Whether we like it or not, the medium of film is a powerful cultural force. Motion pictures, television, online videos, and even video on demand on smartphones are realities of our world. But how do they relate to homeschooling? Before we get there, let's look at some differences between print and film.

Are there differences between print and film? Of course. They are different mediums. Print, for instance, is mostly conceptual, dealing with linear ideas. Film, on the other hand, is mostly visual, dealing with images that may or may not be linear. Print typically requires concentrated thought, while film generally requires little concentrated thought. Print excels in building rational arguments, but film favors entertainment over rigorous rational discourse. Print requires literacy, while film generally does not. Print is usually a quiet endeavor, involving an interplay between the author and reader. Film, though, is noisy, involving sounds, music, etc. Print records the great ideas of human history, while film is mostly transient and fleeting (especially much television). Finally, we could say print is active, while film is passive. That is to say, if we are good readers we engage printed ideas actively, but when we watch film we are mostly passive observers. There are exceptions to each of these points, but on the whole I believe these differences are representative of what is typical of each medium.

With that said, we could also add that print and film share some similarities. Both, for example, can tell a story, evoke emotions, share ideas, entertain, can be artistic, and are capable of communicating truth or error.

Must print and film engage in battle? Not necessarily. Film can often serve as an engaging supplement or complement to literature-rich homeschooling pursuits. After all, it's one thing to read about something and another to see it in action. With parental monitoring sites like YouTube offer a wealth of educational supplements that will excite your children and move them to want to learn more about various subjects. This is one reason Sonlight incorporated links to video clips in many of our Sonlight Science programs a few years ago.

I've written elsewhere that film is the "new literature." I don't mean that literature will disappear, but that we've largely shifted from a culture that asks, "Have you read?" to "Have you seen?"

Sonlight is literature rich. We value the written word and the ability of literature-based stories to make a difference in lives, whether it's shaping character, exposing us to different cultural ideas, or just entertaining us with characters that come to life. Understanding the differences between film and print can help us better understand these mediums, as well as how to better incorporate them in our efforts to educate our children.

Do you incorporate video when you teach your children? Let us know how you do it and how your children respond.

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

As a former atheist, I had to come to terms with a lot of issues before accepting Christ and realizing that Christianity makes a lot of sense. I recently completed a unique apologetics book that will address the case for and against Christianity via a series of diagrams and accompanying commentary. (Christian apologetics, by the way, is the rational defense of the faith.)

One chapter makes the claim that Christianity is the best explanation of reality and offers six key lines of evidence in its support. First, truth is objective and we can know reality. Second, God exists and has revealed himself. Third, the Bible is reliable. Fourth, Christ rose from the dead. Fifth, Christianity best explains reality. Sixth, religious experience supports Christianity.

These aren't the only reasons Christianity is "true and reasonable." Also, keep in mind that these evidences can work together to make an overall case for Christianity. In other words, each point need not be in isolation from other lines of evidence.

In the chapter, after making a case for each point, I go on to offer several objections to those six premises. This helps see arguments from different perspectives, which can help strengthen our own position as we think through criticisms of ideas we believe are true. I then offer rebuttals to the objections.

I also present diagrams and arguments from opposing viewpoints, which puts me in the position of having to defend the claims of atheists or pantheists, for instance. Some of those topics include the claims that since evil exists, God does not exist, or the arguument that belief in God is delusional.

The idea is to help us think critically about ideas and see that there are many different viewpoints to consider and evaluate. There's a great and relevant quote in the C.S. Lewis novel That Hideous Strength. One character remarks, "I suppose there are two views about everything." Another replies, "Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one."

One of my tasks as a curriculum writer at Sonlight is to help children think through all kinds of ideas, even if those ideas may clash with existing viewpoints. This is especially crucial as children get older, but it's a good idea to start early. Our goal at Sonlight is to educate, not indoctrinate. This means giving children the information they need to grow in their faith and equipping them to wrestle intelligently with ideas.

Why believe Christianity? It's "true and reasonable." We have good evidence in support of its claims. But this doesn't mean we can just ignore the objections. Fortunately, we have good answers!

We also talked about the high school curriculum I co-authored with Sonlight President Sarita Holzmann: What Good is Christianity? This is a fascinating elective that takes high school students on a tour of Christianity's great contributions to the world in areas such as the fine arts, science, education, and much more.

