feeling anxious
Maisha Khalfani
First, let me say "hi". It's been a while since I've posted. To recap: I'm Maisha, mom to 5, and unschooling 4 of them.
I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some ladies in an email loop that I am a part of. They don't understand unschooling at all. Now I'm confident that unschooling is the way to go and have no plans to change my path. But I must admit I felt that old familiar question mark popping up in my brain. And then I went to the library and checked out two books: Comprehensive Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they behind???" And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to that I'm working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but then I worry because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm here, and watching PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my 17 yr old is a senior in high school.
Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they truly are learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance right now. Thanks.
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some ladies in an email loop that I am a part of. They don't understand unschooling at all. Now I'm confident that unschooling is the way to go and have no plans to change my path. But I must admit I felt that old familiar question mark popping up in my brain. And then I went to the library and checked out two books: Comprehensive Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they behind???" And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to that I'm working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but then I worry because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm here, and watching PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my 17 yr old is a senior in high school.
Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they truly are learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance right now. Thanks.
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Tina
<<Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they
truly are learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and
that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance
right now. Thanks.>>
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
Your kids are fine. They ARE truly learning. You don't need
testing and benchmarks. They will be prepared for life.
That aside, kids are born equipped for living and learning. Live
and learn with them. Follow their lead. Quit listening to those
around you that insist on telling you the what's and why's of what
they think you are doing wrong. They have no idea what they are
talking about. Despite their so-called education, they are
uneducated on anything to do with the philosophy of unschooling and
the blessing found in truly living.
Return the books to the library. Never check them out again.
Everyone is different, so they make no real sense. Bookmark the
blogs of experienced unschoolers. Read "The Teenage Liberation
Handbook". Yes, I know your children are young, but this is SO
appropriate. It will build your confidence and broaden your
horizons. Not to mention provide you with numerous cool resources.
Be sure to get the updated version. It is the one with the colorful
cover. Check out "The unschooling handbook : how to use the whole
world as your child's classroom" by Mary Griffith. This is perfect
for your age group and provides many ideas to get you started. Read
here as often as you can.
Above all, TRUST YOUR CHILDREN. They are doing what they need to do
right now. It's okay. One cannot possibly live without learning.
Try to deschool yourself. Once you see living as learning you will
quit trying to compartmentalise your activities and learn to see the
value in everything. You will quit comparing learning levels and
learn that everyone learns what they need to when they need it. You
will quit seeing testing as an accurate measure of knowledge (it SO
isn't). You will quit worrying about everything and find new
adventures around every corner. You will start enjoying life. You
will recapture your passions and find new ones. You will make
friends that encourage you and build you up. You will live and
learn WITH your children. Being fully involved and active in each
other's passions is the ultimate in living and SO worth pursuing.
Relax, focus on yourself and have fun...
Tina
truly are learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and
that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance
right now. Thanks.>>
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
Your kids are fine. They ARE truly learning. You don't need
testing and benchmarks. They will be prepared for life.
That aside, kids are born equipped for living and learning. Live
and learn with them. Follow their lead. Quit listening to those
around you that insist on telling you the what's and why's of what
they think you are doing wrong. They have no idea what they are
talking about. Despite their so-called education, they are
uneducated on anything to do with the philosophy of unschooling and
the blessing found in truly living.
Return the books to the library. Never check them out again.
Everyone is different, so they make no real sense. Bookmark the
blogs of experienced unschoolers. Read "The Teenage Liberation
Handbook". Yes, I know your children are young, but this is SO
appropriate. It will build your confidence and broaden your
horizons. Not to mention provide you with numerous cool resources.
Be sure to get the updated version. It is the one with the colorful
cover. Check out "The unschooling handbook : how to use the whole
world as your child's classroom" by Mary Griffith. This is perfect
for your age group and provides many ideas to get you started. Read
here as often as you can.
Above all, TRUST YOUR CHILDREN. They are doing what they need to do
right now. It's okay. One cannot possibly live without learning.
Try to deschool yourself. Once you see living as learning you will
quit trying to compartmentalise your activities and learn to see the
value in everything. You will quit comparing learning levels and
learn that everyone learns what they need to when they need it. You
will quit seeing testing as an accurate measure of knowledge (it SO
isn't). You will quit worrying about everything and find new
adventures around every corner. You will start enjoying life. You
will recapture your passions and find new ones. You will make
friends that encourage you and build you up. You will live and
learn WITH your children. Being fully involved and active in each
other's passions is the ultimate in living and SO worth pursuing.
Relax, focus on yourself and have fun...
Tina
Joanne
Hi Maisha...it's good to see you here again. :-)
Sounds to me like you're in a bit of a rut. I remember from the last
time you posted that finances were tight, but I think you need some
fun, new things in your lives. There's plenty you can do with not a
lot of money.
As far as the other group, you said it yourself..."they don't
understand unschooling". That's okay if they don't...you don't have
to be the one to explain it to them. You could have spent that time
flying a kite with your kids. :-)
As far as asking if they're behind...are they behind what? who? and
who decided what "behind" is? School? You're kids aren't part of
that life anymore. :-) Good for them! :-)
What can they do while you work? Can they help you in some way? Do
they bring books, games?
And while my kids enjoy PBS also, they wouldn't want to watch it all
day. There's to much other stuff to do. What else do they have going
on in their lives?
Also...you said this:
for life.>>>
Why are you "confident that unschooling is the way to go"?
Write a list and then read it. Then you won't need us to tell
you...you can tell yourself. :-)
~ Joanne ~
Mom to Jacqueline (8), Shawna (11) & Cimion (13)
Adopted into our hearts October 2003
************************************
Unschooling Voices ~ Add Your Voice
www.foreverparents.com/UnschoolingVoices.html
--- In [email protected], Maisha Khalfani
<maitai373@...> wrote:
at all. Now I'm confident that unschooling is the way to go and
have no plans to change my path. But I must admit I felt that old
familiar question mark popping up in my brain. And then I went to
the library and checked out two books: Comprehensive Curriculum for
2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them and
thought "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they
behind???" And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to
that I'm working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but
then I worry because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm
here, and watching PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my
17 yr old is a senior in high school.
and that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance
right now. Thanks.
