Frequently Asked Questions
Noah Plan Curriculum/Product Questions
Click on each question below to view the answer.
1. What is The Noah Plan?
2. What makes The Noah Plan classical in nature?
3. How does the classical nature of The Noah Plan differ from other classical educational programs?
4. Are there unit studies in The Noah Plan?
5. Why is French the modern language taught in The Noah Plan elementary curriculum?
6. Can I teach The Noah Plan to combined grades?
7. Do you have a list of schools or homeschool groups using The Noah Plan?
8. Is The Noah Plan Right for My Family?
9. How can I receive free insights, tips, and notifications regarding specials from the Foundation?
10. Should we teach classics that have elements of magic or the occult?
Q: What is The Noah Plan®?
A: The Noah Plan is:
- The name of the premier complete Principle Approach® curriculum
- The resource (many books) needed to apply the whole Principle Approach methodology and philosophy in your homeschool or school setting
- A product for educating children using the Word of God in every subject
- The result of decades of research
- Curriculum that replicates the educational approach that shaped the character and reasoning of America's Founders when literacy was at an all time high
For more on The Noah Plan, please read The Noah Plan - A Complete K–12 Principle Approach Curriculum.
Q: What makes The Noah Plan classical in nature?
A: Why look to medieval Europe for classical education when the pinnacle of classical education was reached in our own nation with a Biblical and governmental mission two centuries ago? The tools of learning are ours. They're not medieval, they're Biblical and governmental.
The "classical Christian" education trend looks back to medieval practices for a classical adaptation for today's education of tomorrow's Christian leader. The medieval system, known as the trivium and the quadrivium, represents a sequence of learning in which raw data is logically analyzed and then derived principles are expressed. It adds on Latin, logic, and classical methods such as rote memory, copy work, recitation, Bible, and spiritual training.
The Principle Approach is bibliocentric, with the Bible at the heart of teaching and learning. It looks to the practices developed in America, based upon Reformation Christianity. The Principle Approach is Biblical-classical American education—the product of the educational practices of the founding era when literacy was at its peak, when all education was classical, and when the end result of schooling was in producing leaders of character, conscience, Christian self-government, and governmental principles.
The Noah Plan curriculum is classical. Literature classics are taught beginning with the children's classics in kindergarten and expanding through the grades giving language development the model and inspiration of classical literature. Children develop language and vocabulary skills that enable leadership and service. History is taught from the earliest grades with the providential approach showing the Hand of God in the affairs of men and nations and providing the Chain of Christianity® as the structure of Western civilization. The curriculum practices methods that develop writers, speakers, and leaders. All subjects employ the Notebook Approach which requires research, reasoning, recording, and relating what is learned.
Most importantly, the Principle Approach is governmental, achieving the goal set forth by Samuel Adams, American patriot and founder, when he said, "that we should unite our endeavors to renovate the age by understanding the importance of educating our little boys and girls, of inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity and universal philanthropy, and, in subordination to these great principles, the love of their country; of instructing them in the art of self-government, without which they never can act a wise part in the government of societies, great or small; in short, of leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system."
The Principle Approach, as American classical education, is Biblical and governmental. It looks to leadership of the next generation to be well-educated in the Bible and its governmental principles. It acknowledges America's Christian history and Biblical form of government, teaching them in every subject. It applies Biblical principles in scholarship, reasoning, character formation, and developing Christian self-government. It values the worth and dignity of each student and nurtures each one to achieve his fullest potential in Christ. The Principle Approach produces a Biblical Christian worldview, holding the student accountable for his character and his learning. It places the responsibility for the character and preservation of our Christian constitutional republic upon the parent to teach children "the art of self-government."
Q: How does the classical nature of The Noah Plan differ from other classical educational programs?
A: The Principle Approach IS American classical education—the product of the educational practices of the founding era when literacy was at its peak, when all education was classical, and when the end result of schooling was the development of the character of Christian self-government.
The "classical Christian" education trend spurred by the essay of the British Christian apologist, Dorothy Sayers, called "The Lost Tools of Learning," looks back to medieval practices for a classical adaptation for today's education of tomorrow's Christian leader. The Principle Approach response to this movement is this: We never lost our tools—they're not medieval; they're Biblical and governmental. And they're uniquely American. The Principle Approach looks to the practices developed in America, based upon Reformation Christianity, that reflect the achievements of the era that reached the pinnacle of educational practice in producing leaders of character, conscience, and governmental principles.
