Miracle of the Five Loaves and Two Fishes
Matt 14:14-22.

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and Pie healed their sick. And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals, etc.

Q. WHAT do you here understand by Jesus going forth, and seeing a great multitude?

A. According to the letter of the history, by Jesus going forth, and seeing a great multitude, is to be understood His going forth as to His personal or bodily presence, and His taking a view of the people who followed Him; but according to the internal or spiritual sense of the history, by Jesus going forth, is to be understood the divine influx of His divine love into His church, thus into the truths and knowledges in which His church was principled; and by seeing a great multitude, is to be further understood the influx of His divine wisdom into those truths and knowledges, to note their several characters and qualities. It therefore follows, that He was moved with compassion towards them, and healed their sick; because to be moved with compassion is an effect of His divine love towards His church or people; and to heal their sick is an effect of His divine wisdom, in removing the false principles and persuasions, which at that time prevailed amongst them.

Q. And what do you further understand by the words which follow, where it is written, that when it was evening, His disciples Game to Him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals?

A. According to the sense of the letter, the meaning of the above words is so plain, as to require no explanation; but according to the spiritual sense, it may be necessary to explain them. By the evening then here spoken of, is to be understood the last state of the Jewish church, or a state when there was no longer any faith or love prevailing amongst that people; and by the disciples coming to Jesus, saying, This is a desert place, the time is now past, is to be further understood an acknowledgement of that state of the church by those who were principled in the truths of the new or Christian church; for by the disciples are signified those who received the doctrines of this latter church; and by their saying, This is a desert place, the time is now past, is further denoted a perception that there was no longer any desire of heavenly good, or any understanding of heavenly truth remaining; the one being signified by a desert place, and the other by the time is now past. By their adding further, Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals, is further to be understood ignorance on the part of the disciples, who were not as yet fully instructed as to the divine origin of spiritual food, and who therefore supposed that the multitudes might procure it for themselves, in a state of separation from the blessed Jesus ; for by sending the multitudes away, is manifestly denoted such a state of separation; and by their going to the villages to buy themselves victuals, is further to be understood the procuring to themselves spiritual food in that state.

Q. But it is added, that Jesus said to them, They need not depart; give you them to eat — what do you conceive to be the force and meaning of these words?

A. According to the literal sense of the history, these words contain an intimation on the part of the blessed Jesus, that His disciples should provide bodily food forthe multitude; but according to the spiritual sense, they have relation to spiritual food, which is instruction from the holy Word in truth and wisdom, and thus contain an intimation, that that food should be provided by those, who were already instructed in truth and wisdom. For by Jesus saying, according to the spiritual sense, is to be understood a divine dictate; and by saying to them, or to His disciples, is further to be understood a dictate to those of His church, who were already instructed in the goods and truths of His most holy word; and by His adding, they need not depart, is further to be understood the necessity of abiding in the divine presence, in order to receive instruction; and by adding further, give you them to eat, is implied that spiritual food, or spiritual instruction, was to be communicated by the intelligent and wise to those who were in want of intelligence and wisdom.

Q. And how do you understand the words which follow, where it is written, They say to Him, We have here but five loaves and two fishes?

A. According to the sense of the letter, these words imply the impossibility of supplying the bodily wants of the multitude out of so small a store of bodily food; but according to the spiritual sense, in which they relate to the spiritual food of instruction, by saying to Him (Jesus), is to be understood perception of the little good and little truth which then prevailed in the natural man; for by the disciples saying to jesus, is to be understood perception; and by saying, We have here but five loaves and two fishes, is denoted the very small portion of good and of truth, which then prevailed in the natural man or mind; loaves having respect to the principle of good, and fishes to the principle of truth.

