This week I am attending an online seminar called "Reboot Your Brain", which you can learn more about if you scroll down past my review of the Photoreading session I listened to by Paul Scheele, PhD, which was the session I was most interested in.
Showing posts with label K-12 education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K-12 education. Show all posts
Oct 15, 2013
Oct 4, 2013
Plans for the school year
A month into the new school year, it's time to finish this draft as I do want to share what we are doing this year. I was going to do school year-round but opted for a break in August and it has been a good time for me to do some curriculum research and get excited about what is possible. So much is possible! So many goals tend to fade over time as real life hits, but if you never set goals, if you never raise the bar, you will never improve. It is better to aim for the stars and hit the tree tops than to aim for the tree tops and land in the mud, so to speak. So when I set goals, I also give myself permission to adapt and change them.
Jul 22, 2013
Thoughts on ScreenTime
One of the first concerns people have when I tell them what I am doing with my children is the amount of screen time they are getting. You're using DVDs to teach your baby to read? Isn't that bad for them? Indeed there have been many studies that suggest that our children need less, even as the average amount each child receives tends to rise. We live in a technologically driven world, and it is hard to escape it. Natural parenting blogs boast of their children not having any screen time until they are two, others shamefully wish they could have avoided it. The Waldorf schools pride themselves of ridding themselves of it entirely, and I am certainly not out to get them. Their schools are lovely. I associate with the natural parenting movement in many ways, but not on the issue of screen time.
Last week I took a tab on how much screen time my children receive, and it averaged about 3 hours a day- sometimes more, sometimes less. I have no intention of changing that figure, and in fact we may soon increase it.
Let's step back a moment and look at some of the misconceptions behind the no-screen movement.
First, it is often assumed that all screen time happens when a child comes home from public school, as is often the case. If a child spends 7-8 hours at school, then comes home to spend 3-4 hours in front of a screen, that child will indeed have little time to go outside, experience nature, have free play, and otherwise interact with their family and peers. But for the homeschooler, the child does not spend 7-8 hours at school, and the screen time they have is an important part OF their school. I have found that the cheapest and easiest way for me to delegate some of my teaching, so I can meet the needs of all my children, is to give them high quality screen time.
Second, is the assumption that the screen time is always mindless, passive twaddle. Is it always? What if the screen time is helping them develop good sense of timing while they practice the piano? What if they exercise with someone on screen? What if it legitimately teaches them how to read? If it is their opportunity to hear a native speaker of a foreign language? If it accelerates their academic progress? What if I know I'll never take my children scuba diving in the great barrier reef, and this is the only way to expose them to what ocean life is like? What if the teacher on the screen simply does a better job teaching a given subject than me? Our big break in early learning started when we purchased Your Baby Can Read, and it has only grown from there. Originally I thought I wouldn't use screen time much at all, and in fact we still don't have a television, just a laptop and a portable DVD player. Most of the screen time my children have comes from our personal purchases. What an amazing difference it has made for our family.
Third, the assumption that it's an either or thing. If they have screen time, they don't get free play time. They don't play outside. If the screen imagines things for them, their own imaginations will be hindered. While this relates to the first, it is in fact quite separate. My children have plenty of time to play outside, plenty of time to play. During that free-play, I admit that elements from their screen time play a part, but I would hardly say it limits their imagination. Why reinvent the wheel? My children may not have come up with the idea of space travel on their own, in fact I doubt it, but because of the screen time they have received, including non-educational elements like Star Wars and Star Trek, their play in enhanced. My son makes space ships out of boxes, and models out of his legos. They pretend to invent new technologies that make space travel faster, more enjoyable, and/or more energy efficient. I love that kind of imaginative play because it is very relevant to the needs of our society, of the inventions we will need in the future. Einstein is often quoted for saying "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." I think that technology only enhances our ability to fill our children's head with good stories.
I am not as concerned about the quantity of screen time that my children receive as I am about the quality. I love watching them learn and improve from the screen time I give them. I'm proud of them, while likewise feeling relieved that I won't have to be the one to teach them whatever it is they are learning. Sometimes I'm learning with them, and that's even better. We always talk about what we learn, and often reinforce the lessons off-screen.
So these are the thoughts I have on it. This is what is working for my family. It turns out I'm not the only one who has been thinking this way. I recently came across an interesting post about a family that doesn't limit screen time at all. I agree with much of her article, while also admitting that there are some limits in my home. For example, non-educational programming is limited to Saturdays, and only religious programming is allowed on Sunday. Here's her fantastic post: http://www.cheeseslave.com/why-we-dont-limit-screen-time/
She makes a good point that most jobs require a knowledge of how to program, type, and otherwise know how to use a computer. My husband is a computer programmer, and it has given our family great security knowing that his skills are in high demand, even when there is a lull economy. I am very grateful for his computer skills. Many of the inventors, innovators, and engineers that shape our world and our future spend most of their work days in front of a computer screen.
If you look at the comments, on August 30th, 2012 they compare the no-screen-time movement to other objections to technology in the past. This article was shared: Plato Revisited: Learning Through Listening in the Digital World.
Furthermore, one of my friends started a blog that is centered on the idea of Push-Play learning, and there are many children in the early learning communities I participate in that have excelled with well-chosen screen time. My children are not alone.
My purpose in writing this post is not to convince you to give your children more time in front of a screen. After all, what works for one family doesn't always work for another, and I certainly don't know your personal circumstances well enough to suggest what may work better for you. Certainly I would argue that it is important for children for children to read quality literature, to spend time exploring nature, and to be able think for themselves, and for the family that feels screen time is interfering with these things, maybe less screen time would be a good move for you. I have read the opposing arguments and I understand and appreciate the virtues of a screen-free life.
No, my purpose is an apologetic article for the other side. In the past when I have brought up our curriculum choices and practices, reactions have varied. Some have applauded my efforts, as the results can clearly be seen. Others have their doubts and wish to find a way to get the results without the screen time, something can most certainly be done, and I do my best to point out the best resources as far as I know them. But others have been downright hostile to the idea, telling me how wrong it is to give my children so much screen time at such a young age. I presume that such attitudes are a good sampling of the attitudes of the general population. So to whom it may concern, these are my reasons for choosing screen time to enhance, supplement, and even provide my children with the education I want to give them. I offer no apologies, nor do I feel the need to defend myself.
I suppose the purpose is of this post is to do my part to remove the stigma and guilt homeschoolers often experience when they do turn to the tube, DVD collection, computers, or tablet devises for help as they educate their children. Technology is a wonderful asset when used properly, just as unwise use can be our downfall. I encourage you not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I encourage you to rethink the use of technology in your home, to purge that which doesn't edify and uplift, and to keep and seek out those things that will help you in your quest for a more enlightened home. For my part, I know that screen time has played an important, nay, critical role in my children's accelerated education. My 2-year-old would not be reading 2nd grade materials, my 4-year-old would not know most of her times tables, and my 6-year-old would not be reading chapter books, among other things, without the programs I have employed. So it works for us. Take what you want and leave the rest. :)
Last week I took a tab on how much screen time my children receive, and it averaged about 3 hours a day- sometimes more, sometimes less. I have no intention of changing that figure, and in fact we may soon increase it.