Sounds to me like you're in a bit of a rut. I remember from the last
time you posted that finances were tight, but I think you need some
fun, new things in your lives. There's plenty you can do with not a
lot of money.
As far as the other group, you said it yourself..."they don't
understand unschooling". That's okay if they don't...you don't have
to be the one to explain it to them. You could have spent that time
flying a kite with your kids. :-)
As far as asking if they're behind...are they behind what? who? and
who decided what "behind" is? School? You're kids aren't part of
that life anymore. :-) Good for them! :-)
What can they do while you work? Can they help you in some way? Do
they bring books, games?
And while my kids enjoy PBS also, they wouldn't want to watch it all
day. There's to much other stuff to do. What else do they have going
on in their lives?
Also...you said this:
>>I'm confident that unschooling is the way to go>>>Then you said this:
>>>Tell me my kids are fine and that they truly are learning. ThatI don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll be prepared
for life.>>>
Why are you "confident that unschooling is the way to go"?
Write a list and then read it. Then you won't need us to tell
you...you can tell yourself. :-)
~ Joanne ~
Mom to Jacqueline (8), Shawna (11) & Cimion (13)
Adopted into our hearts October 2003
************************************
Unschooling Voices ~ Add Your Voice
www.foreverparents.com/UnschoolingVoices.html
--- In [email protected], Maisha Khalfani
<maitai373@...> wrote:
>recap: I'm Maisha, mom to 5, and unschooling 4 of them.
> First, let me say "hi". It's been a while since I've posted. To
>email loop that I am a part of. They don't understand unschooling
> I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some ladies in an
at all. Now I'm confident that unschooling is the way to go and
have no plans to change my path. But I must admit I felt that old
familiar question mark popping up in my brain. And then I went to
the library and checked out two books: Comprehensive Curriculum for
2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them and
thought "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they
behind???" And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to
that I'm working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but
then I worry because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm
here, and watching PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my
17 yr old is a senior in high school.
>they truly are learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks,
> Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that
and that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance
right now. Thanks.
>
>
> Namaste
> Maisha Khalfani
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Melissa
Hugs
your kids are more than fine, and so are you.
you guys have been through a lot lately, and just living life is enough.
you're not alone ;-)
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (5), Dan
(3), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
your kids are more than fine, and so are you.
you guys have been through a lot lately, and just living life is enough.
you're not alone ;-)
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (5), Dan
(3), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
On Oct 11, 2006, at 3:54 PM, Maisha Khalfani wrote:
> First, let me say "hi". It's been a while since I've posted. To
> recap: I'm Maisha, mom to 5, and unschooling 4 of them.
>
> I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some ladies in an email
> loop that I am a part of. They don't understand unschooling at all.
> Now I'm confident that unschooling is the way to go and have no
> plans to change my path. But I must admit I felt that old familiar
> question mark popping up in my brain. And then I went to the
> library and checked out two books: Comprehensive Curriculum for 2nd
> grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them and thought
> "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they behind???"
> And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to that I'm
> working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but then I
> worry because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm here,
> and watching PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my 17 yr
> old is a senior in high school.
>
> Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they
> truly are learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and
> that they'll be prepared for life. I just need that reassurance
> right now. Thanks.
>
> Namaste
> Maisha Khalfani
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Lesa
Maisha,
When I get those anxious feelings (which isn't so often anymore since I stay
active on the unschooling lists I'm on) I look at Ren, Kelly, and Sandra (to
name a few)... I look at their blogs, at their lives, at their posts. They
all have teens and young adults who have active, joyful, productive lives.
I look and read and then trust... myself and my DD and my God. I know that
this path is the right path for us (myself, DD, & DH).
I don't discuss my life much with those who wouldn't understand. I don't
need that kind-of stress. You should never feel the need to debate the way
you choose to live your life.
Quit looking at those books! At least quit looking at them in the way of
judging your children and what they know to what's in that book. They may
be a possible source to give you ideas of what you might strew but don't
make them what you're *grading* your children and your lives against.
Hang around unschoolers! They're out there... you just might need to look
underground to find them.
Lesa
http://lifeacademy.homeschooljournal.net
-------Original Message-------
From: Maisha Khalfani
Date: 10/11/06 17:09:21
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] feeling anxious
First, let me say "hi". It's been a while since I've posted. To recap: I'm
Maisha, mom to 5, and unschooling 4 of them.
I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some ladies in an email loop that
I am a part of. They don't understand unschooling at all. Now I'm confident
that unschooling is the way to go and have no plans to change my path. But I
must admit I felt that old familiar question mark popping up in my brain.
And then I went to the library and checked out two books: Comprehensive
Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them
and thought "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they
behind???" And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to that I'm
working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but then I worry
because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm here, and watching
PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my 17 yr old is a senior in
high school.
Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they truly are
learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll be
prepared for life. I just need that reassurance right now. Thanks.
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
When I get those anxious feelings (which isn't so often anymore since I stay
active on the unschooling lists I'm on) I look at Ren, Kelly, and Sandra (to
name a few)... I look at their blogs, at their lives, at their posts. They
all have teens and young adults who have active, joyful, productive lives.
I look and read and then trust... myself and my DD and my God. I know that
this path is the right path for us (myself, DD, & DH).
I don't discuss my life much with those who wouldn't understand. I don't
need that kind-of stress. You should never feel the need to debate the way
you choose to live your life.
Quit looking at those books! At least quit looking at them in the way of
judging your children and what they know to what's in that book. They may
be a possible source to give you ideas of what you might strew but don't
make them what you're *grading* your children and your lives against.
Hang around unschoolers! They're out there... you just might need to look
underground to find them.