Q. But it is added, that He said, Bring them here to me — how do you understand these words?

A. According to the letter of the history, these words mean, that the literal loaves and fishes should be brought to Jesus; but according to the spirit of the history they imply, that what is signified by the loaves and fishes, namely. the goods and truths of the natural man, should be brought to Him; in other words, should be submitted to His divine guidance, government, and blessing. Bring them to me is therefore a divine injunction, ever proceeding from the blessed Jesus, and ever enforcing its weighty obligations on all his children; because it is of the first importance in the great business of regeneration and consequent salvation, that all His children should refer to Him, as the divine giver, every good and every truth of the natural mind or man, that so it may not only receive perpetual increase from his divine benediction, but may also finally be brought to the blessedness of an eternal con, junction with Him.

Q. And what do you understand by the words which follow, where it is written, that He commanded the multitude to sit dozen on the grass, and took the five loaves and two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and break, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude?

A. By the multitude, according to the spiritual idea, is to be understood the church, desirous, to be spiritually fed, or to receive instruction; and by Jesus commanding the multitude to sit down on the grass, is to be further understood arrangement according to divine order of the lower principles of the church; for by Jesus commanding is signified divine order; and by sitting down on the grass, is signified arrangement according to that order in the lower principles of the church, as previously necessary to receive instruction, grass denoting those lower principles. It is accordingly written in another place, where this miracle is recorded, that there was much grass in the place, (John 6:10), which is a circumstance too trivial to be mentioned in the Word of the most high god, unless it had involved a spiritual sense and meaning; and what this spiritual sense and meaning is, is manifest in another passage, where the blessed Jesus says, speaking of the growth of spiritual seed in the church, The earth brings forth fruit of herself, first the blade (or grass), then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear, (Mark 4:28), where the blade (or grass) evidently denotes the first reception of truth in the memory, or what may be called scientific truth, which is here the grass on which the multitude were commanded to sit down, since without truth first received in the memory, and rightly arranged there, no spiritual instruction can be received; spiritual instruction, in all cases, having relation to the elevation of scientific truth to its divine source, and to its conjunction with that source.

Q. And what do you understand by Jesus taking the five loaves and the two fishes?

A. By the five loaves and two fishes, it has been already seen, are to be understood the goods and truths of the natural man or mind, about to be initiated into divine truth, and thus to be nourished; and by Jesus therefore taking these loaves and fishes, is to be understood first initiation, when these goods and truths are acknowledged by the understanding to be His and from Him; it is accordingly written in the institution of the sacrament of the holy supper, that Jesus first took bread, and then blessed, and break it; and that when he gave it to His disciples, He said, ” Take, eat; this is my body,” (Matt. 26:26), denoting that before He can bless the bread, and before His children can eat it, it must first be acknowledged in the understanding to be His, and from Him.

Q. And what do you conceive to be meant by Jesus looking up to heaven?

A. To look up to heaven, according to the sense of the letter, is to direct the eyes of the body upwards towards heaven; but according to the spiritual sense or meaning of the expression, it has reference to the eyes of the mind turned inward into itself, for heaven, we know, is within man, as it is written, The kingdom of god is within you, (Luke 17:21). When this expression, however, is applied to the blessed Jesus, it denotes His looking to the divine principle within Himself, since, as the kingdom of god is in every man, so the Divine Being or Principle was in the blessed Jesus as His inmost life or soul. Moreover, heaven is heaven by virtue of its reception of the divine love and wisdom in close conjunction, and therefore whether we speak of heaven, or of the conjunction of the divine love and wisdom, it is the same thing. Thus, by looking up to heaven, when applied to the blessed Jesus, is represented an internal act of His mind, or of His humanity, elevating itself to a fuller view of, and closer union with the divinity which dwelt in it.

