A Biblical Home Education

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I just found this book by Ruth Beechick and haven't finished it yet but am very interested in the incorporating this into our curriculum. Has anyone used this?

[Susie in MS]

I have this book and have read through parts of it. I like what I have read so far. Keeping the Bible as the center of education is very important to me. Realizing that The All Knowing God doesn't change like modern day science puts things in perspective, and keeps us from washing this way and that when scientist decide to change their theories.

 

I like what she has to say about language arts and how most is learned naturally. Keeping grammar terms for later, or at a minimum I also appreciate. I happen to use LLATL which give me lessons to assign so I don't forget something. It follows Mrs. Beechick's suggested methods. What she said about teaching a child to be able to think metaphorically helps in understanding the Bible really rang true. I saw just how much our FIAR lessons have done for my 7 yo dd. She is able to understand so much because of those simple lessons.

 

Using the Bible as the main text for history is a really good idea, but will only get you so far in time. Right now my dd and I are reading thru Vos's Child's Bible Stories and it is really laying down a good chronological picture for us. When she is older we will use History Revealed to go deeper meshing Biblical history with what else was going on in the world at that time. Seeing the Jewish history and how much of a role it played in everything else makes me raise an eyebrow at textbooks that either gloss over it or leave it out entirely.

 

So, I guess you could say that I use some of her methods, but with the aid of curricula that keep me on track.

 

I would love her book World History Made Simple!

[Susie in MS]

Sorry. Duplicate post.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I have this book and have read through parts of it. I like what I have read so far. Keeping the Bible as the center of education is very important to me. Realizing that The All Knowing God doesn't change like modern day science puts things in perspective, and keeps us from washing this way and that when scientist decide to change their theories.

 

I like what she has to say about language arts and how most is learned naturally. Keeping grammar terms for later, or at a minimum I also appreciate. I happen to use LLATL which give me lessons to assign so I don't forget something. It follows Mrs. Beechick's suggested methods. What she said about teaching a child to be able to think metaphorically helps in understanding the Bible really rang true. I saw just how much our FIAR lessons have done for my 7 yo dd. She is able to understand so much because of those simple lessons.

 

Using the Bible as the main text for history is a really good idea, but will only get you so far in time. Right now my dd and I are reading thru Vos's Child's Bible Stories and it is really laying down a good chronological picture for us. When she is older we will use History Revealed to go deeper meshing Biblical history with what else was going on in the world at that time. Seeing the Jewish history and how much of a role it played in everything else makes me raise an eyebrow at textbooks that either gloss over it or leave it out entirely.

 

So, I guess you could say that I use some of her methods, but with the aid of curricula that keep me on track.

 

I would love her book World History Made Simple!

Thank you, very helpful. I feel it is time, as a Christian, to start using the Bible more in our day to day walk. I have used it to guide us morally and spiritually but have not used it when teaching as I should be. I happen to find this book at a perfect time (funny how that is) when I have been questioning what we do school wise and how to bring God into it more. Using Christian curriculum does not do this, I have used this stuff for the 20 yrs of homeschool. Yes, it has God in the lessons but usually I find it forced, inserting a verse through out the lesson is not what I want. I want a teaching method that uses Gods Word and to use it as our starting points.

[Hunter]

I've been wanting to read this book. Even though I'm no longer a Christian, I have retained a strongly Hebrew world view, and any education or life style books based on a hebrew worldview are always interesting to me.

 

Note: not all Christian books are written by authors with a Hebrew world view!

[Susie in MS]

I REALLY loved your blog post about a Biblical education. Can you tell me a bit about how you are going to implement RB ideas across the board. I am very interested!

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I REALLY loved your blog post about a Biblical education. Can you tell me a bit about how you are going to implement RB ideas across the board. I am very interested!

 

Thank you :)

I still am trying to process the book. I have a plan on what I want (as mentioned in the blog post) but I am not sure how to get what I want plus RB ideas working with our studies. This is my goal from now to January, to figure out a way to implement her ideas. I plan posting on my blog how I am actually doing this one subject at a time once I figure it out. Hopefully by :) the beginning of next school year I will have it worked into each subject.

[kwickimom]

Check out www.simplylivingforhim.com blog. This family is lining out how they are using the Bible as their main text for homeschooling. Scroll back through some old posts and she lays out her plan.

[Hunter]

Have you seen ULBUSA? It a $14 download and is a "Bible as the textbook" curriculum.

