susan

hi,

charlotte mason has come up on all 5 of the email groups to which i subscribe, finally i've taken the time to become minimally acquainted with this perspective beyond the 'no twaddle' catch phrase.  at first my gut response was this is not an unschooling perspective, a gentle and respectful stance like waldorf, but not an unschooling one.  my problem was that i could not say why i felt this way because i've always taken my understanding of unschooling for granted.  unschooling came natural/instinctive to me so i never pushed myself to read enough to actual compare unschooling to other methods beyond the superficial.

i read through one c.m. sites info/faq page and one thing they pointed out was that all though there is respect for the child it is believed when a child is left alone s/he will take the easy way.   therefore a structure, in the form of 'narrations' needs to be introduced and fostered, in a fun way, so learning will move beyond the superficial.  imo this is not a position an unschooler would hold, rather an unschooler would trust that the child is experiencing things in accordance to her/his own needs at the moment or perhaps feel the child is not being exposed or surrounded by learning as learning is a lifestyle not something superimposed for a limited time (m thru f from 8 to 3 from the age of 5 to 18 or during a 'study period').  also the position of 'no twaddle' set someone up to judge just what is 'twaddle' and what is not, in most case this would not be the child.  again imo this would be inconsistent with unschool.

so with these thoughts i decided instead of delving into c.m. i really should bone up on holt etc., and become more versed it unschooling philosophy rather than get distracted (at this point anyway) by the myriad of philosophies out there.  it's been 15 years, give or take, since i've read anything written by john holt it seemed high time.  so i took teach your own off the shelf and i'm really glad i did.  below you'll find some excerpts, though this is one of those books you really should take the time to read because he addresses so many idea/concerns we talk about on this list.  the following are regarding qualifications to teach children, the concern of many that parents will not have the right 'credentials' to do an adequate job of educating their children.

'... for a long long time, people who were good at sharing what they knew have realized certain things:
(1) to help people learn something, you must first understand what they already know;
(2) showing people how to do something is better than telling, and letting them do it themselves is best of all;
(3) you mustn't tell or show too much at once, since people digest new ideas slowly and must feel secure with new skills or knowledge before they are ready for more;
(4) you must give people as much time as they want and need to absorb what you have shown or told them;
(5) instead of testing their understanding with questions you let them show you how much or how little they understand by the questions they ask you;
(6) you must not get impatient or angry when people do not understand;
(7) scaring people only blocks their learning...'  (pg34)

'we can sum up very quickly what people need to teach their own children.  first of all, they have to like them, enjoy their company, their physical presence, their energy, foolishness, and passion.   they have to enjoy all their questions, and enjoy equally trying to answer those questions.   they have to think of their children as friends, indeed very close friends, have to feel happier when near and miss them when they are away. they have to trust them as people, respect their fragile dignity, treat them with courtesy, take them seriously.   they have to feel in their own hearts some of their children's wonder, curiosity, and excitement about the world.   and they have to have enough confidence in themselves, scepticism about experts, and willingness to be different from most people, to take on themselves the responsibility for their children's learning.  but that is about all the parents need.   perhaps only a minority of parents have these qualities.   certainly some have more than others.   many will gain more as they know their children better; most of the people who have been teaching their children at home say that it has made like them more, not less.   in any case, these are not qualities that can be taught or learned in school, or measured with a test, or certified with a piece of paper.'

i love this philosophy.  i know it's demanding when one is up against school districts, family members, and/or friends who demand 'proof of progress' but it is a lifestyle which is based in love, respect, faith, and equality.  it is a lifestyle of adventure which moves slow some days and zips along other days.  i'm certainly not qualified to make an accurate assessment, meaning i've not read anything written by charlotte mason and it appears though her heart was in the right place, but it does not feel like unschooling.  when i read, for example, grace llewelyn or mary griffin it feels like unschooling.

jmo,
susan
austin,tx
'unity through diversity'
 
 

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In a message dated 00-03-27 01:08:23 EST, you write:

<< many >>
Susan,
Thank you for putting Holt's words down for us all to savor! His books are on
my shelf, too, and I don't read them often enough!
Bridget
Homeschooling Mom to Tim,13,Christian,7,Jeremiah,5 and Emmabear,17months