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Water and Sunshine of Education

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Five Elements to Nourish the Heart and Mind

Family story time is most effective when it includes all five elements of a heart based education.  These elements include:
  • Song - includes all music, dance, and rhythm
  • Symbol - includes artwork and artistic representations of real objects such as dolls, figurines, puppets, object lessons, metaphors
  • Service - includes all activities that help to build relationships and assist others in their learning and progress
  • Story - includes fiction and non-fiction stories and poetry
  • Spirit - includes all activities that invite the Spirit of God into the learning environment like prayer, scripture reading, reverence, gratitude, and stories that teach moral values and principles. 
Storytelling in an atmosphere of warm relationships provides the water and sunshine of heart/mind education.

The most effective stories for nourishing the heart include:
  • Stories of Faith
  • Stories of History
  • Stories of Nature

Learn more about the Water and Sunshine of Education by clicking on our  Stories page.
Related Articles:

"The Biggest Secret in Educational Success:  TJEd Superfood" by Rachel and Oliver DeMille.  

This article was published in a TJEd newsletter and explains the secret ingredient to educational success within the context of natural law and seasons of the year.  This is a great read that provides additional insight into the garden allegory and what we like to call the water and sunshine of education. 

Five Points of Heart/Mind Learning​

By observing the cycles of nature as portrayed in the seasons and in the process of gardening, we discover how energy travels through the growth process.  Energy travels through the heart and mind in a similar manner.  The garden allegory identifies a simple five-step process than can be applied to learning and growth. 


1. Define Principle or Concept
 (Seed selection)  
2. Discovery  
 (Soil Preparation and Planting)
3. Skill Practice & Service                  (Nourish the plants with water and nutrients) 4. Evaluate, Organize & Apply                 (Pull out unwanted weeds)  
5. Create & Share New Understanding (Share the Harvest)

Learn more about the 5 Points of Learning by clicking on the Five Points of Learning page.