berndt, DIrector of Curriculum, Hillsdale College K-12 Education on February 27, 2026
This post explains why prudence, justice, moderation, and courage are "cardinal" virtues and why they provide the best framework for moral education.
The Imagination, Great Stories, and Moral Formation
By Gabrielle Lewis, Core Virtues Director on October 3, 2025
“If you want a child to know the truth, tell him the truth. If you want a child to love the truth, tell him a story.” - Sarah MacKenzie
By Hillsdale College's K-12 Education Office on August 28, 2025
An introduction to Hillsdale College's approach to teaching literature in the K-12 years
By Jennifer Mulvey on February 16, 2025
The school day is ripe with opportunities to help cultivate students’ morality, and I find literature to be one of the most powerful.