 

Other curricula of interest are Heart of Wisdom, Students of the Word, Bedell, Teaching With God's Heart for the World, FAR and BITM

 

I've used them all over the years.

[momma aimee]

just subbing :)

[4Kiddos]

I have been doing a study on what the Bible says about teaching and also about the education of people in the Bible. I have been amazed at how much and how richly God has blessed us with His Word in this area.

 

Books that are good to study: Dueteronomy, Daniel Ch. 1-6, Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy (this is where I have gone so far!)

Men to study: Moses, Daniel, Timothy (again, so far!)

 

Also, I have been looking into the Principle Approach. At first, it can seem all about American history (which is why I was initially turned off!) but then I read some of their books and their website. They have tried to make education all about the Bible (as it was back when our country was founded). The "red" and "blue" books are filled with source documents. Anyway, it might interest you:

 

Here is a great overveiw of it book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-American-Christian-education-school/dp/0961620110/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353345696&sr=8-1&keywords=guide+to+american+christian+education

 

Here is a company that makes a curriculum based off of it called the Noah Plan (they have books on this website that look exactly the same to the book I linked above but they are different. Confusing!). Their free membership and forums are very helpful.

 

http://www.principleapproach.org/?page=principle_approach

 

Here are some blogs that have been helpful in clearing up some confusion:

 

http://www.principledmom.com/

http://principledacademy.blogspot.com/p/resources.html

 

I have been thinking and praying about doing the Principle Approach with my family but have not decided. I am still looking into it but thought that I would share.

 

I am also really excited about the Ruth Beechick book you mentioned. I will have to read that one! Thank you!

[4Kiddos]

Sorry! Double Post!

[4Kiddos]

http://www.simplyliv...rhim.com/��This family is lining out how they are using the Bible as their main text for homeschooling. Scroll back through some old posts and she lays out her plan.

 

Thanks for this!

[Hunter]

I have some of the Principle Approach books. They are very helpful, but also very distracting to just about everyone I know who has read them. They can initially get you very off track from YOUR priorities, if you are not careful. It's like you are hit with a tidal wave.

 

Waldorf can be the same way.

 

Learning about both methods can make you a better teacher, but...you can waste a lot of time and money exploring them.

[Hunter]

Encyclopedia of Bible Truths is another resource of interest and used extensively in the Principle Approach.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I have been doing a study on what the Bible says about teaching and also about the education of people in the Bible. I have been amazed at how much and how richly God has blessed us with His Word in this area.

 

Books that are good to study: Dueteronomy, Daniel Ch. 1-6, Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy (this is where I have gone so far!)

Men to study: Moses, Daniel, Timothy (again, so far!)

 

Also, I have been looking into the Principle Approach. At first, it can seem all about American history (which is why I was initially turned off!) but then I read some of their books and their website. They have tried to make education all about the Bible (as it was back when our country was founded). The "red" and "blue" books are filled with source documents. Anyway, it might interest you:

 

Here is a great overveiw of it book:

 

http://www.amazon.co...stian education

 

Here is a company that makes a curriculum based off of it called the Noah Plan (they have books on this website that look exactly the same to the book I linked above but they are different. Confusing!). Their free membership and forums are very helpful.

 

http://www.principle...nciple_approach

 

Here are some blogs that have been helpful in clearing up some confusion:

 

http://www.principledmom.com/

http://principledaca.../resources.html

 

I have been thinking and praying about doing the Principle Approach with my family but have not decided. I am still looking into it but thought that I would share.

 

I am also really excited about the Ruth Beechick book you mentioned. I will have to read that one! Thank you!

Thank you for the links.

[Donna A.]

You might enjoy listening to a particular conference talk given by David Hazell at conventions, called "What Should 21st Century Christians Be Teaching". He goes into the differences between Greek, Roman, and Hebrew educations, and how those differences work out in the My Father's World curriculum. But even if you don't use MFW, the talk is good to listen to for those of us who want a Bible-centered education.... especially as it relates to "classical" education. In fact, reading TWTM was the catalyst for me to go searching for a Bible-centered education several years ago because I just couldn't buy into the idea of there being such as a "neutral" education. While TWTM taught me a lot on the academic side of things, and gave me a good overview of the big picture along with several ideas from which I've gleaned, it wasn't what we wanted for our home. College and high scores are not our greatest priority. Those things aren't bad in and of themselves, but they're not #1. So when dh and I listened to the above conference talk, the lightbulb came on and we knew *exactly* what we wanted from there on. Here's a description:

 

"Today’s homeschooling parents have a great opportunity: to raise their children in a way that truly can change the world for Christ. What are the keys to accomplishing that? Classical education is often defined by what was taught to children long ago. The better question is: what did classical tutors intend students to know once they were educated? What would these tutors teach our children today if they were in our homes, in our culture, with our language, and with 21st century knowledge? Learn the difference between the Greco-Roman model and Hebraic model of classical education. How can we put our children on the path of a Biblical worldview right from the start? "

 

(It's about halfway down on this page: http://www.mfwbooks.com/products/M50/105/0/0/1 )

[Donna A.]

oops, double post... see next one.

[Donna A.]

Oh, and I have read A Biblical Home Education. I like Ruth Beechick. But we had already listened to the above conference talk before reading Mrs. Beechick's book and we were well on the path, so her book really just confirmed what we were already doing with MFW as our main curriculum. I do swap out some of the books for personal preference reasons, but generally speaking, MFW has that strong biblical core that we were looking for and didn't know how to teach ourselves. They have the same goals that we have for our children, although how the Lord uses it in each of our individual children and families may look different. But the heart is the same. :) (And MFW curriculum is very Beechick-friendly, so to speak.)

[Hunter]

You might enjoy listening to a particular conference talk given by David Hazell at conventions, called "What Should 21st Century Christians Be Teaching". He goes into the differences between Greek, Roman, and Hebrew educations, and how those differences work out in the My Father's World curriculum. But even if you don't use MFW, the talk is good to listen to for those of us who want a Bible-centered education.... especially as it relates to "classical" education. In fact, reading TWTM was the catalyst for me to go searching for a Bible-centered education several years ago because I just couldn't buy into the idea of there being such as a "neutral" education. While TWTM taught me a lot on the academic side of things, and gave me a good overview of the big picture along with several ideas from which I've gleaned, it wasn't what we wanted for our home. College and high scores are not our greatest priority. Those things aren't bad in and of themselves, but they're not #1. So when dh and I listened to the above conference talk, the lightbulb came on and we knew *exactly* what we wanted from there on. Here's a description:

 

"Today’s homeschooling parents have a great opportunity: to raise their children in a way that truly can change the world for Christ. What are the keys to accomplishing that? Classical education is often defined by what was taught to children long ago. The better question is: what did classical tutors intend students to know once they were educated? What would these tutors teach our children today if they were in our homes, in our culture, with our language, and with 21st century knowledge? Learn the difference between the Greco-Roman model and Hebraic model of classical education. How can we put our children on the path of a Biblical worldview right from the start? "

 

(It's about halfway down on this page: http://www.mfwbooks....M50/105/0/0/1��)

 

Are there any downloads of this speech, or is it just available on CD?

 

I'm not a Christian anymore, but I find all discussions of Hebrew vs Greek education interesting. To layer Christianity onto the Hebrew model can change it a bit, so that it is no longer entirely Hebrew, so not everyone that even claims to be Hebrew is Hebrew. Not being Greek doesn't make you Hebrew! And being Hebrew is not better than being Greek. It's just that some of us ARE Hebrew thinkers (or something else not Greek), and trying to use a Greek scope and sequence can be very confusing until we understand WHY parts of it aren't working.

[Jay3fer]

Even though I'm no longer a Christian, I have retained a strongly Hebrew world view, and any education or life style books based on a hebrew worldview are always interesting to me.

 

Just curious... what do you consider a "Hebrew world view"? I mean, we're Jewish, and I don't know if I have one. ;-)

To me, Hebrew is a language; Judaism and Christianity are religions. Culturally, I am Jewish, but more significantly, Ashkenazi, meaning my customs and views are heavily influenced by the pre-WW2 diaspora cultures of Eastern Europe.

 

In any event, I clicked on the thread because I bought this book for my Kobo and like it very much. We are NOT Christian but find the materials helpful. The idea of a values-centred [correct spelling - I'm Canadian! ;-)] curriculum with a Biblical backbone is very important. I also admire her simplicity and "no-nonsense" approach and have recommended her "3 R's" book to just about everybody for that reason.

 

I do want to say that I find some of her "proofs" for Biblical literalism somewhat strained, but wouldn't let that stop me from buying any of her books. Wish there were more!

