Today’s Real Homeschooling for Real Families post is written by Heather from Principled Academy. She is writing about the Principle Approach to homeschooling.
For her first one hundred and fifty years, America’s form of Christian education is what we today call the Principle Approach®. It’s what gives us a Christian form of government in America. And it’s what produces the Christian leadership we need today to help restore and keep our Republic. So, the Principle Approach®: is it for your homeschool? This will help you decide!
What is the Principle Approach®?
In short, it’s two things: a philosophy and a method.
As a philosophy we look at God’s Providential Hand in the lives of men and nations in the past and present day. We also see Christ as the Focal Point of History (His Story). Additionally, we learn to think cause-to-effect (if this, then that) and internal-to-external (because of this going on inside, we see this taking place). And we learn to think governmentally (who or what is in control?).
As a method, we go the Bible for the principles (origins and Truths) in every subject. And there are four simple steps to this:
- Use Webster’s 1828 Dictionary to look up words and key words. These are vocabulary words from the subject at hand.
- Utilize a concordance to find these words and key words in the Bible. In this way, we can search Scripture for the principles.
- Open up your Bible to discover the principles. Then read and discuss them with your students.
- Reason and relate (tell back) how the principle has to do with the subject at hand.
Therefore, The Principle Approach® is a distinctive Biblical-Classical education.
Teaching America’s Christian History with The Principle Approach®
As Christians who live in America, we have a responsibility to learn and teach God’s Providential Hand in our History.
To begin with, as we study the individual subjects of Geography and History, we learn that God has purpose for each continent. Asia, Europe, and America are considered the Continents of History. While Asia is where Christ’s ministry on earth took place here, we learn how the Gospel spread Westward. Consequently, as people became Christians in Europe, they learned of principles of government found in the Bible. And as the Pilgrims came to the shores of America to help advance the Gospel, they brought these principles with them. But it’s in America that the Christian form of governmentt became fully expressed at her founding. And it all started when the Bible came into the hands of individuals during the Protestant Reformation.
If you’ve seen the film Monumental by Kirk Cameron, you’ve already had a taste of America’s Providential History. But Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History and The Christian History of the Constitution Volume 1 (aka “the red books”) teach us more. In fact, they contain copies of original documents and quotes from the Founding Era to prove the Christian Founding of our nation. Because you see, America isn’t a Christian nation due to how many Christians she has. It has to do with the form of government she has (Saving America with the Principle Approach® is possible!).
Teaching That God is the Creator of More Than History and Geography
For Christian parents, teaching that God is Creator comes pretty naturally to us as we share the Bible with our children. But have you also considered that God’s the Creator of every subject? Yes! He is!
For instance, you can use the method to see what principles apply. Then you can apply the philosophy by looking for answers to those points. And you don’t have buy another Christian curriculum if you love the one you have! The method is applicable to your favorite Christian curriculum. Although you’ll find it super helpful to have the red books.
However, if you’re looking for a Christian Curriculum that already applies this philosophy and method, meet The Noah Plan®.
Notebooking Each Subject
Since we’re teaching our children how to reason and relate from Scripture, we have them document it. From drawing, to writing, to using graphic organizers, their individual thoughts are recorded—keeping the Bible at the heart.
If the desire to teach Biblical principles and reasoning in each subject, this is for you! And if you feel a sense of responsibility as a Christian to help restore our Republic, it’s a perfect match indeed!
Teaching with the Principle Approach® for over ten years, Heather has learned to simplify it for her family’s home school lifestyle without losing the richness of the method. Now, she’s a homeschooling mentor with the Principle Approach® method. It’s more than a Classical Biblical Education; it’s a way of life. You can stay connected with Heather at PrincipledAcademy.com on facebook , the Facebook group Christian Homeschooling with Bible Principles, Pinterest , and by signing up for her newsletter, Principled Academy Notes.
Join us each week as a new post about homeschooling methods and styles goes up on the Real Homeschooling for Real Families page! You can click on the image below to check out all of the blog posts in this series!
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