Index to "Early Years" |
| "Early Years" is subtitled "Learning at home for the under-12s", and is published by EO. The following pages are short, partial extracts from the first half of the fifth edition, intended to give you the flavour of the complete booklet, which is available for order. |
Introduction Appendix
IntroductionEarly Years is a reference and source book put together to help those who want to educate their children at home. The first edition of Early Years was published in 1977. At that time, Education Otherwise had just been formed, and Early Years was written out of the experience and knowledge of two or three people. The booklet has expanded into this fifth edition to include many more contributions, mostly from parents actively engaged in educating their children at home. This does not mean, of course, that this is the only way. Though we offer details of materials and resources we found useful, there is no hard-and-fast method of instruction. Priority is given to the philosophical questions we come up against when we take on the education of our children for ourselves: why? how? what is it for? Various educational philosophies are touched on, but it remains up to the individual EO family to find its own answer, or to continue redefining the questions. In the booklet, activities are listed under traditional school subject headings. This is potentially misleading: learning does not proceed uniformly in 'subjects'. The subject is equally well generated by the activity. For example, 'travelling' brings in geography, maths (timetable, money, distance), English (letters, notes, plans), history (places, buildings), environmental studies (exploring, observation), language, art (sketchbook, presents to take), cookery (food for journey), PE (walking!) and so on, as well as satisfying innumerable specialised activities such as sailing, riding, climbing, photography, etc. Religious education is not included here as a subject either. This is an entirely personal area which each family will want to approach in its own way. However, for those who want to give a historical perspective, the myths and legends (see History) would be a good starting point. Visits from local authority inspectors are dealt with in School Is Not Compulsory (see list of EO publications). At the time of going to press, EO children are exempt from the National Curriculum. Parents who do, nevertheless, wish to follow national core subjects will find little guidance in these pages. Our concern is to explore the needs of the growing child rather than any external requirements. They would do better to use books or an educational agency (as listed in the Appendix). But I hope this book will help parents to feel confident enough to do it themselves. About Learning at HomeWe educate our children up to the magic age of five without worrying that we are taking the primary responsibility for their needs and development; their ability to walk, speak, manipulate, grow and so on. There is no reason why we should stop when our children reach 'school age'. Education 'otherwise' is simply about continuing to take the primary responsibility for our children's education. One parent of a ten-year-old at home writes about the value of continuity, which, she says, you get at home but not at school.
J.F., with long experience of both home education and school, feels we should ask ourselves exactly why and what we are teaching our children for.
Children Withdrawn from School
Not all children suffer badly, but even so they may take some time to recover from the effects of schooling and you may have a difficult transition period. This is how one parent (K.B.) sees it:
[Further quotes from eight other parents, plus a suggested reading list] Some Educational PhilosophiesMaria MontessoriBorn in Italy in 1870, Maria Montessori became the first woman doctor in her country's history. Working first with retarded children and the very poor, she observed their development closely and devised a successful system of education to help handicapped children. later she observed that her approach and equipment were equally stimulating for normal children. She believed that a child should be allowed freedom to learn by itself at its own pace, with a minimum of adult interference. Parents can help this happen by creating a stimulating environment matching their child's particular needs at any time, so that they can teach themselves with the minimum of adult correction. Montessori observed children carefully and designed many materials to suit the stages through which they pass. These are attractive, generally simple and child-sized. They are self-correcting so that if a child makes an error, s/he can see it by studying the material itself. Some of the materials help the child to acquire the many skills involved in (.....) [Some recommended books] The Educational Philosophy of Rudolf SteinerIn recent years there has been increasing interest in the ideas of Rudolf Steiner with relation to child development and education. It is difficult to give an account of his philosophy of education without going into great detail about the anthroposophical principles on which it is based. However, it might be relevant to introduce some of the themes that occur in his writing. Rudolf Steiner describes the child's development as a series of roughly seven-year periods: during the period from birth to about seven years, for example, the child's energies should be taken up with physical growth, and development of the will. At this stage it is very important for the child to be in an environment of beauty, love and warmth, where people's actions are not immoral or foolish. Learning occurs only through imitation and example, so instruction and admonitions are of little use. (....) In the Steiner view, the child should not be 'taught' anything at this stage, including reading and writing. Rather, the parents should be allowing the forces within the child to develop in as natural and full a way as possible, ...... Intellectual concepts are only one of the means we have to understand the things of this world, and it is only to the materialistic thinker that they appear as the sole means (...) Many people will feel that they cannot completely accept this philosophy, as it involves a particular view of man as a spiritual being, but all the same the insights provided by Rudolf Steiner can be relevant to parents, particularly in contrast to the 'early learning' methods currently popular. Steiner quotes the philosopher Jean Paul:
John HoltBorn in New York in 1923, John Holt had a varied career in the world government movement before becoming a teacher and education consultant. He says:
Gradually he questioned further and further the ways in which children learn, and the ways that adults inhibit and even destroy this process. The series of books he wrote reflect this evolving thought, culminating in the two that EO members will be most familiar with: "Teach Your Own," and "Learning All the Time." See (list of publications). These state most clearly his conviction that "teaching does not make learning" - something that home-educators come to know all too well. In his own words:
[Further comments, and a recommended reading list] Reading
Do you want your child to read from the age of two, or do you feel they should wait until they are older? Do you feel you must keep up to some standard of literacy 'out there' or are you content to see how your own child develops? The teaching of children to read has surely become one of the biggest anxieties of our time, especially now, at the time of going to press at least, that national testing is being introduced. This next section presents the experiences and views of people who have been directly involved in teaching their children to read. Further on, we look at reading difficulties and ways of learning to write. However, many children learn to write first, and then to read. Or both skills mat develop together. Writing, for the under-12s, usually encompasses 'English', since they are practising spelling, grammar and communication all at once, and are not concerned with the formal structure of essay or composition writing. Will they learn to read? Understandably, some parents still worry that, for their child,
reading will not happen unless structured lessons are given on a
regular basis.