[Donna A.]

Are there any downloads of this speech, or is it just available on CD?

 

There's an MP3 download available here: http://www.resoundingvoice.com/catalog/ Not sure if David Hazell's page comes up when you click on that link, but if not, then just do a search for Hazell, and then scroll down to the 4th one listed,

05 What Should 21st Century Christians Be Teaching - David Hazell

 

 

I'm not a Christian anymore, but I find all discussions of Hebrew vs Greek education interesting. To layer Christianity onto the Hebrew model can change it a bit, so that it is no longer entirely Hebrew, so not everyone that even claims to be Hebrew is Hebrew. Not being Greek doesn't make you Hebrew! And being Hebrew is not better than being Greek. It's just that some of us ARE Hebrew thinkers (or something else not Greek), and trying to use a Greek scope and sequence can be very confusing until we understand WHY parts of it aren't working.

 

This is all very true! I think you'll like this conference talk, though, because he discusses the practical applications of each type of education. He also discusses the languages. Or at least he did in the CD I purchased several years ago on the same subject. I still have the notes I scribbled out when listening to it, and it helps me to refer back to them when I need to get grounded again.

[Hunter]

Jay3fer, I got happy when I saw your avatar on this thread :-)

 

I think "Hebrew" is being adopted by the Christian community and will become more and more tweaked until it is no longer Hebrew at all before it is over.

 

I don't think I know enough to be an authority on the subject. But the first time I read the chart on the HOW website I thought, "OH! now I get it!" I don't think this author is the authority or expert on the subject, if there even is such a person, but I'm thankful for the nudge towards understanding where the thrust of the problem was when I tried to adopt some scope and sequences.

 

My grandmother was some kind of pagan or witch, but I don't know anything for sure. Trying to figure out what was really going on is impossible at this point, and I have to accept that. What I do think I know, though, is that my mom was scared and felt neglected and unaccepted, and chose to become a Christian, and later on an ultra-conservative Christian, but always with some pagan worldview that got mixed up with her Christianity in ways that...I don't know. Lets just say my childhood was weird, okay? :-)

 

Part of my adulthood was spent in the Mennonite church as well as a variety of other churches. Then at some point, as part of of my very severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I loss faith in anything. PTSD does that, and shaming victims for this symptom just makes the PTSD worse and therefore the lack of faith worse, and that's just the way it is. Yes, I could choose to play games and never share my lack of faith and join a group and play the game, but...at least for now, I'm choosing to just kinda float and see where I land. I've tried some things out. Some were kinda nice, some were scary, some were just plain stupid. Someone here found me elsewhere online and promised not to tell on me. :lol:

 

But when it's all said and done, I know my priorities seem to be rooted in a more Hebrew way of thinking than anything else. No I don't have a definition of Hebrew or even what my worldview is, but...still, most of the scope and sequences put out by those claiming to have a Hebrew worldview have something useful to me in them.

 

Jay3fer I think everyone would be interested in anything you have to say on the subject. My understanding is that Christianity is proslithysing (how to you spell that?) religion and Judaism is not. So those that push that aspect as part of the Hebrew worldview have tweaked it?

[Hunter]

There's an MP3 download available here: http://www.resoundin....com/catalog/�� Not sure if David Hazell's page comes up when you click on that link, but if not, then just do a search for Hazell, and then scroll down to the 4th one listed,

05 What Should 21st Century Christians Be Teaching - David Hazell

 

This is all very true! I think you'll like this conference talk, though, because he discusses the practical applications of each type of education. He also discusses the languages. Or at least he did in the CD I purchased several years ago on the same subject. I still have the notes I scribbled out when listening to it, and it helps me to refer back to them when I need to get grounded again.

 

Thanks! I found it!

[Donna A.]

I think "Hebrew" is being adopted by the Christian community and will become more and more tweaked until it is no longer Hebrew at all before it is over.

 

I don't think I know enough to be an authority on the subject. But the first time I read the chart on the HOW website I thought, "OH! now I get it!" I don't think this author is the authority or expert on the subject, if there even is such a person, but I'm thankful for the nudge towards understanding where the thrust of the problem was when I tried to adopt some scope and sequences.

 

But when it's all said and done, I know my priorities seem to be rooted in a more Hebrew way of thinking than anything else. No I don't have a definition of Hebrew or even what my worldview is, but...still, most of the scope and sequences put out by those claiming to have a Hebrew worldview have something useful to me in them.

