Christian Book Notes

Macaulay, Susan Schaeffer. For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009. 166 pp. $14.99. Purchase at Amazon.

Introduction

Susan is the daughter of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. She grew up in Switzerland at L’Abri Fellowship. She and her husband, Ranald, established an England branch of L’Abri.

Review

Relying heavily on Charlotte Mason, you can read about that method here, Susan offers keen insight into how to best educate children. She espouses what I would call a holistic approach to teaching. She begins by stating that the impetus must be on the parents to lead their children to learn. With that said, the parent must never take for granted their Christian worldview. They must seek to lay the foundation for a Christian worldview at every opportunity.

She offers advice on discipline and how we should treat the little person (child) thus establishing the God-ordained roles of parents and children. All of this leads to the “holistic” approach I mentioned above. Learning is a way of life. Everything presents an opportunity to learn. It is the parent or teacher’s job to take advantage of what we call teachable moments. All of the education offered a child ought to bring them closer to knowing God through His creation and scriptures.

Recommendation

If you are a parent or a teacher of any kind, you would glean much from reading For the Children’s Sake. This will be a book I recommend to other parents when seeking an educational philosophy as the God-centered approach espoused by Susan (through Charlotte Mason) is much needed today.