Lesa
http://lifeacademy.homeschooljournal.net
-------Original Message-------
From: Maisha Khalfani
Date: 10/11/06 17:09:21
To: [email protected]
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] feeling anxious
First, let me say "hi". It's been a while since I've posted. To recap: I'm
Maisha, mom to 5, and unschooling 4 of them.
I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some ladies in an email loop that
I am a part of. They don't understand unschooling at all. Now I'm confident
that unschooling is the way to go and have no plans to change my path. But I
must admit I felt that old familiar question mark popping up in my brain.
And then I went to the library and checked out two books: Comprehensive
Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through them
and thought "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are they
behind???" And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add to that I'm
working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with me, but then I worry
because they are doing "nothing" but playing while I'm here, and watching
PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7, 8, and my 17 yr old is a senior in
high school.
Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they truly are
learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll be
prepared for life. I just need that reassurance right now. Thanks.
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: maitai373@...
Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they
truly are
learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll
be
prepared for life. I just need that reassurance right now. Thanks.
-=-=-=--
Stay sane. Your kids are fine, and they truly are learning.
You don't need testing and benchmarks, and they'll be
prepared for life. Rest assured.
Feeling better? <g>
~Kelly
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
From: maitai373@...
Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine and that they
truly are
learning. That I don't need testing and benchmarks, and that they'll
be
prepared for life. I just need that reassurance right now. Thanks.
-=-=-=--
Stay sane. Your kids are fine, and they truly are learning.
You don't need testing and benchmarks, and they'll be
prepared for life. Rest assured.
Feeling better? <g>
~Kelly
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
Jane
Here are a few things that really help me when the jitters creep in:
1. Don't compare your small people to other small people -- not even to each other. Each has their own path. Whenever you compare, you measure. Someone always looks better and someone always looks worse. Neither of those labels are useful.
2. The root of the word education is Latin for "to draw out". Mainstream K-12 "education" is a farce. It's a creation of a bunch of folks who hold value in knowning this or that. I was amazing at algebra in high school!! Never used it since. Value? Not for me. To me, the real value in unschooling is that each of our small people chooses what they need to know. A true education, as the root of the word suggests.
3. Unschooling is about life. Whole life. My children can change a washer in a faucet. That's not taught in school, but does, in fact, have value. They are able to negotiate through disagreements most of the time. A lifetime skill that not many have -- even as adults. They have some knowledge of the limits of their bodies (when do they need to go to sleep, what happens when they get tired, what happens when you eat too many xyz's, etc.). I don't know any schooled child (and many schooled at home as well!!) who have that self-knowledge. That's certainly useful, but not found in any curriculum that I know of!!
You're certainly not silly for feeling this way. Every so often it happens to me too (and I will then pull out this message and read it to myself!!). What you're doing is making a huge difference in their lives as a whole. What's algebra in comparison to that??
Hth some!!
Jane
Jane Powell
Tribe's Partner
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
"There is no right way to do the wrong thing." - unknown
---------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
1. Don't compare your small people to other small people -- not even to each other. Each has their own path. Whenever you compare, you measure. Someone always looks better and someone always looks worse. Neither of those labels are useful.
2. The root of the word education is Latin for "to draw out". Mainstream K-12 "education" is a farce. It's a creation of a bunch of folks who hold value in knowning this or that. I was amazing at algebra in high school!! Never used it since. Value? Not for me. To me, the real value in unschooling is that each of our small people chooses what they need to know. A true education, as the root of the word suggests.
3. Unschooling is about life. Whole life. My children can change a washer in a faucet. That's not taught in school, but does, in fact, have value. They are able to negotiate through disagreements most of the time. A lifetime skill that not many have -- even as adults. They have some knowledge of the limits of their bodies (when do they need to go to sleep, what happens when they get tired, what happens when you eat too many xyz's, etc.). I don't know any schooled child (and many schooled at home as well!!) who have that self-knowledge. That's certainly useful, but not found in any curriculum that I know of!!
You're certainly not silly for feeling this way. Every so often it happens to me too (and I will then pull out this message and read it to myself!!). What you're doing is making a huge difference in their lives as a whole. What's algebra in comparison to that??
Hth some!!
Jane
Jane Powell
Tribe's Partner
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi
"There is no right way to do the wrong thing." - unknown
---------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Oct 11, 2006, at 4:54 PM, Maisha Khalfani wrote:
important to know" to point B. They all have to stay together. They
all have to do the stops in the order the train goes through them.
Whether they actually understand the stuff is irrelevant. All they
need to do is demonstrate they've retained it long enough to pass a
test. And they they're free to forget.
Unschooled kids are rambling over the country-side, following one
interesting thing to another. (The analogy breaks down there since
they can be following and making connections along many paths
simultaneously.) They learn because it's interesting or meaningful to
them right now.
All that testing and checking curriculum does is show which of the
train stops your kids happened to have explored. What they don't show
is what your kids have explored and learned about *instead*.
School is studying kitchen science. It's goal is identifying and
learning the properties of each ingredient. It's learning what pots
are for. (Again, whether they actually learn for all time isn't the
goal. It's *hoped* the kids do, but schools can only guarantee that
the information went in long enough for the test.) It's following
recipes exactly as they're printed. It's pushing information into
kids that they (supposedly) could draw on if they ever wanted to cook
for real.
Unschooling is messing around in the kitchen, sometimes following
recipes, often making changes and additions and combining recipes,
experimenting from scratch. It's learning how ingredients combine and
work together and what equipment can do. It's real cooking and
learning more about it and getting better at it as you go.
School is memorizing vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language you
never hear spoken and will never speak.
Unschooling is immersing in English and picking it up as a side
effect because it's a useful tool for getting what you want.
information if they're sitting trapped in a room with it. Those
curriculums aren't a list of what kids learn; It's raw information
the kids are exposed to. It doesn't connect to anything. It isn't
meaningful to the kids. It's just information that the schools get in
and hope that it sticks.
But do they truly comprehend what to do with it? Do they understand
it? Do they have good feelings associated with it or would they
rather they never saw it again outside of a classroom?
