I Guess We'll Have to Home-School

Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
by John Taylor Gatto

Josh came across this book and I convinced him to let me take it on my trip last weekend even though he hadn't read it yet. (I'm interested to see what he thinks.)

The main points (and some interesting tidbits) of the book seem to be (much abbreviated because I don't have much time to chat nowadays):

1. Contemporary education is doing exactly what it was designed to do: teach kids to do what they're told, when they're told, as they're told, so they can work for the man (my paraphrasing).

2. Contemporary education doesn't need to be "fixed"; it needs to be thrown out completely. Apparently, Mr. Gatto believes the whole model doesn't work and will never work. He did make a good point. We've been "educating" kids in schools (age-based classrooms, teacher certification), etc., for 100-150 years. If we're to believe the media and politicians, it's failing our kids. If they haven't gotten it right, perhaps the problem is the whole model is flawed.

3. Between school and TV, kids don't have any time to learn anything about themselves.

4. No one cares more about your child's education than you, the parent.

5. Teacher certification is designed to make parents believe they are unfit to teach their own children.

6. As a society, we compartmentalize people too often based on age. Kids are "locked" in schools and the elderly are "locked" in nursing homes (or isolated in their own homes).

7. The main job of institutions is not the "purpose" for which they are created; it's to provide for a future for the institution itself. All the teacher colleges, textbook publishers, standards consultants, administrators, etc., have a vested interest in keeping schools running and giving them even more money - because that's how they stay in business.

It's a series of speeches and essays, no hard scientific evidence or studies, but I did find most of his arguments compelling. Josh and I have talked often about sending our kids to parochial schools or home-schooling them. My sister-in-law is going to home school her kids at least through 8th grade. (She's trained as a middle school math teacher and says administrators often require a certain number of grades so teachers would assign worksheets they hadn't even reviewed as homework, just to get another grade in the book - how awful is that?)

I'm still not convinced I'll have the patience to home-school, but I'm beginning to see the advantages may be worth the effort. In particular, I like the idea of making learning part of all life, not confined to 8 am to 3 pm. I also like being free of bells to end a class period, avoiding homework, covering topics with kids of different ages, family field trips (with other home-school families, probably), and decreasing opportunities for bullies, drugs and alcohol to hurt my kids.

The debate about how the Papsdorf kids will be educated continues; I'm sure you'll hear more about it. In the meantime, I'd like to know if anyone can read this book and not wish the tiniest little bit that you could home-school (even if you have absolutely no intention of doing so).

I also really liked that it's printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. You don't see that very often.

Moms Going Overboard

Confessions of a Slacker Mom
Muffy Mead-Ferro

I checked this book out from the library because I thought it would be funny, and it didn't disappoint. I was surprised, however, that it managed to cover some serious topics about how parents can do too much, worry too much, protect too much and (pertinent to the season), provide too much. One of the points I've thought about a lot recently (I read this quite a while ago now) is that it's hard not to buy things for your kids when you know you can afford it. I've had to be very careful with Caleb's birthday and Christmas this year to limit myself. It's very easy to get sucked in, thinking how he'd like something. I did cave and bought 4 books (or so) for him, but we stuck to just Lincoln Logs for his real gift. (Don't spoil the surprise! For those who are wondering, we decided not to buy any big present for Reva for Christmas. She's getting some books, though. I even wrapped them, though I realized it was pretty silly even as I was taping them up.)

Anyway, it's a very quick read. I think Josh finished it in an hour. The author's family history and stories she shares are as amusing as her style. So read and enjoy, and maybe walk away from an unnecessary purchase.

Boys Will Be Boys

Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences
by Dr. Leonard Sax

Everyone should read this book. I was fascinated by the research Dr. Sax presents about the differences between boys and girls, and how their senses and brains develop differently. As always, I don't agree with everything in the book, but it's nice to have evidence of something I've always suspected - that boys and girls are different and need to be treated differently in some situations. Dr. Sax also provides exceptional endnotes with additional information and websites in addition to references to studies in journals like Journal of Genetic Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Child Development, and Nature. He also quotes from Hardwired to Connect, a book sponsored by Dartmouth Medical School (among others).

And, as have a number of other books I've read recently, this one tempts me with more reasons to home school, at least for a while.

My sleep deprivation (despite being better than expected at Reva's age) prevents me from giving a more glowing review. Hopefully you'll believe me enough to give it a try and then will be tempted to continue by Dr. Sax's own evidence.

p.s. Tip #1: Girls hear better than boys, so a dad might not think he's yelling, but his daughter might hear him that way. And boys who seem to be distracted at school may need to sit closer to hear a soft-spoken teacher.

Silly Fairy Tales

The Fourth Bear: A Nursery Crime
by Jasper Fforde

Fforde is back! A psychotic killer is on the loose. Jack Spratt is forced on medical leave for supposed insanity. Goldilocks is missing. Bears are popping up as suspects, and victims. In this second nursery crime novel, Fforde keeps the action rolling, along with the puns. There's even a special appearance by a more sophisticated character, Dorian Gray.

I'd write more, but I don't want to give anything away. Plus, I'm tired. It's enough to say this is a vast improvement on The Big Over Easy. You should read it. And then be sure to catch up on the Thursday Next novels if you haven't already, because a new one is in the works, due to be released in 2007.

If you haven't already checked it out (or did, but then forgot how fun it was), spend some valuable time at Jasper Fforde's website.

Childbirth On My Mind

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin

Shockingly, I've been thinking about childbirth a lot recently. I read this book on a recommendation from my friend, Meggan (who just had a little girl!). It's always interesting to read birth stories near the end of a pregnancy and they make up the first part of the book. I also liked reading about the midwifery practice with such great statistics. The medical establishment gets blasted pretty heavily, but I was grateful to learn that the worst of the procedures she talks about aren't common (at least at my hospital), thanks to my "insider".

Parts of it definitely met Josh's hippie standards (even the higher ones he has now that he's decided we're going to have a little 5 acre family farm someday with organic foods and things like shoats). Give it a chance and take what you can from it.