Excellent video: "Changing Education Paradigms"

UPDATED:  I removed the video from my blog.  When you view it via Youtube as I had originally posted it, there are "suggested videos" that appear on the screen afterwards.  One is bothersome.  So I have replaced the video with a link.  The video is directly on TED.com, so no offensive recommendations come after it.  I apologize.  I have no control over the recommendations made by Youtube.

Have you ever heard of TED.com?  TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design.

It has grown and now there are 900 on-line presentations that are fascinating!  For example, my first visit to TED was based on a Google search about math and origami.  Up came a great video by Robert Lang looking at a new approach to origami that is rocking the Science world with new solutions to big problems.  And then, as usual, I went down rabbit holes and came up with other treasures, like this:

Sir Ken Robinson - Changing Education Paradigms - Totally worth 12 minutes of your time

Not only is he right, but my question for you is:  Should we go back to our agarian methods of education or something totally new?  I think it is a combination of both.  We need to step off the conveyor belt and rethink our approach.  Ah, the beauty of homeschooling is that we are not stuck on their conveyor belt.  But how has your conveyor belt education hampered your job of educating your children?

And - the presentation style is absolutely fascinating!  I wish I could do a presentation like that...I would have to work on my drawing skills!

Inspire, Not Require: The Handbook

In reading about TJEd (Thomas Jefferson Education), have you ever been throughly frustrated by the fact that they tell you to "Inspire, Not Require," but never tell you how to do it?  My friends, I think I found the answer.
Behold, the handbook.  See?  It's called Bringing Out the Best in Others! You can buy it for $0.01 plus shipping.

BUY IT!

NOW!

Okay, I'm done yelling at you.  I feel better.

I found this little gem at the local library book sale for $0.05.  It's worth so much more.  This little book, presented to you as a case study of five individuals' stories about needing to motivate others, is well laid out, with examples.   Particularly useful are the two examples of motivating students, one by a parent and one by an educator.

Here's a little outline of the process:

1) Expectations - The Power of the Positive
2) Responsibility (Accountability) - The Strength of Discipline
3) Feedback -  The Focus of Self-Awareness
     a) Motivational Feedback - Accelerating Improvement
     b) Informational Feedback - Road Map to Success
     c) Developmental Feedback - Course Corrections

I hope you give it a try. Let me know if you have read it and what your thoughts are.  I've been applying this process with my kids lately and WOW!  I can't wait to do it with school, once we're started.

How are NETS, CBL and PBL related?

I wanted to put out a little preview about what our Technology in the Homeschool talk will cover for those checking in from the Minnesota Catholic Home Educators Conference happening on June 3-4. 

We'll be talking about using the National Education Technology Standards (NETS)to put technology into your core classes, and preparing your middle through high schoolers for real-world, 21st Century problems using Challenge Based Learning (CBL) and its close cousin, Problem Based Learning (PBL).  Within those concepts, we will also explore technology platforms, on-line safety, and social networking.  All of those items are addressed within NETS*S. 

I'm guessing you all have an idea about our State Education Standards.  NETS follows the same concept.  However, those who are familiar with TJEd, will really get CBL and PBL.  Think about Scholar phase. On what does a scholar work?  They are working on a specific topic of interest, reading and writing about it more like an MBA student than a high school student.  It is depth.  The belief is that by studying a topic deeply, developing an expert level of understanding, naturally draws the scholar into deeper study of other core subjects.  CBL and PBL do that as well as tying in technology.

What does this all mean to the homeschooler?  I will be talking about how to incorporated technology into your core classes and even take it a step further, showing how CBL/PBL naturally incorporated core classes into technology.

Hope to see you there!

Love of Learning - Dweck Style

My current library read is Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.  I got it after researching the difference between gifted learners and non-gifted learners.  There are two schools of thought on intelligence.  One - IQ doesn't move and you can never get smarter than you are (or better at anything than your natural ability.)  Two - you have to work hard at something.  If you don't get it right away, keep working.  Practice.  Don't give up.  I'm sure it is a little of both, but we all know that practice is necessary to be come an expert an anything.  I wrote about the 10,000 hour phenomena a while back.

What I was more interested in was finding out what turns a kid off of learning and success.  What can a parent or teacher do?  We often, unconsciously, use language that paralyzes our children.  We assume the praise is helpful, but instead it can build barriers.  Sometimes frustration appears because a child feels something is "too easy" but when given a challenge gives up.  Some people have a "can do" attitude while others have an "I could never do that" attitude.  Dweck studied this phenomenon for 15 years.  I was interested in how my interactions with my kids was affected by my reactions to their success.  So, I reserved the book. 

