Book recommendations? different philosophies?

[dakotablue]

Hi!

So Far I've read Einstein didn't use flash card, The well trained mind, The miseducation of preschoolers, how children learn/ how children fail, dumbing us down and I can't remember what else.

I'm trying to get a well rounded view of all the different philosophies to find one that fits our family. Anyone have recommendations for unschooling Waldorf, Montessori or others? I'm only able to borrow from library right now (but its the Philadelphia library system so its pretty good) Any recommendations or advice would be awesome. I'm not trying to start a debate about which is best, rather get a clear view on each.

Thanks so so so much!

[SundayCrepes]

Here's a bunch of links I like. Maybe something here will help:

I recently got into the http://www.sonlight.com books. Their philosophy is that you can sit a child at a desk with a textbook and very little learning will happen or you can cuddle a child on mom or dad's lap on the couch and read an award winning book and lots of learning will happen. They are a religious group so I exclude their religious stuff. I also joined a secular sonlight users group.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SonlightSecular/?yguid=156716553 They've given me some great links to evolution books.

Here 50 famous/accomplished people talk about schooling:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201107/what-einstein-twain-and-forty-eight-other-creative-people-had-say-about-sc?

This book addresses how preschool kids learn:

http://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Never-Used-Flash-Cards/dp/1579546951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304057852&sr=8-1           

Here=s an article about how play will help children get into Harvard:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/29/christakis.play.children.learning/index.html

This is a great book on the advantages of homeschooling. (It recognizes that schools are also a valid choice for education.):

http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Rediscovered-Socialization-Education-Family/dp/1430308257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285964468&sr=1-1

Here are a bunch of links that I hope are helpful:

Homeschooling and Socialization:

http://www.homefires.com/articles/odd_children.asp

http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html

http://www.homeschool.com/articles/socialization/default.asp

Movie about problems with education system:

http://www.racetonowhere.com/

Do schools kill creativity? Very entertaining video with some good points to ponder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Article on why young kids= brains aren=t ready for early reading/writing instruction:

http://www.lilipoh.com/articles/2007/fall2007/teaching_children.aspx

Here=s an article that discusses how children who start academics at later ages do better in the long run:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2752895.stm

Here=s a video on delayed academics in Sweden:

http://www.teachers.tv/videos/sweden-early-years

Youtube videos:        

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQQyP9WXKk8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIOogqa-5GA

Unschooling definition:

http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/earl_stevens.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unschooling

I did a search on Peter Gray on the Psychology Today website and he has lots of interesting looking articles. Here are a couple I read:

Math:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201004/kids-learn-math-easily-when-they-control-their-own-learning

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201003/when-less-is-more-the-case-teaching-less-math-in-schools

Reading:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201002/children-teach-themselves-read

Sudsbury School:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/200808/children-educate-themselves-iv-lessons-sudbury-valley (The closest we have to Sudsbury in Tucson is the Kino Learning Center.)

Homeschooling forums (mdc):

learning at home

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=50

curriculums

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=425

unschooling

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=439

Tons of great articles about homeschooling. http://www.besthomeschooling.org/gateway/inted16.html

ACT scoresBhomeschooled compared to general test takers:

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/olderkids/CollegeTests.htm

Some homeschooling research:

Home-Education: Rationales, Practices and Outcomes

http://pjrothermel.com/phd/Home.htm

Fifteen years later: Home-Educated Canadian Adults

http://www.hslda.ca/cche_research/2009Study.pdf

We've Grown Up and We're Okay

http://www.illinoishouse.org/a05.htm

Welcome to the National Home Education Research Institute!

http://www.nheri.org/

the average home-school test results continue to be 30-plus percentile points higher than their public school counterparts                   

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/30/home-schooling-outstanding-results-national-tests/

[dakotablue]

Thanks so much!! That will keep me busy for a while I really really appreciate your thoughtfulness and thoroughness.

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by dakotablue 

Hi!

So Far I've read Einstein didn't use flash card, The well trained mind, The miseducation of preschoolers, how children learn/ how children fail, dumbing us down and I can't remember what else.

I'm trying to get a well rounded view of all the different philosophies to find one that fits our family. Anyone have recommendations for unschooling Waldorf, Montessori or others? I'm only able to borrow from library right now (but its the Philadelphia library system so its pretty good) Any recommendations or advice would be awesome. I'm not trying to start a debate about which is best, rather get a clear view on each.

Thanks so so so much!

Can you tell us what you thought about The well trained mind? I am thinking about ordering this. 

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

Can you tell us what you thought about The well trained mind? I am thinking about ordering this. 

I read it years ago and liked it. Then I started reading about unschooling and child-led learning. I have since decided that I'd rather my kids discover the world through passion than through prescription. We have a friend who is doing something similar to the well trained mind. Her kid dawdles for hours every day because she is so bored. She knows lots of facts, but I think her life is stifled by such strict curriculum.

[dakotablue]

Originally Posted by MittensKittens 

Can you tell us what you thought about The well trained mind? I am thinking about ordering this. 

I liked it, but its the reason I'm re reading some of my prior books. The information in terms of when to introduce ideas is great. I like the outlines of they to cover this around this age, but the HOW I don't agree with. She does start the introduction talking about teaching phonics to her son before kindergarten with flash cards, BUT I agree with introducing concepts young, if children ask AND she talks about how doing seat work before 1st grade is pointless and not in the child's best interest. i like how she talks about introducing say the Homer's iliad in 1st or 2nd grade but simpler version so then when give the full version its not so daunting because they've seen it before...kinda like telling bible stories then reading the real thing. I just don't like ridgeness which you don't have to do.

I guess I'd say borrow from you library if you can (though I may eventually buy) and read with the idea of take some leave some. but then again I think that's with everything. I do think its worth reading, but probably not if your a strict unschooler.

[tankgirl73]

For Montessori, Dr Maria Montessori's own books are great.  I read "The Secret of Childhood" and it, quite literally, changed my whole approach to parenting.  Montessori in the Home and Teach Me to do it Myself are great "how to" books for homeschooling in a Montessori style.

For Waldorf, I'd suggest the Christopherus guides.  Likely won't find that in the library... but various Waldorf websites will also talk extensively about the philosophy, you can glean a lot just from that.  We're not pure Waldorf here at all, but certainly heavily influenced by many ideas I learned from the Waldorf philosophies.  

Unschooling... Probably The Unschooling Unhandbook.

If you want to be thorough, make sure you also check out Charlotte Mason's philosophies.  Her own books are massive (and, in some aspects, rather outdated) but there are good summaries that abound.  This is probably a good place to start  http://simplycharlottemason.com/

For 'general' books about child education (and development, and life), don't forget "The Hurried Child", "Free-Range Kids", "Punished by Rewards", "Hold on to Your Kids", and "What's Going on in There" (book about the brain!).  Great that you've already got Einstein Never Used Flashcards under your belt, it's a great one!!  :)

[Mittsy]

I've heard good things about "Waldorf Education: A Family Guide"

http://www.amazon.com/Waldorf-Education-Pamela-J-Fenner/dp/0964783215/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312388490&sr=8-1

[Tjej]

Try putting waldorf or charlotte Mason into your library database (keyword) and grab a couple of short books about them.  I did that and found 1-200ish page books about each that were very insightful. 

Tjej