The Principle Approach

[shinyhappypeople]

Does anyone use this approach?  I watched

and some of it really resonated with me.  I think I might want to adapt some of it to fit what we're doing.  

 

Are there curricula that approach learning from this perspective?  I've heard about the Noah Plan, but I'm not sure how it works.  Are there other options?

[ElizabethB]

Heart of Wisdom. I like the idea but not the actual curriculum, I just use what I like and adapt where I need to and discuss as things come up.

 

http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/free-homeschool-downloads/

[Ellie]

I'm familiar with it, but never actually did it. :-)

 

You don't have to buy actual curriculum that does Principle Approach. The essence of it is that you work through something yourself, recording what you learn, then help your students do the same thing. The thing is that it takes time to learn what the Principle Approach entails (you have to read the Red Books, and own the 1828 Dictionary), then doing the study on...whatever, then teaching your children. The Noah Plan might just be easier.

 

There are materials on the FACE web site that you can buy to learn what to do.

[Hunter]

The principle approach was popular pre-Y2K, and many oldschool authors incorporated some watered down bits of it into their curricula. Heart of Wisdom and Beautiful Feet are 2 of them. I think BF is phasing it out of their more recent editions.

 

I own the subject Noah Plans, but not the yearly plans, and I have a couple of the Red Books and some other odds and ends that I downloaded.

 

I find that most people that are first enamored with the Principle approach don't stick with it. The more you buy and study, the more questions you have. It seems never ending.

 

Also many of the people that are initially attracted to the principles find they want to make the Bible itself the center, not the man made principles.

 

There isn't a good forum. There is some odd stuff that goes on and very heavy handed moderation, making online community building entirely impossible. It's not even possible to get very basic questions answered that are necessary to learn to use the method.

 

Did I learn anything from my studies? Yes! But I spent a LOT of time and money to learn the LITTLE that I did learn. And experienced some odd and frustrating things at forums.

[stm4him]

I don't have experience with the forum, but I agree with what Hunter says.  I bought a whole bunch of stuff to try to learn about it and it was just so much and so overwhelming that I never got that far.  I think it would be awesome if someone was able to write a very small guide to how to do it, but I just don't have the time or patience right now to dig through all of it to get out the part I would want to apply.  It's kind of sad....

[Hunter]

I'm familiar with it, but never actually did it. :-)

 

You don't have to buy actual curriculum that does Principle Approach. The essence of it is that you work through something yourself, recording what you learn, then help your students do the same thing. The thing is that it takes time to learn what the Principle Approach entails (you have to read the Red Books, and own the 1828 Dictionary), then doing the study on...whatever, then teaching your children. The Noah Plan might just be easier.

 

There are materials on the FACE web site that you can buy to learn what to do.

 

Ellie, back in the 90's I couldn't afford to investigate the Principle Approach. Would you say that many homeschoolers owned just the main red book and MAYBE the 1828 Dictionary, and like they did with Charlotte Mason, did their own thing the best they could, even if people now would call it "wrong"?

 

A Guide to American Christian Education for the Home and School

http://www.christianbook.com/guide-american-christian-education-the-home/0961620110/pd/620110

 

1828 Dictionary

http://www.amazon.com/American-Dictionary-English-Language-Facsimile/dp/091249803X

 

There was another "red book" at the time, that is no longer available as one volume in red, but is now a multivolume paperback set. I forget the title and threw out my older than the red book version set; I didn't think they were worth the cost of shipping them to anyone.

[Ellie]

Ellie, back in the 90's I couldn't afford to investigate the Principle Approach. Would you say that many homeschoolers owned just the main red book and MAYBE the 1828 Dictionary, and like they did with Charlotte Mason, did their own thing the best they could, even if people now would call it "wrong"?

 

A Guide to American Christian Education for the Home and School

http://www.christianbook.com/guide-american-christian-education-the-home/0961620110/pd/620110

 

1828 Dictionary

http://www.amazon.com/American-Dictionary-English-Language-Facsimile/dp/091249803X

 

There was another "red book" at the time, that is no longer available as one volume in red, but is now a multivolume paperback set. I forget the title and threw out my older than the red book version set; I didn't think they were worth the cost of shipping them to anyone.

 

Theoretically, I think it would be possible to do Principle Approach with just the Red Books and the Dictionary (you must have the Dictionary, because apparently it is sacred and the only trustworthy source :001_rolleyes:). And you used to be able to buy inexpensive guides for several works, which I don't see on their site any longer.

 

I think Principle Approach was just not practical for most people.

[lorisuewho]

I made a solid effort at trying to understand the approach.  And all I got to show for it is confusion and some vague ideas about making sure that homeschooling rules my life by all the intensive work I would need to do.  It was a very short lived fascination.  I never even bought the official above mentioned dictionary!

[Hunter]

Which Red Books are you thinking Ellie? The one I linked; and the one that USED to be red, but that I can't remember the title? Or some of the history books?

 

Yes, the "right" dictionary is supposed to be sacred. I think I did okay with a modern dictionary and the secular and Bible reference books I had handy to "define" the subject.

 

In the long run, people that have spent lots and lots of money, often seem to be in the same place years later as those that bought just the one main red book, I linked to. No one is doing the method "right", but all seemed to have learned a few things about notebooking and defining vocabulary. And the example of the history timeline gives some families permission to simplify the history timeline to THEIR personal history, instead of feeling responsible for EVERYONE'S history.

 

I personally also REALLY like the arithmetic section in the main red book. I do not have the Noah subject guide for math. I've always been curious, but I was told the subject guide uses RightStart math, and I'm assuming that is at least in part contradictory to the Red Book math.