Memorizing the times table isn't understanding what multiplication
is. I'd guess that most kids don't understand multiplication! Most
just kick into automatic mode when they see two numbers between a
times sign.
Unschooled kids learn things because they're already using them and
they want to know how to do it better.
How many kids hate Shakespeare because of what they experienced in
school? They may "know" Shakespeare but what good is any information
in their heads about him or his plays when it is so strongly
associated with "Yuck!"
Unschooled kids get to experience Shakespeare in fun ways: jokes,
take offs of bits of his plays, funny images, comedies where the goal
of understanding what's going on is to get the jokes. And then if
they want more, they have a bag full of feel-good stuff about him.
The same goes for everything kids "learn" in school. What good is all
that information: math and science and writing and English if it's so
dull and irrelevant that kids want to avoid it as much as possible?
Why not just skip the bad taste and learn about the things you're
actually using and enjoying?
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> And then I went to the library and checked out two books:School is a train going from point A through all the "stuff it's
> Comprehensive Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade.
> I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know any
> of this stuff! Are they behind???"
important to know" to point B. They all have to stay together. They
all have to do the stops in the order the train goes through them.
Whether they actually understand the stuff is irrelevant. All they
need to do is demonstrate they've retained it long enough to pass a
test. And they they're free to forget.
Unschooled kids are rambling over the country-side, following one
interesting thing to another. (The analogy breaks down there since
they can be following and making connections along many paths
simultaneously.) They learn because it's interesting or meaningful to
them right now.
All that testing and checking curriculum does is show which of the
train stops your kids happened to have explored. What they don't show
is what your kids have explored and learned about *instead*.
School is studying kitchen science. It's goal is identifying and
learning the properties of each ingredient. It's learning what pots
are for. (Again, whether they actually learn for all time isn't the
goal. It's *hoped* the kids do, but schools can only guarantee that
the information went in long enough for the test.) It's following
recipes exactly as they're printed. It's pushing information into
kids that they (supposedly) could draw on if they ever wanted to cook
for real.
Unschooling is messing around in the kitchen, sometimes following
recipes, often making changes and additions and combining recipes,
experimenting from scratch. It's learning how ingredients combine and
work together and what equipment can do. It's real cooking and
learning more about it and getting better at it as you go.
School is memorizing vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language you
never hear spoken and will never speak.
Unschooling is immersing in English and picking it up as a side
effect because it's a useful tool for getting what you want.
> I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know anyMost anyone can memorize stuff for a test. Most anyone can absorb
> of this stuff! Are they behind???"
information if they're sitting trapped in a room with it. Those
curriculums aren't a list of what kids learn; It's raw information
the kids are exposed to. It doesn't connect to anything. It isn't
meaningful to the kids. It's just information that the schools get in
and hope that it sticks.
But do they truly comprehend what to do with it? Do they understand
it? Do they have good feelings associated with it or would they
rather they never saw it again outside of a classroom?
Memorizing the times table isn't understanding what multiplication
is. I'd guess that most kids don't understand multiplication! Most
just kick into automatic mode when they see two numbers between a
times sign.
Unschooled kids learn things because they're already using them and
they want to know how to do it better.
How many kids hate Shakespeare because of what they experienced in
school? They may "know" Shakespeare but what good is any information
in their heads about him or his plays when it is so strongly
associated with "Yuck!"
Unschooled kids get to experience Shakespeare in fun ways: jokes,
take offs of bits of his plays, funny images, comedies where the goal
of understanding what's going on is to get the jokes. And then if
they want more, they have a bag full of feel-good stuff about him.
The same goes for everything kids "learn" in school. What good is all
that information: math and science and writing and English if it's so
dull and irrelevant that kids want to avoid it as much as possible?
Why not just skip the bad taste and learn about the things you're
actually using and enjoying?
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Schafer Vanessa
Hi,
I just started unschooling this year. My kids are 11
and 9. At first I was nervous that they wouldn't
learn what they needed, but after a short time, they
are learning on their own. My daughter (9) has had
alot of problems doing math at school. Since she has
been home, she has been doing basic math on her own.
We play video games together, and she'll add things
together, and when I ask her what she did, I tell her
you just did math. She smiles, and keeps going.
Life is meant to be lived, and to be free. There is
no testing in homeschooling, so relax and breathe.
Kids will learn things even through playing. You will
all be fine. I know I wasn't sure at first, but the
bench marks in those books, are I think for where
people say your kids should be. Take them back to the
library, and forget about them. Have fun with your
kids, find things they like to do, and enjoy doing
them with your kids. It's so much better, and a more
fun approach, than anything I could ever imagine.
I hope this helps. Just hug each other, and love each
other, and the learning will come naturally.
---Vanessa
--- Melissa <autismhelp@...> wrote:
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I just started unschooling this year. My kids are 11
and 9. At first I was nervous that they wouldn't
learn what they needed, but after a short time, they
are learning on their own. My daughter (9) has had
alot of problems doing math at school. Since she has
been home, she has been doing basic math on her own.
We play video games together, and she'll add things
together, and when I ask her what she did, I tell her
you just did math. She smiles, and keeps going.
Life is meant to be lived, and to be free. There is
no testing in homeschooling, so relax and breathe.
Kids will learn things even through playing. You will
all be fine. I know I wasn't sure at first, but the
bench marks in those books, are I think for where
people say your kids should be. Take them back to the
library, and forget about them. Have fun with your
kids, find things they like to do, and enjoy doing
them with your kids. It's so much better, and a more
fun approach, than anything I could ever imagine.
I hope this helps. Just hug each other, and love each
other, and the learning will come naturally.
---Vanessa
--- Melissa <autismhelp@...> wrote:
> Hugs__________________________________________________
> your kids are more than fine, and so are you.
> you guys have been through a lot lately, and just
> living life is enough.
