Free Schooling Children?
I had good dose of John Taylor Gatto (Dumbing Us Down) and John Holt (The Underachieving School) this summer while spending some time in Florida with my family. Gatto argues that the three Rs can be mastered in about 100 hours, once the child has made the choice to learn them and applies herself to the task. With those basic skills, the next step is just knowing how to gain access to information, networks, and people, and to engage critically with it all; far more important than memorization of abstract facts and information about any one particular subject.
Reflecting on my own learning experiences as a child, all the most profound and moving ones happened outside the classroom: going on camping trips with my Dad, playing sports, traveling around the country, being a Boy Scout, playing D&D with my friends, and simply reading for my own pleasure. I remember how much time I spent in classrooms exposed to repetition, boredom, and an endless series of control mechanisms. Yeah, I gained some knowledge along the way, and interacted with a few excellent teachers, but nothing I couldn’t have learned on my own. In school, playful joy was not allowed to flourish on its own; rather, the clock and the curriculum ruled the the pace and direction of activity. The path was set out before us, and we students just followed it, politely and respectfully.
I look at the excitement and curiousity with which my three-year-old daughter interacts with her environment, and see myself as a caretaker of that spirit. I want to nourish that joy by providing her with every opportunity to stay centered in it, giving her access to the resources and tools she will need to express that natural desire to know and to grow. Perhaps the greatest gift I can give her is the freedom to choose the course of her own education, and be there with her as she creates her world. I really wonder if sending her off to school everyday is the right way to accomplish this?
Nancy McKeand wrote:
Aaron, I do not think sending her off to school is the best option. Life is full of trade-offs, but why should a child have trade her freedom, curiosity, enthusiasm and joy for a few facts?
As a parent, it was an easy decision for me to pull my kids out of school. As an educator, it was hard to explain that decision to my colleagues.
My kids are all grown now, educated and/or getting educated, and doing quite well, so things seem to have turned out just fine. They do not feel cheated in any way.
I will have to read Gatto’s book. Sounds interesting.
Posted 08 Sep 2006 at 2:50 am ¶
Aaron wrote:
Nancy, thank you so much for sharing that with me. It is encouraging to hear that from someone I know and respect who has actually done it, rather than just talk or write about the idea. If we ever meet someday, I’d love to hear more about what the experience of homeschooling was like for you and your family.
For the time being, my daughter really enjoys going to pre-school, where all they mostly do is play and sing and dance and run around.
Posted 11 Sep 2006 at 7:42 am ¶
John wrote:
If you home school your child what are some good ideas for your child to interact with children his own age?
Posted 18 Oct 2006 at 8:38 am ¶
Nancy McKeand wrote:
John, I can only speak from my own exerience, but I never had a problem with that. Children are social beings and they naturally find ways to interact with others. There are always church activities, if one is so inclined, or scouts or althletics. And, if you are lucky, there are neighborhood kids that they can play with, too.
And, truth be told, it wouldn’t bother me all that much if my children had not learned to interact with children their own age. I am not sold on the necessity or even advisability of that.
Posted 18 Oct 2006 at 11:16 am ¶