Let's step back a moment and look at some of the misconceptions behind the no-screen movement.
First, it is often assumed that all screen time happens when a child comes home from public school, as is often the case. If a child spends 7-8 hours at school, then comes home to spend 3-4 hours in front of a screen, that child will indeed have little time to go outside, experience nature, have free play, and otherwise interact with their family and peers. But for the homeschooler, the child does not spend 7-8 hours at school, and the screen time they have is an important part OF their school. I have found that the cheapest and easiest way for me to delegate some of my teaching, so I can meet the needs of all my children, is to give them high quality screen time.
Second, is the assumption that the screen time is always mindless, passive twaddle. Is it always? What if the screen time is helping them develop good sense of timing while they practice the piano? What if they exercise with someone on screen? What if it legitimately teaches them how to read? If it is their opportunity to hear a native speaker of a foreign language? If it accelerates their academic progress? What if I know I'll never take my children scuba diving in the great barrier reef, and this is the only way to expose them to what ocean life is like? What if the teacher on the screen simply does a better job teaching a given subject than me? Our big break in early learning started when we purchased Your Baby Can Read, and it has only grown from there. Originally I thought I wouldn't use screen time much at all, and in fact we still don't have a television, just a laptop and a portable DVD player. Most of the screen time my children have comes from our personal purchases. What an amazing difference it has made for our family.
Third, the assumption that it's an either or thing. If they have screen time, they don't get free play time. They don't play outside. If the screen imagines things for them, their own imaginations will be hindered. While this relates to the first, it is in fact quite separate. My children have plenty of time to play outside, plenty of time to play. During that free-play, I admit that elements from their screen time play a part, but I would hardly say it limits their imagination. Why reinvent the wheel? My children may not have come up with the idea of space travel on their own, in fact I doubt it, but because of the screen time they have received, including non-educational elements like Star Wars and Star Trek, their play in enhanced. My son makes space ships out of boxes, and models out of his legos. They pretend to invent new technologies that make space travel faster, more enjoyable, and/or more energy efficient. I love that kind of imaginative play because it is very relevant to the needs of our society, of the inventions we will need in the future. Einstein is often quoted for saying "If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." I think that technology only enhances our ability to fill our children's head with good stories.
I am not as concerned about the quantity of screen time that my children receive as I am about the quality. I love watching them learn and improve from the screen time I give them. I'm proud of them, while likewise feeling relieved that I won't have to be the one to teach them whatever it is they are learning. Sometimes I'm learning with them, and that's even better. We always talk about what we learn, and often reinforce the lessons off-screen.
So these are the thoughts I have on it. This is what is working for my family. It turns out I'm not the only one who has been thinking this way. I recently came across an interesting post about a family that doesn't limit screen time at all. I agree with much of her article, while also admitting that there are some limits in my home. For example, non-educational programming is limited to Saturdays, and only religious programming is allowed on Sunday. Here's her fantastic post: http://www.cheeseslave.com/why-we-dont-limit-screen-time/
She makes a good point that most jobs require a knowledge of how to program, type, and otherwise know how to use a computer. My husband is a computer programmer, and it has given our family great security knowing that his skills are in high demand, even when there is a lull economy. I am very grateful for his computer skills. Many of the inventors, innovators, and engineers that shape our world and our future spend most of their work days in front of a computer screen.
If you look at the comments, on August 30th, 2012 they compare the no-screen-time movement to other objections to technology in the past. This article was shared: Plato Revisited: Learning Through Listening in the Digital World.
Furthermore, one of my friends started a blog that is centered on the idea of Push-Play learning, and there are many children in the early learning communities I participate in that have excelled with well-chosen screen time. My children are not alone.
My purpose in writing this post is not to convince you to give your children more time in front of a screen. After all, what works for one family doesn't always work for another, and I certainly don't know your personal circumstances well enough to suggest what may work better for you. Certainly I would argue that it is important for children for children to read quality literature, to spend time exploring nature, and to be able think for themselves, and for the family that feels screen time is interfering with these things, maybe less screen time would be a good move for you. I have read the opposing arguments and I understand and appreciate the virtues of a screen-free life.
No, my purpose is an apologetic article for the other side. In the past when I have brought up our curriculum choices and practices, reactions have varied. Some have applauded my efforts, as the results can clearly be seen. Others have their doubts and wish to find a way to get the results without the screen time, something can most certainly be done, and I do my best to point out the best resources as far as I know them. But others have been downright hostile to the idea, telling me how wrong it is to give my children so much screen time at such a young age. I presume that such attitudes are a good sampling of the attitudes of the general population. So to whom it may concern, these are my reasons for choosing screen time to enhance, supplement, and even provide my children with the education I want to give them. I offer no apologies, nor do I feel the need to defend myself.
I suppose the purpose is of this post is to do my part to remove the stigma and guilt homeschoolers often experience when they do turn to the tube, DVD collection, computers, or tablet devises for help as they educate their children. Technology is a wonderful asset when used properly, just as unwise use can be our downfall. I encourage you not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I encourage you to rethink the use of technology in your home, to purge that which doesn't edify and uplift, and to keep and seek out those things that will help you in your quest for a more enlightened home. For my part, I know that screen time has played an important, nay, critical role in my children's accelerated education. My 2-year-old would not be reading 2nd grade materials, my 4-year-old would not know most of her times tables, and my 6-year-old would not be reading chapter books, among other things, without the programs I have employed. So it works for us. Take what you want and leave the rest. :)
Jul 2, 2013
Homeschooling with Integrity
Today I'm going to talk about pirating. First off, I give my sincere thanks to all who are honest in their dealings with their fellow men. I have been thinking about this topic for awhile now, and while it may not be a "feel good" post, it is one I feel I need to address.
This post could as easily be labeled "living with integrity" because of the universal nature of this problem, but the place I see it the most is in the homeschooling community because I am active in homeschooling forums and the local community; it is what I have experienced. I also know as a creator of digital goods, and having dabbled my feet in the music industry when I was a student, that intellectual property is of value, and when you copy and otherwise distribute intellectual property, you hurt the company's bottom line. You destroy a company's incentive for creating quality products in the first place. I really hope I'm preaching to the choir. My purpose is not to belittle or make anyone feel bad, but to invite you to reflect on how you use educational (or other) materials, whether you have purchased them or not.
Two articles that were recently shared with me say it better than I can.
Thank You to all my Loyal Readers!
When Frugal is Illegal: Here's how to avoid the copyright trap
When you download a product you haven't paid for, that's stealing.
Obviously if someone uploads a program they don't have the rights to, that's stealing. Not only is it not ethical and dishonest, it's illegal and can land them in jail. They are a pirate. But consider the lesser crime- watching a video that has been illegally uploaded. Doing this supports pirates. Whether they are getting more views, or even earning advertising revenue, which I have increasingly seen on YouTube, they are profiting from intellectual property that is not theirs. If you watch these YouTube videos, you are encouraging this practice, as well as enjoying fruits that you did not pay for. What if, instead of watching these videos, viewers reported them to the rightful owners. Online piracy could be drastically reduced! Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
In a digital world where sharing files has become easier than ever before, some families pitch in and purchase curriculum as a group. If said curriculum was sold for individual family use, this group is pirating.