> you're not alone ;-)
>
> Melissa
> Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel
> (6), Sam (5), Dan
> (3), and Avari Rose
>
> share our lives at
> http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
>
>
>
> On Oct 11, 2006, at 3:54 PM, Maisha Khalfani wrote:
>
> > First, let me say "hi". It's been a while since
> I've posted. To
> > recap: I'm Maisha, mom to 5, and unschooling 4 of
> them.
> >
> > I've been engaged in a bit of debate with some
> ladies in an email
> > loop that I am a part of. They don't understand
> unschooling at all.
> > Now I'm confident that unschooling is the way to
> go and have no
> > plans to change my path. But I must admit I felt
> that old familiar
> > question mark popping up in my brain. And then I
> went to the
> > library and checked out two books: Comprehensive
> Curriculum for 2nd
> > grade and the one for 3rd grade. I flipped through
> them and thought
> > "I don't think my kids know any of this stuff! Are
> they behind???"
> > And then came the self doubt and the what ifs. Add
> to that I'm
> > working 2-3 days a week. I can bring the kids with
> me, but then I
> > worry because they are doing "nothing" but playing
> while I'm here,
> > and watching PBS at home. Oh, my kids are 1, 3, 7,
> 8, and my 17 yr
> > old is a senior in high school.
> >
> > Please help keep me sane. Tell me my kids are fine
> and that they
> > truly are learning. That I don't need testing and
> benchmarks, and
> > that they'll be prepared for life. I just need
> that reassurance
> > right now. Thanks.
> >
> > Namaste
> > Maisha Khalfani
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
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Michelle Leifur Reid
On 10/12/06, Schafer Vanessa <psychomom95@...> wrote:
:-) I would really stop labelling the things that she does by
schoolish definitions. Later if she comes to you and says something
like, "I don't think I'm learning anything because I don't do math"
you could show her all the times that she has done math in her daily
living. Labelling their activities "you've done math" "nice book
report" etc is boxing your freedom in and comparing your lives still
with school. I think you still have some deschooling to do :-)
Michelle
> We play video games together, and she'll add thingsWhich also means that she doesn't need to know that she has done math.
> together, and when I ask her what she did, I tell her
> you just did math. She smiles, and keeps going.
>
> Life is meant to be lived, and to be free.
:-) I would really stop labelling the things that she does by
schoolish definitions. Later if she comes to you and says something
like, "I don't think I'm learning anything because I don't do math"
you could show her all the times that she has done math in her daily
living. Labelling their activities "you've done math" "nice book
report" etc is boxing your freedom in and comparing your lives still
with school. I think you still have some deschooling to do :-)
Michelle
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/12/2006 3:48:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
pamperedmichelle@... writes:
We play video games together, and she'll add things
:-) I would really stop labelling the things that she does by
schoolish definitions.
********
Yes, and this child has already had math difficulty in school. I think a
little confidence is a great thing right now.
A good discussion about how math plays a large part of real life and it
isn't something to necessarily divide out (tee hee, pun not intended!) might be
fun to discuss, too.
I believe Einstein said something along the lines of 95% of the physics
people will learn in their lifetime is learned by the age of three. I bet math
would be very similar.
Keep having fun!
Leslie in SC
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
pamperedmichelle@... writes:
We play video games together, and she'll add things
> together, and when I ask her what she did, I tell herWhich also means that she doesn't need to know that she has done math.
> you just did math. She smiles, and keeps going.
:-) I would really stop labelling the things that she does by
schoolish definitions.
********
Yes, and this child has already had math difficulty in school. I think a
little confidence is a great thing right now.
A good discussion about how math plays a large part of real life and it
isn't something to necessarily divide out (tee hee, pun not intended!) might be
fun to discuss, too.
I believe Einstein said something along the lines of 95% of the physics
people will learn in their lifetime is learned by the age of three. I bet math
would be very similar.
Keep having fun!
Leslie in SC
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Su Penn
On Oct 12, 2006, at 6:37 AM, Joyce Fetteroll wrote:
those kinds of books, I checked several "What your Kindergartner
needs to know" type books out of the library. It was actually helpful
for me because every book said different things--each author had
their own perspective and assumptions about what literature was
valuable and how to approach social studies and so on, and looking at
them, I said, "These are totally arbitrary! They're just making this
sh*t up! They don't know!" From that, I figured out that I knew as
well as any expert what my kid needed...and from there, gradually,
figured out that _he_ is the one who knows, and I'm just here to help
him along the way.
Su
>Before I realized it was important for me to abstain from looking at
> On Oct 11, 2006, at 4:54 PM, Maisha Khalfani wrote:
>
>> And then I went to the library and checked out two books:
>> Comprehensive Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade.
>> I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know any
>> of this stuff! Are they behind???"
those kinds of books, I checked several "What your Kindergartner
needs to know" type books out of the library. It was actually helpful
for me because every book said different things--each author had
their own perspective and assumptions about what literature was
valuable and how to approach social studies and so on, and looking at
them, I said, "These are totally arbitrary! They're just making this
sh*t up! They don't know!" From that, I figured out that I knew as
well as any expert what my kid needed...and from there, gradually,
figured out that _he_ is the one who knows, and I'm just here to help
him along the way.
Su
Schafer Vanessa
I guess when I told her she was doing math, I wanted
her to know how proud I was that she was doing it, and
not stressing over it, like she has in the past in
school. I wasn't trying to label it, but yet to show
her how quickly she has done it, without all the added
stress. I am very proud of her, and she can see that.
She even tells me, look mom, I just did some math. I
am very quick to tell her that she has done a very
good job. Positive reinforcement helps alot for my
kids, especially from being in public schools for so
long, they have alot of self doubt.
--- Leslie530@... wrote:
__________________________________________________
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her to know how proud I was that she was doing it, and
not stressing over it, like she has in the past in
school. I wasn't trying to label it, but yet to show
her how quickly she has done it, without all the added
stress. I am very proud of her, and she can see that.
She even tells me, look mom, I just did some math. I
am very quick to tell her that she has done a very
good job. Positive reinforcement helps alot for my
kids, especially from being in public schools for so
long, they have alot of self doubt.
