younger kids (was Re: teens - "watch out!")
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/24/03 5:44:44 AM, amycats2@... writes:
<<
Sandra has some on her website. The typical days stories include some
families with younger kids and I have 2 things on there about my son when he
was 6
and younger . >>
that's at
http://sandradodd.com/typical
I think just play with them, give them as much freedom to explore as you can,
have cool art stuff (body paint, tempera they can paint a fence outside or
something, if you can), find things for playing that are cheap or free (ice in
the bathtub is fun, it cleans itself up <g> and you can freeze it in
interesting molds or just big shapes like cake pans, it floats).
I'm much outnumbered on this, but I don't consider kids under school age to
be "unschooled." Others say "Ah, never mind her" when I bring this up, and
partly it's regional. In places where kids are expected to be in preschools at
the age of 2, maybe yeah, you're unschooling. I don't live where kids to to
school before kindergarten, so when someone with a toddler tells me she's
homeschooling or unschooling, I just shrug and smile. I figure she's doing the same
things she would be doing if her child were going to kindergarten, which he
might.
Many people who told me they were going to homeschool when their kids were
little ended up just putting them in school, so maybe that's part of why I don't
"count it" until the first day of mandatory school comes and the kids don't
go.
So that's my personal prejudice, and you can ignore me like the others do.
But as to natural learning, one of the best things people say about
unschooling is that you can just continue the things you did when they were younger,
because they keep learning from all the things around them, just as they did
when they were younger.
My kids loved and still love music, so I tried to have music on quite a bit.
Funny stuff, rock'n'roll, musicals, mostly. Video, or whatever. Music in
the car. Singing along.
When we had company once the person said we didn't have music on when she was
there. Well we had company! We were talking and going places. So when we
don't have company, there's often music.
Holly just lately had me make her a replacement tape for one she wore out.
It's similar but different, because by eliminating some things she was tired
of, we had more space. It has at least one and sometimes three songs by Buffalo
Springfield, The Hollies, Linda Ronstadt, Donovan, Herman's Hermits, The
Beatles, Joni Mitchell, John Denver... maybe more. She'll probably wear this one
out too.
Sandra
<<
Sandra has some on her website. The typical days stories include some
families with younger kids and I have 2 things on there about my son when he
was 6
and younger . >>
that's at
http://sandradodd.com/typical
I think just play with them, give them as much freedom to explore as you can,
have cool art stuff (body paint, tempera they can paint a fence outside or
something, if you can), find things for playing that are cheap or free (ice in
the bathtub is fun, it cleans itself up <g> and you can freeze it in
interesting molds or just big shapes like cake pans, it floats).
I'm much outnumbered on this, but I don't consider kids under school age to
be "unschooled." Others say "Ah, never mind her" when I bring this up, and
partly it's regional. In places where kids are expected to be in preschools at
the age of 2, maybe yeah, you're unschooling. I don't live where kids to to
school before kindergarten, so when someone with a toddler tells me she's
homeschooling or unschooling, I just shrug and smile. I figure she's doing the same
things she would be doing if her child were going to kindergarten, which he
might.
Many people who told me they were going to homeschool when their kids were
little ended up just putting them in school, so maybe that's part of why I don't
"count it" until the first day of mandatory school comes and the kids don't
go.
So that's my personal prejudice, and you can ignore me like the others do.
But as to natural learning, one of the best things people say about
unschooling is that you can just continue the things you did when they were younger,
because they keep learning from all the things around them, just as they did
when they were younger.
My kids loved and still love music, so I tried to have music on quite a bit.
Funny stuff, rock'n'roll, musicals, mostly. Video, or whatever. Music in
the car. Singing along.
When we had company once the person said we didn't have music on when she was
there. Well we had company! We were talking and going places. So when we
don't have company, there's often music.
Holly just lately had me make her a replacement tape for one she wore out.
It's similar but different, because by eliminating some things she was tired
of, we had more space. It has at least one and sometimes three songs by Buffalo
Springfield, The Hollies, Linda Ronstadt, Donovan, Herman's Hermits, The
Beatles, Joni Mitchell, John Denver... maybe more. She'll probably wear this one
out too.
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/24/2003 6:57:33 AM Central Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
Sometimes I say to people, treat your kids like you did when they were
little, before they were school-age. So there's a seamlessness for unschooled
children between when they were toddlers and when they are older,
could-be-in-school age. Life doesn't change much for the 4 yo when she's 6 and unschooled.
But I agree that toddlers are not unschooled. In order to be "un" something,
there has to *be* something to be "un'd" from. lol.
OTOH, I do say my son has been unschooled all his life, because there's no
way to say his life was different before he was subject to compulsory
attendance.
It's a paradox.
Tuck
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
SandraDodd@... writes:
> I'm much outnumbered on this, but I don't consider kids under school age to~~~
>
> be "unschooled." Others say "Ah, never mind her" when I bring this up, and
> partly it's regional. In places where kids are expected to be in preschools
> at
> the age of 2, maybe yeah, you're unschooling. I don't live where kids to to
>
> school before kindergarten, so when someone with a toddler tells me she's
> homeschooling or unschooling, I just shrug and smile. I figure she's doing
> the same
> things she would be doing if her child were going to kindergarten, which he
> might.
>
Sometimes I say to people, treat your kids like you did when they were
little, before they were school-age. So there's a seamlessness for unschooled
children between when they were toddlers and when they are older,
could-be-in-school age. Life doesn't change much for the 4 yo when she's 6 and unschooled.
But I agree that toddlers are not unschooled. In order to be "un" something,
there has to *be* something to be "un'd" from. lol.
OTOH, I do say my son has been unschooled all his life, because there's no
way to say his life was different before he was subject to compulsory
attendance.
It's a paradox.
Tuck
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/24/2003 9:04:22 AM Eastern Standard Time,
tuckervill2@... writes:
plan on homeschooling" when asked why he wasn't in preschool. I known lots of
people who say that they homeschool when their kids are little and I guess the
difference to them is in their intent.
Amy Kagey
Usborne Books make great holiday gifts!
<A HREF="http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/default.asp?sid=Z0939&gid=1684902">my Usborne Books website!</A>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
tuckervill2@... writes:
> But I agree that toddlers are not unschooled. In order to be "un"Yeah, I can see both sides. Before my son was school-aged, I would say, "We
> something,
> there has to *be* something to be "un'd" from. lol.
>
> OTOH, I do say my son has been unschooled all his life, because there's no
> way to say his life was different before he was subject to compulsory
> attendance.
>
> It's a paradox.
>
plan on homeschooling" when asked why he wasn't in preschool. I known lots of
people who say that they homeschool when their kids are little and I guess the
difference to them is in their intent.
Amy Kagey
Usborne Books make great holiday gifts!
<A HREF="http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/default.asp?sid=Z0939&gid=1684902">my Usborne Books website!</A>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]