Question about materials and books
Grame Family
I have a 6 year old and we are going to home school this year and
unschooling looks wonderful! I also have a 4 year old and a 2 year old.
Now my 6 year old is a self taught avid reader and reads anything and
everything that he picks up and memorizes it. He was spouting off details
of a timeline for trains and how they intersect to World War 1 and World War
2 timeline just this morning. Anyway here is my question.
Since he enjoys reading so much and just takes in everything is it
appropriate for him to have tons of curriculum choices, books, packets of
info on various subjects for him to use at his own discretion? I don't want
to have "school" that doesn't appeal to either of us, but having materials
around that are fun to read or activities to do I think he will enjoy. What
materials do you have in your homes and does having these items so that they
can be found and discovered gel with unschooling?
I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weekly
at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.
Raven
unschooling looks wonderful! I also have a 4 year old and a 2 year old.
Now my 6 year old is a self taught avid reader and reads anything and
everything that he picks up and memorizes it. He was spouting off details
of a timeline for trains and how they intersect to World War 1 and World War
2 timeline just this morning. Anyway here is my question.
Since he enjoys reading so much and just takes in everything is it
appropriate for him to have tons of curriculum choices, books, packets of
info on various subjects for him to use at his own discretion? I don't want
to have "school" that doesn't appeal to either of us, but having materials
around that are fun to read or activities to do I think he will enjoy. What
materials do you have in your homes and does having these items so that they
can be found and discovered gel with unschooling?
I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weekly
at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.
Raven
Robyn Coburn
<<<<Since he enjoys reading so much and just takes in everything is it
appropriate for him to have tons of curriculum choices, books, packets of
info on various subjects for him to use at his own discretion? I don't want
to have "school" that doesn't appeal to either of us, but having materials
around that are fun to read or activities to do I think he will enjoy. What
materials do you have in your homes and does having these items so that they
can be found and discovered gel with unschooling?
I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weekly
at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.>>>>
Strewing interesting stuff is great!
OTOH some of the problems with packaged materials are that they are often
limited and limiting, sometimes dumbed down, sometimes full of errors,
structured to mirror a school curriculum in focus and sequence (only what
will be on the test), and may give the idea that this is how all information
*should* be presented (the right way) and all that is needed. Some material
has political or religious agendas behind it. Unschoolers don't seek to
divide the world into subjects, or unit studies. I guess I'm saying caveat
emptor.
We approach any of this stuff as a vanishingly small part of our activities.
The work book that Nan gave us (full of dumb inconsistencies) is piled in
with the rarely used coloring books. One key is not to have an expectation
that the materials will, or should be, used according to the instructions.
The library and the internet are phenomenally good sources of real
information about stuff. What is he interested in?
Robyn L. Coburn
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appropriate for him to have tons of curriculum choices, books, packets of
info on various subjects for him to use at his own discretion? I don't want
to have "school" that doesn't appeal to either of us, but having materials
around that are fun to read or activities to do I think he will enjoy. What
materials do you have in your homes and does having these items so that they
can be found and discovered gel with unschooling?
I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weekly
at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.>>>>
Strewing interesting stuff is great!
OTOH some of the problems with packaged materials are that they are often
limited and limiting, sometimes dumbed down, sometimes full of errors,
structured to mirror a school curriculum in focus and sequence (only what
will be on the test), and may give the idea that this is how all information
*should* be presented (the right way) and all that is needed. Some material
has political or religious agendas behind it. Unschoolers don't seek to
divide the world into subjects, or unit studies. I guess I'm saying caveat
emptor.
We approach any of this stuff as a vanishingly small part of our activities.
The work book that Nan gave us (full of dumb inconsistencies) is piled in
with the rarely used coloring books. One key is not to have an expectation
that the materials will, or should be, used according to the instructions.
The library and the internet are phenomenally good sources of real
information about stuff. What is he interested in?
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.732 / Virus Database: 486 - Release Date: 7/29/2004
Fetteroll
on 8/4/04 4:39 PM, Grame Family at poochieville@... wrote:
and more on stuff that my daughter wanted. A lot of the stuff I chose has
sat unused. $50 on a video game she plays is a much better use of money than
$50 on great books that never get opened. My daughter has gotten way more
use out of stuffed animals than the Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia I
bought.