[Hunter]

I made a solid effort at trying to understand the approach. And all I got to show for it is confusion and some vague ideas about making sure that homeschooling rules my life by all the intensive work I would need to do. It was a very short lived fascination. I never even bought the official above mentioned dictionary!

My fascination overlapped with Lori, starting before and ending later. I appreaciated being able to chat with her at the time. She was smarter and wasted less time and money. I never bought the dictionary either.

[lorisuewho]

My fascination overlapped with Lori, starting before and ending later. I appreaciated being able to chat with her at the time. She was smarter and wasted less time and money. I never bought the dictionary either.

 

LOL.  Well, at least we don't have an extra expensive dictionary sitting around!  And BTW, I loved researching with you on this, even if we didn't go with it.

[Hunter]

In my big purge my red book is still on one of the few bookcases I have left. I intend to reread it to compare it to some things I have settled into. Some of the authors of the chapters of that books are oldschool back-to-basics authors in the vein of Beechick and Blumenfeld. If you are not trying to convert to the method and let the individual authors write about teaching that subject, there is some good advice.

 

That red book very much influenced early homeschoolers, and once you have read some of it, you often see it's influence on the current writers.

 

The trick is to be influenced but not converted. The same as for Waldorf. It's easier said than done, though.

[arliemaria]

HA!  I own that dictionary and actually really enjoy reading it.  Call me crazy, but it is a fun thing to read.  

 

I have never heard of the Principle Approach or the Red Book but am curious.  I have too many other homeschooling/self education things to read at the moment, but this will go on the to read list.

[Ellie]

In my big purge my red book is still on one of the few bookcases I have left. I intend to reread it to compare it to some things I have settled into. Some of the authors of the chapters of that books are oldschool back-to-basics authors in the vein of Beechick and Blumenfeld. If you are not trying to convert to the method and let the individual authors write about teaching that subject, there is some good advice.

 

That red book very much influenced early homeschoolers, and once you have read some of it, you often see it's influence on the current writers.

 

The trick is to be influenced but not converted. The same as for Waldorf. It's easier said than done, though.

 

It influenced *some* early homeschoolers. :-)

[Ellie]

Which Red Books are you thinking Ellie? The one I linked; and the one that USED to be red, but that I can't remember the title? Or some of the history books?

 

Yes, the "right" dictionary is supposed to be sacred. I think I did okay with a modern dictionary and the secular and Bible reference books I had handy to "define" the subject.

 

In the long run, people that have spent lots and lots of money, often seem to be in the same place years later as those that bought just the one main red book, I linked to. No one is doing the method "right", but all seemed to have learned a few things about notebooking and defining vocabulary. And the example of the history timeline gives some families permission to simplify the history timeline to THEIR personal history, instead of feeling responsible for EVERYONE'S history.

 

I personally also REALLY like the arithmetic section in the main red book. I do not have the Noah subject guide for math. I've always been curious, but I was told the subject guide uses RightStart math, and I'm assuming that is at least in part contradictory to the Red Book math.

 

Yes, those two. I can't remember the title, either. I used to own them, but I passed them along many years ago. John Holt won over Dr. Rose. :D

[SnMomof7]

Oops, double post.

[SnMomof7]

I have the dictionary! LOL! I felt *so* righteous buying it. Doesn't get used much ;).

[Hunter]

It influenced *some* early homeschoolers. :-)

 

There were definitely people that rejected it, but...bits of the book seemed to have tentacles that spread and spread. The book was widely read, and parts of it spread like a disease spreads, even to people that didn't read it.

 

I didn't own the book, but was often indirectly influenced by it anyway, sometimes to my knowledge and sometimes not.

[momacacia]

Weren't the red books on the bible and the constitution and one on the American revolution? It was a two-book set. And of course the dictionary.

 

ETA: I'm hoping I didn't toss mine. Surely not because I don't usually get did of hardbacks, and now I'm insanely curious!!

[Hunter]

Encyclopedia of Bible Truths. This is what many people thought of as the second red book, right?

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Bible-Truths-School-Subjects/dp/B002APZGM0

 

Now the Red Books mean something else? They are the history books? I don't think these were offered in the average homeschool catalog, where they?

http://www.face.net/?page=red_books

 

 

 

[arliemaria]

Are these the Red Books?

 

http://www.facebookstore.net/product_p/choc1.htm

http://www.facebookstore.net/product_p/tnl.htm

[shinyhappypeople]

I'm so confused.  Maybe that's a sign.  

 

I pulled out my copy of BF's Westward Expansion and read their brief explanation of Read, Reason, Relate, and Record (I think that's right). So is that really the heart of the Principle Approach?  It sounds like a useful technique, but I'm just not understanding how that is specifically related to the principles of self-government, etc.  

[Hunter]

Are these the Red Books?

 

http://www.facebookstore.net/product_p/choc1.htm

http://www.facebookstore.net/product_p/tnl.htm

 

I have the second one. I'm not sure how many there are. I think one of the history books is blue.

[Hunter]

I'm so confused.  Maybe that's a sign.  

 

I pulled out my copy of BF's Westward Expansion and read their brief explanation of Read, Reason, Relate, and Record (I think that's right). So is that really the heart of the Principle Approach?  It sounds like a useful technique, but I'm just not understanding how that is specifically related to the principles of self-government, etc.  

 

I think in the newer editions of BF the 4R notebooking is being retained and the principles removed. I really don't know, though. I have a few pdfs that I'm not using.