Exploring the Well-Educated Heart Academy: A Philosophy of Heart-Centered Learning

When first encountering the Well-Educated Heart (WEH), one might assume it to be simply another addition to the realm of Charlotte Mason-inspired curricula. However, the Well-Educated Heart is more than just a curriculum; it's a comprehensive philosophy of education and living. The Well-Educated Heart (WEH) is the creation of Marlene Peterson, a homeschool mother and grandmother, who has compiled an impressive array of resources and materials.

Unveiling the Well-Educated Heart

The curriculum, known as the Rotation, is straightforward. Peterson also provides the books for this curriculum in her Libraries of Hope. She also emphasizes what Mason would call "Mother Culture", offering resources that encourage reflection on education. It's a vast collection, perhaps impossible to fully absorb.

The Well-Educated Heart philosophy emphasizes tending to our hearts through story, music, art, poetry, and nature. The mission statement for Well-Educated Heart is: We are dedicated to building a community of families who are learning to restore the lost art of educating hearts through the Arts.

The Guiding Philosophy

At its core, the Well-Educated Heart embraces a unique philosophy - one that intertwines theological and political strands. While Peterson doesn't explicitly state her religious affiliation, her work reveals her membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), also known as Mormon. Her beliefs are central to and shape her educational philosophy.

Key Principles of the Well-Educated Heart

Theological Underpinnings

Peterson posits that we all existed with God before our births and were sent to Earth to learn love. Our ultimate goal is to return to God. Love leads to joy, so our goal - in life and education - is joy. In Peterson’s words: “We can’t go wrong when we align our will to God’s, and His will is: ‘Man is that he might have joy.’” (Philosophy, p.

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The child is not an empty vessel but more like a tender plant. The mother's role is to educate and nurture, uniquely gifted for this task. Her job is to soften her children’s hearts so that they are receptive to the work of God in their lives. God shines His light on everyone. The difference is our ability to capture the light - the more we capture, the more joy we have. It is the arts which soften hearts and attract light into the child’s soul. This light gives the spiritual light something to attach to and gives the divine spirit room to work. Thus the heart is first and foremost in education (hence the name of the philosophy) and there is a pattern of always addressing the heart before the mind. Emotions come before intellect. The heart is fed not on facts and information but images and feelings so there is a lot of use of art, music, and story, especially in the early years.

Individualized Learning and the Mother's Role

WEH is a fairly individualized approach to education. There is a pattern (heart then mind) but not a formula or precise curriculum because each child is a unique individual with a unique calling. There is no force or coercion in this approach. There is a big emphasis on the mother setting an example in education by working on her own heart but she does not impose on her children if they are resistant. The reason behind this is also theological - God, Peterson believes, does not force anyone to heaven so we too do not and cannot force the softening of our children’s hearts.

The Power of Repetition

Perhaps because of the emphasis on patterns, repetition is key to the WEH. This is a spiral approach to learning which is designed to prepare the child by establishing neural pathways. Other curricula may debate 4 versus 6 year history cycles but WEH uses a one-year cycle of history and science/nature topics. This is the Rotation. With a month per subject, the child does not go deep but will come back to each topic annually.

Political Perspectives

Peterson believes that we live in a time of crisis. The differences between men and women have been obscured; heroes have been knocked off their pedestals; America’s founding stories have been denigrated. She sees a golden age of children’s literature as having occurred at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century and so the stories she selects (and reprints in her Libraries of Hope series) are older ones. There is an emphasis on heroes, especially for ages 8-11 when children are naturally focused on such things. The Rotation follows the arc of American history and Peterson urges even those in other countries to follow this sequence. She has a strong belief in American exceptionalism. Because the US is a melting pot, the study of American history will inevitably bring in the study of other cultures and societies. There is good in many cultures (example: we get respect for elders from Chinese culture) but it is only here in the United States that these cultures have all come together and that freedom has truly been achieved. It is only in freedom that we can obtain joy, which again is the goal of education and of life.

Core Tenets of the Well-Educated Heart

The Primacy of the Heart: In the WEH, learning is first and foremost a work of the heart. The intellect or mind is secondary. So the arts which are of the heart come first. History is prioritized over science, the latter being most of all the realm of the mind. Education is not forced but is something that is caught and so the role of the example is key, particularly the mother’s example. She may spend as much time on her own education as on her children’s because they will follow where she goes. Education is also very cyclical as patterns and neural pathways are established so this is a spiral approach which emphasizes repetition over depth.

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The Uniqueness of the Child: Children are unique individuals with their own calling from God. Peterson compares them to plants tenderly cared for by their mother but warns the mother not to be disappointed if she thinks she is growing a rose but ends up with a peony. Children do go through stages of development. The earliest years are most about the heart. Toddlers respond to the music of language more then the content and so we give them songs and nursery rhymes. Up to age 8 or so is the time of imagination so stories are key. Ages 8-11 are a time for hero worship and stories of great men. It is only in the tween/teen years that children begin to put the pieces together and they are not fully developed till age 26.
The Potential for Good: If not inherently good, human nature at least has the potential for good. Peterson does speak of hardships which will come in life, but there is no indication that these struggles are internal ones. The great threat seems to be a hardening of the heart but even in that there is no talk of personal sin. There is a lot of choice and freedom in human nature. Anyone could obtain joy and return to heaven but not everyone will. God sends forth his light but does not compel anyone to receive it.
The Pursuit of Joy: The immediate goal of education is the softening and preparing of the heart so that it can receive the divine light and thereby obtain joy and return to heaven to be with God again. This then is the philosophy of the Well-Educated Heart.