Dweck's studies found there are two prevalent mindsets: fixed and growth.  A fixed mindset says something like, "Oh, they think I'm smart in Math.  If the problem is too hard and I can't do that they won't think I'm smart in Math anymore..."  Whereas a growth mindset says, "Oh!  I didn't get this the first time. I must need to practice to understand it better."

Ultimately, her book agrees with Talent Education (that of Suzuki), TJEd (Love of Learning) and the 10,000 Hour Phenomona.  Here's a synopsis:

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea–the power of our mindset. Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success–but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals–personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area. “If you manage any people or if you are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset.” –Guy Kawasaki, author of _The Art of the Start _and the blog _How to Change the World_ "Highly recommended . . . an essential read for parents, teachers [and] coaches . . . as well as for those who would like to increase their own feelings of success and fulfillment.” _–Library Journal (_starred review) “A serious, practical book. Dweck’s overall assertion that rigid thinking benefits no one, least of all yourself, and that a change of mind is always possible, is welcome.” _–Publishers Weekly_ “A good book is one whose advice you believe. A great book is one whose advice you follow. This is a book that can change your life.” –Robert J. Sternberg, author of _Teaching for Successful Intelligence_ “A wonderfully elegant idea . . . It is a great book.” –Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., author of _Delivered from Distraction_

 So, if you are struggling with "Inspire, not Require," I highly recommend this book, especially the chapter written for Parents, Teachers and Coaches.  I attribute my turnaround in school in the 6th grade to Ms. Kunz, who challenged me to do better because she knew I was a hard worker, unlike the teachers up to that point who told me I was too smart to be doing so poorly.

Book recommendation

I was appalled when I read a Washington Times article written by Amy Chua as a teaser for her new book Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother.  I won't even link to the book, it's so bothersome.  You can read my blog post on it at my other blog. 

My husband knew this article bothered me.  He knew I blogged about it (thank you for reading my blog, honey!)  So, when this article entitled Roar of the Lion Father appeared in the Washington Times yesterday written by Toad Zywicki, I was ecstatic.  Hooray!  The article contrasts Anthony Esolen's boo, release in November 2010 called Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination to Chua's Battle Hymn.

Anthony Esolen is a professor of Renaissance English Literature and the Development of Western Civilization at Providence College. A senior editor for Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, he writes regularly for Touchstone, First Things, Catholic World Report, Magnificat, This Rock, and Latin Mass. His most recent books are The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization (Regnery Press, 2008) and Ironies of Faith (ISI Press, 2007); he is working on his next title, Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child (ISI Press, forthcoming 2010). Professor Esolen is the translator of Dante’s Divine Comedy (3 volumes, Random House), Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered (Johns Hopkins University Press), and Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things (Johns Hopkins University Press).  How can I NOT like this guy?

If you don't have time to read the article, please know Esolen's book and philosophy sounds very TJEd.  So, if your methodologies for homeschooling your children include 3 hours of mandatory instrument practice, required rote memorization of everything and no social outside interested, you won't like this book.  You should read Amy Chua's book.  Here's a snippet of an interview with Anthony Esolen.  Pay particular attention to the last answer.

What is wrong with “rote memorization”?
Nothing at all, so long as what you are memorizing is immediately useful (multiplication tables), or beautiful (poetry, ballads, songs in general).
What is the place of technology in education?
That depends. Are we talking about the tool known as a book, that offers a whole world to the young reader, or are we talking about the jitters of the Internet, that offers a lot of sludge?
What does sex have to do with imagination?
Ask the great artists and love poets. Much indeed; but little of it has anything to do with “sex education”, which I believe is destructive.
What difference does it make whether the child is a girl or a boy?
If we have to ask that, then already we have missed the wonder that is girlhood and boyhood.
What do heroes have to do with the imagination?
They are its lifeblood; children need heroes; it is a miserable thing, to destroy in children their natural longing to look up to greatness.
What role does faith play in the development of the imagination?
It is essential, not just for understanding the great art of the west, but for that drive in human beings to look always for what is more, gratuitous, exuberant, and mysterious.
Why do schools set out to ruin the imagination?
They do so because imaginative children are by nature difficult to herd. Schools are built for a certain kind of efficiency and anonymity; they look like factories, and serve many of the same functions.