Q. And what do you understand by His blessing and breaking the loaves?

A. By blessing the loaves, is spiritually to be understood the initiation of natural goods into the divine good, and their conjunction with that good, for every thing is called blessed, and is blessed, in proportion as it is so conjoined; and by breaking ike loaves, is again to be understood the conjunction of the natural goods with divine spiritual truth, by virtue whereof natural goods are viewed and distinguished into the particular goods of which they are compounded, and are thus rendered capable of a fuller incorporation into the life and love. For such is the nature of all good, that whilst it is seen in the general only, and not in its particulars, it cannot be so fully admitted into the mind, in like manner as a loaf of bread cannot be admitted into the bodily life for nourishment and support, unless it be first broken into pieces, and afterwards masticated in the mouth of the eater. Hence arises the necessity, in spiritual eating, to conjoin good with truth, or love in the will with wisdom in the understanding, since it is by truth and wisdom alone that any good, or any love, can be properly discriminated and particularized, so as to render it admissible into the spiritual life of man. This, therefore, was the hidden reason why mention is here made of breaking the loaves, and also why the same act is recorded in other passages of the word, as at the institution of the holy supper, (Matt 26:26. Mark 14:22. Luke 22:19). and particularly at the village of Emmaus, where It is written that Jesus was known to the disciples by breaking of bread. (Luke 24:35). For the same reason, the perfume for the use of the Jewish tabernacle, was required to be beaten small or bruised, (Exod. 30:36), bruising having the same signification in regard to perfume, that breaking has in regard to bread. For a similar reason too, the powers and principles of evil are said to be beaten small as the dust before the wind, (Psalm. 18:42), because as good cannot be admitted into the life of man, until it be minutely viewed as to its nature and quality, in like manner evil cannot be expelled from the life of man, until its nature and quality are also distinctly seen, and this by the light of the eternal truth. In the great work, therefore, of man’s purification from evil, it is not sufficient for him to confess, in general terms, that he is a sinner, or full of evil, but he ought to enter upon a particular exploration of the distinct marks and characters of evil in himself; in other words, he ought to break and bruise it, otherwise it will remain for ever incorporated in his life’s love.

Q. And what instruction do you learn from the words which follow, where it is written, that Jesus gave the loaves to His disciples, and His disciples to the multitude?

A. I am instructed by these words, that the blessed Jesus does not teach truth, or give spiritual food, immediately, but mediately, or by and through His most holy word. For by the disciples are here meant those, who have already admitted into their minds the goods and truths of that word; thus by the disciples are here represented the goods and truths themselves which they have received; whereas, by the multitude are represented those, who are desirous of receiving instruction and the spiritual nourishment which it yields. When therefore it is said, that Jesus gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude, it was intended to teach the edifying lesson, that the almighty always employs instruments to effect His saving purposes of instruction and consequent regeneration; and that the instruments which He employs are the goods and truths of His most holy word, and those who teach them; thus that the order still is, for the edification of His church, that He shall give the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude; in other words, that there shall always be mediating instruments, or mediating ministers, between Him and His people.

Q. But it follows, that they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained, twelve baskets-full — what do you understand by these words?

A. By all eating, is to be understood that all incorporated into their minds and lives the good, which was thus conjoined with the divine good and truth; for by eating, is spiritually signified such incorporation, inasmuch as spiritual eating is nothing else but the reception of the good of heavenly love from Jesus Christ; and this good is received, when natural good, or the good into which man is born, submits itself, and acknowledges its divine parent and nourisher. By being filled, is further signified a full contentment and satisfaction of mind experienced in the reception of the good here spoken of, by virtue of which it is acknowledged, to be enough and all-sufficient to gratify every desire, and supply every want. For such is the nature of the human mind, created for an eternal conjunction of life and love with its heavenly father, that nothing but an infinite good, which is the divine love, can fill and satisfy it; and therefore all finite goods, such as worldly wealth, honours, reputation, pleasure, and the like, however abundant, and however apparently gratifying they may seem, still leave the soul in a state of all that emptiness, of which it is written, He has sent the rich empty away. Nevertheless, these latter and lesser goods have their important uses, and therefore are not to be rejected, whenever they submit themselves to be filled with a higher and an eternal good.

