Teaching Principle 1: First the Physical, then the Theoretical (Spiritual)

Under construction - stay tuned!

The first teaching principle that I’d like to cover is that, regardless of age, you should introduce the physical phenomenon of interest first, before discussing the various theories and concepts about the phenomenon.

For instance, introduce your child to magnets and let them play with them before talking about theories of magnetism. Show your children the sky, sun, moon, stars, and other planets before talking about various theories of the solar system.

I infer this principle from how God revealed Himself in the Bible. In the Old Testament, God introduced the sacrificial system as a precursor to Jesus Christ and his atonement for our sins. God introduced the Passover before the Lord’s Supper. In order to better understand the more abstract ideas of atonement, propitiation, sacrifice, etc. God normally starts with a physical phenomenon with His people, and then introduces more abstract ideas later on.

Typical methods for teaching science include introducing the student to the idea or concept to be learned - before the student has had the chance to familiarize themselves with the phenomenon in question. Young children are typically taught about various theories of phenomenon without any historical context. Students should have the opportunity to become familiar with a given phenomenon before they are introduced to the associated theory/theories associated with that phenomenon.

To be continued. …