Sandra Dodd

Someone asked me for a chart, but I don’t have a chart of this topic. I made one once on a wall in Rochester, Minnesota, and I think it was photographed. I made an imaginary one, somewhere else. But I’ve written about it a few times.

If anyone saved it or remembers where, or knows if photos of the Minnesota rough graph were saved, please respond here and I’ll gather it together and make a page. Or maybe I’ve made a page and can’t find it.

Help!

Here’s one account:

-=-There’s a learning curve that I see with unschooled kids, and that is they seem to be ahead for the first few years and then there’s a period of time, just roughly from about nine or ten to about twelve, when they can seem behind. And then after they are twelve or thirteen—zoom! They look ahead! They seem to be ahead again. And so it's weird when people go, “What happened? Why are these twelve-year-old unschoolers and their parents panicky?” And they feel inadequate and their neighbors are going, “Woo-hoo! You don’t know anything,” then all of a sudden they’ve zoomed ahead again. I think part of it is puberty. Part of it is they're learning to read. I don’t know what to say about the rest.-=-

That’s from this:

http://sandradodd.com/radiotranscript

Once when I wrote about it I talked about being with Joyce in her car, with three of our kids in the back (hers and two of mine).

Sandra





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Clare Kirkpatrick

I feel like the learning curve described here only applies to schooly things. All the unschooled children I've known have always been way ahead than their schooled peers in areas other than schooly things, but I have seen the curve applying to the three Rs. 

Another thing I've noticed during that 'behind' period in both my older two daughters is a time of what could be described as 'cocooning' - a retreat from the world, where bed and not much else appears to have become all the child wants. After that time (about a year), both girls have emerged metamorphosed like butterflies, as incredible young women who astound me daily. 

I wonder if the the two things are connected? I love to see how children naturally develop without the odd and deeply affecting experiences of school and other social constructs that make little sense when questioned and unpicked. 

Clare

On 8 Feb 2017 04:28, "Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning]" <[email protected]> wrote:
 

Someone asked me for a chart, but I don’t have a chart of this topic. I made one once on a wall in Rochester, Minnesota, and I think it was photographed. I made an imaginary one, somewhere else. But I’ve written about it a few times.

If anyone saved it or remembers where, or knows if photos of the Minnesota rough graph were saved, please respond here and I’ll gather it together and make a page. Or maybe I’ve made a page and can’t find it.

Help!

Here’s one account:

-=-There’s a learning curve that I see with unschooled kids, and that is they seem to be ahead for the first few years and then there’s a period of time, just roughly from about nine or ten to about twelve, when they can seem behind. And then after they are twelve or thirteen—zoom! They look ahead! They seem to be ahead again. And so it's weird when people go, “What happened? Why are these twelve-year-old unschoolers and their parents panicky?” And they feel inadequate and their neighbors are going, “Woo-hoo! You don’t know anything,” then all of a sudden they’ve zoomed ahead again. I think part of it is puberty. Part of it is they're learning to read. I don’t know what to say about the rest.-=-

That’s from this:

http://sandradodd.com/ radiotranscript

Once when I wrote about it I talked about being with Joyce in her car, with three of our kids in the back (hers and two of mine).

Sandra

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Eve Kelleher

I couldn't have read this at a more important time.  My eldest is 11 and having become a confident, fluent reader in the last year, she is absolutely in the 'cocooning' stage.  At the minute much of my input for her is periodically taking snacks and drinks up to her while she is reading and being utterly joyful when she is so totally immersed in her novels that she barely notices me coming and going (though the snacks are always eaten!)  She began writing a story last night; beautifully descriptive, lovely imagery and vocabulary  - the spelling is highly inaccurate though and fits with what is described above as considered 'behind' in the 'three Rs'.  Twelve months ago I am sure her reading would also have been considered behind but is now as good as most adults.  In your experiences, does writing accuracy evolve holistically in the same manner that reading seems to, if left to develop organically?  My 9 year old is just on the edge of bursting through with reading and I see exactly the same pattern with her,  
I would be interested to know whether boys do a similar thing or whether this is typically a female developmental stage?

Eve

On 8 February 2017 at 04:36, Clare Kirkpatrick claremkirkpatrick@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:
 

I feel like the learning curve described here only applies to schooly things. All the unschooled children I've known have always been way ahead than their schooled peers in areas other than schooly things, but I have seen the curve applying to the three Rs. 

Another thing I've noticed during that 'behind' period in both my older two daughters is a time of what could be described as 'cocooning' - a retreat from the world, where bed and not much else appears to have become all the child wants. After that time (about a year), both girls have emerged metamorphosed like butterflies, as incredible young women who astound me daily. 

I wonder if the the two things are connected? I love to see how children naturally develop without the odd and deeply affecting experiences of school and other social constructs that make little sense when questioned and unpicked. 