 My hubby bought me the book. I'll write a book report when I finish!

What the tests reveal...

We did standardized testing yesterday.  I am both excited and afraid of what will be revealed (although I usually already know).   It was MOSTLY a glorious report.  I know where we need work and am thankful for the hard work my children have put forth in their studies.  The "achiever" in me wants to only go after the lower scores and bring them up but my husband reminds me that where their high scores are we find their highest interests - those things that will lead them to learning more and more (a la TJEd).   I will stay on course and not do much different than work on bringing score up only if they were below grade level.

What always surprises me most (and after years of doing this it shouldn't), is how much my kids pick up from just reading.  During the general knowledge portion of the test I am amazed by what questions they know.  I think to myself, "I didn't teach them that!" When I ask them later, they can usually site the source of their data right off the top of their head.  I just love that.

I ran into a lovely lady who attended one of my seminars at 2010 MCHEC.  I wanted to post this link for the handout to my talk on Learning Modalities for her.  Melanie - it's here.  Please speak up in the com box if there are other handouts you would like and I'd be glad to share.

Intellectual Friendships (Part 4 of 4)

In the little gem of a book by Mark. C. Henrie, called A Student's Guide to the Core Curriciulum, he discusses Intellectual Friendships in the section "A Core of One's Own."

Friendship is so important, Arisotle devoted two books of his Nicomachean Ethics to it - and only one book to Justice. One of the highest types of friendship is intellectual friendship....

In the everyday course of intellectual friendship, friends share with each other their moments of insight, present them to each other for testing. Such moments in turn require us to reconsider not just that discrete matter, but everything else in our view of the whole that touches upon the matter....As Socrates knew twenty-five centuries ago, the normal mean for penetrating further and synthesizing our knowledge is dialogue. Intellectual friendship consists in a great ocean of dialogue and discussion and those who have tasted it know it is among the highest human pleasures.

I am so blessed to have lots of intellectual friendships. For me, first and foremost are my friends that I meet with irregularly to discuss home educating our kids. I must admit that 99% of my friends are home educators and of that subset, about 95% are Catholic. So, to say we have a lot in common is an understatement. This has been the biggest blessing for me. Via our home school support group, I have had the opportunity to make some really great friendships. They are the kind of friendships where we're not afraid to challenge each other when we need to or when hear each other say something that doesn't sound right. They are friends that feel the same way about HOW we want to educate our kids. We may not be using the same curriculum or syllabus, but we have some vision that is common and most often there is the beauty of our religion that we have in common.

So, with that being said, I think it is hugely important for moms, especially home educating moms, to have support that equates to intellectual friendships. Seek out those friendships with like minded others. Find people in similar situations. Now, you may say that that is not best for us, to have a non-diverse set of friends. I disagree, to start out with, but agree if you have become comfortable with yourself.

You see, I think many of us received such poor educations ourselves that we don't feel comfortable charitably debating topics or sharing the "ah ha" moments that might not resonate with someone else. Also, our education choices for our children are both very personal and usually very deep rooted. I happen to know a lot of friends that make judgments about other home educating families based purely on their curriculum choices. Keep your eyes on your own work, folks!

So, when you find someone with similar, if not the same, values on educating your child, become friends. Build that relationship. Find out what they are doing and respectfully challenge each other and get to know why they made the same choices you have. Then, get to know more about them personally and you will most likely find a friend with whom you can have a truly intellectual conversation.

When I first came upon the concept of Thomas Jefferson Education, it was the summer of 2007. My mom was terminally ill. I had just had a baby with some issues at birth. Many of the friendships I had made had disappeared because I wasn't able to keep up with my end of the equation. I had to take care of my family first and foremost. I was on fire with the TJEd concept. I introduced my husband to the book and the concept. He, too, was fascinated. We both had some issues with a piece here or there. He encouraged me, though, to start educating myself. The "You not them" key. I started. Then, I had a couple come from Wisconsin to talk about TJEd. Lots of my old friends and many new came to listen. Many left thinking, "What are they thinking!!!!" while others said, "Yes! That is it!"

