What do you teach your children?

Bible Reading

If I could translate the state and federal education requirements into layman’s terms, I perhaps could compare them with our plan, but alas, I cannot. Regardless, we follow a better code for training our children: God’s code. We teach in the same manner in which we live, from a perspective of God as Creator and Savior. We do not compartmentalize our faith by placing it in a Bible study category and leaving it there. Every subject is taught with the understanding that we are learning about God’s creation for the purpose of better living for His glory and fulfilling the Great Commission of bringing the Word into all the world.

Science is taught in the context of a Creator-God. History is studied with an awareness that this is the story of God’s hand throughout the existence of the world, from Creation to modern times. Languages are learned with the idea of improving communication skills in a world that needs to hear the Gospel of Christ. Music and art have the potential for great service within and for the Kingdom. Math and logic are mastered for their intrinsic worth in forming good and capable citizens of the world and God’s kingdom and because we have a logical and ordered God who designed the order that we study.

In the study of all subjects, our children are led to think and discern. They are given the tools necessary to analyze new ideas and determine for themselves whether each new thought is in line with a Godly worldview. In a world where emotion, sound bites, and immediate circumstances determine people’s philosophies, our children are being grounded with solid principles and logic abilities to break through the political, religious, and societal muck that blinds most people to the immediate and longterm consequences of their choices. In simple terms, they are learning to think. They are being equipped with a strongly principled foundation against which to judge future decisions. And they are being taught to discern right from wrong, smart from…not-so-smart.

That is the abstract. What about the black and white?

Elisabeth's Almond Pudding Pops

Our children, like most students, study Bible, history, science, math, grammar and writing, public speaking, reading and literature, thinking skills and logic, Spanish, sign language, home economics, physical education, art, and music. The difference between our schooling and the common educational facility is that everything here is taught with the underlying principles outlined above, and much is taught without a lesson plan or curriculum. We do not need a 45 minute home economics course when the children have been working alongside me since they were small, cooking, sewing, making candles, knitting, learning to manage a household by actually doing it. Whereas I made soup in high school and called it home economics, my children make soup and call it lunch. They don’t know they are learning any more than they know that many other children cannot make soup without a little help from Campbells. They do know that they can make a great bowl of soup!

A future post will outline our classes more specifically, for those interested. For those not interested, it would be a great time for a nap…which gives me an idea.

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