 

Jay3fer I think everyone would be interested in anything you have to say on the subject. My understanding is that Christianity is proslithysing (how to you spell that?) religion and Judaism is not. So those that push that aspect as part of the Hebrew worldview have tweaked it?

 

 

I think for ME, when *I* refer to a Hebrew education, I'm thinking of the very thing this thread is about.... Biblically centered and grounded, as the Hebrew people (Old Testament nation of Israel) was. The Word of God. For them it was primarily oral, passed down from generation to generation, along with the written law after the Ten Commandments were given in Exodus. For us, the New Testament Christian Church, it comprises the whole Word of God, both Old and New Testaments, and how it fits with history and science and everything else. And for our family, that includes taking Genesis literally. ;)

 

A Greek or Roman education would have other goals and priorities that perhaps have nothing to do with the Christian Bible or Christianity in general. The Greeks and Romans (culturally) -- unless individual Greek and Roman people became Christians -- worshiped many other gods besides the God of the Bible.

 

The Apostle Paul told the Jewish Christians in Rome (yes, Jewish people sometimes become Christians, too :) ) that the Gospel was a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. Meaning, they just couldn't understand why someone would want or need to put this Man Jesus above all other gods and commit their entire life to Him.

 

So that's a very short summary of the differences between the three cultures as far as Christianity and a biblical education is concerned. HTH... or maybe it just causes more confusion. LOL

 

My grandmother was some kind of pagan or witch, but I don't know anything for sure. Trying to figure out what was really going on is impossible at this point, and I have to accept that. What I do think I know, though, is that my mom was scared and felt neglected and unaccepted, and chose to become a Christian, and later on an ultra-conservative Christian, but always with some pagan worldview that got mixed up with her Christianity in ways that...I don't know. Lets just say my childhood was weird, okay? :-)

 

Part of my adulthood was spent in the Mennonite church as well as a variety of other churches. Then at some point, as part of of my very severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder I loss faith in anything. PTSD does that, and shaming victims for this symptom just makes the PTSD worse and therefore the lack of faith worse, and that's just the way it is. Yes, I could choose to play games and never share my lack of faith and join a group and play the game, but...at least for now, I'm choosing to just kinda float and see where I land. I've tried some things out. Some were kinda nice, some were scary, some were just plain stupid. Someone here found me elsewhere online and promised not to tell on me. :lol:

 

:grouphug:

[4Kiddos]

You might enjoy listening to a particular conference talk given by David Hazell at conventions, called "What Should 21st Century Christians Be Teaching". He goes into the differences between Greek, Roman, and Hebrew educations, and how those differences work out in the My Father's World curriculum. But even if you don't use MFW, the talk is good to listen to for those of us who want a Bible-centered education.... especially as it relates to "classical" education. In fact, reading TWTM was the catalyst for me to go searching for a Bible-centered education several years ago because I just couldn't buy into the idea of there being such as a "neutral" education. While TWTM taught me a lot on the academic side of things, and gave me a good overview of the big picture along with several ideas from which I've gleaned, it wasn't what we wanted for our home. College and high scores are not our greatest priority. Those things aren't bad in and of themselves, but they're not #1. So when dh and I listened to the above conference talk, the lightbulb came on and we knew *exactly* what we wanted from there on. Here's a description:

 

"Today’s homeschooling parents have a great opportunity: to raise their children in a way that truly can change the world for Christ. What are the keys to accomplishing that? Classical education is often defined by what was taught to children long ago. The better question is: what did classical tutors intend students to know once they were educated? What would these tutors teach our children today if they were in our homes, in our culture, with our language, and with 21st century knowledge? Learn the difference between the Greco-Roman model and Hebraic model of classical education. How can we put our children on the path of a Biblical worldview right from the start? "

 

(It's about halfway down on this page: http://www.mfwbooks....M50/105/0/0/1��)

 

Thank you for this Donna! I will have to check this out!

[Jay3fer]

Whoah - totally lost track of this thread; I forgot to turn on notifications. Sorry this comes a month late. :-)

 

There's a lot I agree with in the chart you've linked to, Hunter. Nevertheless, there are a few misconceptions about Judaism, especially that it is allied most closely with Evangelical Christianity in its political and theological views. For instance, "Creation Science" is listed in the Hebrew column, whereas from the very earliest days, Jews have debated exactly what could be meant by the Genesis text. Very few commentators, even quite early on, take it literally.