Q: Are there unit studies in The Noah Plan?
A: The Noah Plan curriculum was developed with literature, history, geography, and the fine and performing arts woven together, as much as possible, throughout the grades.
By its very nature the Principle Approach is most adaptable to unit studies. Many of Rosalie Slater's teacher guides for the children's classics in the literature program have been written with unit studies in mind.
Q: Why is French the modern language taught in The Noah Plan elementary curriculum?
A: The French language is taught from kindergarten through sixth grade in The Noah Plan. Latin is taught in fourth through eighth grade. In high school, the student chooses one language to study in-depth, including the literature of the language, for four years.
One of the most important of many reasons to teach French is that it helps establish a broad English vocabulary—over sixty percent of English words are of Latin or French derivation. Therefore, while giving our young children the educational advantage of learning a foreign language early, by using French we also build stronger English vocabularies.
A second reason is that French is the world-wide language of diplomacy, the official language of the United Nations. French is also useful in the study of law, medicine, and philosophy.
Because of the position of France on the chain of Christianity®, God used several key French individuals to further the Gospel and Christian liberty. The writings of those individuals, such as Montesquieu and Calvin, are significant in the understanding of His Story. France also played a significant role in the founding of our nation through the Huguenot influence in the colonies, as well as the contributions made by the French to the American Revolution.
Q: Can I teach The Noah Plan to combined grades?
A: Absolutely! The Noah Plan can be easily adapted to teach several grade levels in one classroom simply by selecting the Bible and history courses that best fit the ages of your children and choosing the children's literature classics that bridge their ages. Because the Principle Approach is driven by principles and leading ideas from which to reason and relate (not facts and information to be memorized and regurgitated) it is possible to teach these inspirational subjects to children of varied ages and develop age-appropriate assignments and tests for each child. For skill subjects such as arithmetic, reading, composition, and penmanship, you would schedule the time to teach each child these subjects at his specific grade level.
Q: Do you have a list of schools or homeschool groups using The Noah Plan?
A: There are numerous schools across the country using The Noah Plan; however, the Foundation for American Christian Education has no "association" or formal connection to any of them. It does suggest a demonstration school in Chesapeake, Virginia as a site for observing the Principle Approach in action.
Q: Is The Noah Plan Right for my family?
A: In a recent review of The Noah Plan for The Big Book of Home Learning, Mary Pride, an esteemed reviewer of homeschool curricula, wrote that The Noah Plan "is designed to steep [students] in the worldview of America's Founding Fathers (and Mothers), with an eye to raising a generation who will once again demand—and lead—a constitutional government, rather than our present "government" of whatever the media and judges say is the law." She went on to say that "FACE has chosen excellent resources for each of their courses," and that "serious-minded Christian families who are not afraid to do a lot of reading, analyzing, and writing, and who are deeply concerned about the world we will leave to our grandchildren, will likely find The Noah Plan attractive."
Q: How can I receive free insights, tips, and notifications regarding specials from the Foundation?
A: Click here to be added to our e-mail list and request a catalogue to be added to our mailing list.
Q: Should we teach classics with elements of magic and the occult?
A: The difference in references to “magic” in classic literature and the occult themes in Harry Potter, for instance, should be understood. In classic literature, “magic” elements such as the “wick” of The Secret Garden or the witches in MacBeth, are used to contrast good and evil, life and death, and the nature of sin in the universe against the goodness and righteousness of God. The greatest works of classic literature tackle these themes imaginatively, artistically, and convincingly, often using elements of magic. Such works as Milton’s Paradise Lost or Spenser’s The Faery Queen have won generations to Christ and instilled eternal truths using “magic” or dragons. C.S. Lewis credits his conversion to the rich literary life of his childhood when the “magic” of fairy tales lured him towards the spiritual. The Christian parent or teacher’ discernment of the appropriateness of a book should be: does this literary work teach my child a Biblical perspective of the theme elevating Jesus Christ, imparting the correct principles, and teaching my child to know and love God? The best books do this while they delight, entertain, and inspire. In contrast, the Harry Potter genre is in another category. It purports to elevate man and his powers and fails to transcend the humanistic in its use of magic.