
The principle approach
Teaching by principles
By just considering the name Principle Approach, you can deduce that it emphasizes learning the principles that guide each subject in the curriculum. Understanding the basic principles gives context and meaning to the facts of the subject. Both student and teacher approach a subject by first studying the Word of God and deducing the Biblical principles of the subject. The seven principles of history and government are fundamental.
The 4 R’s
The Principle Approach uses the 4-R method of study – research, reason, relate, and record: 1) Researching God’s Word to identify His principles on a topic. 2) Reasoning from cause to effect in applying the principles to the subject at hand. 3) Relating the applications to the student. 4) Recording the individual applications. Students are enabled to learn how to research, reason, relate and record each subject, producing their own record of learning in a notebook.

Development of Lifelong Learners
By just considering the name Principle Approach, you can deduce that it emphasizes learning the principles that guide each subject in the curriculum. Understanding the basic principles gives context and meaning to the facts of the subject. Both student and teacher approach a subject by first studying the Word of God and deducing the Biblical principles of the subject. The seven principles of history and government are fundamental.
Use of Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Key Word Study
Development of the master teacher

Teacher as Living Curriculum and Discipler of Students
Learning a philosophy of government
Teaching students the art of self-government is a major concern of every teacher in the Principle Approach classroom. Because of this emphasis on seeing government as first internal, and causative, students learn how to also structure the various civil governments Biblically. Another major emphasis in understanding government is grasping and applying the Biblical concept of jurisdiction. God, in His Word, has prescribed responsibilities and limits for each sphere of government.

Character Development
All programs (public schools, traditional Christian schools, private schools, and classical schools) have some emphasis on the development of the child’s character. Principle Approach schools have a greater emphasis on the development of Christian character through its methods and each subject in the curriculum. Character is seen as causative and the events of one’s life are seen as the result.
One of the challenges of all educators is the numbers of individual lives that we deal with. Most schools have capitulated and given in to the idea of “mass education.” The Principle Approach says absolutely not; we must educate according to the principle of individuality. Therefore education must be individually hand crafted for each student, regardless of the pressure to do otherwise.
Emphasis on written and oral communication
Principle Approach students are taught to communicate both in writing and orally at every grade level. For example, at StoneBridge School, a FACE Demonstration School, each senior writes a 25 page senior thesis and defends it orally.

Providential approach to history
Reflective Methods of Testing
Biblical Curriculum
The Bible; primary sources and the best secondary sources; classics of literature.
Other methods include:
(1) Using T charts to compare and contrast; (2) Use of Key Charts (Key Individual, Key Document, Key Institution, Key Event); (3) Use of timelines.
Adopted from StoneBridge School, Chesapeake, VA.