Clare

On 8 Feb 2017 04:28, "Sandra Dodd Sandra@... [AlwaysLearning]" <AlwaysLearning@yahoogroups. com> wrote:
 

Someone asked me for a chart, but I don’t have a chart of this topic. I made one once on a wall in Rochester, Minnesota, and I think it was photographed. I made an imaginary one, somewhere else. But I’ve written about it a few times.

If anyone saved it or remembers where, or knows if photos of the Minnesota rough graph were saved, please respond here and I’ll gather it together and make a page. Or maybe I’ve made a page and can’t find it.

Help!

Here’s one account:

-=-There’s a learning curve that I see with unschooled kids, and that is they seem to be ahead for the first few years and then there’s a period of time, just roughly from about nine or ten to about twelve, when they can seem behind. And then after they are twelve or thirteen—zoom! They look ahead! They seem to be ahead again. And so it's weird when people go, “What happened? Why are these twelve-year-old unschoolers and their parents panicky?” And they feel inadequate and their neighbors are going, “Woo-hoo! You don’t know anything,” then all of a sudden they’ve zoomed ahead again. I think part of it is puberty. Part of it is they're learning to read. I don’t know what to say about the rest.-=-

That’s from this:

http://sandradodd.com/radiotra nscript

Once when I wrote about it I talked about being with Joyce in her car, with three of our kids in the back (hers and two of mine).

Sandra

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Sandra Dodd

-=-I would be interested to know whether boys do a similar thing or whether this is typically a female developmental stage?-=-

It’s something that has been observed by lots of unschoolers. It’s not a “should” or an always. It’s a “not unusual.”
Kids are individuals and no one will follow every generality.

I told the story so people wouldn’t be shocked and give up, because I’ve seen LOTS of kids who liked school and did well thrive in Jr. High / Midschool and then slump (or worse) in high school. I saw it as a kid, as a teacher, and saw it in my unschooled children’s school-going friends. It doesn’t happen to ALL kids in school, but it is not uncommon.

Sandra

D. Harper

Sandra, you did save it, with a sensible name and all!
http://sandradodd.com/learningcurve.html

Debbie :)

>
> If anyone saved it or remembers where, or knows if photos of the Minnesota rough graph were saved, please respond here and I’ll gather it together and make a page. Or maybe I’ve made a page and can’t find it.
>
> Help!
>

Sandra Dodd

Debbie Harper wrote:
Sandra, you did save it, with a sensible name and all!
http://sandradodd.com/learningcurve.html


OH MY GOSH, thank you!

I looked for learning curve and it didn’t come up and I gave up too easily.

Me, in that photo, looking happily surprised that you found it! :-)

Sometimes I find things easily and sometimes I let my google failure dismay me. :-)

(actually that photo makes it look like I was scared of Pam Laricchia, or that she was the only person in the room. :-) But most people were in the other sections, especially the one close to the room where the kids were playing. It wasn’t just me and Pam in the room, honest. ;-)


Sandra

Joyce Fetteroll

*** I looked for learning curve and it didn’t come up and I gave up too easily. ***

That's odd. Using the Search box on your site that searches *just* your site, "The learning curve of unschoolers” page is the first one that comes up.

Using the Search box that searches yours, mine and Pam Laricchia’s, it doesn’t. That search returns most of the pages that the search of your site does, but not all. There must be some setting that’s off. Perhaps it’s not searching labels on images or something?

Joyce

Sarah Thompson

Was there a graphic, or just the written content? (Which was perfect timing for a good friend who wants to unschool but worries about her son's anxiety about his reading level).

Sarah 

On Thu, Feb 9, 2017 at 8:50 AM Joyce Fetteroll jfetteroll@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]> wrote:

*** I looked for learning curve and it didn’t come up and I gave up too easily. ***

That's odd. Using the Search box on your site that searches *just* your site, "The learning curve of unschoolers” page is the first one that comes up.

Using the Search box that searches yours, mine and Pam Laricchia’s, it doesn’t. That search returns most of the pages that the search of your site does, but not all. There must be some setting that’s off. Perhaps it’s not searching labels on images or something?

Joyce

Sandra Dodd

Joyce wrote, "Using the Search box on your site that searches *just* your site, "The learning curve of unschoolers” page is the first one that comes up.”

I probably had a typo. Terrrible typos for me lately. I’d like to say something is wrong with my fingers, but seems not.
Maybe my brain. Maybe I’m tired.

Sorry I didn’t find it, but I’m glad for this discussion.

I’m just added something to my page on unexpected benefits, and surprising happenings. It’s in keeping with this topic, because it’s about a teen who has been cocooning for a while. That’s not mentioned; I’m adding it because I know the family and am very glad to know them.

Top of the side box on the right.

I don’t think it’s going to show well on a phone; sorry. Use a larger screen. Several of the stories there should be inspiring. :-)
And the format isn’t finished; I’m working on it now (8:38 a.m. in New Mexico on Thursday morning, which only affects a few people reading it at that moment :-) )

Thanks, Joyce, for this and lots of things.

Sandra




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