How to Have a Dynamic Homeschool!

There are four simple steps to having a dynamic homeschool! 

Many parents acknowledge that learning is not just about academics, but also about character and personal growth. Learning is a relationship between us and our Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua), God's world, and ideas. Learning is meant to be dynamic vs. static.

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1. Research

There are so many options for this! It can be done with books, literature, visiting locations (read as field trips!), hands-on learning, interviews, educational programs, computers, etc.... but these alone will not make your homeschool dynamic. 

You will also need Webster's 1828 Dictionary, a Concordance, and a Bible to aid you and your child in your research. Why? Looking up key words for your child's study in Webster's 1828 Dictionary will give correct and in depth understanding of many words pertaining to his research. To hold up the ideas of your child's research in the light of Scripture will help your child to learn a variety of Bible Principles. Since the Bible is God's Holy Inspired Written Word, It cannot but make your child's learning dynamic!

2. Reason

Learning and practicing how to reason from Scripture makes your homeschool dynamic as well because it causes your child to be engaged! It helps develop critical thinking skills and to put Bible Principles at the core of what your child is learning about. As Christ followers, this is wonderful because it helps us to grow in our relationship with Him! When we know and understand Bible Principles we can choose to govern ourselves under Christ by following His ways.

3. Relate

In order to deepen the value and understanding of his research, your child needs to learn how to relate to it. He learns to ask: "How does this information pertain to me? What are my thoughts about it?  What personal application is there?" Answering these and other questions is another step in having a dynamic experience with learning! It shows what your child has learned as an individual- not what a test, *expert* or worksheet has to say.

4. Record

There are various options for this. It can be done via handwriting, typing, art, crafts, photographs and scrapbooking, video, sound, etc. However you and your child end up recording it, find a way that suits you as individuals. 

We personally love to notebook. My kids apply drawing, painting, paper crafting, what I call *lap book pages*, writing, etc. to their notebooks. We do a lot of narrating (both verbal and written). Sometime we create family skits and record them on video. 

The 4r's are not boring! They can't be because they cause a dynamic experience in one's learning! This is the historical method of learning and reasoning which is unique to America's Christian Education. It's how the people of the Founding Era learned. (Although, they wrote in their *notebooks* vs. all the other options I listed). :)

 
What Do You Think?

So... do you think you'll pursue teaching and learning with the Principle Approach® method of teaching and learning? What questions do you have? Please take the time to ask and I'll do my best to answer them. 

Blessings!