--- Leslie530@... wrote:
>Vanessa
> In a message dated 10/12/2006 3:48:29 P.M. Eastern
> Daylight Time,
> pamperedmichelle@... writes:
>
> We play video games together, and she'll add things
> > together, and when I ask her what she did, I tell
> her
> > you just did math. She smiles, and keeps going.
> Which also means that she doesn't need to know that
> she has done math.
> :-) I would really stop labelling the things that
> she does by
> schoolish definitions.
>
>
> ********
>
> Yes, and this child has already had math difficulty
> in school. I think a
> little confidence is a great thing right now.
>
> A good discussion about how math plays a large part
> of real life and it
> isn't something to necessarily divide out (tee hee,
> pun not intended!) might be
> fun to discuss, too.
>
> I believe Einstein said something along the lines of
> 95% of the physics
> people will learn in their lifetime is learned by
> the age of three. I bet math
> would be very similar.
>
> Keep having fun!
> Leslie in SC
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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Schafer Vanessa
We've only been unschooling since September, so I do
know that we are at the beginning of deschooling. I
only told her she did math, to show her that she could
do it, and be proud. My children in the years they
have been in public school, have a lot of self doubt.
She has had anxiety problems in school with math alot,
so I wanted to show her how it comes into play, in
every day things. I always tell her and her brother
how proud I am of both of them. She is doing better
at home with doing math, than she did at school. I am
not angry at anyone for their opinion. I was simply
trying to show my daughter that she can do math, and
it will get easier.
--- Michelle Leifur Reid <pamperedmichelle@...>
wrote:
__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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know that we are at the beginning of deschooling. I
only told her she did math, to show her that she could
do it, and be proud. My children in the years they
have been in public school, have a lot of self doubt.
She has had anxiety problems in school with math alot,
so I wanted to show her how it comes into play, in
every day things. I always tell her and her brother
how proud I am of both of them. She is doing better
at home with doing math, than she did at school. I am
not angry at anyone for their opinion. I was simply
trying to show my daughter that she can do math, and
it will get easier.
--- Michelle Leifur Reid <pamperedmichelle@...>
wrote:
> On 10/12/06, Schafer Vanessa <psychomom95@...>Vanessa
> wrote:
>
> > We play video games together, and she'll add
> things
> > together, and when I ask her what she did, I tell
> her
> > you just did math. She smiles, and keeps going.
> >
> > Life is meant to be lived, and to be free.
>
> Which also means that she doesn't need to know that
> she has done math.
> :-) I would really stop labelling the things that
> she does by
> schoolish definitions. Later if she comes to you
> and says something
> like, "I don't think I'm learning anything because I
> don't do math"
> you could show her all the times that she has done
> math in her daily
> living. Labelling their activities "you've done
> math" "nice book
> report" etc is boxing your freedom in and comparing
> your lives still
> with school. I think you still have some
> deschooling to do :-)
>
> Michelle
>
__________________________________________________
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Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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Vickisue Gray
Too black and white (LOL wouldn't my spouse just love to hear me say that!)
My oldest does formal school and all the other unschooling stuff, too! For her, she speaks all the languages she studies, excels at them, actually. She loves learning. She retains what she learns. She hates stupid teachers that don't teach. She teaches herself many things like glow-sticking, web-design, all about acupuncture (she currently wants to do this professionally and is planning to study it in college). She researches all types of things just because she is curious. So for her, formal (private & public) school works. She wants nothing to do with home(un)schooling. She has a wide variety of friends, whom all have different interests. She also was reading at age two. No one 'taught' her. That's just the way she is.
My son? He also has a very high IQ. There's no teaching him as he just gets it. We unschool. I tried homeschool but it seemed silly as he already knows the things he would be covering in his age defined class level. I started out this year opening the Language Arts book to learn that he had already figured out the rules from his extensive reading. He just hadn't seen the rules written out. So I joined this group to get insight. (Very good advice on these pages!)
Guess I believe, in the description of unschooling from birth as it fits the way I raised my kids. I see the benefit of involved parents whether they chose school or unschool. I was never the drop the kid off parent. I was the one who pulled my kid out after one day of observing poor teaching and moved twenty miles so my daughter would be in an excellent class with an excellent teacher. (I was divorced and worked full-time and had never heard of homeschooling)
To me, my job (as teacher) was to nurture the love of learning.
Anyway, I'm still laughing that I, who was raised to see everything in black and white have learned to see gray areas. = )
----- Original Message ----
From: Joyce Fetteroll <fetteroll@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 6:37:44 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] feeling anxious
My oldest does formal school and all the other unschooling stuff, too! For her, she speaks all the languages she studies, excels at them, actually. She loves learning. She retains what she learns. She hates stupid teachers that don't teach. She teaches herself many things like glow-sticking, web-design, all about acupuncture (she currently wants to do this professionally and is planning to study it in college). She researches all types of things just because she is curious. So for her, formal (private & public) school works. She wants nothing to do with home(un)schooling. She has a wide variety of friends, whom all have different interests. She also was reading at age two. No one 'taught' her. That's just the way she is.
My son? He also has a very high IQ. There's no teaching him as he just gets it. We unschool. I tried homeschool but it seemed silly as he already knows the things he would be covering in his age defined class level. I started out this year opening the Language Arts book to learn that he had already figured out the rules from his extensive reading. He just hadn't seen the rules written out. So I joined this group to get insight. (Very good advice on these pages!)
Guess I believe, in the description of unschooling from birth as it fits the way I raised my kids. I see the benefit of involved parents whether they chose school or unschool. I was never the drop the kid off parent. I was the one who pulled my kid out after one day of observing poor teaching and moved twenty miles so my daughter would be in an excellent class with an excellent teacher. (I was divorced and worked full-time and had never heard of homeschooling)
To me, my job (as teacher) was to nurture the love of learning.