Q. And what do you further understand by taking up of the fragments that remained, twelve baskets-full?

A. According to the sense of the letter, by these words is to be understood the miraculous increase of natural food in consequence of the divine presence and blessing; but according to the spiritual idea, the words have relation to spiritual eating, which is instruction in the word of god, and therefore denote the immense increase of spiritual food, when it also receives the divine blessing, and is thus conjoined with its divine source. For in regard to spiritual nourishment, the case is this, that the more a man eats, the more he is made sensible of the infinite stores of divine nourishment provided for him; and thus, contrary to what is true of natural eating, his food grows more abundant, the more he receives. This super-abundance is therefore here represented by the twelve baskets-full of fragments, which are said to be taken up, in other words, to be elevated to conjunction with the divine giver of all food, by the humble and grateful acknowledgment that they are from Him, and His,

Q. And what instruction do you learn from the concluding words, where it is written, And they that had eaten were about five thousand mm, besides women and children?

A. By these words are denoted those of the lord’s new church here on earth, who received the truths and goods of His most holy word; men, denoting those who were more principled in truths; women, those who were more in the affection of truth; and children, denoting those who were more principled in innocence. Thus the words taken together have reference to the heavenly marriage of good and of truth, or of love and of wisdom, which constitutes the church. And thus, too, we are further instructed in the important distinction between what are here called men, women, and children; and in the still more important representation of each class of beings, as having reference to the distinct spiritual and celestial principles, which constitute the lord’s church and kingdom.

Q. What then is the general instruction which you learn from this miracle?

A. I learn, in the first place, to adore the miraculous power of that incarnate god, who, when it pleases Him, can convert spiritual food into natural, as in the case of the manna in the wilderness, and of the loaves and fishes in the present instance. In the next place I learn, from the spiritual sense of the above miracle, many interesting and edifying particulars respecting spiritual food, and its reception in the human mind, being taught:

that all spiritual food is of two kinds, namely. good and truth, or love and wisdom, the one intended for the nourishment of the human will, and the other for the nourishment of the human understanding; the one therefore represented by the loaves, and the other by the fishes.

That before spiritual food can be fully received, there must be a right arrangement in the lower principles of the human mind, signified by the lord commanding the multitude to sit down on the grass.

That before spiritual food can be fully received and incorporated into the life, the divine presence and benediction must be supplicated, and at the same time the understanding must be opened to the light of truth, to enable it to explore and distinguish well the principles of spiritual nourishment, signified by jesus taking the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, and blessing and breaking the loaves,

That spiritual food, which is instruction in the word of god, is not given immediately by Jesus Christ, but mediately, that is to say, by the goods and truths of that word, through the instrumentality of those who teach them, signified by Jesus giving the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

That the food derived from the word of god, is the only food which can fully satisfy an immortal spirit, signified by all eating and being filled.

That in all spiritual eating, there is an immense increase of spiritual food, which increase ought to be devoutly acknowledged to be the result of the divine bounty, signified by taking up the fragments that remained, twelve baskets-full.

That there are three distinct classes of men, who constitute the lord’s church and kingdom, and who are therefore carefully to be distinguished from each other, namely, those who receive more of truth in their understandings, those who receive more of the affection of truth in their wills, and those who are in innocence, signified by the five thousand men, besides women and children.

I am resolved, therefore, in reading the word of god, or in receiving spiritual food in any other manner, to attend well to every particular of divine instruction recorded in the history of this miracle; and then may I humbly hope to be fed by my god and saviour, as the multitudes of old were, and thus to find angels’ food in every state of life, even the most desolate and desert. And then, too, may I hope further, like the infant church of old, to be filled, in other words, to find a full satisfaction and contentment derived from my food; and also to experience a blessed increase of spiritual nourishment, leading me to a more devout acknowledgement of the divine giver, both of natural and spiritual food, and thus to join in the angelic song, Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, (Rev. 5:12). amen.

-by Mimi Rothschild

Almost all of us could sing (or at least holler) a line or two from the “Hallelujah Chorus.” It’s the one that goes, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” But not all of us know the whole story of this wonderful piece of music.

At this time of year, you can probably find a live performance of Handel’s Messiah in your neighborhood, or on TV. It’s about two and a half hours long, which is a good length for older students, but may be too long for younger children. For the littlest ones, you might prefer to listen to a recording of just a few parts of the whole work.