How can Finding Nemo help us strike a good balance as parents? Why did C.S. Lewis think we all long for God? How should we relate to culture? Head over to The Sociable Homeschooler and listen to the program to find out (look under February 24).

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

But I am going to blog about love, specifically in reference to our love of God and how it relates to intellect and education.

A man once asked Jesus, "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:36) Jesus replied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39, ESV).

This response is interesting on many levels, but for our purposes what is truly fascinating is the call to use the mind in relation to our love of God. This is especially relevant at a time when Christianity is under attack by various critics. One false charge often made is that Christianity is anti-intellectual, relying on a leap of blind faith and emotions alone rather than any kind of sound reasoning.

Biblically speaking, this is quite a misunderstanding. Not only does Jesus value the use of the mind in relation to loving God, but God is also a reasonable being. In Isaiah 1:18, for example, God says, "Come, now, let us reason together ..." First Thessalonians 5:21, moreover, encourages us to "examine everything carefully" and "hold fast to that which is good" (NASB). Paul also emphasized the importance of reason in relation to faith when he said in response to a doubter, "What I am saying is true and reasonable" (Acts 26:25, NIV).

This doesn't mean that we're pure logical beings, called to love God only with our minds in some sort of detached, robotic way. There's room for intellect and emotion in the Christian life. God wants us to think and feel deeply, but we need to be careful about keeping the life of the mind and the life of the emotions in a healthy balance.

When creating curriculum for Sonlight, one of my goals is to always encourage and help children along so that they can use their God-given intellects to seek true understanding of the world around them. We are blessed with wonderful mental capabilities. In our lifelong pursuit of education and wisdom we should strive to love God with heart, soul, and mind.

For more on this topic see Love Your God with All Your Mind by J.P. Moreland and Habits of the Mind by James Sire.

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

In addition to my work developing curriculum at Sonlight, I recently taught a grad course on the philosophy of C.S. Lewis. As we made our way through the semester it occurred to me that Sonlight's literature-rich approach is a great help in preparing children for college.

We didn't use any textbooks, opting instead to read several books by C.S. Lewis. Granted, not all college or grad school courses follow this model, but when they do Sonlight students will excel (even when they don't, Sonlight users can still apply the Sonlight model of education to any area of study). After all, Sonlighters are already quite familiar with reading and understanding books, as well as following a set schedule. Sonlight also prepares children to interact with lots of different ideas, encourages critical thinking, and helps children to fairly and charitably understand and engage competing perspectives.

In short, Sonlight's approach to education not only prepares children for college studies, but it prepares them for life. None of us live in isolation from the world. Ideas and differing viewpoints permeate cultures and subcultures whether we agree with the perspectives or not. Being able to intelligently and courteously engage those ideas is a wonderful benefit of Sonlight's approach to education.

How do you see Sonlight helping your children prepare for college or life in general?

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

As Luke shared yesterday, learning through lectures isn't always the most engaging or effective method. It's also hard to instill virtue in children just by telling them directly what's right and what's wrong. But through stories they can see the results of poor moral choices, as well as good ones, without a lecture or without a parent having to chide them.

There are many reasons Sonlight offers a literature-rich educational experience. Personally, I appreciate how storytelling is central to what our curriculum offers and believe it helps encourage virtues in children.

One example of this is found in the C.S. Lewis book we offer called The Horse and His Boy. Although it's part of the famed seven-volume Narnia series, The Horse and His Boy functions quite well as a self-contained story. In it we encounter a young boy named Shasta who finds himself on an unexpected adventure. One of the virtues Shasta develops is courage, while he also exemplifies a good dose of humility.*

The Bible, too, uses storytelling in order to communicate doctrinal and moral truths. Jesus, for instance, often told parables in order to get his point across. He knew that people were far more likely to remember the stories of the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son, for example, than any "lecture" he might give on ethics.

What do you think of the ability of stories to communicate virtues? Do you have a favorite Sonlight book that serves as a good example of virtue in storytelling? We'd love to hear from you!

Robert Velarde
Author/Educator/Philosopher

*To learn more about virtues in the Narnia series see my book The Golden Rules of Narnia, previously published as The Lion, the Witch, and the Bible and The Heart of Narnia.