 

It's true, as Donna says, that the Torah (Hebrew Bible) was transmitted orally, but along with it was transmitted the actual wording of the debates - the back-and-forth among the most learned scholars. When the Jewish community was in danger of exile around the destruction of the second Temple, this debate was finally recorded in a HUGE book called the "mishna." Together with later debates, it was re-collected into an even HUGER book called the "Talmud." These books are called the Oral Torah and to most Jews, they - the rabbinic process of debating the meaning of the literal text - is a very holy pursuit. In many cases, it's impossible to understand the literal text of the Torah without the aid of commentaries, but it's important to reiterate that the commentaries are in the form of debate. Often, there's no answer at the end; there may be a prevailing opinion in Jewish law, but even so, both views may be "right" in a sense. The Talmud itself recounts an angel, at one point, interjecting to announce, "these AND these are the words of the living God." I love that. ;-)

 

By and large, what's listed as "Hebrew" in that chart is equivalent to a modern Christian education. There are many "Jewish" elements; these are perhaps the earliest roots of Christianity. I find amusing the phrase "Orthodox schools did not study subjects derived from Classical tradition." Every major Jewish commentator was familiar with the writings of the major Greek and Roman philosophers. Many had strong secular educations; Maimonides, for instance, one of the best-known codifiers, was also a physician, informed by Aristotle (oops - he's on the Greek side of the chart) and many others. Secular erudition has always been prized (well, up until the knee-jerk modern era, but that's another story), while at the same time, acknowledging that secular subjects have no holiness in themselves; they are tools for understanding God's world.

 

Oh, and "Deny thyself" is for sure not a Jewish thing. There's a story that at a person's death, God will hold him accountable for every permitted and pleasurable thing in which he/she did not indulge. I love that, too. :-D

 

Hope some of this is belatedly helpful to somebody. I think it's reasonable to seek a more authentic Christianity and to reject offensive Greek tenets. But I don't think you have to call it "Hebrew" to make it authentic or true to Jesus' message.

[Mommyfaithe]

I have some of the Principle Approach books. They are very helpful, but also very distracting to just about everyone I know who has read them. They can initially get you very off track from YOUR priorities, if you are not careful. It's like you are hit with a tidal wave.

 

Waldorf can be the same way.

 

Learning about both methods can make you a better teacher, but...you can waste a lot of time and money exploring them.

 

When I was a new Christian...AND a new homeschooler, I read everything I could get my hands on.....and I must say....these books were profitable to me as a teacher in the end, but....oh boy, did they blow us offcourse for a while! I love Beechick's LA methods and the PA approaches to research and study....but they need to be part of an overall method....not just a whispy philosophy which is neither here nor there.

 

I have just been talking about all this with dh this weekend...and how much our homeschool has changed over the years....and getting back to some of those principles we followed in the beginning....focusing on our kids character, love of Jesus, creativity, family closeness etc., and having less of a focus on academic achievement, competitive sports, and stress-filled outside activities.

 

Our younger children are not as spiritually grounded nor as disciplined as our older brood was and is.....our parenting and homeschooling somehow veered toward more secular and worldly pursuits....and we are NOT liking the fruit.

 

So, anyway....I really like RB methods of teaching. She is streamlined and focused....leaving time enough for real learning, discipling our kids, following individual as well as family studies....

I guess it is time to pull out my books again!!!

 

My favorite of RB's is How to Teach your 4th -8th grader Successfully. Excellent book!!!!

[Saddlemomma]

I just found this book by Ruth Beechick and haven't finished it yet but am very interested in the incorporating this into our curriculum. Has anyone used this?

 

 

 

Wow! I've been really missing my relationship with Jesus lately. It just seems as if we were falling into a pattern of ignoring Him lately. So I asked dh to please step-up as the spiritual head of our family and lead us back to Him. He immediately started us back on our 7 minutes of individual prayer, 7 days a week. At noon everyday (dh works from home) we stop what we're doing, and we all go to our chosen prayer places and pray silently for 7 minutes. We also do a Bible class in the evenings after dinner with dd.

