unschooling math/reading
sonyacurti
Hi all,
Thanks so much Pam for your insight and wisdom on math. I love your
ideas because I don't realize sometimes that I do have some really
good "real life" situation right there in front of me.
Gail I also was comforted by your reading readiness and your
encouragement to wait until later. My son is only 7 and so much
younger (playful) compared to most public school kids but yet so
much more mature in other ways (responsible) does this make sense to
anyone. He has older brothers that go to public school at their
mothers house and they sort of look like hey how come Joey doesn't
have to do all that stuff that we did in school. Joey doesn't know
any different so he doesn't care and he always says I love being
home schooled I play all day.
I can't remember who shared John Holt's philosophy on letters and
numbers but it was also comforting. When I ask Joey what time it is
on a digital clock he often says mom I'm confused I can't tell the
difference between the 5 & 2.
By the way I was the one who started this whole idea on > less than
< greater than. I mentioned it as a reference to how Joey was
learing about his #'s in a game of cards playing war. That is one of
the concepts in that game wich # is more or less. I just happened to
make a quick reference to how it was similar to what they do in
public schools(and how I always got confused on the symbol) with
those worksheets only we were doing it in an unschooling way. Who
knew the coversation would take the twist that it did. The
conversation grew and grew. Anyway we are unschoolers and we don't
have to worry about that stuff so lets not right ??
Sonya
Attleboro, Mass
Thanks so much Pam for your insight and wisdom on math. I love your
ideas because I don't realize sometimes that I do have some really
good "real life" situation right there in front of me.
Gail I also was comforted by your reading readiness and your
encouragement to wait until later. My son is only 7 and so much
younger (playful) compared to most public school kids but yet so
much more mature in other ways (responsible) does this make sense to
anyone. He has older brothers that go to public school at their
mothers house and they sort of look like hey how come Joey doesn't
have to do all that stuff that we did in school. Joey doesn't know
any different so he doesn't care and he always says I love being
home schooled I play all day.
I can't remember who shared John Holt's philosophy on letters and
numbers but it was also comforting. When I ask Joey what time it is
on a digital clock he often says mom I'm confused I can't tell the
difference between the 5 & 2.
By the way I was the one who started this whole idea on > less than
< greater than. I mentioned it as a reference to how Joey was
learing about his #'s in a game of cards playing war. That is one of
the concepts in that game wich # is more or less. I just happened to
make a quick reference to how it was similar to what they do in
public schools(and how I always got confused on the symbol) with
those worksheets only we were doing it in an unschooling way. Who
knew the coversation would take the twist that it did. The
conversation grew and grew. Anyway we are unschoolers and we don't
have to worry about that stuff so lets not right ??
Sonya
Attleboro, Mass
pam sorooshian
On Dec 15, 2003, at 5:20 AM, sonyacurti wrote:
can tell. My 19 yo and all her unschooled friends seem younger (playful
and creative and imaginative and -- hmm, just "young" in the best sense
of the word) and yet more mature and logical and sensible and competent
and self-assured than other kids their ages. I KNOW this because I am
lucky enough to spend a lot of time with both groups of young adults. I
teach college freshman at a community college - talked to and observed
hundreds of 18 to 25 year olds over the years.
Unschooled kids aren't perfect. They suffer from plenty of angst and
they get into drugs or bad relationships or eating disorders or
whatever. Probably in far smaller proportions than schooled kids, is my
guess, but still --- sometimes I feel the need to say this because
otherwise I sound like I think unschooling is a panacea to all of
life's problems.
Could also be that people with a combination of playful and responsible
genetics are drawn to unschooling and it isn't unschooling that leads
to this apparent dichotomy. Maybe our kids would have been like this
even if they'd been schooled. No telling. But I doubt it. At least
unschooling lets it all happen in a wonderful blossom of full
experience of life and not crammed into the constraints of schooling.
-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.
> My son is only 7 and so muchYes. Absolutely. And, interestingly, this continues forever as far as I
> younger (playful) compared to most public school kids but yet so
> much more mature in other ways (responsible) does this make sense to
> anyone.
can tell. My 19 yo and all her unschooled friends seem younger (playful
and creative and imaginative and -- hmm, just "young" in the best sense
of the word) and yet more mature and logical and sensible and competent
and self-assured than other kids their ages. I KNOW this because I am
lucky enough to spend a lot of time with both groups of young adults. I
teach college freshman at a community college - talked to and observed
hundreds of 18 to 25 year olds over the years.
Unschooled kids aren't perfect. They suffer from plenty of angst and
they get into drugs or bad relationships or eating disorders or
whatever. Probably in far smaller proportions than schooled kids, is my
guess, but still --- sometimes I feel the need to say this because
otherwise I sound like I think unschooling is a panacea to all of
life's problems.
Could also be that people with a combination of playful and responsible
genetics are drawn to unschooling and it isn't unschooling that leads
to this apparent dichotomy. Maybe our kids would have been like this
even if they'd been schooled. No telling. But I doubt it. At least
unschooling lets it all happen in a wonderful blossom of full
experience of life and not crammed into the constraints of schooling.
-pam
National Home Education Network
<www.NHEN.org>
Serving the entire homeschooling community since 1999
through information, networking and public relations.
[email protected]
In a message dated 12/15/03 9:43:28 AM, pamsoroosh@... writes:
<< My 19 yo and all her unschooled friends seem younger (playful
and creative and imaginative and -- hmm, just "young" in the best sense
of the word) and yet more mature and logical and sensible and competent
and self-assured than other kids their ages. >>
Mine too. It's interesting to watch them make new friends, or in Kirby's
case it's interesting for me to hear comments about him "behind his back" from
people talking to me, or talking to each other. He does two public things:
works at a gaming shop, and teaches a kids' karate class. So sometimes people
see one aspect of him and think he will "be like that," either they see him
being playful and courageously silly so they think he's a doof, OR they notice
that the adults around him give him a lot of responsibility so they think he'll
be very self-important and "mature" (in the "I'm too mature to smile or have
fun," bad way, where people are kind of faking maturity).
Both ways, they're pleasantly surprised to see that he can move through a
whole range of "ages."
I think it's school that does that. Third graders don't want to act like
second graders; juniors don't want to act like sophomores, and so they hold their
classmates to a very narrowly prescribed set of acceptable behaviors, and
they shun and shame those who won't go along.
Kirby's only ever been expected to be the best Kirby he could be.
Sandra
<< My 19 yo and all her unschooled friends seem younger (playful
and creative and imaginative and -- hmm, just "young" in the best sense
of the word) and yet more mature and logical and sensible and competent
and self-assured than other kids their ages. >>
Mine too. It's interesting to watch them make new friends, or in Kirby's
case it's interesting for me to hear comments about him "behind his back" from
people talking to me, or talking to each other. He does two public things:
works at a gaming shop, and teaches a kids' karate class. So sometimes people
see one aspect of him and think he will "be like that," either they see him
being playful and courageously silly so they think he's a doof, OR they notice
that the adults around him give him a lot of responsibility so they think he'll
be very self-important and "mature" (in the "I'm too mature to smile or have
fun," bad way, where people are kind of faking maturity).
Both ways, they're pleasantly surprised to see that he can move through a
whole range of "ages."
I think it's school that does that. Third graders don't want to act like
second graders; juniors don't want to act like sophomores, and so they hold their
classmates to a very narrowly prescribed set of acceptable behaviors, and
they shun and shame those who won't go along.
Kirby's only ever been expected to be the best Kirby he could be.
Sandra