I. The Child’s First Teacher

“The child’s first teacher is the mother. During the period of greatest susceptibility and most rapid development his education is to a great degree in her hands. To her first is given opportunity to mold the character for good or for evil. She should understand the value of her opportunity and, above every other teacher, should be qualified to use it to the best account. Yet there is no other to whose training so little thought is given. The one whose influence in education is most potent and far-reaching is the one for whose assistance there is the least systematic effort.”1

II. Training in the Laws of Health and the Principles of Development Needed

“Those to whom the care of the little child is committed are too often ignorant of its physical needs; they know little of the laws of health or the principles of development. Nor are they better fitted to care for its mental and spiritual growth. They may be qualified to conduct business or to shine in society; they may have made creditable attainments in literature and science; but of the training of a child they have little knowledge….

Upon fathers as well as mothers rests a responsibility for the child’s earlier as well as its later training, and for both parents the demand for careful and thorough preparation is most urgent. Before taking upon themselves the possibilities of fatherhood and motherhood, men and women should become acquainted with:

A. the laws of physical development—with physiology and hygiene,

B. with the bearing of prenatal influences,

C. with the laws of heredity,

D. with the laws of sanitation,

E. with the laws of dress,

F. with the laws of exercise,

G. and the treatment of disease;

H. they should also understand the laws of mental development and moral training….

Never will education accomplish all that it might and should accomplish until the importance of the parents’ work is fully recognized, and they receive a training for its sacred responsibilities.

Parents should study the laws of nature.

They should become acquainted with the organism of the human body.

They need to understand the functions of the various organs,

and their relation and dependence.

They should study the relation of the mental to the physical powers, and the conditions required for the healthy action of each.

To assume the responsibilities of parenthood without such preparation is a sin.”2

III. Who is Sufficient for these things?

“Parents may well inquire, “Who is sufficient for these things?”

God alone is their sufficiency, and if they leave Him out of the question, seeking not His aid and counsel, hopeless indeed is their task.

But by prayer,

by study of the Bible,

and by earnest zeal on their part,

they may succeed nobly in this important duty, and be repaid a hundredfold for all their time and care….

The source of wisdom is open, from which they may draw all necessary knowledge in this direction.

At times the heart may be ready to faint; but a living sense of the dangers threatening the present and future happiness of their loved ones should lead Christian parents to seek more earnestly for help from the source of strength and wisdom.

It should make them more circumspect, more decided, more calm yet firm, while they watch for these souls, as they that must give account.”3

IV. SonLight Education Ministry provides a training course for Parents entitled “The Ten Principles of True Education” Download and Print this systematic, interactive course and get started now!

References:

1. Child Guidance page 63.1

2. Child Guidance page 63.2-64.2

3. Child guidance page 64.3

I. Is there a model for man to follow for True Education?

“The system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for man throughout all aftertime. As an illustration of its principles a model school was established in Eden, the home of our first parents. The Garden of Eden was the schoolroom, nature was the lesson book, the Creator Himself was the instructor.”1

Questions:

What is the schoolroom?

What are the lesson books?

Who was the Instructor?

How long will this system of education last?

II.  When to start using the above model?

“For the first eight or ten years of a child’s life the field or garden is the best schoolroom, the mother the best teacher, nature the best lesson book. Even when the child is old enough to attend school, his health should be regarded as of greater importance than a knowledge of books. He should be surrounded with the conditions most favorable to both physical and mental growth.”2

III. Does SonLight Education Ministry follow this model?

The Family Bible Lessons for the ages Birth to Eight years and the 2nd to 8th grade program, The Desire of All Nations program from SonLight Education Ministry follows the model of true education mentioned above.

IV. The Course for children from Birth to Eight is the Family Bible Lessons. Download and print the file for Year 1 Quarter 1 Family Bible Lessons, Children’s Activities Book for Year 1 Quarter 1, and if you have children under 4, The Little Children’s Bible Lessons Book.  You can get started at any time. There is a Bible Lesson, Memory Verse, Nature Lesson, Character Quality for all week with it broken up into a little research every day. A Quarter is 13 weeks so you stay in a Nature theme for 3 months.

Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

V. The Course for children nine to fifteen or 2nd to eighth grade called The Desire of All Nations program can be downloaded and printed.

Print the following to get started with the 2-8 grade program:
Lesson 1 of all the Academic subjects.
The Covenant Notebook
The Casket Coloring Book
Spelling From the Scriptures
The Bible Study Booklet

VI. The Training Course for the Parent called The Ten Principles of True Education should also be downloaded and printed. This is the training course to teach you how to teach using Christ’s methods of True Education. It is especially helpful when teaching the older child age nine and up.

VII. Physiology and Hygiene

“Upon fathers as well as mothers rests a responsibility for the child’s earlier as well as its later training, and for both parents the demand for careful and thorough preparation is most urgent. Before taking upon themselves the possibilities of fatherhood and motherhood, men and women should become acquainted with the laws of physical development—with physiology and hygiene, with the bearing of prenatal influences, with the laws of heredity, sanitation, dress, exercise, and the treatment of disease; they should also understand the laws of mental development and moral training….
Never will education accomplish all that it might and should accomplish until the importance of the parents’ work is fully recognized, and they receive a training for its sacred responsibilities.” 3

References:

1. Child Guidance page 294.2

2. Child Guidance page 300.1

3. Child Guidance page 63, 64