The Snack Table · Episode 8 · About 9 minutes with Lisa Nehring and Gina Glenn Steffy
Mostly, no. Lisa explains how to turn arguing into thinking by giving it a home in the Test step and a structure in the 5 Common Topics.
In this episode
- The difference between arguing to avoid work and arguing with an idea
- Lisa’s 5 Common Topics: Definition, Compare and Contrast, Circumstance, Relationship and Authority
- Three family rules for arguing well, and how to turn a good argument into a persuasive essay
Try this week
Next time your teen argues with a lesson, say “Good. Make your case.” Hand them one Common Topic, then have them write their best argument and one paragraph from the other side.
Resources mentioned
The Snack Table is our snack-size series: one real homeschool question, answered in about ten minutes, so you can listen between math and lunch. Every episode opens one part of the Fourfold Method: Gather, Test, Connect, Commit.
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Author, Publisher, Curriculum Developer at True North Homeschool Academy
Lisa Nehring has been married for over 30 years, has five children, 2 graduate degrees and a black belt in homeschooling. She has homeschooled since 1991 and wrote a Master’s Thesis on Why Parent’s Homeschool, the Literature Review being, A History of Education in America.
Lisa Nehring and her husband, Dr. David Nehring, a Clinical Psychologist, and Biblical Scholar speak together on a wide variety of topics, including education, classical education, vision, mission, parenting, marriage, and more.
New here? Start with our free guide, The Fourfold Method: A Guide for Homeschool Families. Four simple moves that help your children keep what they learn, in every subject and at every age.
Lisa Nehring and her husband, Dr. David Nehring, a Clinical Psychologist, and Biblical Scholar speak together on a wide variety of topics, including education, classical education, vision, mission, parenting, marriage, and more.
New here? Start with our free guide, The Fourfold Method: A Guide for Homeschool Families. Four simple moves that help your children keep what they learn, in every subject and at every age.
Latest posts by Lisa Nehring (see all)
- The Snack Table, Ep. 8: My teenager argues with everything. Is that a problem? - November 11, 2026
- Hand It Over and Don’t Help: The Measure Step in Recipe to Write - November 11, 2026
- Did the Book Say It, or Did You? The Measure Step in Recipe to Read - November 10, 2026