It is not legal to photocopy consumable books. This especially means workbooks, but includes any other item labeled "consumable". It is also not legal to reproduce these workbooks by placing them in plastic sheets or laminating them for marker use, or to write your workbook answers in a notebook. These later items border into the grey area of what is ethical and what is not, but such is the law.
It is not legal to share digital files you paid for (or received free as a special promotion) with others unless you have permission from the owner.
It is illegal to make copies of your digital files to lend to others, unless specified. It is legal to make a copy for your own personal backup.
Sharing software with other families is illegal. Some software allows the purchaser to download two copies for personal family use. This means you can put it on your home computer and a laptop, or on your computer and a grandparent's computer for use only when you visit. You have purchased it for your family to use and the company offers the option of two downloads for your convenience. If someone sees this option and purchases the software with another family for split ownership, unless the license agreement specifies that they can, they are abusing the company's trust. They are also breaking the law.
It is illegal to copy materials from the public library. I have heard people justify this practice because public funds have paid for them to have access to said material. This is faulty thinking. Public funds have paid for these materials to be made available to patrons one at a time, for shared use. Copying library books or media is illegal. If you do this, you are a pirate.
Hey, mateys, if I've pricked your conscience, I have some advice. There are a lot of pirates out there, but if you've joined the crew, you don't have to turn yourself in to cease pirating. Here are my top 10 things you can do to stop pirating.
I also understand the motivation homeschoolers use when they pirate intellectual property. They do it because they want to give their children a better education. To teach their children some academic principle. May I suggest that the best principle you can teach your children is to be moral? To have integrity? If you set a good example to your children, both in what you choose to give them, but also in what you choose not to give them, they will appreciate your efforts and are more likely to learn to be honest themselves. Certainly this life lesson will be harder to teach if your example of correct principles cannot be seen.
My challenge today is to homeschool with integrity.
Further Reading:
http://lifehacker.com/5888488/how-youre-breaking-the-law-every-day-and-what-you-can-do-about-it
This post could as easily be labeled "living with integrity" because of the universal nature of this problem, but the place I see it the most is in the homeschooling community because I am active in homeschooling forums and the local community; it is what I have experienced. I also know as a creator of digital goods, and having dabbled my feet in the music industry when I was a student, that intellectual property is of value, and when you copy and otherwise distribute intellectual property, you hurt the company's bottom line. You destroy a company's incentive for creating quality products in the first place. I really hope I'm preaching to the choir. My purpose is not to belittle or make anyone feel bad, but to invite you to reflect on how you use educational (or other) materials, whether you have purchased them or not.
Two articles that were recently shared with me say it better than I can.
Thank You to all my Loyal Readers!
When Frugal is Illegal: Here's how to avoid the copyright trap
When you download a product you haven't paid for, that's stealing.
Obviously if someone uploads a program they don't have the rights to, that's stealing. Not only is it not ethical and dishonest, it's illegal and can land them in jail. They are a pirate. But consider the lesser crime- watching a video that has been illegally uploaded. Doing this supports pirates. Whether they are getting more views, or even earning advertising revenue, which I have increasingly seen on YouTube, they are profiting from intellectual property that is not theirs. If you watch these YouTube videos, you are encouraging this practice, as well as enjoying fruits that you did not pay for. What if, instead of watching these videos, viewers reported them to the rightful owners. Online piracy could be drastically reduced! Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
In a digital world where sharing files has become easier than ever before, some families pitch in and purchase curriculum as a group. If said curriculum was sold for individual family use, this group is pirating.
It is not legal to photocopy consumable books. This especially means workbooks, but includes any other item labeled "consumable". It is also not legal to reproduce these workbooks by placing them in plastic sheets or laminating them for marker use, or to write your workbook answers in a notebook. These later items border into the grey area of what is ethical and what is not, but such is the law.
It is not legal to share digital files you paid for (or received free as a special promotion) with others unless you have permission from the owner.
It is illegal to make copies of your digital files to lend to others, unless specified. It is legal to make a copy for your own personal backup.
Sharing software with other families is illegal. Some software allows the purchaser to download two copies for personal family use. This means you can put it on your home computer and a laptop, or on your computer and a grandparent's computer for use only when you visit. You have purchased it for your family to use and the company offers the option of two downloads for your convenience. If someone sees this option and purchases the software with another family for split ownership, unless the license agreement specifies that they can, they are abusing the company's trust. They are also breaking the law.
It is illegal to copy materials from the public library. I have heard people justify this practice because public funds have paid for them to have access to said material. This is faulty thinking. Public funds have paid for these materials to be made available to patrons one at a time, for shared use. Copying library books or media is illegal. If you do this, you are a pirate.
Hey, mateys, if I've pricked your conscience, I have some advice. There are a lot of pirates out there, but if you've joined the crew, you don't have to turn yourself in to cease pirating. Here are my top 10 things you can do to stop pirating.
- Destroy pirated materials and/or files in your possession.
- If you want a product, pay for it, save for it, or go without.
- Report pirating activity to the copyright owners.
- Do not pirate copyrighten materials.
- Do not let others pirate your materials.
- Forgo "group purchases" that violate license agreements.
- Do not allow your bandwidth to be used for file sharing communities. Even if you are not the one sharing files, you become a partner in crime when you allow others to use your resources this way.
- Purchase consumable books for all of your children instead of once for repeated use.
- Do not watch illegal file uploads on video sharing sites like YouTube- consider purchasing if you enjoy the programming, or again, go without.
- Discourage pirating when others mention the practice. Pirating is common, but it's not a victimless crime and we need to call it what it is.
I also understand the motivation homeschoolers use when they pirate intellectual property. They do it because they want to give their children a better education. To teach their children some academic principle. May I suggest that the best principle you can teach your children is to be moral? To have integrity? If you set a good example to your children, both in what you choose to give them, but also in what you choose not to give them, they will appreciate your efforts and are more likely to learn to be honest themselves. Certainly this life lesson will be harder to teach if your example of correct principles cannot be seen.
My challenge today is to homeschool with integrity.
Further Reading:
http://lifehacker.com/5888488/how-youre-breaking-the-law-every-day-and-what-you-can-do-about-it
Apr 11, 2013
Ride on the Magic School Bus
My kids are CRAZY about this show. We bought the complete series for Christmas, and bar none, it was their favorite item. They prefer this show over any of our Disney movies. And because I like it too, I let them watch it. Well, it's permeated our family life.
How do I know?
My two-year-old starts each day with "Good morning, class."
My four-year-old is our safety queen when we get in the car. "Single file please." "Seatbelts everyone!"
My 5-year-old knows he's funny because he has started quoting Carlos' jokes. All the time. Only, they usually don't fit. But because Carlos said it, it must be funny, right? I laugh because I know this is his thought process. But he takes it further. He has started making his own acronyms like Carlos. For example, he asked me a few days ago, "Mommy, did you know that plants need CD?" Huh? I'm wondering if "seed-ie" is some kind of Peter language talk for seeds. He was so pleased when I didn't get it and he could deliver his punchline- "Carbon Dioxide!"