 

What a blessing this has been. During our prayer time, I felt God leading me to a more Bible-centered curriculum. I mean we already use MOH, Christian Kids Explore Science and Horizon's Math (all Christian curriculum), but I got the feeling He wanted us to use the Bible itself as the main curriculum. So I've been researching how to do that. I've checked out "Simply Living For Him" and read her short ebook. I will most definitely check out any sources mentioned in this thread.

 

I got a Kindle Fire HD for Christmas. While researching apps to incorporate in our homeschool, I found a Bible app that will read whatever scripture I choose. I downloaded that and it was a blessing for us all to sit at the dining room table and listen to the Word while we followed along in our Bibles.

 

All you have to do is read the news to see our world is becoming a sicker, more desperate place each and every day. We need to gird our kids in God's strength to enable them to stand firm.

 

Thanks for this thread. I feel like it will come in handy!

[Hunter]

Whoah - totally lost track of this thread; I forgot to turn on notifications. Sorry this comes a month late. :-)

 

There's a lot I agree with in the chart you've linked to, Hunter. Nevertheless, there are a few misconceptions about Judaism, especially that it is allied most closely with Evangelical Christianity in its political and theological views. For instance, "Creation Science" is listed in the Hebrew column, whereas from the very earliest days, Jews have debated exactly what could be meant by the Genesis text. Very few commentators, even quite early on, take it literally.

 

It's true, as Donna says, that the Torah (Hebrew Bible) was transmitted orally, but along with it was transmitted the actual wording of the debates - the back-and-forth among the most learned scholars. When the Jewish community was in danger of exile around the destruction of the second Temple, this debate was finally recorded in a HUGE book called the "mishna." Together with later debates, it was re-collected into an even HUGER book called the "Talmud." These books are called the Oral Torah and to most Jews, they - the rabbinic process of debating the meaning of the literal text - is a very holy pursuit. In many cases, it's impossible to understand the literal text of the Torah without the aid of commentaries, but it's important to reiterate that the commentaries are in the form of debate. Often, there's no answer at the end; there may be a prevailing opinion in Jewish law, but even so, both views may be "right" in a sense. The Talmud itself recounts an angel, at one point, interjecting to announce, "these AND these are the words of the living God." I love that. ;-)

 

By and large, what's listed as "Hebrew" in that chart is equivalent to a modern Christian education. There are many "Jewish" elements; these are perhaps the earliest roots of Christianity. I find amusing the phrase "Orthodox schools did not study subjects derived from Classical tradition." Every major Jewish commentator was familiar with the writings of the major Greek and Roman philosophers. Many had strong secular educations; Maimonides, for instance, one of the best-known codifiers, was also a physician, informed by Aristotle (oops - he's on the Greek side of the chart) and many others. Secular erudition has always been prized (well, up until the knee-jerk modern era, but that's another story), while at the same time, acknowledging that secular subjects have no holiness in themselves; they are tools for understanding God's world.

 

Oh, and "Deny thyself" is for sure not a Jewish thing. There's a story that at a person's death, God will hold him accountable for every permitted and pleasurable thing in which he/she did not indulge. I love that, too. :-D

 

Hope some of this is belatedly helpful to somebody. I think it's reasonable to seek a more authentic Christianity and to reject offensive Greek tenets. But I don't think you have to call it "Hebrew" to make it authentic or true to Jesus' message.

 

 

Jay3fer, thank you so much for this post. I'm sure it has been an enlightening read for many of us here.

[Saddlemomma]

Encyclopedia of Bible Truths is another resource of interest and used extensively in the Principle Approach.

 

 

Just added this book to my "Wishlist". I have a birthday coming up in February! Thanks for the recommendation!

[Donna A.]

When I was a new Christian...AND a new homeschooler, I read everything I could get my hands on.....and I must say....these books were profitable to me as a teacher in the end, but....oh boy, did they blow us offcourse for a while! I love Beechick's LA methods and the PA approaches to research and study....but they need to be part of an overall method....not just a whispy philosophy which is neither here nor there.

 

I have just been talking about all this with dh this weekend...and how much our homeschool has changed over the years....and getting back to some of those principles we followed in the beginning....focusing on our kids character, love of Jesus, creativity, family closeness etc., and having less of a focus on academic achievement, competitive sports, and stress-filled outside activities.

 

Our younger children are not as spiritually grounded nor as disciplined as our older brood was and is.....our parenting and homeschooling somehow veered toward more secular and worldly pursuits....and we are NOT liking the fruit.

