The #1 Question Parents Ask About Living Wisdom School

Why does teaching the whole child leads to stronger academics — and happier kids?

Why Parents Ask This Question

Many parents wonder if Living Wisdom’s “whole-child” approach — where teachers deeply get to know each student and tailor lessons to their individual strengths — might take time away from academics.

After more than fifty years of experience across Living Wisdom Schools, we’ve found the opposite to be true: When we engage the whole child — body, feelings, will, mind, and spirit — learning becomes more joyful, efficient, and lasting.

1. Individualized Teaching Creates Motivation and Mastery

Traditional “teach-to-the-test” methods tend to leave some students struggling and others bored. At Living Wisdom, every child works at their own pace, so they experience success daily. This personal connection builds confidence, engagement, and genuine enthusiasm for learning.

In such an environment, discipline problems disappear — replaced by curiosity, cooperation, and self-motivation.

2. Emotional Safety Makes Learning Possible

From kindergarten through eighth grade, teachers monitor and guide student interactions with care. Children are taught conflict resolution, empathy, and respect. The result is a culture where students feel safe, valued, and free to learn: a foundation neuroscience confirms is essential for cognitive growth.

3. Happiness and Success Are Linked

For decades, research at Harvard, Stanford, and Yale has confirmed what Education for Life has practiced since the 1970s: happiness fuels success.

Harvard’s Positive Psychology course — the most popular in the school’s history — echoes what our teachers see daily: happy, engaged students learn faster, think more creatively, and retain knowledge more deeply.

At Living Wisdom, happiness isn’t treated as a reward for success — it’s the starting point.

4. The Five Dimensions of a Child

Every child learns through five interconnected instruments: body, feelings, will, mind, and soul. When one is neglected, the others suffer. When all are nurtured, children thrive:

• Body: Health and vitality energize the mind.

• Feelings: Kindness and joy expand curiosity and focus.

• Will: Confidence and perseverance make learning resilient.

• Mind: Clear thinking and creativity flourish in calm, happy students.

• Soul: A sense of purpose deepens motivation and fulfillment.

This is why Living Wisdom students approach learning as an adventure, not a burden.

5. Real Results: Confidence that Lasts

Because every student learns at their level, progress feels personal.One girl who once feared math learned to love it through compassionate teaching and steady encouragement. Years later, she majored in genetics, a field where math is key. Our graduates carry this confidence forward:

• Average high school GPA: 3.85

• Graduates accepted at top Bay Area high schools (and many now continue within our own Living Wisdom High School, which extends the same heart-centered, academically strong education through 12th grade)

• Alumni thriving at universities and careers worldwide

  
  

6. Character Development Through Experience

Each spring, the entire school produces a Theater Magic play about the life of a great historical or spiritual figure, from the Dalai Lama to Martin Luther King Jr. Through acting, music, and teamwork, students build confidence, concentration, and compassion. They learn to express themselves clearly, cooperate under pressure, and see greatness as something they too can live.

This annual production is more than a performance — it’s character education in action.

7. A 100-Year Educational Legacy

The Living Wisdom approach traces back to Swami Yogananda, who founded India’s first “How to Live School” in 1917. His vision was simple yet revolutionary:

“Moral and spiritual values, without whose appreciation no man can approach happiness, were lacking in the formal curriculum. I determined to found a school where young boys could develop to the full stature of manhood.”

That vision continues today in the Living Wisdom Schools — offering education not only for what students know, but for who they become.

In Closing

Education for Life is not an alternative approach: it’s education aligned with how children actually learn and thrive. At Living Wisdom School, we see it every day: Happy children learn better, grow stronger, and carry that confidence into every stage of their lives.

Read more about Happiness & Success at School