As a lover of great books it's hard for me to admit that the library and the
internet and TV (and videos) are better resources than shelves and shelves
of books at home. The truth won't stop me from buying books! But I've slowed
way down.
We've bought books that Kat wanted read over and over. We've bought series
that she likes even if she won't necessarily read them again. I think those
are good uses of money.
It depends on what your son loves. If he loves pouring over the details (or
having you pour over the details) of Usborne or DK books, get some. If he's
not looking longingly at something wondering when you can get it again when
you return something to the library, then the library is the best place for
it.
So I'd say spend money on things he likes and will use. Throw in some things
that you will use. And then have turn over of temporary things running
through his live, places to go (people to see! ;-). (Check out garage sales,
flea markets, Salvation Army, towns that have swap areas at their dumps too
so that you can take chances on cool things without investing much.)
(Though I guess there should be a list of "must haves" like:
map of the world (I like the Peter's Projection map since it shows more
accurate sizes of the countries and continents)
map of the US
globe
magnifying glasses
bug bottle
tops
pattern blocks
blank paper
pens/markers/crayons
computer with internet access)
Joyce
> I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weeklyLooking back on it now, I think I'd spend less on stuff I thought was cool
> at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
> how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.
and more on stuff that my daughter wanted. A lot of the stuff I chose has
sat unused. $50 on a video game she plays is a much better use of money than
$50 on great books that never get opened. My daughter has gotten way more
use out of stuffed animals than the Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia I
bought.
As a lover of great books it's hard for me to admit that the library and the
internet and TV (and videos) are better resources than shelves and shelves
of books at home. The truth won't stop me from buying books! But I've slowed
way down.
We've bought books that Kat wanted read over and over. We've bought series
that she likes even if she won't necessarily read them again. I think those
are good uses of money.
It depends on what your son loves. If he loves pouring over the details (or
having you pour over the details) of Usborne or DK books, get some. If he's
not looking longingly at something wondering when you can get it again when
you return something to the library, then the library is the best place for
it.
So I'd say spend money on things he likes and will use. Throw in some things
that you will use. And then have turn over of temporary things running
through his live, places to go (people to see! ;-). (Check out garage sales,
flea markets, Salvation Army, towns that have swap areas at their dumps too
so that you can take chances on cool things without investing much.)
(Though I guess there should be a list of "must haves" like:
map of the world (I like the Peter's Projection map since it shows more
accurate sizes of the countries and continents)
map of the US
globe
magnifying glasses
bug bottle
tops
pattern blocks
blank paper
pens/markers/crayons
computer with internet access)
Joyce
Jonni-Ann Goulding
Fetteroll <fetteroll@...> wrote:
map of the world (I like the Peter's Projection map since it shows more
accurate sizes of the countries and continents)
map of the US
globe
magnifying glasses
bug bottle
tops
pattern blocks
blank paper
pens/markers/crayons
computer with internet access)
I have to agree wholeheartedly and I am also a lover of books and have a hard time NOT buying them. I also still find myself bringing home workbooks. Not that they HAVE to do them but secretly, my schooled mind wants them to do the workbooks for "fun". I think so I can have the peace of mind and "proof" for those panicky moments. <SIGH>
I did get a DK Encyclopedia of animals that my son LOVES and he pretends to jump into it to learn about the animals. (Think Stanley.) He uses it in conjunction with the stuffed animals and PVC animals he has. So I don't think not buying books of ANY kind is necessary but I do think I need to curb MY desire to have shelves and shelves of books and just grab the ones that will become lifelong favourites.
Anyway, I actually was posting to say that to the list above I'd add magnets. We got a cool (very inexpensive) building set made of little magnets with metal balls but even before that we had some horseshoe magnets and my kids have done so much neat discovery/fun games with magnets. That or any kind of building sets really. I hear good things about K'Nex though i haven't any yet or lego brand. We build with the magnets now but maybe will invest in some K'Nex soon.
