Theories of Education

I present these materials to give you ideas for methods in your home-schooling. These are not 100% the last word on how to do anything, but they do have some good ideas that can be applied within the context of the Lighthouse Learning Center system. All will help with the ultimate goal of having a house of learning.

¨ For young children I recommend reading about Montessori methods. Your library will most likely have one or more books on the method, and an internet search will give even more information. Life skills are blended right into early education.

¨ A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille is based on reading the classics. It is full of great ideas for improving what your child gets from reading. I disagree with a few of the materials he lists as classics (i.e. Frankenstein is too horrific to be considered praiseworthy in my opinion), but he has many valid ideas.

¨ Charlotte Mason has superb ideas for involving children in the natural world, and she preceded Van DeMille in many of his ideas for literature discussion. Do a Web search for other Sites and books about this method.

¨ Robinson Curriculum is a third reading based education, with more emphasis on math and sciences (since the father who founded it is a scientist, this is no surprise).

TJ Education is great for scholars and statesmen, Charlotte Mason for naturalists and artists, Robinson for people in the sciences and math. Incorporating a little from each will lead to a child who knows how to learn, likes to learn, and has a solid foundation in the basics. Instead of clear cut lines between these different people, we can have children who are leaders, able to think as logically as scientists, and who are still well-cultured in the arts.