But it's not just my kids. I am changing too. I absolutely love and admire Ms Frizzle. I am saying things like "It's time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy." "Ah, excellent observation, Helen, blah blah blah", in Frizzle fashion. And before I answer (they know I'll get to it), I say, "Excellent question, anyone care to guess?" Haha, I've been frizzled, all right.
As I've watched the show, I know more and more that it's not just her enchanting bus with it's Mesmerglober, her porta-shrinker, her amazing house, her deep bag Mary Poppins must have given her, or even her crazy outfits and glowing earings that make her special. Ms Frizzle is a first-class teacher and I am trying to learn from her.
When her kids argue, she doesn't just barge in and stop it. She creates an environment where the children will learn better behavior on their own. When children ask questions, she gives them a hands-on experience to answer it. When things go wrong, she is always optimistic. "Ah, don't you just love it when that happens? Now we can learn about...." She is kind. She keeps her kids safe (somehow. gee, I would love to know how she does that in a volcano, an oven, or in an airplane without power). She's not afraid to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy BECAUSE she understands that this is the way that children learn. The best part of all is that she takes her kids on field trips. Homeschooling shouldn't all be in the house. I need to be better at that.
Yes, I can learn a lot from Ms. Frizzle. Yes, children, you may watch another episode while I make dinner. But just one. Let's use it as a springboard and learn more about it together.
How do I know?
My two-year-old starts each day with "Good morning, class."
My four-year-old is our safety queen when we get in the car. "Single file please." "Seatbelts everyone!"
My 5-year-old knows he's funny because he has started quoting Carlos' jokes. All the time. Only, they usually don't fit. But because Carlos said it, it must be funny, right? I laugh because I know this is his thought process. But he takes it further. He has started making his own acronyms like Carlos. For example, he asked me a few days ago, "Mommy, did you know that plants need CD?" Huh? I'm wondering if "seed-ie" is some kind of Peter language talk for seeds. He was so pleased when I didn't get it and he could deliver his punchline- "Carbon Dioxide!"
But it's not just my kids. I am changing too. I absolutely love and admire Ms Frizzle. I am saying things like "It's time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy." "Ah, excellent observation, Helen, blah blah blah", in Frizzle fashion. And before I answer (they know I'll get to it), I say, "Excellent question, anyone care to guess?" Haha, I've been frizzled, all right.
As I've watched the show, I know more and more that it's not just her enchanting bus with it's Mesmerglober, her porta-shrinker, her amazing house, her deep bag Mary Poppins must have given her, or even her crazy outfits and glowing earings that make her special. Ms Frizzle is a first-class teacher and I am trying to learn from her.
When her kids argue, she doesn't just barge in and stop it. She creates an environment where the children will learn better behavior on their own. When children ask questions, she gives them a hands-on experience to answer it. When things go wrong, she is always optimistic. "Ah, don't you just love it when that happens? Now we can learn about...." She is kind. She keeps her kids safe (somehow. gee, I would love to know how she does that in a volcano, an oven, or in an airplane without power). She's not afraid to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy BECAUSE she understands that this is the way that children learn. The best part of all is that she takes her kids on field trips. Homeschooling shouldn't all be in the house. I need to be better at that.
Yes, I can learn a lot from Ms. Frizzle. Yes, children, you may watch another episode while I make dinner. But just one. Let's use it as a springboard and learn more about it together.
Nov 13, 2012
A Thomas Jefferson Education- My review
As my 5-year-old becomes school age and I have yet to start an earnest Kindergarten program for him, I have been researching different homeschooling methods to find what is best for my family. This review is simply a
reflection of part of that research.
PRE'CEPT, n. [L. proeceptum, from proecipio, to command; proe,
before, and capio, to take.]
I first heard about “A Thomas
Jefferson Education” by Oliver DeMille (henceforth “TJed”) when I was in high
school. I admit their sales pitch sounds
fantastic. “A Leadership Education for
the 21st century”. “An
education like the founding fathers had”, and an education based on reading
great classics and finding good mentors to help in your education. As a teenager, I was thrilled during DeMille’s
lectures at the homeschooling conventions I attended, surrounded by other
homeschoolers and feeling the momentum in the room. I was inspired to want to become a leader myself. As a youth I had great mentors in my musical
studies, and they had a profound influence on my life. I was proud to have an education that wasn’t “on
the conveyor belt” of public school, and the basic premises of TJed rang true
to me. As a college student I stumbled
across “A Thomas Jefferson Education” the book, read it, and felt inspired to
read more classics. I have many good
friends who do TJed, and I admire them and their children. My own siblings have benefitted from “Liberty
Girls” and “Knights of Freedom”, local homeschooling co-ops started by TJed
proponents.
Overall, I have had a good overall
impression of TJed. I preface my review
like this because I have always tried to offer my criticisms sandwiched between
compliments. That’s what I will be doing
with this post, so stay tuned for the appropriate praise of TJed at the end.
After some of my disenchantment with “A Well
Trained Mind”, as outlined in my previous post, I started looking for a more
Christian approach to classical education, with the particular search for “LDS
classical education methods”. (or
something like that)
I found this forum thread, and wondered why there seemed to be
such negative comments about the method.
I read through a few different blogs, and I especially found "Why I don't do TJed" to be the best
researched, referenced, and articulated argument against it. I read the entire blog as well as most of the
comments, and this author makes sense to me.
I won’t reiterate everything that he says in this post, but I will say
that I agree with him in the entirety. I
found myself connecting the dots from a few encounters I have had with TJed
proponents that struck me as odd. For
example, my early-learning approach with Doman’s methods have received some
harsh criticisms, with the argument given that I should wait until they are
eight to deliberately teach my children to read. Why would a method that encourages the kind
of scholarship Jefferson had object to early education? I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder from that
incident, so I’m glad I don’t remember who the discussion was with. I only know that Oliver DeMille was quoted as
a reference, in the effort to prove that my approach was incorrect.
This didn’t change my positive outlook of TJed
at the time, but when I read the blog’s post "The Learning Phases are from Modern Child Development Theory", it just made sense to me. I have since re-read the main TJed book, as
well as “A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion”, and “Leadership
Education: The Phases of Learning”. I
have also done a deeper study of Dewey, Vygotsky, Erikson and Piaget, whom
DeMille does indeed call “the four gospels of modern education.” I admit that I found my study of Piaget to be
particularly interesting. I read most of
“Understanding Piaget” by Mary Ann Pulaski, available at the Logan library if
any of my local friends want to check it out.
It was interesting.
After looking at the phases from all
of these perspectives, I have to agree with the critical blog. I think he was spot on.
Whether you agree with DeMille’s
phases of learning or not is a mute point.
He may be right. The phases might
work for your family, and that’s great.