Following that meeting, I started a small group which consists of home educating parents with similar education values. We have become friends, reading books and writing papers together as well as talking about what works for us and what doesn't. I appreciate the dialogue all most as much as I appreciate the great dialogue I have with my husband (but not quite as much - I still find him the most fascinating person on the planet.) We have been meeting for the last two years. While we sometimes read a common book and discuss it, usually we are discussing home education and what is/isn't working. I come away from those discussions not just energized, but feeling challenged to do better, reflecting on what is working for me and planning how to change what isn't.

Now, go! Find that friend. Get talking. Find out what they think. Find out how they got where they are and LEARN, CHALLENGE and SUPPORT each other.

Less is More

If you haven't read my blog before, you may not know I take an eclectic approach to homeschooling. Call it Classical TJEd or multa non multum, which means not many things (multa), but much (multum). *

I read _A Well Trained Mind_ and was a little overwhelmed to say the least. I read _Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum_ and settled down a little. Then I read _The Thomas Jefferson Education_. All these books form the basis of how I educate my kids.

Classical education is based on academics while TJEd aim is to develop leadership and scholarship. How do we combine the two? Classical education seems subject heavy while TJEd can seem almost like "unschooling." Combining subjects works for us to accomplish the "multa non multum" model. Religion, Literature and History are tied together. Math stands alone until the kids get into higher level Mathematics. Spelling, Writing and Reading are bound as one.

Remember, we must always meet the students where they are, intellectually speaking, and lead them from what they knows to what they don't know. We need to do it, respecting their development level and all the while instilling virtue. I apply the concepts of the Trivium based on my children's cognitive abilities, which don't always line up with the grade or age.

The advantages of the multum non multa approach are many. First of all, it eliminates busywork. Rolling subjects together reduces wasted time. The time savings may be applied to the my kids' own interests and to enrichment subjects such as computer programming, dance, or cooking. My preparation time is much reduced and I am learn right along with my students. This has led to considerable savings on formal curricula.

The principle of multum non multa, which could be translated, “less is more" works well for us. It's Classical TJEd.

* This is also the name of a chapter in _Latin-Centered Curriculum_ by Andrew Campbell. It's not the expressly the same material, but same concept. I am reading the book, so I'll give a review when I have finished.

Strengths Explorer for Kids

I am a huge fan of the books First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham. The intent is to help someone identify their strengths and develop them (instead of focusing on their weaknesses). What a wonderful Positive approach!

I recently found they have an online assessment tool for kids aged 10 and up called Strength Explorers created by his co-author of the second book. We had our kids take their evaluations today and found it useful.

Here are the possible 10 strengths:

Presence: Youths especially talented in the Presence theme like to tell stories and be at the center of attention.
Confidence: Youths especially talented in the Confidence theme believe in themselves and their ability to be successful in their endeavors.
Competing: Youths especially talented in the Competing theme enjoy measuring their performance against that of others and have a great desire to win.
Relating: Youths especially talented in the Relating theme are good at establishing meaningful friendships and maintaining them.
Achieving: Youths especially talented in the Achieving theme like to accomplish things and have a great deal of energy.
Future Thinker: Youths especially talented in the Future Thinker theme tend to think about what’s possible beyond the present time, even beyond their lifetime.
Caring: Youths especially talented in the Caring theme enjoy helping others.
Discoverer: Youths especially talented in the Discoverer theme tend to be very curious and like to ask “Why?” and “How?”
Organizer: Youths especially talented in the Organizer theme are good at scheduling, planning, and organizing.
Dependability: Youths especially talented in the Dependability theme keep their promises and show a high level of responsibility.

#1 child scored: Presence, Relating, Discoverer

#2 child scored: Presence, Caring, Future Thinker

This week we will use the workbooks that go with the test to help both of them realize and work on their strengths.

TJEd from Interesting Places

When my husband and I decided that the principles of TJEd were the right ones for our family, it was ALL new to me. My "conveyor belt mentality" was so ingrained in my whole being, I felt I needed to do everything I could to train it out of me. So, I read all I could about TJEd.

One of the things I liked best about TJEd was the concept that what a student learns is not dependent on the teacher, but on the student. What a freeing revelation that was for me as a home educator. I need to gently guide them and inspire them to learn.

Today, I read something written in 1945 by Angelo Patri. He was the author of The Children's Institute: Graded Courses of Study (Correlated to The Book of Knowledge) that inspired ME to write this blog post. We got this gem of a collection thanks to Christmas monies received last year from our collective families. (We also bought the set of Chronicles of America.) This set of children's encyclopedias was recommended by the A2 curriculum I use along with other materials.

