The nights are getting cooler, our first butternut squashes from the garden have been picked, apples are showing up at my local farmers’ market. Fall is coming, the season of mists and yellow fruitfulness, to quote John Keats. It’s the season of the bittersweet, harvests of plenty, and the last gasps of beauty and fullness… Read More Not back to school time, again
We all have them, right? Summer memories of lazy days, popsicles, swimming, pick-up games of tag or kickball, and oodles of fun. Well, maybe we don’t all have them, especially since summer has become just another season for scheduling stuff. These days, when people ask What are your kids doing this summer? the answers generally include multiple… Read More What are you doing this summer?
Many years ago, when my eldest daughter was in public school kindergarten and I was helping out in the classroom, I witnessed the following exchange between the teacher and a boy who had brought in a special object for show-and-tell. Boy (holding up his smooth round rock proudly): “This is my boulder.” Teacher: “You mean,… Read More The boy with the boulder
Today I read one of the best articles about homeschooling I’ve encountered in a long time. In How to homeschool a 4-year-old, Amy Wright Glenn discusses why and how she and her spouse homeschool. Reading it was like taking a short walk down memory lane. When Wright Glenn talked about her son’s engagement in physical activity… Read More Why to homeschool a 4-year-old
It’s the middle of August, and summer is winding down. September looms, and with it the beginning of the school year. Just what does “back to school” mean for homeschoolers? There isn’t one answer to that question. All homeschooling families are different. And one of the great benefits of homeschooling is that we’re not bound… Read More Back to homeschool
Just the other day I posted about how sitting still is overrated. Yesterday, the New York Times published an opinion piece on the downside of early academics, which is linked to sitting at desks. Let the Kids Learn Through Play, the headline urges. To which I respond, what do you think we’ve been doing? By… Read More Play’s the thing
Someone sent me an article by Marina Gorbis called The Future of Education Eliminates the Classroom, Because the World Is Your Class. Nice to know our family is living in the future – this idea of the world as your classroom has been a foundational principle for many homeschoolers for a long time. Beyond that,… Read More The future of education is here
In these times when structured programs and expert instruction are available for everything, people can come to believe that allowing kids an open schedule with plenty of free play will keep them from future success. How, they may ask, will kids be able to structure their lives if they just run around and play all the… Read More Kids and structure
Did you know that today is Global School Play Day? It’s a good idea, I suppose. I mean, I understand why it was created. But it still strikes me as absurd. Register now to play! Take pictures so the world can see kids playing! Don’t forget the hashtag! There’s even an official #GSPD song with a rap… Read More Every day is play day
A Potluck Life 