Are these charges true? Hardly. A look at the facts of history demonstrates Christianity's positive influence on individuals and the world. From its beginnings Christianity stressed God's love as its ethical foundation. Early Christians also understood the importance and moral implications of the biblical teaching that human beings are made in God's image. If, after all, we are made in God's image, then every human life is of inestimable worth. That's one reason early Christians rescued babies that were left to die and why the church would later found orphanages and hospitals.

Given Christianity's ethical foundation based on God's love, as well as Christ's call to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12, NIV), the results of truly following Christianity are positive, not harmful, having resulted in many tangible blessings throughout the world as Christians risk their safety in order to help others.

Moreover, Christianity is a thinking religion, calling followers to use their minds in the pursuit of truth (see, for instance, Matthew 22:37-39). When the Apostle Paul was accused of being "insane" for his beliefs, he did not respond by offering blind faith. Instead he remarked, "What I am saying is true and reasonable" (Acts 26:25, NIV). Early Christians often appealed to evidence for their faith, as well as engaging in reasoned discussion (see, for example, Acts 1:3; 17:2, 17:17; 18:19).

If true Christianity were removed from the world, the loss would be incalculable. The truth is, Christianity has left its positive marks on a number of areas of life including social justice, music, art, literature, philosophy, science, charity, democracy, and more. That's why Sonlight created What Good is Christianity? This upper-level high school curriculum graciously addresses many of the criticisms of contemporary skeptics, while underscoring the numerous beneficial contributions Christians and Christianity have made to the world.

What do you think? Do the critics have some valid points? Is there a particular charge against Christianity that has caused you concern? If so, post your comment here.

Charlotte Mason-inspired nature journals

"Charlotte who?" I asked my wife. Having grown up with a public school education, I wasn't too knowledgeable or enthusiastic about homeschooling or the types of approaches available. Several years later, I'm glad to say that I'm not only a father of four homeschooled children, but have learned quite a bit about the many different approaches to education.

Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) combined a unique approach to education that many homeschooling families today appreciate. In my home we've found Sonlight and Charlotte Mason integrate well, rather than being opposites or enemies. Although Sonlight is most definitely focused on literature-rich education, this by no means cuts us off from experiencing the world around us or integrating ideas from other educational methods.

How does the Charlotte Mason method tie in to a Sonlight-based education? I've already written about a learning home, which coincides well with Mason's emphasis on the atmosphere in the home contributing to education in significant ways. In my experience, Sonlight families emphasize the importance of a home that encourages and cultivates learning. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts."

The Charlotte Mason approach also emphasizes "living" or "whole" books. This means that rather than using typically dry textbooks that are written by committees, a living or whole book is written by a single author. This, of course, fits in quite well with Sonlight's literature-rich approach. Many of our books are stories written by a single author who is enthusiastic about the topic and can communicate in ways that touch our intellect and emotions.

Narration is also a component of the Charlotte Mason method. This means that children learn to comprehend what they've read by sharing about it meaningfully. Sonlight spends a lot of time helping parents and children engage the material they're reading by posing questions that help children remember and think through what they've read.

Another area where I've found Charlotte Mason ideas integrate well is with science. Charlotte Mason encouraged hands-on learning, especially in reference to nature studies. Each of my children has their own nature journal (two are pictured above), where they can record all kinds of things they encounter in nature such as trees, birds, plant life, wild animals, etc. God's world is filled with wonders that we're often too "busy" to notice. Having a nature journal helps us slow down and enjoy the beauty of the natural world, which often prods us to learn more about what we've seen.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of helping to revise Sonlight's A-G science curricula and am glad to report that many of our hands-on activities were inspired by the Charlotte Mason approach to nature studies.

If you'd like to learn more about the Charlotte Mason approach, feel free to do a search online where you'll find a lot of helpful tips. The book A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola is also a great help.

Sonlight and Charlotte Mason work well together. What different approaches to education do you integrate? Why do you like them? Let us know!

Our "wall of maps"

No, homes don't learn, but creating what I call a "learning home" can help you and your children appreciate and make the most of your homeschooling journey.

A learning home cultivates an environment that encourages and stimulates education, intellectual curiosity, and wonder about the world. Here are some tips for helping you create a learning home.