Georg Frideric Handel wrote his Messiah in just twenty-four days after reading the verses it’s based on: it remains one of the great examples of God’s inspiration in art. The words come primarily from the book of Isaiah. The music was written in 1742. The first performance took place in Dublin in April of that year, and parts of the oratorio are still performed at Easter. Nowadays, though, Messiah is mostly sung at Christmas.

Even if you plan to go to hear a live performance, it is still good to listen and study some of the pieces ahead of time.

“For Unto Us a Child is Born”

For unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is given,
And the government shall be upon His shoulder.
And His name shall be called “Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

This section is great for listening practice. There are very few words, but they are repeated in complicated overlapping patterns by all the different singers at different times. Have students take a pencil and paper and check off when they hear particular phrases. For example, you might ask the kids to make a check on the paper each time they hear the word “for” – it stands out well. Older students can listen very closely and say whether they heard male or female (or high or low) voices each time.

In the next section, listen for “shoulder” in the same way. This intensive listening feels like a game, but it helps children develop their attention spans and the habit of close listening.

All the voices then sing “And His name shall be called…” together. Discuss with your students why this might be so important that Handel wanted everyone to sing it strongly together. Read this passage in Isaiah 9:6 together and discuss what it means to say that “the government shall be upon His shoulder.” Remind the children that you have lots of names for them (pet names and nicknames) because they’re so important to you, and in the same way, we have lots of names for Jesus. The Old Testament book of Isaiah uses many of these beautiful names.

“And the Glory”

And the glory, the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

This song, with words from Isaiah 40:5, is a joyful celebration of the arrival of the Christ Child, and a wonderful verse to learn during Advent when we wait to repeat that celebration ourselves.

Reinforce listening practice by listening for the loud and soft parts of this section of Messiah. This is an important first step in music education, and a useful thing for kids to know in their daily lives, too. Have the children lift their hands way up on the loud parts and push them down for the soft parts. For the dramatic silence near the end, hands should be on the table or the floor.

Older students can listen for specific instruments in the orchestra as they play. Have them list the instruments they hear.

“Hallelujah”

Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah!
The kingdom of the world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ
And he shall reign forever and ever
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

This section is as close as Messiah gets to having a part you can sing along with, so go ahead and sing along. Then look at some of the difficult words: “hallelujah,” “omnipotent,” “reigneth,” and “reign.” Have your students write the message out in their own words.

If you attend a live performance of Messiah, you may encounter two interesting customs that go along with the “Hallelujah Chorus.” First, people often stand up to listen to it. The story goes that King George was so excited the first time he heard it performed that he spontaneously stood up. Since no one was allowed to sit down while the king was standing, the whole theater full of people stood, too, and now it’s the custom to do so.

The other interesting custom associated with this song is that of allowing the people in the audience to come up and join in with the final chorus. Sometimes you can even buy a copy of the music in the theater so you can sing along.

Whether you enjoy the Messiah in a concert hall, on a CD, or on YouTube, your children will benefit from sharing in this important piece of our cultural and religious heritage.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.

-by Mimi Rothschild

As Christmas approaches, our homes can get busy and our kids can get restless. Instead of giving lessons short shrift, take this opportunity to review what you’ve learned so far this school year, using a Christmas Around the World theme.

Before you begin, find a world map: a wall map, an online map to print out, or a map made by your students can all be great choices. Whenever you work on a new country, have your children find that nation on the map, and mark it with a map pin or sticker. This will give you a good geography review as you go along.

Start in Mexico, where Las Posadas is an important part of the Christmas celebration. This is a sort of parade, in which people reenact the journey of Mary and Joseph, knocking on the door to ask for a place to stay and being told there is only space in the stable. The reenacters are then invited in, and a party is held. Make a piñata for your party from papier mache formed over a blown-up balloon, serve hot chocolate, and sing Christmas carols. This is a great way to have an easy party with fellow homeschool families. During the preparations, use math skills to plan and carry out the refreshments and decorations, review the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, and practice Spanish if you’ve been studying it.

