I have been using the Biblical Principle Approach for about three years now. I love it. It has changed they way I think about everything because it is not a curriculum but a philosophy of government/education. Once I made the decision three years ago to put the Bible as the source for all subjects I haven’t even looked into switching to a curriculum (which I think is pretty rare for a mother-teacher).

So I have been content except for one thing. I could not seem to figure out how to teach more than one grade together. I just was not making sense to me and I was feeling a bit frustrated. So was adding plans to teach my Kindergartener and feeling overwhelmed and back where I started, with planning and planning and… I was also frustrated because I couldn’t seem to understand the mutiple grades thing. So I was thinking maybe I would teach one in the morning and one in the afternoon, but then we would be in school all day and I would be worn out from all of this planning and teaching.

But last night the Lord, in His mercy, opened my eyes to see why I was struggling. I have been looking in the wrong place. I have been looking at facts and not principles. Let me explain. All subjects are based on principles from God’s Word that even kindergarteners understand. They are the rudiments of the subject. These are introduced and expanded over the grades as the child is able to understand and reason more. I have been looking at teaching multiple grades from the viewpoint that there are facts to be learned and “what if the younger one doesn’t get this book or that fact–won’t they miss out on something?” Well the Lord showed me that is the wrong place to look. The facts will come, but they are not the point. The principles are the point. Reasoning is the point.

Once I got that then it all made sense. They can learn together because it is based on principles (duh!). So for example, in literature if we study Hans Brinker, we are not only really studying about Holland or the 5 loves of literature, we are really studying about the character of he author, Holland’s contribution to the Gospel moving westward and the character of the people in the book. The facts are good. It’s good to know where Holland is (and we will do that, of course), but it is not the goal. (Also see this post.) I am not raising trivia masters, I am raising future men and women who can think and reason for themselves.

So all of that said, I get it! I understand how to teach more than one grade. And the books I wanted Princess S (and her big sister too) to read I am adding to reading lists for us to go through during our reading time. So I will add Princess S in with G’s lessons (we will still have separate math and English because they are three years apart) and she will love learning about Hans Brinker and coloring maps and looking in the microscope, But most of all we will all enjoy being together, learning how to think and reason from God’s Word as a family.

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness to me. Thank you for leading me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Help me as I impart Your wisdom to my children, as we learn from You together. I love you!!