 

So, anyway....I really like RB methods of teaching. She is streamlined and focused....leaving time enough for real learning, discipling our kids, following individual as well as family studies....

I guess it is time to pull out my books again!!!

 

I've gone back and forth and felt guilty at times for not being more academically minded, and for not pushing my children a little more into various outside activities until the two oldest were in their teens or almost. But when I look at the fruit of my children (so far), I know we've taken the right path. OTOH, my one friend whom I love dearly but who is very academically minded and whose kids are all involved in competitive sports and stress-filled outside activities, has expressed regret about not having spent more time teaching biblical worldview. So I guess there has to be a balance... well, maybe "balance" isn't the right word, because the Bible teaching, biblical worldview, and discipling is THE greatest priority. What I mean by "balance" is that the academic shouldn't just be ignored "in the name of Jesus", either. After all, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, not just stature. The Apostle Paul was a very learned man, but some of the apostles were "just" fishermen. God uses both in this world, so if we can help our children find their specific calling based on God's Word and how He directs them/their education, and directs US, their parents..... then we've hit a gold mine. :) I think that RB's methods are a great tool for this.

 

My favorite of RB's is How to Teach your 4th -8th grader Successfully. Excellent book!!!!

 

 

I just picked that up again yesterday to read the section on Writing, which in the past I avoided. :001_rolleyes: I'm done buying formal "writing curriculum" to teach this skill, which they never, ever enjoy!

[Mommyfaithe]

Donna, After homeschooling as many years as I have...there have been times I feel like a push-me/pull-you....sigh. I want my kids to have an exemplary academic education......and I want my kids to have an excellent spiritual and moral education....which is not exclusive of the academic. My push and pull comes from the secular side...the side that wants to see success and measures it by dollars and degrees. I have a real issue separating between my philosophical and spiritual desires for my kids and my realistic, feet on the floor, pedal to the medal....where the rubber hits the road goals.

I tend to have a competitive streak that I try to subdue to the best of my ability.....my kids did NOT inherit it....they could not care less what anyone else is doing....they like to plod along at their own speed. I am a get along, hurry up, check the box, move....move....move....quick....quick....quick kinda gal in a house full of slow-pokes. I have trouble trying to stay outside the box with my kids when I actually feel quite safe inside the box....( study hard, get a degree, get a good job, retire.).

 

I do love RB style in combining the most needful with the most called for.

 

I have been so off track the last few semesters.....maybe dealing with burn out and family stress has taken its toll. I need to pull back to my homeschooling roots and rediscover the joy we once had.....

[Sahamamama]

Just curious... what do you consider a "Hebrew world view"? I mean, we're Jewish, and I don't know if I have one. ;-)

To me, Hebrew is a language; Judaism and Christianity are religions. Culturally, I am Jewish, but more significantly, Ashkenazi, meaning my customs and views are heavily influenced by the pre-WW2 diaspora cultures of Eastern Europe.

 

In any event, I clicked on the thread because I bought this book for my Kobo and like it very much. We are NOT Christian but find the materials helpful. The idea of a values-centred [correct spelling - I'm Canadian! ;-)] curriculum with a Biblical backbone is very important. I also admire her simplicity and "no-nonsense" approach and have recommended her "3 R's" book to just about everybody for that reason.

 

I do want to say that I find some of her "proofs" for Biblical literalism somewhat strained, but wouldn't let that stop me from buying any of her books. Wish there were more!

 

 

This is totally off-track from the thread, but I'll post it anyway. :D

 

Jay3fer, I love this post! I like how you say "who you are" -- A Jewish, Ashkenazi, Canadian, homeschooling mom of two teens and two littles on the way to Israel! :)

[Hunter]

Many had strong secular educations; Maimonides, for instance, one of the best-known codifiers, was also a physician, informed by Aristotle (oops - he's on the Greek side of the chart) and many others. Secular erudition has always been prized (well, up until the knee-jerk modern era, but that's another story), while at the same time, acknowledging that secular subjects have no holiness in themselves; they are tools for understanding God's world.

 

 

 

I've been thinking about this today. That a Hebrew world view always circles back to family and God. It's not the knowledge itself or the tool itself or the elevation of the individual, but it's usefulness to facilitate in circling back to God as an individual and as a family.

 

I find the Hebrew, shamanic and barbarian world views more grounding and nurturing than classical pagan world views, if nothing else.