Treasure life,
Jonni-Ann
---------------------------------
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map of the world (I like the Peter's Projection map since it shows more
accurate sizes of the countries and continents)
map of the US
globe
magnifying glasses
bug bottle
tops
pattern blocks
blank paper
pens/markers/crayons
computer with internet access)
I have to agree wholeheartedly and I am also a lover of books and have a hard time NOT buying them. I also still find myself bringing home workbooks. Not that they HAVE to do them but secretly, my schooled mind wants them to do the workbooks for "fun". I think so I can have the peace of mind and "proof" for those panicky moments. <SIGH>
I did get a DK Encyclopedia of animals that my son LOVES and he pretends to jump into it to learn about the animals. (Think Stanley.) He uses it in conjunction with the stuffed animals and PVC animals he has. So I don't think not buying books of ANY kind is necessary but I do think I need to curb MY desire to have shelves and shelves of books and just grab the ones that will become lifelong favourites.
Anyway, I actually was posting to say that to the list above I'd add magnets. We got a cool (very inexpensive) building set made of little magnets with metal balls but even before that we had some horseshoe magnets and my kids have done so much neat discovery/fun games with magnets. That or any kind of building sets really. I hear good things about K'Nex though i haven't any yet or lego brand. We build with the magnets now but maybe will invest in some K'Nex soon.
Treasure life,
Jonni-Ann
---------------------------------
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New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
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In a message dated 8/4/2004 4:41:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
poochieville@... writes:
Since he enjoys reading so much and just takes in everything is it
appropriate for him to have tons of curriculum choices, books, packets of
info on various subjects for him to use at his own discretion? I don't want
to have "school" that doesn't appeal to either of us, but having materials
around that are fun to read or activities to do I think he will enjoy. What
materials do you have in your homes and does having these items so that they
can be found and discovered gel with unschooling?
I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weekly
at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.<<<<<
So why, if you go to the library every week, would you be worried about
having "tons of curriculum choices"? For more books? Or just textbooks? Textbooks
aren't the best source of correct information.
Usborne has some really great books that he might like. If I were going to
invest some money in something, it would be their books (we have dozens---my
favorite is the one on castles!). You could read about WWII or dinosaurs or dog
training.
Actual living, breathing people would be my next suggestion. People who have
LIVED it (like WWII vets)---or who are immersed in and passionate about it
(like SCAers or dog trainers).
The third option would be to DO some of the things, like participate in
living history museums/reinactments or go on a dinosaur dig or train the dog.
For example----you could READ about unschooling, and you'd learn a lot. You
could come to the conference and learn MUCH more. Or you could UNSCHOOL <g>
and learn the most! <G>
A bunch of textbooks would be a decent starting place, but he world is SO
full of other ways to learn that I would explore *them*!
As far as what to have in the house and it "works" in an unschooling home,
go to _www.SandraDodd.com/strewing_ (http://www.SandraDodd.com/strewing)
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
poochieville@... writes:
Since he enjoys reading so much and just takes in everything is it
appropriate for him to have tons of curriculum choices, books, packets of
info on various subjects for him to use at his own discretion? I don't want
to have "school" that doesn't appeal to either of us, but having materials
around that are fun to read or activities to do I think he will enjoy. What
materials do you have in your homes and does having these items so that they
can be found and discovered gel with unschooling?
I am asking because we don't have many books except the ones we get weekly
at the library or other resources for him currently to explore and I wonder
how having these things in the home can be used in an unschool manner.<<<<<
So why, if you go to the library every week, would you be worried about
having "tons of curriculum choices"? For more books? Or just textbooks? Textbooks
aren't the best source of correct information.
Usborne has some really great books that he might like. If I were going to
invest some money in something, it would be their books (we have dozens---my
favorite is the one on castles!). You could read about WWII or dinosaurs or dog
training.
Actual living, breathing people would be my next suggestion. People who have
LIVED it (like WWII vets)---or who are immersed in and passionate about it
(like SCAers or dog trainers).
The third option would be to DO some of the things, like participate in
living history museums/reinactments or go on a dinosaur dig or train the dog.
For example----you could READ about unschooling, and you'd learn a lot. You
could come to the conference and learn MUCH more. Or you could UNSCHOOL <g>
and learn the most! <G>
A bunch of textbooks would be a decent starting place, but he world is SO
full of other ways to learn that I would explore *them*!
As far as what to have in the house and it "works" in an unschooling home,
go to _www.SandraDodd.com/strewing_ (http://www.SandraDodd.com/strewing)
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]