textbooks and unschooling
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In a message dated 8/5/2000 3:21:31 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
NumoAstro@... writes:
comfortable enough finding our own resources that we don't worry about a (or
which) text book and don't feel the need to ask others for verification of
our decisions!
I use textbook for math (Saxon). It's not stressful for us. We don't use it
at the prescribed pace. We might ignore it for a while and then do a bunch.
I use it to help me explore/explain math and science concepts ds will see
once he gets to college. The math textbook is often a jumping off place for
other subjects, just like anything else we do.
Why do I use a math textbook? Because I want to be confident we'll cover
this material. Many times we get to a concept and ds already understands it
quite nicely. That is great! Those lessons we skim over and I let him tell
me what the point is. Then move on to the next. We might go through several
lessons in this fashion. No problem. It is great confidence builder for
both of us. DS recognizes he has been learning something and I've just
accomplished an 'assessment' of his progress pretty painlessly. This helps
me have no hesitation to the nosey mother when she asks how ds is
doing...after all, we are constantly assessing him and I can respond that his
latest 'assessment' shows marked improvement! LOL
Having ds explain the concept to me is always great way to see inside this
kid's head and figure out how he's thinking. I generally learn something
from him.
I have 2 offspring...can't call them both boys since one is 22, married and a
daddy! The other boy is 11. I used to think that using a text for language
arts/english was important. Especially things like spelling. I've decided
the heck with that! Now ds asks about a word he needs to spell, I ask him
how he thinks it's spelled and help him correct any error. He sees that his
spelling is improving dramatically and is gaining confidence that he can
spell/write well enough to communicate whatever he wants. (isn't that the
whole goal/reason to learn to write/spell? To communicate something?) He
reads a LOT and I'm certain that the process of reading reinforces
grammar/spelling concepts without any extra effort.
Spelling and grammar were pretty hard for me to let go. But I look at DH
(and many others) with high school graduation, military tech school, a bach
of science degree and he can't spell worth beans and has me edit any formal
correspondence he is sending out. Whereas I have no degrees and dropped out
of school at 17 (boredom and ready to get on with life). Once I realized
that I've done okay with myself, I felt much better about not formally
addressing many subjects. I still feel the need for reference points from
math. It may even be my need rather than my son's need. But, it certainly
is not hurting him any!
Sure there are lots of other things that he picks on his own. But, I figure
it's my responsibility to introduce some things in his life. IMO, it's on a
level similar to teaching him to brush his teeth or wash his hands after
using the bathroom. Those are not things he's likely to learn with no input
from his parents, and it's my responsibility to help him learn those good
habits.
Here's a question: Is using a computer program really any different than
using a textbook or classroom?
I'll go first...yes and no. I use them and ds and I both love them. There
is no resistance, he's playing a game. He recognizes it's a 'school' game,
but it doesn't put him off any. He learns the material at a rapid pace in a
fun manner.
OTOH there is less interaction between the two of us when he's using the
'puter to learn something. I like the interaction.
The reason I use computer programs/games (or piano lessons, for that matter)
are pretty similar. I want to be confident that the subject is presented to
ds in a way that encourages him to learn something that I think is important
for him to have in his life.
We don't use them (computer programs, textbooks, tutors, classes, etc.,)
exclusively, by any means! They are launching places. More like supplements
to the rest of our lives. Something we do in between exploring other parts
of our world.
FWIW,
Eiraul
NumoAstro@... writes:
>I think there is a greater focus on these other things. We just feel
> Just thoughts that were going through my head and wondered if anyone else
> had
> some ideas about why as unschooling parents there is a focus on math and
> english and not other things.
>
comfortable enough finding our own resources that we don't worry about a (or
which) text book and don't feel the need to ask others for verification of
our decisions!
I use textbook for math (Saxon). It's not stressful for us. We don't use it
at the prescribed pace. We might ignore it for a while and then do a bunch.
I use it to help me explore/explain math and science concepts ds will see
once he gets to college. The math textbook is often a jumping off place for
other subjects, just like anything else we do.
Why do I use a math textbook? Because I want to be confident we'll cover
this material. Many times we get to a concept and ds already understands it
quite nicely. That is great! Those lessons we skim over and I let him tell
me what the point is. Then move on to the next. We might go through several
lessons in this fashion. No problem. It is great confidence builder for
both of us. DS recognizes he has been learning something and I've just
accomplished an 'assessment' of his progress pretty painlessly. This helps
me have no hesitation to the nosey mother when she asks how ds is
doing...after all, we are constantly assessing him and I can respond that his
latest 'assessment' shows marked improvement! LOL
Having ds explain the concept to me is always great way to see inside this
kid's head and figure out how he's thinking. I generally learn something
from him.
I have 2 offspring...can't call them both boys since one is 22, married and a
daddy! The other boy is 11. I used to think that using a text for language
arts/english was important. Especially things like spelling. I've decided
the heck with that! Now ds asks about a word he needs to spell, I ask him
how he thinks it's spelled and help him correct any error. He sees that his
spelling is improving dramatically and is gaining confidence that he can
spell/write well enough to communicate whatever he wants. (isn't that the
whole goal/reason to learn to write/spell? To communicate something?) He
reads a LOT and I'm certain that the process of reading reinforces
grammar/spelling concepts without any extra effort.
Spelling and grammar were pretty hard for me to let go. But I look at DH
(and many others) with high school graduation, military tech school, a bach
of science degree and he can't spell worth beans and has me edit any formal
correspondence he is sending out. Whereas I have no degrees and dropped out
of school at 17 (boredom and ready to get on with life). Once I realized
that I've done okay with myself, I felt much better about not formally
addressing many subjects. I still feel the need for reference points from
math. It may even be my need rather than my son's need. But, it certainly
is not hurting him any!
Sure there are lots of other things that he picks on his own. But, I figure
it's my responsibility to introduce some things in his life. IMO, it's on a
level similar to teaching him to brush his teeth or wash his hands after
using the bathroom. Those are not things he's likely to learn with no input
from his parents, and it's my responsibility to help him learn those good
habits.
Here's a question: Is using a computer program really any different than
using a textbook or classroom?
I'll go first...yes and no. I use them and ds and I both love them. There
is no resistance, he's playing a game. He recognizes it's a 'school' game,
but it doesn't put him off any. He learns the material at a rapid pace in a
fun manner.
OTOH there is less interaction between the two of us when he's using the
'puter to learn something. I like the interaction.
The reason I use computer programs/games (or piano lessons, for that matter)
are pretty similar. I want to be confident that the subject is presented to
ds in a way that encourages him to learn something that I think is important
for him to have in his life.
We don't use them (computer programs, textbooks, tutors, classes, etc.,)
exclusively, by any means! They are launching places. More like supplements
to the rest of our lives. Something we do in between exploring other parts
of our world.
FWIW,
Eiraul