The Well Educated Heart

  A hundred years ago, educators rightly understood that hearts must be warmed before minds can be taught. The gift of story, art and music are the primary tools of a heart-based education.  Our top choice resource that can be used to guide parents and teachers through this type of education is The Well Educated Heart by Marlene Peterson.  The five essential elements of a heart-based education are explained beautifully in this program.  We are thrilled to introduce these resources to our visitors and invite you to listen to the free audio course that Marlene provides on the Well Educated Heart website.  In addition to teaching valuable principles, Marlene provides some incredible resources to help families build their own library of resources that includes all five elements. 
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The free audio course and Story Resource Guide are available at welleducatedheart.com

For more information on  this exceptional resource and how you can use it in your home see the following videos.  

Well Educated Heart Video Introduction
Part 1         Part 2         Part 3

“Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play."
​               -Philip Pullman

Read more about why children need stories, poems, art and music here. 
The Five Elements

  1. Song:  This includes all music, including all rhythms, dance, and movements associated with it.  It ranges from simple children's songs, folk songs, and religious music all they way to the complex music of Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and Handel.  Music warms the heart and prepares the soul for more teaching. 
  2. Symbol:  This category includes both artwork and symbolism.  ​A symbol is a picture representation of a real object or a tangible object representing an idea.  Artwork may range from simple sketches of young students to the work of the masters. A picture paints a thousand words and a beautiful painting can speak volumes to the heart. Dolls, figurines, puppets, and flannel board figures can be used to add variety to teaching and storytelling.  The use of symbols also refers to symbolism to communicate deeper meanings of abstract topics.  Using tangible objects to teach intangible ideas opens the way for life-long learning. Symbols are the key to getting students to think on their own, to become independent in their learning and thinking.  
  3. Service:  Everyone needs to feel they are valued and needed, and that they can make a contribution that other people will value.  Even the smallest child can learn to serve according to their abilities.  Service is part of learning.  When we are engaged in service, we give greater meaning to our learning experiences.  Academic service is the act of using principles that are being learned to becoming a better servant and friend.  
  4. Story:  This category includes all literature, both story and poetry.  It includes the Mother Goose rhymes of early childhood, fairy tales, stories of heroes, stories from history, stories of faith.  It also includes stories that can be read silently, read a loud, or simple told by heart. 
  5. Spirit: This category includes all activities we engage in to connect to our spiritual natures.  We specifically want to highlight three spiritual opportunities:
    1. Scripture:  It is not hard to teach a young child about Jesus.  They seem to already be familiar with his name and the warm feeling in their hearts when they see a picture of him.  
    2. Nature:  Nature is God's university.  Whether you are pondering the billions of stars that can be seen in a night sky, or examining the intricate details of butterfly wings, you make a connection with the Spirit of God as you immerse yourself in His creations.
    3. Creativity:  As children of a Creator, we find a connection with our maker as we become creators ourselves.  The act of creating wakes up and enlivens the divine part of our nature.  Creating a piece of art, a story or poem, a song, a handicraft or wood-working project are all activities that connect us to the Spirit and engage our hearts in learning and growth.