Christmas in England has influenced our American celebration of Christmas enormously. Christmas trees became popular in the United States after Queen Victoria’s German husband introduced the custom to England. Many of our special foods, Christmas hymns, and the custom of Christmas cards also came to us from England. But one of the best ways to incorporate an English Christmas into our lessons is to read or listen to A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Whether your children are ready to read the book aloud to the family, or more of an age to watch The Muppets Christmas Carol on TV, they can enjoy this story. If you’re reading it, keep a list of new vocabulary words you meet in the book, and have the kids look them up in the dictionary.

Next stop on the Christmas Around the World journey: Finland. Practice writing friendly letters by writing letters to Santa Claus at Santa, c/o Arctic Circle, 96930 Rovaniemi, Finland. (If Santa Claus is not part of your holiday tradition, let your students help with Christmas cards, or write to grandparents about what they’re learning.) In Finland, an important Christmas custom is a thorough cleaning of the house. When your students need a break from concentrating on writing, get some good exercise with vigorous housecleaning and return to your studies with renewed energy. Another Finnish custom is to feed the birds the first thing on Christmas morning, before the people in the house eat or any presents are opened, Use this custom to talk about putting others first, as Jesus told us to do, and to review any studies you’ve done about birds.

Onward to France, where Christmas is observed with santons, figures of people from the community who are grouped around the crèche, which is the manger scene of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Review your lessons on community helpers or careers, and make santons from clay or paper to add to your manger scene. France is also the home of the Buche de Noel, a famous Christmas cake made in the shape of a log. Frost a jelly roll to look like a log, review your lessons on plants or trees, and talk with your children about how the plants we associate with Christmas show a picture of Jesus. Those green plants remind us of the way Jesus triumphed over death by His resurrection, and of our own rebirth in Him. This, you can explain, is why we bring trees into our homes at Christmas: to remind ourselves and others of our eternal life through our savior Jesus.

In Ghana, on the west coast of Africa, children walk through the streets in the evening singing carols and calling, “Christ is near! Christ is near!” They dress in splendid costumes and sometimes even dance to the music of brass bands. Christmas in Ghana is a combination of church celebrations and visiting friends and relatives in nearby towns. Homes are decorated with bright paper ornaments. In Ghana, few families have the kind of material abundance that we are used to. Presents, for families that can afford them, are usually shoes or school books. Take this opportunity to talk with your children about the differences in material wealth from one country to another, and to remember that Jesus tells us to help and pray for those who have less than we do. This is also a time to remember that Christmas is not about presents and fancy decorations, even though we enjoy those things, but about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

An Australian Christmas is a summer holiday. Families go camping and have barbecues on the beach. Review the seasons and how the rotation of the earth causes them while you learn about Australian Christmas customs. Other appropriate science topics would be the kinds of animals God has placed in different habitats, and the differences between marsupial and placental mammals. A beautiful custom in Australia is the candlelight carol service. People in cities come out into the center of town with candles to sing Christmas carols together. In Australia, where a relatively high proportion of people live alone, loneliness is as much as problem at Christmas as poverty. Pray with your children about someone you know who might be lonely this Christmas.

With these ideas, you can work on science, math, reading, writing, and social studies, even as you enjoy the preparations for this wonderful holiday.

-by Mimi Rothschild

One of the concerns homeschoolers hear from other people, often including our extended family members and well-meaning friends from church, is that our children won’t have the opportunities for socialization that kids receive in public schools. This is a sincere concern, and giving it a serious answer can not only reassure our friends and family, but also help to correct misunderstandings about homeschooling.

First, where does this idea come from? Year-round public schooling in America became widespread and powerful in the 1920s, following the passage of compulsory schooling laws in the early years of the 20th century. Before that time, many children still learned at home, or in short spells of schooling with itinerant teachers. Others traveled to private seminaries and preparatory schools. The idea that all children would and should attend public schools came up for two main reasons.

