 Family Life
The Marriage Garden
Using the Marriage Garden Curriculum
The Marriage Garden curriculum includes:
The Marriage Garden folder including
introductory lessons under the flap
Six Lesson
Guides covering the six areas in the Marriage Garden. These Guides
are available free as pdf’s at
www.arfamilies.org or are available printed on colored paper for $4 for a
full set of six lessons (about 60 printed pages of information). The order form
can be found at:
http://www.arfamilies.org/family_life/marriage/
It is intended that these materials can be used in many
different ways:
1. Individual study. Any person can individually
read and study the lesson guides to learn about healthy relationships. This can
be done whether one is hoping to marry, is married, or is recovering from a
failed marriage. (Incidentally, we believe that the same general principles of
relationships would apply whether the couple was dating, cohabiting, married, or
in a same-sex relationship.) Of course, it is ideal to have both partners in a
relationship study and apply the materials together. Yet, even in those cases
where a person’s partner does not take participate, the relationship can be
strengthened by your individual efforts.
2. Couple study. A couple can read and study the
lesson guides together. They may choose to read the material together and
discuss it as they go or they may read the materials on their own and come
together to discuss and apply the ideas. Any time a couple works together, each
person should carefully avoid any temptation to tell the partner how to apply
the lessons to his or her behavior. Each of us should be seeking ways we can be
better ourselves rather than trying to fix our partners.
3. Group study. This curriculum can be used in group
discussion settings whether the group has a single designated leader or
leadership that rotates among group members. The person who leads the group
could prepare a discussion in advance and invite group discussion on many points
within the lesson. For ideas on leading effective discussions, go to:
http://www.arfamilies.org/family_life/Educators/ and select Drawing the Best Out of Your Students. For
advanced ideas on leading a discussion, you might also be interested in Ginott’s
Method of Parent Education (which is available at the same site and applies to
marriage education as well as parent education).
4. Marriage mentoring. The curriculum can be used
effectively in marriage mentoring. An experienced and sensible couple might
study the materials and lead a discussion with the mentee couple. That
discussion might happen over a relaxed dinner together, just sitting in living
room, or in a more formal setting (such as around a table). It can work equally
well for the mentor and mentee couples to both read the lessons and then discuss
them together.
5. Resource guide. Ideas can be drawn from the
lessons for talks, sermons, newsletters, counseling, or conversations. In
addition to the core lesson materials, each lesson guide includes additional
resources, such as quotes and stories. All these resources provide a rich
collection of materials that can be used in many ways.
In addition to all the above ideas, an organization,
couple, or individual may also buy or borrow from a library any of the
recommended books. (See the annotated bibliography on our website for a list of
the best books on marriage. Some of the recommended books are available in all
Arkansas Extension offices, namely: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage
Work, Reconcilable Differences, and Fanny’s Dream.) The
recommended books are some of the best books on marriage ever published.
If a county agent, community leader, or minister in your
community has been trained on The Marriage Garden curriculum, he or she may have
a copy of the books and the best quotes from some of the recommended books. You
may be able to borrow the book or read the quotes--which could provide you quick
access to the key ideas in these excellent books.
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