Empowering the Family to Combine Growth with Learning for Whole-Life Education
Empowering the Family to Combine Growth with Learning for Whole-Life Education
Do You Believe Them?
By Barbie Poling
Lifestyle of learning
A Brief Description
Lifestyle of Learning is an approach to home education developed by Marilyn Howshall in the book Wisdom’s Way of Learning and supplemental books. Parents learn that education’s structure is inherently relational, and that the processes of both education and discipleship are actually one and the same thing when pursued from a relational basis. When parents “combine principles of growth with principles of learning” by
maintaining a focus on what is central to life—relationships—families are liberated in the educational process to pursue a potentially fruitful individual path. The activities of such a process form character and bring family members into unity, harmony, and teamwork, increasing the influence of the family to the glory of God.
In its methodology, the primary differences can be seen in how Lifestyle of Learning contrasts with common educational systems. Traditionally they are concerned with teaching a prescribed content-based curriculum divided into subjects and generically prepared for all students, according to an agenda of predetermined development timetables and the structure in which it all takes place. This form of “informational learning” attempts to teach students beginning from the outside to change the inside [Greek-style education].
On the other hand, Lifestyle of Learning emphasizes “transformational learning” where a student is educated from a base of relational principles beginning with the attitudes, intentions and motivations of the heart (the inside) and working toward the student acquiring academics, knowledge, and skills (the outside), according to his individuality while learning to direct his own educational process. Instead of teaching to a godless agenda, the Lifestyle of Learning message directs parents with wisdom to discern each child’s current whole-life needs and to become Spirit-led in meeting those needs [Hebrew-style education].
The Lifestyle of Learning Approach is summed up in three primary goals that work hand-in-hand for the development of the whole student: 1. Individual purpose that is submitted to the Lordship of Christ, 2. A deep love of learning, and 3. Skill in using the tools of learning. Pursuing these educational goals, not only provides a whole education for the student, but it promotes the true Christian discipleship of the family and has at its heart the Gospel message of reconciliation and the Lordship of Christ.
We know you’ll find the messages challenging, inspiring and encouraging as well, and pray the Lord will lead you by His Spirit in His way for your family.
—Jim and Marilyn Howshall