I grabbed this little book that came along with the encyclopedia set today because this year, so far, has been all about the 4 R's. It's time to take what they are learning with the 4R's and apply it to critical thinking exercises. So far this year MUCH of our Science and History have been gleaned through reading alone. Now, I want to have them apply their reading and writing skills toward a better end: the study of other subjects. I set upon this goal by seeking out the two little gifts that unexpectedly came with the encyclopedia set.

The Children's Institute: Graded Courses of Study (Correlated to The Book of Knowledge) includes outlines, questions linking subject matter to incidents of everyday life, and achievement testing using The Book of Knowledge as their source of information. I started by reading the introduction, addressed separately to the student, parent and teacher. This introduction by Patri aptly outlines the 7 Keys to Education that Oliver DeMille explained in the first book I read about TJED, A Thomas Jefferson Education.

It was the section address to teachers that really caught my attention. I'll teach each exert and apply it to TJEd.

...We know that we can help a child, according to his power, to find his talents and increase them. We can set his tastes. We can teach him where to look for information and help him to form the habit of looking for it and using it rightly. We can give the child a certain attitude toward life that will bring success and happiness. Beyond that we do little. From there on each child must help himself.

My kids know it is their job to do their work and learn. I can lead them down a path, but I can not make them learn something. I need work on inspiring them, though...

The teacher strives to help his pupil gain knowledge and make the right use of it independently; to make the unknowing child conscious of his plan and purpose in coming to school; to make him his own teacher. Once the child gets the idea the teachers' burden is lifted and his task becomes a joy. The unwilling child becomes the eager searching child whom it is a delight to serve....Education lies in personal experiences, personal responsibility to work and conduct.

Also, I am not a fan of traditional textbooks. We do use Faith and Life for our Religion. My kids read McGuffey as part of their daily reading, and we have used Math textbooks but we don't use textbooks in the traditional sense. Much of my kids' religion comes from reading real books like St. Patrick's Summer or The Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt or stories of great Catholic Saints. We mostly read classics. Patri says:

...The textbooks are, of necessity, meager. Their content is limited by the size of the book and the time allowed to study. The teacher's energy is limited also. Nothing so depletes one's vital forces as a teaching day. ..

One thing I wish to impart, more than anything, is the ability to FIND information. I want them to know how to look things up in paper form and in electronic form. I want them to be able to think critically enough to determine what material imparts good, valid, real information. Much of what is on the Internet today seems to come from "so-called" experts. You must be as critical of your sources as you are of your information:

...This is the day of specialized knowledge, the day of speed and accuracy. No time is allowed for ignorance or blundering, no excuse is granted the worker who in not equipped for his task...It is for this emergency that THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE is offered. Teach your pupil its use and you have opened wide the door to an enriched self-education. Teach him the right use of this set of books and you have given him the means to serve his highest educational ambitions...

And, one thing I find more important than anything as a home educator and parent is teaching your child not what to learn, but how to learn. My kids are actively involved in deciding what they learn. I ask their opinion on what books they would like to read, along with trying to inspire them to try new things. I also need to teach them the discipline to learn and follow through on things they start, even if they are hard.

...Things turn about a little. Take the child into confidence about his education. Show him the course of study as it is set down and explain that it is the fund of knowledge that every school child of his age and power can master. Show him how to follow it through step by step and how to enrich it by the related reading. Teach him how to test his knowledge. Allow him to put his creative instinct on a job and you have given him the best of gifts, the power of self-help.

At the end of this mission, Iwant my kids to see me not as their teacher, but their mentor. I hope to have the humility to realize I can't teach them everything, the courage to let others mentor them when I can't and the sense to let them find their own wings. I haven't finished my education yet. I expect that will take my entire life.

...If you can take this attitude toward teaching you will find your function has shifted from that of task-master to that of the leader and guide. You will find yourself acting as an inspirational force rather than as the dull, compelling dictator. You will discover that there is much of the adventure in search of knowledge still open to you and you will go forward with your pupils.

This clinches it for me.

...He who opens to the questioning mind of a child the knowledge that increases his powers and stimulates his created instinct blazes a trail for a new, a nobler race.

My hope is to raise statesmen.