First, the flood of immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century caused people to worry that the UnitedStates would lose its shared language and culture. If immigrant children continued to learn at home, they would speak only the languages of their parents, and not learn English. Second, the rise of factories gave Americans the feeling that an assembly line and the one-size-fits all approach was the most modern and efficient way to do everything, including educating children.

Public schools are still a good way for newly arrived immigrants to learn the language and culture of their new homeland. We’ve learned, on the other hand, that an assembly line approach isn’t necessarily the best way to teach children.

In either case, the idea that our children need schools for socialization is a hangover from those days, a time of different ideas and circumstances from our own. Supposing that your children come from a home where English is spoken. What kind of socialization will they get in a public school?

First, they’ll spend most of their time with others their own age. A homeschool student has the opportunity to watch and learn from adults and older siblings, to help and care for younger children, and to see how people of all ages interact in a natural way. In public schools, children may be almost completely segregated by age.

Second, they’ll spend most of their time in a strongly hierarchical setting. In a school, students in upper grades may feel that they have higher status and more importance than younger ones, and they may show that feeling in their behavior toward the little ones. Teachers may struggle to stay in control of their classes, shouting or threatening to keep the upper hand. Teachers are ruled by the principal, and the principal may bow to the school board. Students are often conscious of this pecking order. At home, the loving family strives to follow the model Christ gave the church. We may not always succeed, but we have a stronger starting point.

Third, they’ll be in a secular, worldly environment. The Apostle Paul gave a wonderful example of how to get along with different kinds of people. God wants us to be able to do that. God’s word doesn’t teach us that it’s essential for us to make sure that our children dress like the current pop stars, memorize the story line from the most popular TV show, or yearn for the latest materialistic fads. Yet this is often the center of social life at school.

Homeschool social groups, Sunday School, art classes, music lessons, and community sports teams all give opportunities for kids to interact with other kids and become comfortable in groups. A few hours a week, along with free play time with siblings and neighbors, is enough of that kind of socialization for our children. Otherwise, learning the excellent lessons the Bible has for us about how to behave toward other people is the best possible socialization.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12
online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.

-by Mimi Rothschild

Both as parents and as teachers, we are charged with encouraging and uplifting our children. Children are like sponges; they soak up whatever their environment is filled with. This is the very reason many of us chose to homeschool in the first place, so that our children won’t be surrounded by things that are not desirable. But we cannot forget that in place of those negative things we work so diligently to remove from our children’s lives, we must provide love, knowledge, joy and encouragement. Children are, after all, a gift from God and we should treat them as such.

Proverbs 22:6 reminds us to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.” It is crucial that our children be taught the word of God and His teachings. And we can certainly do this in our daily curriculum, as well as with family Bible study and devotionals. But we mustn’t forget that a big part of teaching includes continual encouragement for our children.

Do we as Christians not seek encouragement from God? Isn’t it an amazing feeling to know that God loves us so much, and that He will never forget or forsake us? According to Hebrews 6:10: “For God is not so unjust as to forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have ministered to the saints and continue to minister to them.” If God, our Heavenly Father, provides us with the endless inspiration of His word, then how much more should we, as parents, be an inspiration for our own children?

Have you ever enthusiastically told a child what a great job they did, or how proud you are of them? If you have, then you’ve seen the way their face lights up, how their eyes shine, how their chest puffs and they beam with pride. Do you realize that nobody on this earth will have as big an impact on your child’s life as you? Children thrive on encouragement. And they should be getting plenty of it from you. Plant good seeds as they grow and they will reap the fruits of your labor as they continue through life.

This applies not only in day to day life, but also in homeschooling. When your child successfully completes an assignment, learns a new math rule, or spells a difficult word correctly, how do you react? Do you say “ok” and move on to the next lesson or step? Next time, take a few minutes to remind your students how smart they are, and what a wonderful effort they are making in their work (assuming they are).

Of course, you have to strike a balance so you don’t make your children over-confident. But by providing consistent, well deserved encouragement to them, you will raise intelligent, confident, productive and faithful adults.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.