Home Catechetical Corner Living Our Faith: Alternative methods of education

Living Our Faith: Alternative methods of education

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Meghan Hackett and her husband, Richard, work on a summer homeschooling assignment with their daughters, Emma, 16, and Kathleen, 8, at their home in Highland, Md., Aug. 15, 2012. Catholic families choose to homeschool their children for the flexibility it offers and the opportunity to hand the faith to their children in a personal, yet radical way. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Classical education, a growing trend in Catholic education, begins with the premise that there is objective truth and that faith, reason and a rigorous education lead there.
Catholic parents looking for nontraditional pedagogy might consider enrolling their children in a Montessori school.
Catholic families choose to homeschool their children for the flexibility it offers and the opportunity to hand the faith to their children in a personal, yet radical way.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A May 2018 study conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that Catholic school students are less disruptive and exhibit more self-control than students in private or public schools.
The study’s report noted that Catholic school teachers told researchers that their students “argued, fought, got angry, acted impulsively and disturbed ongoing activities less frequently.”
Additionally, teachers reported that their students “were more likely to control their temper, respect others’ property, accept their fellow students’ ideas and handle peer pressure.”
Looking at demographics, “prior research suggests that Catholic schools do a particularly good job of boosting the achievement of low-income and minority students,” the report stated.
Three key takeaways from the report include:
— Schools that devote time to cultivating self-discipline are likely to do a better job of fostering it in students.
— Non-Catholic schools might consider explicit and implicate methods to replicate a “Catholic schools effect.”
— The power of religion can positively influence a child’s behavior. However, secular schools can adopt character education, ethics classes and civics to foster self-discipline.
Find the full report: https://bit.ly/2l4o85K