When should they learn to read? The emphasis, this past decade, has been on 'early learning',
on the assumption that 'the earlier and more, the better', However,
literacy and comprehension for many school leavers remain elusive.
And our literary heritage, from Shakespeare onward, remains an obscure
area for a lot of us, not often to be thought about beyond exam
level.... [Some experiences described by parents] Late Reading and Reading Difficulties There are some children for whom reading and writing is difficult because they have specific learning disabilities - the best known of these being dyslexia, or 'word-blindness'. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that so-called learning difficulties may be convenient labels which disguise the teacher's own inability, or the emotional reasons which more commonly lie behind the reading problem. Dyslexic children do usually learn to read and write.... [Further experiences described by parents, and recommended reading lists for adults and for under-12s] Writing
It is difficult to separate the skills of writing and reading, when children often learn both together. But attractive, legible handwriting is an asset for every child, as well as being an artistic expression of his/her individual personality. Watching a young child develop writing is like seeing the wider evolution of the skill - there is first the desire to form a letter, next comes the writing of the child's own name - magic!" .... [Further comments, experiences of parents, and some recommended reading] Mathematics
(from 'Aims of Mathematics' in a study carried out by primary head teachers) How many of us have had such an experience? Many adults look back with pain to their own maths education and would find the thought of teaching maths to someone else very off-putting. However, it can be done. Perhaps the first step is to change our own attitudes and see maths not only as a useful skill, but as a creative, exciting area of life. Dr. Brian Williamson, involved in maths teaching and research and with a special interest in home education, believes that good maths depends on three things: A person's well-being
A person's perception of mathematics
The working environment
He says:
He suggests that if parents are not good mathematicians themselves then more emphasis may be placed on text books and schemes, provided that they are selected with care - 'tried on' like a pair of shoes. Dr. Williamson's good, clear maths notes appear more fully in EO newsletter no. 78. [Further sections on 'Measuring devices', 'Cuisenaire or Colour Factor rods', 'Playing Games', and suggested reading] Sciences and EnvironmentS = Sense and StudyC = Compare and Contrast I = Investigate and Imagine E = Experiment N = Notice and Note C = Check and Control E = Evaluate (A handy checklist from the mother-in-law of a scientist) How are we to educate our children to be responsible and aware in their observation of the world? Should we start them experimenting young, so that they absorb laws and hypotheses (which may all be refuted by the time they grow up) as thoroughly as possible? Should we be training the children to be accurate measurers of phenomena? To be relentless pursuers of Truth? Or to get through their exams? (.....) (.....) And don't rush things, allow the child to think for him or herself. K.B. adds that one aim of scientific activities is to heighten the child's awareness of, and sense of wonder at, his/her experiences of the physical world (.....) [Further comments by parents, sections on 'Resources', 'Computers', and a recommended reading list] GeographyThe word 'geography' probably calls forth an image of globes, maps and remote facts about Canadian imports for most of us. But now, more than ever, we need to inspire our children to have love and responsibility for the whole earth, to ensure its survival, and ours with it. But we mustn't overburden children with the weight of the world's problems and make them despair; rather , we can encourage a sense of positive action, and care. Having said that, Development Education - the study of the third world - "could be a really exciting stepping-off point for home educators". (.....) Families at home find their geographical knowledge rooted in actual experience and the questions that spring from it: - going out walking or biking locally, exploring, visiting and observing. Beginning with the home environment is the first step. (.....) [Further sections on the 'Young Archaeologists' Club', 'Ideas', and a recommended reading list] HistoryCompare and contrast:
Last Words
What to do on those days when (despite everything in this book) it all goes wrong:
|