Anyway, I'm still laughing that I, who was raised to see everything in black and white have learned to see gray areas. = )
----- Original Message ----
From: Joyce Fetteroll <fetteroll@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 6:37:44 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] feeling anxious
On Oct 11, 2006, at 4:54 PM, Maisha Khalfani wrote:
> And then I went to the library and checked out two books:
> Comprehensive Curriculum for 2nd grade and the one for 3rd grade.
> I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know any
> of this stuff! Are they behind???"
School is a train going from point A through all the "stuff it's
important to know" to point B. They all have to stay together. They
all have to do the stops in the order the train goes through them.
Whether they actually understand the stuff is irrelevant. All they
need to do is demonstrate they've retained it long enough to pass a
test. And they they're free to forget.
Unschooled kids are rambling over the country-side, following one
interesting thing to another. (The analogy breaks down there since
they can be following and making connections along many paths
simultaneously. ) They learn because it's interesting or meaningful to
them right now.
All that testing and checking curriculum does is show which of the
train stops your kids happened to have explored. What they don't show
is what your kids have explored and learned about *instead*.
School is studying kitchen science. It's goal is identifying and
learning the properties of each ingredient. It's learning what pots
are for. (Again, whether they actually learn for all time isn't the
goal. It's *hoped* the kids do, but schools can only guarantee that
the information went in long enough for the test.) It's following
recipes exactly as they're printed. It's pushing information into
kids that they (supposedly) could draw on if they ever wanted to cook
for real.
Unschooling is messing around in the kitchen, sometimes following
recipes, often making changes and additions and combining recipes,
experimenting from scratch. It's learning how ingredients combine and
work together and what equipment can do. It's real cooking and
learning more about it and getting better at it as you go.
School is memorizing vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language you
never hear spoken and will never speak.
Unschooling is immersing in English and picking it up as a side
effect because it's a useful tool for getting what you want.
> I flipped through them and thought "I don't think my kids know any
> of this stuff! Are they behind???"
Most anyone can memorize stuff for a test. Most anyone can absorb
information if they're sitting trapped in a room with it. Those
curriculums aren't a list of what kids learn; It's raw information
the kids are exposed to. It doesn't connect to anything. It isn't
meaningful to the kids. It's just information that the schools get in
and hope that it sticks.
But do they truly comprehend what to do with it? Do they understand
it? Do they have good feelings associated with it or would they
rather they never saw it again outside of a classroom?
Memorizing the times table isn't understanding what multiplication
is. I'd guess that most kids don't understand multiplication! Most
just kick into automatic mode when they see two numbers between a
times sign.
Unschooled kids learn things because they're already using them and
they want to know how to do it better.
How many kids hate Shakespeare because of what they experienced in
school? They may "know" Shakespeare but what good is any information
in their heads about him or his plays when it is so strongly
associated with "Yuck!"
Unschooled kids get to experience Shakespeare in fun ways: jokes,
take offs of bits of his plays, funny images, comedies where the goal
of understanding what's going on is to get the jokes. And then if
they want more, they have a bag full of feel-good stuff about him.
The same goes for everything kids "learn" in school. What good is all
that information: math and science and writing and English if it's so
dull and irrelevant that kids want to avoid it as much as possible?
Why not just skip the bad taste and learn about the things you're
actually using and enjoying?
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jessica
I have a couple of those books & while they're fun to look through (for me), I wouldn't necessarily teach that stuff to my kids at a specific age... maybe if someone was interested in a specific topic, I'd say "oooh, I remember seeing something about that in the 2nd grade book (we have K, 2, 3 and 6, maybe 5, can't remember)... and I did take a bit of time to amuse myself with the art history sections in those books... not because I wanted to teach the kids, but because it's fun...
Bought them mostly before we got into unschooling...
Jessica
http://weavingrainbow.com/HSblog
Bought them mostly before we got into unschooling...
> "What your KindergartnerCheers,
> needs to know" type books out of the library. It was actually helpful
> for me because every book said different things--each author had
> their own perspective and assumptions about what literature was
> valuable and how to approach social studies and so on, and looking at
> them, I said, "These are totally arbitrary!
Jessica
http://weavingrainbow.com/HSblog
Joyce Fetteroll
On Oct 12, 2006, at 6:42 PM, Vickisue Gray wrote:
present the other end of the spectrum. Most people see schools as
being places where kids learn what they're taught as though there's
some magic teachers have: Send your kid to school and get him filled
with all the knowledge he needs.
her learning style. And that's why unschooling works too: wanting to
do what you're doing.
But the less kids are curious about what's being thrown at them, the
less the teaching style matches their learning style, the less
learning will happen. (And too often it happens because kids want to
*avoid* something else like bad grades and disappointed parents.) Few
kids are at either end of the spectrum in school. Most are somewhere
in between. Unfortunately most people, who don't see the spectrum or
why it exists, assume if a child isn't learning that the child isn't
working hard enough or the teachers are incompetent. The *system*
(teachers and classrooms and textbooks) -- because it "works" for so
many -- is seen as good and useful for learning.
When unschoolers panic, it isn't about how their kids are going to
learn the things they enjoy doing! ;-) It's about how they're going
to learn the things they've shown no interest in. If it supposedly
takes 12 years of a couple hours a day of instruction and practice to
learn math for college and a child at home has done no math (that the
parent recognizes) that seems like something to worry about!
But fortunately natural learning works a whole lot differently! :-)
and rarely looks like school-style learning.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> Too black and white (LOL wouldn't my spouse just love to hear meTrue, it wasn't meant to paint a realistic picture of school but to
> say that!)
present the other end of the spectrum. Most people see schools as
being places where kids learn what they're taught as though there's
some magic teachers have: Send your kid to school and get him filled
with all the knowledge he needs.
> She loves learning. She retains what she learns. She hates stupidThe key is she wants what's being presented to her *and* it matches
> teachers that don't teach. She teaches herself many things like
> glow-sticking, web-design, all about acupuncture (she currently
> wants to do this professionally and is planning to study it in
> college). She researches all types of things just because she is
> curious. So for her, formal (private & public) school works.
her learning style. And that's why unschooling works too: wanting to
do what you're doing.