We could debate that issue. But I
think it’s a bait and switch to say that these phases of learning were what every
great leader of the past had, because it’s simply not true. These phases were drawn from modern
theory. Demille references these authors
himself. While they may reflect the
education of a few of our great
leaders, they certainly weren’t applied to all
of the great leaders, least of all the method’s namesake, Thomas
Jefferson. As a side study, I compared
Jefferson’s actual education to DeMille’s phases, and, because I am currently
interested in Queen Elizabeth I, I did a comparison of her life during each “phase”
as well. If anyone was given a “leadership
education”, ie, educated to be a leader, it was she. If anyone loved learning, had wonderful
learning opportunities and great mentors, and grew to be a well-educated, great
leader, it was she. Naturally I cannot
provide such an amazing education for my children, but I can also benefit by
modeling her education for my children as much as possible, so I reference her
childhood for that reason. If all great leaders of the past learned
through these phases, Elizabeth I is as good of an example as any, and
represents the female perspective well.
Without further ado, here is my own
little chart: (Click for larger view)
The early core phase is the example I
find most disturbing. While the “scholar
phase” may resemble Jefferson’s and Elizabeth’s youth with the time intensity
of their study, a child who has not mastered the three ‘R’’s, who has not had a
solid foundation in them, will not be as prepared as Jefferson and Elizabeth to benefit from
the 12-18 year-old stage of intense study. I don’t
think the scholar phase is an event that we should wait for.
This leads me to my second criticism
of TJed for this post, which is “Inspire, not Require”.
I disagree. My goal is to “Inspire that which I Require”.
Let me explain. I don’t believe that reading a classic book
in front of my youth will inspire them to read a classic book too, any more
then I think wearing clothing in front of my 5-year-old will inspire him to get
dressed in the morning. He may get cold,
see my clothes, and decide that he should get dressed too (hurray for
winters!), but it is more likely that he will get dressed because it is what I
require of him. Certainly I should set
the example. If I went around half
dressed, it would be hypocritical of me to demand that he get dressed when I am
unwilling myself. How do I inspire him
to get dressed? I might ask him if he’s
cold. I can tell him the story of Adam
and Eve. I can teach him the importance
of modesty. I can appeal to the comfort
of clothing over rough material like carpet. I may
provide him with a variety of awesome clothing with “Lightning McQueen” or “Star
Wars” characters on them, clothes so cool he will certainly want to get
dressed. All of these methods of
inspiring my children might work, and indeed they often do. But when push comes to shove, I REQUIRE that
he get dressed in the morning. He is not
going to the store in nothing but his underwear. And in the hubbub of the Sunday morning rush
to church, I have on occasion resorted to pinning him down while I button up
his Sunday shirt and tie his shoes.
If then, I may require my 5-year-old
to wear clothing, to be polite, to brush his teeth, and to help out around
the home, why is it so unreasonable that I should require him to practice his
penmanship? I was required to brush my
teeth as a kid despite my rebellious wishes, and as an adult, I still brush my
teeth. I didn’t want to do my English
lessons in those A Beka books as a young child, but my mother made me do them
anyway, and I’m a better person for it.
I was well prepared for college, and I doubt my writing skills would
have been sufficient without my mother’s loving guidance. I wasn’t inspired enough to pursue the basic
mastery I do have on my own. My mother
required, and I rose to her expectations.
I reflected on this principle when I
read the conference talk “Becoming Goodly Parents” by Elder Tom Perry a few
weeks ago. The following relates to our
study of the gospel.
“President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “It is the duty of
parents to teach their children these saving principles of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, so that they will know why they are to be baptized and that they may be
impressed in their hearts with a desire to continue to keep the commandments of
God after they are baptized, that they may come back into his presence. Do you,
my good brethren and sisters, want your families, your children; do you want to
be sealed to your fathers and your mothers before you … ? If so, then
you must begin by teaching at the cradle-side. You are to teach by example as
well as precept.”
Certainly that quote does nothing to disprove TJed, since
the “core phase” revolves around teaching our children right from wrong, I do
not dispute that. I only wish to point
out that I think it is very interesting that we “are to teach by example as
well as precept.” (emphasis mine). Could this be
rephrased to say “we are to inspire and require”? I like to look up words when I am studying a
concept, so here I offer the Webster 1828 definition of “precept”:
1. In a general sense, any
commandment or order intended as an authoritative rule of action; but applied
particularly to commands respecting moral conduct. The ten commandments are so
many precepts for the regulation of our moral conduct.
No arts are without their precepts.
2. In law, a command or mandate in
writing.
The final point I will address in this blog is my concern
about the “You, not Them” principle of teaching. I agree that I should set an example to my
children. I read and they see it. I play the piano and they see it. My husband and I don’t talk down to our
children, we expose them to as high of a vocabulary as we are able. I should never neglect my own personal development.
However, I will never do this at the expense
of “them”. It’s ALL about them. I don’t want to become the best person I can
be so that they will have more to aspire to.
I want them to surpass me, preferably big time. It’s all about creating an environment
appropriate for their learning.
If it
was all about me, I would be reading more of Jane Austin’s novels,
systematically making a list of new vocabulary words. I would have a blog focusing my reviews of
classic literature, instead of on how to be a professional mother. But because it's about them, my area of focus is on reading books
like “A Well Trained Mind”, online reviews of homeschool curriculums, and education
forums like “BrillKids”. The books we
bring home from the library are mostly to enhance my children’s education, not
mine.
Guess what? I’m learning a lot too. To teach my children about the world, I must
be one chapter ahead. At least that’s
the goal. I’m quickly realizing that
ultimately my role will soon enough be to open as many doors as possible for my
children. I must have the perception to
help them continue to progress one chapter ahead. This takes a lot of time, effort, and work. If it was about me, not them, I doubt I would
be able to fill my role in this regard.
I suggest that if you focus on them, you will in turn become
a better parent, you will become better educated, and your ability to fill your
role as their parent and guardian will be increased. A few years ago I wrote a song entitled “The
Making of a Queen”, of which I will share the last phrase,
“Will they live happily ever after?
Am I helping them to see
The way they should be living?
What the Lord wants them to be?
And then a voice within me whispers
Something I never had foreseen,
With this prince and little princess
Comes the making of a Queen.”
This seems like a good time to switch gears and offer praise
where praise is due to the TJed movement. There is a strong emphasis on moral character, and I honor them for
that.
I love the idea of “Youth”, not “Teenager”. The word “teenager” is relatively new, and is
associated, in many ways with the rebellious follies of the high-school drama
queen, the high school jock, or the ditsy cheerleader obsessed with makeup and
the upcoming date on Friday night. (I’m
not implying that all cheerleaders are ditsy, rather than trying to portray the
quintessential image that a cheerleader who is ditsy brings to mind.) A teenager is in a phase of development that
is isolated from the rest of their life.
Youth, on the other hand, are young adults. We don’t want to raise our children to be
kids, we want them to grow up. A family
with youth recognizes that this transition is coming, and prepares for it. In my church, we have “Young men” and “Young
Women”, ages 12-17 inclusive. Now at 18,
a young man may serve a full-time, honorable mission. This is the potential the church sees in him,
while the world still gives him the “lofty” aspiration of continuing his “teenager”
years. I want my children to become “youth”.
I will also say that I gained a lot of good advice from “A
Thomas Jefferson Home Companion”. I do
recommend this book.
