what to day?, kids want school
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My children are still very young (4 and 1) but I've been thinking about this
topic lately as many of my sons friends will be starting school in the fall.
He went to preschool this year (a 2 hour playgroup "school" run by a friend of
mine) but by the end of the year was asking to stay home and play with us or
just go to the park so he stayed home on those days.
He hasn't asked about riding the bus yet but does comment on the bus when it
drives past several times a day. He knows I used to be a teacher so he talks
about "big kid school" sometimes too. I imagine that if he ever expresses an
interest in the bus, we can arrange a ride on one.
We have been talking alot (no- not alot, just sometimes when the subject of
school comes up) that some kids go to school and some don't. He told me the
other day that "there are lots of ways to learn new stuff- you can read a book
about it, or learn stuff from TV, or from your mom, or at school." I said- or
when you're playing too, and he was like "yeah, then too!". (I was
particulary PROUD of him at this point! and wondering why if a 4 yr old can figure that
out, so many adults can't.)
We've also read one picture book from the library about a little girl who is
homeschooled that talked about her day and what she does with her family at
home and in the community instead of going to school. This was appropriate for
a young child- maybe as an alternate to all of the "Kindergarten" books that
seem to be around now. Of course, I can't remember the name of the book, but I
would guess there must be others out there written probably by and for
homeschoolers.
Does anyone know of any picture books like this? When I searched "homeschool
books" in the library and online, I only seem to get books about
homeschooling for adults like The Unschooling Handbook, etc.
Amanda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
topic lately as many of my sons friends will be starting school in the fall.
He went to preschool this year (a 2 hour playgroup "school" run by a friend of
mine) but by the end of the year was asking to stay home and play with us or
just go to the park so he stayed home on those days.
He hasn't asked about riding the bus yet but does comment on the bus when it
drives past several times a day. He knows I used to be a teacher so he talks
about "big kid school" sometimes too. I imagine that if he ever expresses an
interest in the bus, we can arrange a ride on one.
We have been talking alot (no- not alot, just sometimes when the subject of
school comes up) that some kids go to school and some don't. He told me the
other day that "there are lots of ways to learn new stuff- you can read a book
about it, or learn stuff from TV, or from your mom, or at school." I said- or
when you're playing too, and he was like "yeah, then too!". (I was
particulary PROUD of him at this point! and wondering why if a 4 yr old can figure that
out, so many adults can't.)
We've also read one picture book from the library about a little girl who is
homeschooled that talked about her day and what she does with her family at
home and in the community instead of going to school. This was appropriate for
a young child- maybe as an alternate to all of the "Kindergarten" books that
seem to be around now. Of course, I can't remember the name of the book, but I
would guess there must be others out there written probably by and for
homeschoolers.
Does anyone know of any picture books like this? When I searched "homeschool
books" in the library and online, I only seem to get books about
homeschooling for adults like The Unschooling Handbook, etc.
Amanda
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 6/8/04 6:51:54 AM, Mattamandab@... writes:
<< Does anyone know of any picture books like this? When I searched
"homeschool
books" in the library and online, I only seem to get books about
homeschooling for adults like The Unschooling Handbook, etc. >>
When Holly has asked why books are so often about school, I tell her that
school's not so fun, so people go to great lengths to make it look fun so kids
won't be afraid, so they'll think things like "Well, Grover went to school," or
"Franklin went to school."
Propaganda in a BIG way.
What other kid-shows are pro-school? We don't have cable, but I know Arthur
deals with school stuff (not always positively), and Dragontales seems
pro-formality, and Barney for certain.
Sandra
<< Does anyone know of any picture books like this? When I searched
"homeschool
books" in the library and online, I only seem to get books about
homeschooling for adults like The Unschooling Handbook, etc. >>
When Holly has asked why books are so often about school, I tell her that
school's not so fun, so people go to great lengths to make it look fun so kids
won't be afraid, so they'll think things like "Well, Grover went to school," or
"Franklin went to school."
Propaganda in a BIG way.
What other kid-shows are pro-school? We don't have cable, but I know Arthur
deals with school stuff (not always positively), and Dragontales seems
pro-formality, and Barney for certain.
