Core Phase of Thomas Jefferson/Leadership Education

During the Core Phase period of Leadership Education, your children should gain a foundation for all future learning and service. "Curriculum", if you want to use that term, would include

• right & wrong
• good & bad
• family values
• value & love of work
• true & false
• learning accountability in your actions, decisions
• relationships
• family routines
• family responsibilities

If you attempt to "overprogram" these crucial concepts, your child will probably have conflicting messages from you. This should be natural learning during a child's young years. Little children are impressionable and eager to please. They will naturally conform to the models and rules you give them, without having structured lessons in these concepts.

Abstract lessons at this stage of a child's life will include what is success, what is maturity, how do I resolve conflict, what is home, what is my relationship with God, what is my relationship with others and so on. I'm sure you get the picture.

Structured academics at this age may cause your child to dislike academics because "everything is hard and boring". Or, you may use an unstructured time of academics that will encourage faith, good works and accountability in learning. Lessons at this phase should come from daily experiences in your home without the pressure of academic achievement.

As a parent, you should model an active spiritual and scholarly life as you nurture relationships within your own family. Your child will see this for the rest of the time they are living under your roof. When you model this and your child is young, he will see spiritual and scholarly life as a natural part of every one's life.

Reading aloud should be normal part of your family life. Sometimes this can be difficult because we are so busy in activities outside the home. Be sure to choose the "best". Don't settle for good at the expense of not spending time reading and discussing good books. When my oldest daughter was in 4th grade, I don't recall reading books together or reading the Bible as a family. We immediately withdrew her from the private school and began homeschooling her and her sister. Ever since we have had more time to read aloud as a family (& laugh/cry together through fantastic books).

Other ways to endeavor in traditional academics would be listening to and discussing good music, watching and discussing good media programs, playing at art, building lego/erector sets and other similar activities.

Remember you want to set an example of excellence and instill this in your child as he does his chores (makes his bed, puts away his dishes and other simple tasks around the home). You don't need to make an academic assignmetn to instill excellence. Be sure to encourage self-discipline and perseverance in his work at home. If he develops these qualities at a young age, they will be with him the rest of his life.

Basics of your faith in God should begin as soon as you talk to your kids. As you share your faith with your children, show them what is truth and how to arrive at truth. God's Word has the truth and all answers to life questions ultimately come from the Bible. Begin at an early age showing simple answers from the Bible.

taken from A Thomas Jefferson Education in our Home

If you have any other ideas about the Core Phase of A Thomas Jefferson Education, please post a comment.

Kerry