One of the valuable insights I got from this book is the importance
of having an educational master plan.
They say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I agree!
I’m trying to get a good plan in place so I can follow that blueprint,
and it’s changed a lot over the last couple of months.
The 9 key elements to an effective master plan are as
follows:
- Classics – YOUR list (ie, make your own with the books you want to study)
- Cultural literacy, breadth, and depth (includes your family history)
- Academic Programs (your specific curriculum)
- Adult skills (how will you teach baking, how to check the oil in the car, etc.)
- Organizational programs (such as Boy Scouts, 4-H, and choir)
- God (be specific about how you want to teach religion)
- Family Relationships (family traditions? Will older siblings tutor the younger ones?)
- Experience (ie musical performances, gardening, animal care, etc)
- Places to go (nature walks, museums, in addition to family travel)
The Home Companion has a beautiful chapter about how a free society should develop the traits of Liber and Public Virtue. Demille then goes on to define “Liber”. It comes from the Latin root for true, or
tree bark, which was used for contracts and writing. Liber was associated with the elete who could
read and write. There were two classes
of people in ancient Rome, the slaves, and the liber. Liber is the root of Liberty, Library, and
liberal arts. I add that God gives
liberally to those who seek wisdom from him.
He then goes on to describe Public Virtue, which is not the state of
having a public with individual virtue, or electing officials with personal
virtue, as much as it is having a society that is willing to voluntarily
sacrifice personal benefit for the good of society. DeMille shares the inspiring stories of
Robert and Mary Morris, Thomas and Lucy Nelson, and Samuel and Eliza Adams, among others. It was a beautiful chapter that touched me.
DeMille points out that it is a fallacy to think that
finding “balance” in our lives means that we should balance work with
entertainment. The correct balance for
our lives would be 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work, and 8 hours of leisure time. Leisure ≠
Entertainment. As a matter of fact,
entertainment was something that the elite of ancient Rome created for the
slaves to keep them pacified. This idea
had a great influence on me. Now when I
find myself wanting to waste time on Facebook, a little voice says “Entertainment
is for slaves.” Hopefully I’m improving,
and am filling my leisure time with more worthy pursuits.
The Home Companion has some fantastic appendixes, such as
suggestions for how to teach homemaking skills, and suggestions for book
discussions with older children.
So there you have it in a nutshell, my review of TJed. This study has been a long process, and I’ve
delayed the process of typing out my feelings and sharing them publically, as I
know some of my local homeschooling friends may see it and it is not my intention
to offend. I think I have looked at the
method as a whole objectively, and fairly.
I read criticisms, but turned to
the primary sources (Demille) before drawing my own conclusions. I feel like I should share those conclusions,
and this blog post is it.
I doubt that there is a perfect homeschooling method that
would work for every family, so, as always, the best thing to do is to take
what we want and leave the rest. This is
what I have done with TJed. I’m “leaving”
most of it, but I do think my study of DeMille’s books were worthwhile. This is especially true as I now have a
better understanding of how TJed works, and my local homeschooling community is
overall prone to it. If this approach is
working for your family, more power to you.
Nov 6, 2012
Review- The Well-Trained Mind
“The Well-Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at
Home” By Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.
My oldest is kindergarten age, so I have been revisiting
popular homeschooling methods in an effort to find one that will fit my own
homeschooling style, as well as meeting the needs of my children. I have heard Susan Bauer speak twice in
person, and I originally read this book 6 years ago, before I was married. Now I re-read most of it, and have overlooked
some of the curriculum choices that she recommends in the 1999 edition.
I have not read the newer edition, although from the reviews
I have read online, I feel little desire to.
Apparently, the new edition highly recommends the learning materials
that these two women (mostly Susan) have created to accompany the trivium. If I decide I am interested in their
products, I know where to look, but I prefer to see what these women
recommended as the cream of the crop before
they became biased towards their own materials.
I can’t blame them for it, but I’m content to study and review the 1999
edition.
Overall, I think that this is a great book. I am confident that following this
methodology would produce great results for my kids. I appreciate the author’s candid remarks
about the hard work that will be necessary to give children a superb education. It is intense and complete, and I like
that. I want something that will
challenge my children and this book fits the bill.
My 5-year-old struggles in his handwriting because he wants
to write his circle letters clockwise. Bauer
recommends starting preschoolers in writing by letting them draw lots and lots
of counter-clockwise circles. Case in
point of the good advice this book has to offer.
This book outlines in great detail the author’s top picks
for all of the academic subjects, from pre-K through 12th
grade. She gives her full review of what
she thinks the pros and cons are for these top picks. Her subjects include the “three R’s”, History and Geography, Science, Latin,
Religion (stating only that your family’s religion should be taught) Art and
Music, Logic, Languages, Rhetoric, and Computer Skills.
In a nutshell, the authors recommend that you rotate through
the subjects by spending a full year in each of the following categories:
- Ancients (5000 BC- AD 400)
- Medieval-Early Renaissance (400-1600)
- Late Renaissance- early Modern (1600-1850)
- Modern (1850- present)
Most subjects, not just history, reflect upon this division. Science during "Ancients" reflects on what the Ancients could see, and so on. These four eras are divided into the Trivium, “Grammer”, “Logic”,
and “Rhetoric”. “Grammer” is taught
during 1-4 grades, and is a time for learning the basic facts in each
subject. This is where you memorize your
parts of speech, spelling, multiplication facts, etc. During the “Logic” phase (5-8 grades), a
student covers the materials again, but learns how to evaluate what is logical,
and how to recognize fallacies. Finally,
during the “Rhetoric” stage (9-12 grade), the student learns the art of persuasion,
as they develop their own opinions and gain the ability to defend their world
view.
Overall, I really love this broad overview. I do not want my children to be passive in
their understanding of how the world works.
I will train them in rhetoric, as I believe this skill to be essential
to leadership. Many great leaders of the
past were trained in rhetoric, such as Queen Elizabeth I and Thomas Jefferson,
and I can see that this training served them well. Such a study was unfamiliar to me until I
read “The Well-Trained Mind”, so I am grateful to the book for that.
I highly recommend reading this book, with the understanding
that you take what you want and leave the rest.
I have a few criticisms of the book, which prevent me from
tackling this approach head-on.
First is the effort the authors make to appeal to the
secular crowd. In and of itself, this is
not a bad thing, but the constant apologetics of how the Christian material in
some curriculums may offend some readers, while ignoring how secular materials
may offend Christians, seemed inconsistent to me. To her credit, she does recommend some
Christian materials, such as A Beka, and I appreciate that. She gives excellent secular alternatives,
which I think is great. Here is an
example of her inconsistency:
For 1-4 grade history, she recommends "The Usborne Book of World History". This book is to be used by reading 1-2 pages a week, and
then going to the local library and checking out several books on the topic
presented. I LOVE that approach, as our
family already has a solid library routine, and I want my children to learn
from living books as much as possible.
However, if you read the reviews of this book on Amazon, the consensus
is that there is a lot of nudity in the pictures. (I am not implying that Christian parents are
the only ones who might be offended by this.)