Sandra
Jennifer
>What other kid-shows are pro-school?I think it would be easier to tell you which aren't. Then, when I
think about it, all I can think of is Dexter's Laboratory and then I
can't even remember if they ever talk about or show school. I'm
thinking maybe Little Bear isn't too heavy on school and if it is,
it's not memorable to me because we always talk about the fun
adventures from that show.
Jennifer
mamaaj2000
Well, Clifford is about unschooling. If you ignore the people, and
just watch how the dogs have fun and learn how to get along with each
other, that is!
--aj
just watch how the dogs have fun and learn how to get along with each
other, that is!
--aj
--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> What other kid-shows are pro-school? We don't have cable, but I
know Arthur
> deals with school stuff (not always positively), and Dragontales
seems
> pro-formality, and Barney for certain.
>
> Sandra
Julie Bogart
--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
Sister, Sister, Even Stevens...
One of the interesting comments my daughter made about school this year when she went
was that it was so different than she had imagined. She realized that her only ideas about
school were from TV sitcoms and school bore little resemblence. Here are some of her
comments:
--She never sees the principal in the hallways. In fact, most kids didn't even know the
principal's name.
--Kids don't laugh and do dramatic things in the hallways. They mostly walk and file
through without much else going on.
--Teachers are real people. They're not totally inflexible or rigid, nor are the scatter-
brained or incompetent. TV protrays them in these ways mostly.
--Most of school is uneventful, unlike every episode of the sitcom variety.
--There aren't nearly the number of cool, team-oriented projects in school compared with
TV.
She also observed that kids in school are generally more incosiderate and selfish than her
homeschooled friends. She had to stand up for a boy in her French class who was
constantly teased for his accent and stood by stunned as a girl walked into the bathroom,
saw a ring left on the counter and picked it up to keep for herself. This girl asked if it
belonged to my daughter. When she said no, the girl said, "Cool. It's mine now" and
walked out.
She told me later that she knows that would never have happened in our homeschool co-
op.
So sometimes a taste of school goes a long way in reinforcing why we chose to
homeschool to begin with.
Julie B
>Good points.
> When Holly has asked why books are so often about school, I tell her that
> school's not so fun, so people go to great lengths to make it look fun so kids
> won't be afraid, so they'll think things like "Well, Grover went to school," or
> "Franklin went to school."
>
> Propaganda in a BIG way.
>All the Disney channel sitcoms like That's So Raven, Lizzie Maguire, Boy Meets World,
> What other kid-shows are pro-school? We don't have cable, but I know Arthur
> deals with school stuff (not always positively), and Dragontales seems
> pro-formality, and Barney for certain.
Sister, Sister, Even Stevens...
One of the interesting comments my daughter made about school this year when she went
was that it was so different than she had imagined. She realized that her only ideas about
school were from TV sitcoms and school bore little resemblence. Here are some of her
comments:
--She never sees the principal in the hallways. In fact, most kids didn't even know the
principal's name.
--Kids don't laugh and do dramatic things in the hallways. They mostly walk and file
through without much else going on.
--Teachers are real people. They're not totally inflexible or rigid, nor are the scatter-
brained or incompetent. TV protrays them in these ways mostly.
--Most of school is uneventful, unlike every episode of the sitcom variety.
--There aren't nearly the number of cool, team-oriented projects in school compared with
TV.
She also observed that kids in school are generally more incosiderate and selfish than her
homeschooled friends. She had to stand up for a boy in her French class who was
constantly teased for his accent and stood by stunned as a girl walked into the bathroom,
saw a ring left on the counter and picked it up to keep for herself. This girl asked if it
belonged to my daughter. When she said no, the girl said, "Cool. It's mine now" and
walked out.
She told me later that she knows that would never have happened in our homeschool co-
op.
So sometimes a taste of school goes a long way in reinforcing why we chose to
homeschool to begin with.
Julie B
Cynthia
> So sometimes a taste of school goes a long way in reinforcing whywe chose to
> homeschool to begin with.I know that it's a leap from the preschool shows to this show, but
>
> Julie B
last night I watched "My So Called Life" with my preteen daughter.