But the less kids are curious about what's being thrown at them, the
less the teaching style matches their learning style, the less
learning will happen. (And too often it happens because kids want to
*avoid* something else like bad grades and disappointed parents.) Few
kids are at either end of the spectrum in school. Most are somewhere
in between. Unfortunately most people, who don't see the spectrum or
why it exists, assume if a child isn't learning that the child isn't
working hard enough or the teachers are incompetent. The *system*
(teachers and classrooms and textbooks) -- because it "works" for so
many -- is seen as good and useful for learning.
When unschoolers panic, it isn't about how their kids are going to
learn the things they enjoy doing! ;-) It's about how they're going
to learn the things they've shown no interest in. If it supposedly
takes 12 years of a couple hours a day of instruction and practice to
learn math for college and a child at home has done no math (that the
parent recognizes) that seems like something to worry about!
But fortunately natural learning works a whole lot differently! :-)
and rarely looks like school-style learning.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Vickisue Gray
Now it's Perfect! I will forward this to my spouse.<grins>
Vicki = )
----- Original Message ----
From: Joyce Fetteroll <fetteroll@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 5:39:07 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] feeling anxious
Vicki = )
----- Original Message ----
From: Joyce Fetteroll <fetteroll@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 5:39:07 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] feeling anxious
On Oct 12, 2006, at 6:42 PM, Vickisue Gray wrote:
> Too black and white (LOL wouldn't my spouse just love to hear me
> say that!)
True, it wasn't meant to paint a realistic picture of school but to
present the other end of the spectrum. Most people see schools as
being places where kids learn what they're taught as though there's
some magic teachers have: Send your kid to school and get him filled
with all the knowledge he needs.
> She loves learning. She retains what she learns. She hates stupid
> teachers that don't teach. She teaches herself many things like
> glow-sticking, web-design, all about acupuncture (she currently
> wants to do this professionally and is planning to study it in
> college). She researches all types of things just because she is
> curious. So for her, formal (private & public) school works.
The key is she wants what's being presented to her *and* it matches
her learning style. And that's why unschooling works too: wanting to
do what you're doing.
But the less kids are curious about what's being thrown at them, the
less the teaching style matches their learning style, the less
learning will happen. (And too often it happens because kids want to
*avoid* something else like bad grades and disappointed parents.) Few
kids are at either end of the spectrum in school. Most are somewhere
in between. Unfortunately most people, who don't see the spectrum or
why it exists, assume if a child isn't learning that the child isn't
working hard enough or the teachers are incompetent. The *system*
(teachers and classrooms and textbooks) -- because it "works" for so
many -- is seen as good and useful for learning.
When unschoolers panic, it isn't about how their kids are going to
learn the things they enjoy doing! ;-) It's about how they're going
to learn the things they've shown no interest in. If it supposedly
takes 12 years of a couple hours a day of instruction and practice to
learn math for college and a child at home has done no math (that the
parent recognizes) that seems like something to worry about!
But fortunately natural learning works a whole lot differently! :-)
and rarely looks like school-style learning.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: tribecus@...
I was amazing at algebra in high school!! Never used
it since. Value? Not for me.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Well, you actually use it every day. It just doesn't look like x and y.
It looks like speeding cars and slippery glasses and cookies baking.
It's REAL math. Every day.
~Kelly
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
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From: tribecus@...
I was amazing at algebra in high school!! Never used
it since. Value? Not for me.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Well, you actually use it every day. It just doesn't look like x and y.
It looks like speeding cars and slippery glasses and cookies baking.
It's REAL math. Every day.
~Kelly
________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
Vickisue Gray
Go to buy flooring, remodel the kitchen, build a fort, plant a tree to give your house shade when it grows, design a hampster trail! I agree, math is everywhere and I use algebra all the time!
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 6:17:28 PM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Re: feeling anxious
-----Original Message-----
From: tribecus@yahoo. com
I was amazing at algebra in high school!! Never used
it since. Value? Not for me.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Well, you actually use it every day. It just doesn't look like x and y.
It looks like speeding cars and slippery glasses and cookies baking.
It's REAL math. Every day.
~Kelly
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2006 6:17:28 PM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Re: feeling anxious
-----Original Message-----
From: tribecus@yahoo. com
I was amazing at algebra in high school!! Never used
it since. Value? Not for me.
-=-=-=-=-=-
Well, you actually use it every day. It just doesn't look like x and y.
It looks like speeding cars and slippery glasses and cookies baking.
It's REAL math. Every day.
~Kelly
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _
Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and
security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from
across the web, free AOL Mail and more.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Maisha Khalfani
Thanks Joanne, Melissa, Joyce, and all of you who responded. I've been away from this group for a while and that's a problem! LOL. I need to check in here and talk with people who are about what I'm about. I'll relax and just watch my children "be" and enjoy them.
By the way....another book recommendation....The Miracle of Mindfullness by Thich Nhat Hahn. Actually, anything by Thich Nhat Hahn is good.
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
"The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life" ~ The Dalai Lama
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
By the way....another book recommendation....The Miracle of Mindfullness by Thich Nhat Hahn. Actually, anything by Thich Nhat Hahn is good.
Namaste
Maisha Khalfani
"The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one's life" ~ The Dalai Lama
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Melissa
Yes, I just read 'Peace in Every Step', and bought it too. I pick it
up and read part at least once a day.
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (5), Dan
(3), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
up and read part at least once a day.
Melissa
Mom to Josh (11), Breanna (9), Emily (7), Rachel (6), Sam (5), Dan
(3), and Avari Rose
share our lives at
http://360.yahoo.com/multimomma
On Oct 16, 2006, at 1:15 PM, Maisha Khalfani wrote:
>
> By the way....another book recommendation....The Miracle of
> Mindfullness by Thich Nhat Hahn. Actually, anything by Thich Nhat
> Hahn is good.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]