Gory depictions of throat slitting, gladiators crushing heads, and pubic
hair are all among the charges brought against this book. This book is to be the core history book for
little children, no alternatives are suggested, and no mention of this potentially
offensive material (I’ll say!) is mentioned.
If she mentioned it with an apologetic approach, saying you will have to
decide for your family, the recommendation wouldn’t bother me. But she doesn’t. I admit I haven’t personally seen this book,
but if there were several parents who took the effort to give it a negative
review because of this issue, you would think that this material would be on
par with mentioning that a potential curriculum choice contains a scripture
reference here and there. If this is an
issue for you as it is for me, I recommend that you carefully read reviews of
her recommendations before purchasing.
Another criticism I have is that Susan Bauer is undoubtedly
a strong feminist, strongly opinionated, and, in my opinion, condescending in
her writing approach. Her religious
views, while Christian, are also very different from my own. For these reasons, I will not be choosing any
of Bauer’s products with my children. I read
about half of her “Story of the World, Volume 1, Ancient Times”, and I didn’t
finish it because this was my perception.
I’m only giving my opinion on this matter, but this is my blog, my
review, and I’m entitled to share it.
I have been looking for history alternatives, and aside from
checking out lots of books on the subject, I’m leaning towards “A Child’s History
of the World” (the updated one with a boy blowing bubbles on the cover), and “The
Mystery of History”, although I have not made a final decision on this matter
yet.
I also do not agree with Wise/Bauer’s insistence that Latin
be included in the curriculum. In the
days when knowing Latin was the only way to study the Bible, certainly an
understanding of Latin was of great benefit.
I also understand that many of our modern words have Latin roots, which
makes this study valuable today.
However, many of the founding fathers studied Latin, and straightway
abandoned the study as soon as they left school. I think a study of modern, living languages
would be of much better use for my children.
My husband’s English vocabulary was dramatically improved when he learned
Spanish, because words that sound similar have the same Latin or Greek roots. I’ll ask him what a word means, and he will
often use a Spanish word and its meaning to help explain the English word to
me. He also uses his Spanish when
conversing with members of our community who struggle with English. Wise/Bauer further argue that Latin teaches a
child’s mind to think logically, to organize, and to build vocabulary. Knowing a foreign language guards against arrogance
as a child comes head-to-head with the reality that his language is not the
only, or even the best, language in the world.
Well, these are good arguments, but I don’t think that Latin is the
only, or even best way of teaching my children these principles. Learning piano will certainly teach my
children to think logically, and it most certainly requires organization of
thought to play with both hands. Any
foreign language can accomplish the other goals of Latin. These notes are not to discourage anyone from
studying Latin, as such knowledge would certainly be useful. Rather, I hope to convey that a family should
not feel that Latin is a requirement. I
see it as an elective, while a foreign language of the family’s choice would be
a requirement for a classical education.
Again, that’s my opinion, but take it with a grain of salt. I have not personally studied Latin aside
from “Dies Irae”, and foreign language was never my forte.
In summary, I will simply reiterate that “The Well-Trained
Mind” is, for me, a great reference book that I am content to allow the library
to store for me, although I am sure I will be checking it out again and again
as we approach each stage. I see the
benefits of having a classical education, and I want this for my children. I am still in the studying phase of my own
learning, as I do not believe that Wise/Bauer are the ultimate source.
On the BrillKids forum, "A History of Education in Antiquity" has been recommended as a great source to understand what a
classical education really entailed. It
isn’t easy reading by any means, but I find myself wanting to tackle it for my
own education. Such information could
only help me as I teach my own children.
“The Well-Trained Mind” is only one great book of many to help me give
my children the education I desire for them.
It isn’t the ultimate “bible” for me.
Oct 29, 2012
Overall Education, Depth vs Acceleration
Two threads inspired this post,
http://forum.brillkids.com/general-discussion-b5/we-can-do-by-moshe-kai/msg91624/?topicseen#new and
http://forum.brillkids.com/homeschooling/which-homeschooling-method-are-you-thinking-of-or-are-currently-using/msg91619/?topicseen#new.
Actually, they inspired a lot more than this post, I've been reading and re-reading a lot of homeschooling books lately, and charting out the next chunk of our education. The people at BrillKids really inspire me.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. My husband recently asked me what's next for Peter (our oldest, 5), and it's been so hard to answer that question! I have a 5-year-old that is reading on a 4th-grade level. How do I go about teaching this kid? It's time for him to start school! He's got a couple of really smart siblings tailgating him too. This is uncharted territory for me, and I am both terrified and thrilled with my responsibility to my children.
I'm grateful for the Moshe Kai thread that inspired me to get going and focus on Math. I bought my Saxon textbooks on e-bay, and we're prepared now! But what about everything else? I've been reading "A Well Trained Mind" by Wise/Bauer, and I am attracted to the depth such an education would provide. So, thinking along the acceleration track, my overall plan is to do a grade level's worth of material every semester. Then I charted out everything she says to do, and I realized that I'd be setting myself up for failure trying to keep on top of all of the busy work in the textbooks, especially with multiple children. I'm not that organized, and I don't want to give my children that much paper work at a young age. I don't want burn-out for them or me.
Then I realized that I'm looking to the wrong source for advice on how to do an accelerated education. Bauer's outline was designed for a 12-year education. So I started googling, and I came across a very interesting family, the Swanns.
Joyce Swann is the mother of 10 children, and they all received their masters degree by the time they were 16. Her mini-articles on home-school.com are very interesting. She had a strict schedule, doing school from 8:30-11:30 every day of the year unless their dad had the day off. The children still had plenty of time to play after those hours, but school time was at the table, and was very focused. Aside from her strict schedule, however, I can't apply her method in my own home because frankly, our family can't afford the route she chose. Still, I am planning on reading her book, as well as her daughter Alexandra's book "No Regrets". Joyce had a very linear approach, which she herself summarized as, "elementary school, high school, university, graduate school". The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
However, on the WTM's forum thread on accelerated education, classical education advocates bring up a good point, which is that while certain academic studies can be accelerated, it is hard to accelerate the depth subjects of literature and history. I once heard Susan Wise-Bauer argue against early college by saying that academic education can be accelerated, but there is a certain maturity that only happens when you go around the sun a few times. She asked, "Have they read the great books? ALL of them?" That was my attitude too until I read the Moshe Kai thread.
Many education methodologies share learning phases, but they do not take Early Learning into account. Here is the rough outline I have come up with:
Phase one, 0-5. The sponge phase. (what Peter has just finished) During this period, children learn to read well, and learn to love to read. They go to the library and read lots of books about lots of different things. They are introduced to math and music, etc, but all according to Doman's advice "Always stop before your child wants to stop". Learning is a big game.
Phase two, K-11. The academic phase. Here my children learn how to study with "deliberate practice". This period ends with a basic high school education. Each semester will cover one grade's worth of material. (We may go faster, but not slower). Our children will be awarded with a laptop computer, or other large item such as an instrument upon graduation.
