Different Philosophies
Because one’s philosophy, or worldview, influences his thinking and practice, it is not surprising to learn that the beliefs and methods of traditional and progressive educators are very different.
Progressive Beliefs
1. Children should make their own decisions about what and how they learn.
2. Learning facts, information, and general subject matter is not as important as learning how to think.
3. Values are neutral and changing. Children do not need to be taught right and wrong.
4. Authority is bad; self-expression is good.
5. Self-esteem is the key to achievement.
Traditional Beliefs
1. Curriculums are best directed by a parent or teacher.
2. “How to think” is a natural trait. Children need to be taught traditional subject matter such as reading and language skills, math, science and history.
3. Eternal absolutes and objective truths make character traits, actions, and ideas either good or bad, right or wrong. Parents and teachers need to steer children in the right direction.
4. Parents, teachers, and civil governments have authority. Children must be taught self-control and submission to authority.
5. Self-respect is earned through hard work.
Different Methods
To help students learn, traditional curriculums incorporate proven methods such as review, practice, competitions, memorization, reading, questioning, homework, discussions, projects, field trips, and quizzes and tests which measure students against a standard.
In contrast, progressive curriculums advocate alternative methods and assessments, such as experience, student discussion, self-directed activities, cooperative learning groups, experiments, observations, portfolios, and rubrics in which students measure themselves against each other, not against a fixed standard of achievement.
The differing methods are especially evident in reading — traditional education teaches children to read using intensive phonics, while the progressive look-say method of teaching reading has kept millions of Americans basically illiterate.
Traditional—The Best Choice
“Traditional education” may sound passé or out of step, but it produces excellence in academics and gives children a moral boost to life.
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The fully accredited program comes with everything you need to supervise your child’s learning at home, including A Beka Book textbooks, workbooks, tests and answer keys, and master teacher instruction via Internet Video Streaming or DVD. An easy-to-follow manual helps you with preparation, assignments, and grading.