Always let your children ask questions. Kids are expected to inquire about all kinds of things and, as parents, we can help guide the resulting discussions. Even if we don't have the answers all the time (and we won't!), we can learn with our children as they inquire. If we are interested in learning, and demonstrate to our kids that we are, we can help pass on our love for learning to them.

Roman thinker Cicero said, "A room without books is like a body without a soul." Books are a key component of any learning home. But books in a learning home need not be confined to just one area or room. Spread books throughout your house and you'll often find that your children will become more interested in grabbing a book off a shelf even "after school."

A learning home also tends to have lots of stuff on the walls. No, I don't mean peanut butter and jelly stains, though that can happen! I'm referring to items such as maps, timelines, and posters. In my house we have a wall of maps that includes a map of the world, the United States, Colorado, Israel, and Narnia (as a C.S. Lewis fan I had to include this one!). Knowing geography helps cultivate cultural literacy, understanding about how to read maps, and can bring history to life as children begin to grasp where historical events actually took place.

Extending the learning home concept to your backyard is helpful, too. If you don't have a backyard you can apply these ideas by going to a park or any place you can think of where your kids can observe and explore nature. If you do have a backyard, you and your children will be amazed by how much of interest you might find in it. From ant colonies to types of trees to various birds to spider webs, your own backyard can serve as a helpful annex to your learning home, especially when it comes to science studies.

A home computer connected to the internet offers a number of opportunities to follow up on questions and discussions that come up in a learning home. YouTube, for instance, provides a variety of videos on all sorts of educational topics. Are your kids interested in bugs? Chances are that YouTube will have some fascinating videos on the topic. The fine arts? Go online and learn about great artists, paintings, composers, sculptures, architecture, etc. (Try to locate your computer in an open area where everyone can see what's going on. This is an internet safety tip, but it will also encourage your children to take an interest in learning activities that you are exploring online together.)

Keep in mind that a learning home is not a museum. It's expected that things will get messy sometimes. Books will get left in various places, piles of knowledge may form here and there, dirt will get tracked in and out of the house, and, yes, every now and then peanut butter and jelly will end up on the walls. What is far more important is that a learning home will help your children become lifelong learners who are intellectually curious about everything God's world has to offer.

Do you have any learning home tips? We'd love to hear them!

So what are we to make of the relationship between Christianity and culture? As a homeschooling father of four, what can I teach my children about their interaction with the culture of the world? Do we entrench ourselves in our Christian culture, avoiding contact with everything worldly? Should we embrace culture wholeheartedly? Is it possible to engage culture positively?

We must have some understanding of the definition of "culture." T.M. Moore says "culture consists of the collection of artifacts, institutions, and conventions by which people define, sustain, and enrich themselves" (Redeeming Pop Culture, p. 18).

Culture is unavoidable since it permeates our surroundings wherever we live. This common culture is filled with various subcultures, while popular culture often touches upon culture at large as well as the many subcultures, whether they be ethnic, religious, artistic, etc.

It appears, then, that the option to entrench ourselves, thus avoiding culture, is not a viable option. We are, after all, supposed to be "salt" and "light" in the world, not hidden away. If we fully entrench ourselves, seeking to avoid culture entirely, our children will indeed be protected from some of the negative aspects of culture, but they will also be unprepared to interact with the world positively as Christians.

Maybe, then, we should seek to simply embrace culture, celebrating it, participating in it, and, by doing so, "become all things to all people" (1 Corinthians 9:22). But embracing culture without discernment is dangerous. We may find ourselves becoming more like the negative aspects of culture than the positive.

A better way is to engage culture intelligently. Jesus admonished his followers "to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). Earlier in the same verse he told them, "I am sending you out," while in Matthew 28:19, he said, "Go therefore." Christianity engages culture in order to make a difference in God's kingdom.

In ages past, Christians were on the forefront of science, the fine arts, philosophy, literature, and many other areas of cultural influence. By engaging culture, and teaching our children to do so, we can once again make a difference. That's why Sonlight Curriculum does not seek to teach children to entrench themselves in their own subculture or to unquestioningly embrace culture. Instead, we want to help you raise godly children who know how to engage culture intelligently, defending their faith "with gentleness and respect" ( 1 Peter 3:15).

Three of my favorite resources regarding Christianity and culture include Redeeming Pop Culture by T.M. Moore, All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Kenneth Myers, and Culture Making by Andy Crouch.

What are you doing to help your children in relation to culture?