Phase three, 12-18. The Scholar phase. There is a part of me that has been enticed by the benefits of "child-led learning", where a child can study in depth something they are interested in without having to do other academic work. Some argue, "If they study motercycles for 8 hours, there is bound to be math in there somewhere." I say, "Really?" Um, ya, I'm not going to risk it. However, AFTER they have a high school education, they will have more academic maturity. They will know how and what to study. They will have a broad background in a variety of subjects. My true academic responsibility to my kids will have been fulfilled, and so my only requirement for my kids during this phase will be to be productive. I will require that they do some kind of academic work of their choosing. We will highly encourage our children to start getting college credit, especially when they are high-school age since it's free. The boys will be required to get their Eagle scout award, and the girls their YW award, which is the work-equivalent in our Mormon church. They may choose to practice an instrument, be involved in 4-H, develop a skill such as woodworking or pottery. They may be involved in a lot of musical productions. They may take high school AP classes. They might tutor their siblings. They might start a business. They might become truly well-read. They might be in a variety of different clubs. They might secure an internship or become an apprentice. It's up to them.
This last phase is still a bit vague because I'm not ready to tackle it yet, but I do know that if they get their basic high school education by 12, it will open a lot of doors for them during their transition to adulthood. That's what my husband and I really want for our children. There are so many leadership opportunities during the teenage years, and I would love to open as many doors to them as possible. I would love for my children to get a college education, but I also recognize that there are a lot of great alternatives if they choose something else during these years. College will still be waiting for them when they are older, should they wait, and if they have a lot of leadership experience under their belt, the scholarships will be waiting too.
Anyway, that's a lot of rambling, but I wanted to share my thoughts. I do think that no matter how smart the kids are, as parents we should push our kids for greater learning. Does accelerating our kids mean that we sacrifice the depth we could otherwise go into any given subject? Is faster better, or is deeper better? I would argue that "better" is better. I'm just trying to figure out what "better" is for our family. I have a few more posts in my head on this subject that I'll be sharing soon.
What does "better" look like to you?
http://forum.brillkids.com/general-discussion-b5/we-can-do-by-moshe-kai/msg91624/?topicseen#new and
http://forum.brillkids.com/homeschooling/which-homeschooling-method-are-you-thinking-of-or-are-currently-using/msg91619/?topicseen#new.
Actually, they inspired a lot more than this post, I've been reading and re-reading a lot of homeschooling books lately, and charting out the next chunk of our education. The people at BrillKids really inspire me.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. My husband recently asked me what's next for Peter (our oldest, 5), and it's been so hard to answer that question! I have a 5-year-old that is reading on a 4th-grade level. How do I go about teaching this kid? It's time for him to start school! He's got a couple of really smart siblings tailgating him too. This is uncharted territory for me, and I am both terrified and thrilled with my responsibility to my children.
I'm grateful for the Moshe Kai thread that inspired me to get going and focus on Math. I bought my Saxon textbooks on e-bay, and we're prepared now! But what about everything else? I've been reading "A Well Trained Mind" by Wise/Bauer, and I am attracted to the depth such an education would provide. So, thinking along the acceleration track, my overall plan is to do a grade level's worth of material every semester. Then I charted out everything she says to do, and I realized that I'd be setting myself up for failure trying to keep on top of all of the busy work in the textbooks, especially with multiple children. I'm not that organized, and I don't want to give my children that much paper work at a young age. I don't want burn-out for them or me.
Then I realized that I'm looking to the wrong source for advice on how to do an accelerated education. Bauer's outline was designed for a 12-year education. So I started googling, and I came across a very interesting family, the Swanns.
Joyce Swann is the mother of 10 children, and they all received their masters degree by the time they were 16. Her mini-articles on home-school.com are very interesting. She had a strict schedule, doing school from 8:30-11:30 every day of the year unless their dad had the day off. The children still had plenty of time to play after those hours, but school time was at the table, and was very focused. Aside from her strict schedule, however, I can't apply her method in my own home because frankly, our family can't afford the route she chose. Still, I am planning on reading her book, as well as her daughter Alexandra's book "No Regrets". Joyce had a very linear approach, which she herself summarized as, "elementary school, high school, university, graduate school". The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
However, on the WTM's forum thread on accelerated education, classical education advocates bring up a good point, which is that while certain academic studies can be accelerated, it is hard to accelerate the depth subjects of literature and history. I once heard Susan Wise-Bauer argue against early college by saying that academic education can be accelerated, but there is a certain maturity that only happens when you go around the sun a few times. She asked, "Have they read the great books? ALL of them?" That was my attitude too until I read the Moshe Kai thread.
Many education methodologies share learning phases, but they do not take Early Learning into account. Here is the rough outline I have come up with:
Phase one, 0-5. The sponge phase. (what Peter has just finished) During this period, children learn to read well, and learn to love to read. They go to the library and read lots of books about lots of different things. They are introduced to math and music, etc, but all according to Doman's advice "Always stop before your child wants to stop". Learning is a big game.
Phase two, K-11. The academic phase. Here my children learn how to study with "deliberate practice". This period ends with a basic high school education. Each semester will cover one grade's worth of material. (We may go faster, but not slower). Our children will be awarded with a laptop computer, or other large item such as an instrument upon graduation.
Phase three, 12-18. The Scholar phase. There is a part of me that has been enticed by the benefits of "child-led learning", where a child can study in depth something they are interested in without having to do other academic work. Some argue, "If they study motercycles for 8 hours, there is bound to be math in there somewhere." I say, "Really?" Um, ya, I'm not going to risk it. However, AFTER they have a high school education, they will have more academic maturity. They will know how and what to study. They will have a broad background in a variety of subjects. My true academic responsibility to my kids will have been fulfilled, and so my only requirement for my kids during this phase will be to be productive. I will require that they do some kind of academic work of their choosing. We will highly encourage our children to start getting college credit, especially when they are high-school age since it's free. The boys will be required to get their Eagle scout award, and the girls their YW award, which is the work-equivalent in our Mormon church. They may choose to practice an instrument, be involved in 4-H, develop a skill such as woodworking or pottery. They may be involved in a lot of musical productions. They may take high school AP classes. They might tutor their siblings. They might start a business. They might become truly well-read. They might be in a variety of different clubs. They might secure an internship or become an apprentice. It's up to them.
This last phase is still a bit vague because I'm not ready to tackle it yet, but I do know that if they get their basic high school education by 12, it will open a lot of doors for them during their transition to adulthood. That's what my husband and I really want for our children. There are so many leadership opportunities during the teenage years, and I would love to open as many doors to them as possible. I would love for my children to get a college education, but I also recognize that there are a lot of great alternatives if they choose something else during these years. College will still be waiting for them when they are older, should they wait, and if they have a lot of leadership experience under their belt, the scholarships will be waiting too.
Anyway, that's a lot of rambling, but I wanted to share my thoughts. I do think that no matter how smart the kids are, as parents we should push our kids for greater learning. Does accelerating our kids mean that we sacrifice the depth we could otherwise go into any given subject? Is faster better, or is deeper better? I would argue that "better" is better. I'm just trying to figure out what "better" is for our family. I have a few more posts in my head on this subject that I'll be sharing soon.
What does "better" look like to you?
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