There are so many books and web sites available from every possible perspective concerning the education of children. Each one claims to have "the answer" to some educational dilemma, some, are worthwhile, some, are not. Each touts its particular method as the "best", or "newest" and each one has its own agenda. Some of the best, and worst, are authored by persons with educational resumes a mile long. Some of the most sensible and practical are written by those who simply observe, ponder and apply what they learn. Everyone has an agenda. Some are noble, others are….well, less than noble. Most are useful in some way, to some people. A few are simply worthless. All attempt to solve a problem by a particular method, which is driven by an underlying philosophy. With all that is available, why would we want to jump into the fray? What does the Institute for R.E.A.L.I.T.Y have to offer that is different from much of the other information available on this subject? The answer is philosophy.
We live in an age of instant gratification. From birth, we are conditioned to satisfy our desires, be they physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual, without much thought as to the consequences. This is true in the educational arena as well. Efficient and immediate acquisition of knowledge has become one of the hallmarks of modern education. Larger class sizes and teaching methods which focus on the teacher as the imparter of knowledge and the students as receptacles to be filled create a climate in which true learning, making a piece of knowledge one's own by forming a personal relationship with it, becomes nearly impossible. The makers of educational policy, both local and federal are obsessed with how to "get children to learn", and thereby to raise test scores. They make the assumption that learning is something that a child can be coerced into or tricked into doing and that testing is an accurate reflection of what has been learned. Much energy and financial resource is expended in this cat and mouse game of trying to sneak what needs to be learned into candy coated exercises and watered down versions of the content. It seems that more emphasis is put on what is covered in a classroom, driven by an external curriculum, than on what is actually learned by the child. Grades are assigned and, out of necessity due to the system set up, children are allowed to pass from one year to another without mastering the information that they will so desperately need later. It is, certainly, not that all methods employed by the current institutional system are intrinsically bad, or ineffective by nature, but rather that the philosophy that drives them is fatally flawed.
One fact that seems much overlooked in our culture is that philosophy drives methodology. This is true in all areas of life, including education. What one believes about life, freedom, law, authority, the state, culture, religion and the nature of humanity will all speak to his philosophy of life and learning. Beliefs determine actions. This is the first area in which the Institute takes a significant departure from the status quo. Based on a difference in philosophy, our methodology is also noticeably different from "traditional" education. Whether a person realizes it or not, he has a philosophy about every area of life. These philosophies are shaped by many things, upbringing, religious belief, degree of education and exposure to the great thoughts of all time, to name a few. Our philosophy of education has been formed by a combination of experiences on both sides of the desk in public and private schools, a great deal of research of education throughout history and across cultures, and founded on a solid Judeo-Christian ethic. The following will briefly outline our philosophy and then the corresponding methods, which are its natural outgrowth.
We believe that children are unique creations of the Living God, made for a purpose and endowed with talents and abilities according to that purpose. We believe that parents are placed in authority over their children by God and are given the responsibility of directing their growth, physically, mentally, emotionally, morally and spiritually. Since all children are unique persons, we acknowledge that they will learn at different rates and according to their specific bents. These differences ought to be celebrated and molded to the eternal benefit of the child. Since we believe that parents are endowed with the responsibility of educating their children, we encourage parents to be intentional in their thought as to what should be learned by an individual child, as well as when and how it should be taught. These types of choices must be made and parents, with intimate knowledge of the child, are best equipped to this end. We believe that education is a cradle to grave process, with no point of "arrival"; families should learn together. We believe that ideas are the food of the intellect; children must be presented with great ideas and be allowed to digest them in their own way and be changed by them at their own level. This is the essence of learning. We believe that it is essential to nurture the whole child and to encourage growth in all areas of life. This is our philosophy in its most simplified form.
Because our philosophy is departs from the mainstream, so must our methodology. In a nut shell, this is our method of education: Children must be treated as though they are intellectually capable. We do not talk down to or water down material for children. When appropriate, unabridged, living books (as Charlotte Mason called them) should be used as the primary texts. Parents should begin at birth to read to their children as well as beginning early to introduce structured learning times, not neglecting moral training as the foundation of all intellectual pursuits. (See our Time for Twos material) In alignment with Charlotte Mason's philosophies, we encourage parents to keep lessons short, no more than half a day should be absorbed by "school" time through the elementary and middle years of childhood. Children should be presented with as liberal an education as possible. Although there will certainly subjects and books that are inappropriate for a child in a particular stage, the goal of the parent should be to introduce all topics of relevance to the child before he leaves the home. It is better to bring the world to the child, piece by piece, as he is ready, than to throw the child, unprepared, to the wolves of the world at eighteen. Following a Classical model of education, we encourage an educational diet rich in literature, music and the arts, and including the study of Latin, Greek, and contemporary foreign language. We encourage parents to consider operating on a four day per week schedule for forty four to forty five weeks per year, instead of on a five day per week schedule for a shorter period of time. There are several reasons for this: research continues to support the thought that children learn better and retain more in a year round setting, four days per week instead of five, allows one day for the enjoyment of other childhood pursuits and learning other than the academic, and less pressure is put on the child to when schooling is completed in a two days on, one day off, two days on, weekend off format. It is also a benefit to many families to have one day per week set aside for home responsibilities.
The other major difference between the Institute for R.E.A.L.I.T.Y. and other educational organizations, public or private, is our commitment to the improvement of education as a whole, for all children. We do not believe that any one method of education is best for all children. We support parents in making the best choice possible for their individual children. We seek to aid parents in the enrichment of the educations of their children and in the enrichment of family life. We are committed to helping families to find the resources and counsel that they need to build a life style of learning that meets their needs and grows upon the foundation of their educational choice.
It is our greatest desire to see all children succeed and grow, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically to their potential. We seek to assist each family individually in that process.