Karin

Dear Ned (and Luz),

You have temporarily brought me out of lurker status because I was SO moved
to tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts. I like the fact that you
are speaking from experience and have BTDT in regards to most of the
scenarios presented here. I love this advice and your sense of humor:

> No, you don't correct spelling for your child, any more than we would
> correct yours. Writing is what's important. If you correct her spelling,
you
> risk spoiling it for her, and turning yourself into a "teacher"...heaven
> forbid. She'll learn spelling in other ways.

In general, your posts bring me peace of mind and a sense of well-being - a
wonderful feeling!
I especially like to share your POV with my dh - as another father.
Keep posting and commenting - I look forward to reading.

Best wishes to you and yours,
Karin



>
> On TEACHING MYSELF:
>
> When we say, "He's teaching," we imply that the person already knows
> something. When we say, "He's teaching himself," we describe a situation
in
> which the person already knows something, but is also learning it (again?)
> from himself. We create a conundrum -- a riddle inside an enigma. "Is he
> learning from himself?" and "Will he give himself a test?" etc., etc...
>
> John Holt, in his usual desdain for school teaching, wrote something like,
> "Just because someone is "teaching" doesn't mean anyone else is learning."
> Could that apply to teaching one's self? What fun !
>
> For Josie:
> Yours is a common problem. You are seeing the results of being in public
> school...it takes time to overcome the damage done. From your post, it's
> hard to tell how long you've been with this list, but if you stick around,
> I'm sure you will find reasons to continue to trust your kids to be
> learning. The key just might be to increase their freedom instead of
> thinking of ways to regiment them into familiar (but dumb) ways of
> "learning" such as doing schoolwork.
>
> If one of them wants a curriculum, make him/her BEG for it. Luz adds, "and
> make 'em pay for it, too." (long ago, I sent for one for a ten year old.
On
> the second day, the kid looked up and said, "Dad, this is stupid." I
> replied, "Right. Let's send it back." We did. He went out to play --
> permanently. Today, he's a thirty-two year old who makes sound tracks for
TV
> commercials.
>
> You need new ideas. With the money and time you are considering spending
on
> a curriculum, why not buy magazine subscriptions or go to museums or
> factories or the newspaper office (talk to reporters and editors) or city
> hall (see how it works/doesn't) or all learn to sail or ride horses (like
> royalty all do -- it's great survival training). If all else fails, browse
> the yellow pages to see what people in the real world are doing.
>
> As the cartoon character Pogo once said, "We are confronted with
> insurmountable opportunity."
>
> To Melissa:
> You end with this: >> I cannot imagine bringing myself to
> take him there ever again.<<
>
> That's your bottom line...your conclusion. It's risky for anyone to
advise
> you about raising your child, but that usually doesn't stop me...
> You are the one who's in charge since your dh is at MIT learning, of all
> things, that there is a science to politics. Well, there is a science to
> being a mother, too, and it doesn't have anything to do with sending the
> kids to schools for babysitting and being told to sit down and be quiet
and
> cut this and paste that. I also don't believe that the goal in life is to
be
> a "well informed voter" especially when most schools prepare children
> mostly for Socialism, not independence. It gets me crazy just thinking
about
> it when your child needs to be climbing trees and playing with one or two
> friends. Keep in touch.
> Luz and I have a website/page for more...
> www.borntoexplore.org/unschool
>
> To Joyce:
> Great stuff!
>
> To Liza:
> Thanks, and about READING SIGNS, when my youngest son was very small and I
> carried him around town on my shoulders, talking to him, he learned to
read
> the signs -- all kinds -- from my reading them and, of course, saying them
> to him. The first I remember was STOP and GO on the light signals at
> crossings. Then BANK and MARKET and, and... We went into stores and
talked
> to many people. I know it was why he became so verbal at a young age. He
now
> speaks four languages and is off in Europe (as a graduation from college
> present) practicing them every day.
>
> To all:
> One more crack: Stay away from anything that calls itself "progressive."
>
> Cheers,
> Ned Vare
>