The Well-Educated Heart Resources

Libraries of Hope refers to all of the resources, books and learning tools to fulfill the purposes of the Well-Educated Heart philosophy. Books are sorted by topic and type of book. Enrichment pages offer suggested ideas of art, music, culinary and media enrichment activities.

Mother’s University is a collection of books, quotes, articles, podcasts, and videos about a general topic for mothers to learn, explore and ponder. These topics include A Mother’s Influence, Nature Study, Music, Art, Poetry, Storytelling, Imagination, History, Language Arts, Math, Science and Joy. If we want to be mothers that influence our children for good, we need to educate our own hearts. We can then show our children through example how to work, how to learn and how to enjoy the beautiful things of this world.

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Mothers of Influence is a network of women across the world dedicated to the well-educated heart philosophy. Local Mothers of Influence or MOI groups are a way to connect with others learning and studying similar things, discuss ideas and support and encourage one another.

Is Well-Educated Heart a curriculum?

No, Well-Educated Heart and Libraries of Hope are not a curriculum. It is a free resource that includes thousands of digital collections of quality stories and books, book recommendations for various age groups, art, music, culinary and media enrichment ideas that complement history and cultural topics. Marlene Peterson has an ongoing podcast series that explores various influential people and interesting topics throughout history.

Everyone is welcome to use these resources. You can use the Library of Hope resources if you homeschool, your children attend public or private school. You can use these resources if you have children, grandchildren or no children. You can use them to add good literature into your home, share enriching activities with your family and friends and supplement your homeschool with quality, inspiring ideas and possibilities.

The Rotation Schedule

The rotation schedule utilizes the school year calendar to break American and World History into sections of study. Each month has suggested topics or time periods to learn about and study. Each month has suggested ideas of art, music, culinary and media enrichment activities. The rotation schedule stays the same year after year. We learn and retain information through repetition. As you and your children grow, you will repeat topics and time periods from American and World History. But there will not be a lack of material. You can revisit your favorite stories, explore new rabbit holes, take detours based on current interests, study a specific person or event more in depth, and incorporate new books, traditions and experiences. It is all about building layers and making new connections. You can begin using these resources at any time throughout the school year.

Getting Started with WEH

You can get started by visiting librariesofhope.com and watching the orientation video and Catch the Vision intro course. Start small. Start with something that really resonates with you. Or start with something you feel like your homeschool is lacking? Or start with something your family is excited about? Or start with something that you already have established in your routine but want to tweak? The point is to start. Whatever option you choose, there are so many good, true and beautiful resources to choose from that you can’t go wrong. She talks and expounds on an idea for roughly three to five minutes.

Resources for Well-Educated Hearts (WEH)

We are gathering a community of families who are learning the lost art of educating hearts through the Arts. We seek to preserve a culture of faith, freedom, and family and a love of the good, the true, and the beautiful.

Start Here: Orientation Video
Forgotten Classics Family Library: To access all of our books as free digital reads, visit our Forgotten Classics Family Library page. Hard copies of all the books can be purchased in our store.
Libraries of Hope: If you are looking for wholesome books, audios, podcasts, music, fine art, movies, crafts, foods, and even plays for your WEH journey, click on Rotation and start exploring here in Libraries of Hope (LOH).
Simple Joy Art: If you are looking for fine art sorted by a variety of categories, visit our Simple Joy Art site. All the art is in the public domain as per Wikimedia Guidelines, so you may use it as you like.
BelMonde: If you are looking for a free listening library of books and stories from the Golden Age of Children's literature, visit our BelMonde site. Stories are sorted by the rotation.
Belle Ame Dream: Come join our community of families. Here you will find extra support as you learn and live this new way of educating hearts.
Catch the Vision: If you want to learn all about the Well-Educated Heart (WEH) philosophy of learning and living and all the many resources available here, start with our FREE Catch the Vision Introductory course. You can access it here by clicking on the image.

The Academy Experience

Discover how our unique approach to learning blends flexibility, creativity, and connection-right from home.

Course Offerings

Classes are held from August 18, 2025-May 8, 2026View and download the full WEHA Course Description for 2025-26 school year below.

Tuition

Affordable options with flexibility for your family.We offer several ways to make classes accessible, including monthly payment plans and support for school choice programs across multiple states.

Embracing the Well-Educated Heart in Daily Life

Years ago, I sensed that something essential was missing in education. In searching for answers, I discovered the writings of a remarkable group of educators from a century ago-men and women I now affectionately call my Heart Educator friends. What has slowly disappeared from education (and from daily life) are the Arts: Music, Visual Art, Poetry, and Story. The Arts are not extras. They civilize us. They refine us. They awaken us. The Forgotten Classics Family Library, now more than 250 volumes strong, gathers stories from the Heart Educators and other noble voices of the past, carefully restored and brought back into print to inspire today’s children. Hearts softened. Homes changed. Mothers from around the world began gathering together. These circles grew into a thriving community with live discussions, guest teachers, and courses like Catch the Vision and Mother’s University, where women learn not only what a Well-Educated Heart is, but how to live it.

Expanding the Vision

As our community grew, I began to see the need for a physical home-a gathering place dedicated to artful living. Inspired by the folk school movement in Denmark and the vision of Nikolai Grundtvig, we acquired 160 acres in the heart of Missouri. We believe the world is changed not merely by better systems, but by more beautiful souls.

The campus is being built by the very families who will gather there. These practices help our children slow down, pay attention, and engage with what is real in an increasingly artificial world. It began with one restless heart searching for something better. It grew into books, art, study circles, land, and living communities.

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