Anyone remember this one...it was on one of the major networks, like
a decade ago...stars Claire Danes and Jared Leto? It deals with a
sensitive introspective girl trying to deal with the day to day
emotional "battlezone" of school. Last night when I watched it
(haven't in YEARS), it looked a lot different to me, a lot more
accurate than I used to think it was before unschooling. The
classes looked dull, you really got the sense the kids were bored
and just counting down the time till the bell rang so they could get
home, in many cases to SANCTUARY. I think that part really struck
me the most, how they couldn't physically get away from their
problems, couldn't get to a safe place on their own. Forced to deal
with things, almost like prison. It wasn't potrayed in a comical
way, either, like "Saved by the Bell", etc., very realistic. Also,
the problems the kids faced during the course of the day (sex,
violence, bullying) really were very well potrayed, not overly
dramatized at all like I once considered them to be. And no happy
resolves in the end, situations don't necessarily "get better", so
it wasn't like you were learning a lesson on how to "cope" like you
do with other schoolish programs.
Well, I thought it was a good show, I don't know if you'd call it
an "unschooling" show if you have to label it, but I felt it made a
pretty good argument for unschooling!
Best, Cindi
Andrea Burlingame
Clifford is Stella's FAVORITE show. She loves the dogs, and likes to
pretend to be them with her little sister and friends. She draws Emily
Elizabeth and Clifford and the rest so often. She likes that the kids live
in a place where they can explore on their own and have alot of
independence. I wish she could watch it still, but where we are living now
we don't have tv. She really misses this show in particular. It's true
that it doesn't really have much of a school theme.
pretend to be them with her little sister and friends. She draws Emily
Elizabeth and Clifford and the rest so often. She likes that the kids live
in a place where they can explore on their own and have alot of
independence. I wish she could watch it still, but where we are living now
we don't have tv. She really misses this show in particular. It's true
that it doesn't really have much of a school theme.
----- Original Message -----
From: "mamaaj2000" <mamaaj2000@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 11:03 AM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] Re: what to day?, kids want school
> Well, Clifford is about unschooling. If you ignore the people, and
> just watch how the dogs have fun and learn how to get along with each
> other, that is!
>
> --aj
>
> --- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> > What other kid-shows are pro-school? We don't have cable, but I
> know Arthur
> > deals with school stuff (not always positively), and Dragontales
> seems
> > pro-formality, and Barney for certain.
> >
> > Sandra
>
>
>
>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
Tara
--- In [email protected], "Jennifer"
<jmcseals@m...> wrote:
<jmcseals@m...> wrote:
> >What other kid-shows are pro-school?I
>
> I think it would be easier to tell you which aren't. Then, when I
> think about it, all I can think of is Dexter's Laboratory and then
> can't even remember if they ever talk about or show school. I'mCode Name: Kids Next Door, is a good one:) - Tara
> thinking maybe Little Bear isn't too heavy on school and if it is,
> it's not memorable to me because we always talk about the fun
> adventures from that show.
>
> Jennifer
[email protected]
In a message dated 6/8/04 9:10:59 PM, pixie66@... writes:
<< ast night I watched "My So Called Life" with my preteen daughter.
Anyone remember this one...it was on one of the major networks, like
a decade ago...stars Claire Danes and Jared Leto? >>
It was my husband's favorite when it was on, so we have much of it on
videotape.
It was a great show.
Sandra
<< ast night I watched "My So Called Life" with my preteen daughter.
Anyone remember this one...it was on one of the major networks, like
a decade ago...stars Claire Danes and Jared Leto? >>
It was my husband's favorite when it was on, so we have much of it on
videotape.
It was a great show.
Sandra
Fetteroll
--- In [email protected], "Jennifer"<jmcseals@m...>
wrote:
though he's so far beyond anything that school could teach him. He should be
bored out of his gourd.
Joyce
wrote:
> all I can think of is Dexter's Laboratory and then I can't even rememberYeah, they go to school. And for some odd reason Dexter likes school even
> if they ever talk about or show school.
though he's so far beyond anything that school could teach him. He should be
bored out of his gourd.
Joyce
Jennifer
>"My So Called Life"<My daughter and I are hooked on My So Called Life and Degrassi: Next
Generation. I think both shows offer a glimpse into what school is
really like. Though I wouldn't say they are unschooly at all. A
good push to be unschoolers, though!
I used to watch Degrassi when I was a teenager as well. That and
Square Pegs (my favorite), which I think was another fairly
realistic glimpse into public school.
Jennifer