I was just browsing through a newsletter from one of the homeschooling companies that offer a complete packaged curriculum (fourth grade in a box) and optional support services. There were a few good ideas, but one tip came across completely wrong. The suggestion was to establish a specific area to use for homeschooling, and to use it … Read more
One day last spring, my 4yo Thomas wanted to know if today was a school day. “I want to do school,” he said. “What kind of school work do you want to do?” I asked him. He replied, “I want to do the kind of school where the whole family sits down together and draws … Read more
I happened to be browsing tonight through a catalog designed for early childhood classrooms that follow a popular educational philosophy that advocates carefully preparing children’s environment and using specially designed child-sized objects. Alhough there were several nice, reasonably-priced items that I found appealing, there were a few things that absolutely blew me away. Honestly, now, is an 18-piece set … Read more
Last week we finished reading The Swiss Family Robinson aloud as a family. Just before I began reading the final chapter, I asked the boys to guess how they thought it would end. Forrest (aka Ernest): They’re all killed by savages. Andrew (aka Fritz): They find a ship and are rescued. Perry (aka Jack): They’re … Read more
Elementary, my dear Watson! The purple rabbit was Army Captain Jazz Jackrabbit, carrying an M-16. Sgt. White Tiger was a Marine, and he carried an M-4 carbine. His mysterious headgear was an infrared camera for night vision and espionage. The Beanie Babies were captured by Iraqi forces, and Saddam Hussein interrogated them and asked them where … Read more
Let me preface this tale by reminding you that I have 4 boys. I just opened my upright freezer and discovered two tall glasses, each containing a Beanie Baby in G.I. Joe gear inside a solid cylinder of ice. The clear glass contained a white tiger with a machine gun and some sort of headgear … Read more
To read without reflecting, is like eating without digesting. Edmund Burke
Muddling among old books has the quality of a sedative, and saves the wear and tear of an overwrought brain. Sir Walter Scott, Journal (1890)
What’s wrong with this picture? A recent newspaper article on our local library mentioned the popularity of its after-school tutoring program and cited the example of a woman tutoring a third-grader who was learning about clocks and money. This didn’t strike me as particularly noteworthy until I read the tutor’s comment that sometimes “parents stay downstairs … Read more
“Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one.” Augustine Birrell, “Book-Buying,” Obiter Dicta (1887) I have to agree with this. There’s something extra rewarding about discovering a long-sought-after book on the shelves of a quaint shop or even online. Of course, I prefer the quaint shop experience, but sadly … Read more