More on Spell to Write and Read

Some things are just logical to some, but not to me. Sometimes I need a hammer over the head to get things. Things like this:

Our pediatrician (who homeschooled his three children) told me that the best indicator of how well a student is doing in K-5 is how well they read. From grades 6-12, it's how well they write. In order for children to fluently write (not handwriting, but the act of writing information from their brain on to paper, perhaps following an assignment), they absolutely must be able to:
1) fluently handwrite (cursive is my choice and I'll get into that later...) or type
2) spell
3) understand the rules of grammar
4) think critically

If they can't do any one of those things, writing becomes a road block. Boys, in particular, hate the whole writing process. Here's my theory on why. For the most part, we skip step one or decide it's not important or dismiss boys from handwriting. I did.

My first born had two eye surgeries within the first three years of his life and they did not correct his problem of bi-lateral strabismus (both eyes crossed). Glasses did not correct the problem, either. So, we went to occupational therapy seeking help with fine motor skills that were lagging because of his visual deficiencies. His brain would shut off his left eye. He had no depth perception. We came to find out he had issues with primitive reflexes that had been retained. Many of the reflexes that infants have as a survival instinct remained intact and did not convert into postural reflexes. After three years of visiting a specialist in Chicago, guess what? His eyes straightened out and they were both working again. Unfortunately, his fine motor skills were still easily 4 years behind. So, we went to occupational therapy, AGAIN. Sadly, the therapist dismissed him, telling me we should not expect him to do more than be able to sign his name and print basic information for things like job applications. I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to give up on my son quite that easily!

Unfortunately, I didn't know which way to go to help him when we got that diagnosis 3 years ago. We had been using Handwriting Without Tears since Kindergarten and it was the program recommended by the occupational therapist as well. However, even with the cues and tricks they recommended, my son was still having difficulty with spacing and even remembering HOW to create the letters. We moved to cursive in 3rd grade because I didn't want him to "fall behind" (ha ha). He hated it. I gave up and got him a typing program because I wanted him to be able to express himself somehow.

Fast forward a year. I discovered the Thomas Jefferson Education approach. TJEd has distinct phases of learning based on age AND development. I'm including the age here only as the development description part takes too long and you should REALLY read The Phases of Learning by Oliver DeMille. Here's a very brief description:
CORE: Age 0-7 - learning right and wrong, good and bad, truth from untruth, beauty from ugly, discipline and how to be a good worker
LOVE OF LEARNING: Age 8-11 - Have fun learning, working on projects of interest, Kidschool - teaching basics of education, but much of their education is gleaned from reading classics
SCHOLAR - Age 12-16 In depth work on projects of interest in which the student researches and writes on topics of interest (think great big unit study with a research or thesis paper at the end) using classics, led by mentors
DEPTH PHASE - Age 17-21 Even deeper development of thinking, writing and research skills, typically done at a liberal arts college

This is the type of education we want our children to have. We want them to have the quality of education that our great fore-fathers had. We want them to have a statesman's education. A statesman is a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs. That means we want a leadership education for our children, based on the classics. We want to teach them how to think, not what to think. That is what a liberal arts education is all about.

So, if you have read this far, thank you. Now on to Spell to Write and Read. I have owned this curriculum since 2005. I didn't use it because it was so "intimidating." What I mean by that is that it is spread between two books, also including flash cards, spelling logs. I really didn't understand what I had purchased when I bought it. Someone has recommended it to me for good spelling lists. So, I thought I had only bought the spelling list, but instead got the entire program. When I got it, I became overwhelmed (get out the hammer, please). What I didn't realize is that I had the solution to making my kids good writers all along. I packed it back up and put it away for a while.

In 2007, a very nice friend told me she was using after attending a two day seminar in Wisconsin. Wow! She loved it. So, she was kind enough to sit me down for 2 hours to tell me how it worked (I was still intimidated). So at the beginning of school year 2007, I tried it with the kids, but left out some of the key components because I didn't understand it (i.e. I didn't read it well enough - still overwhelmed). We stuck with it for two months and the kids didn't like it because I wasn't using it correctly.

This summer, after trying to decide what to do about my "non-writer", I decided to talk to my dear friend Sue. Sue has a son, same age as mine, but with no fine motor difficulties. Guess what? She was having the same problem with getting him to write. The hand writing process was too tedious for him. His spelling wasn't very good. He didn't like grammar lessons.

Then, like a light bulb, it came to me (or the hammer finally met my head). How can these boys possibly write well, when they can't handwrite (cursive or manuscript)? My son was spending ALL his brain cycles on trying to remember how to make the individual letters! That took so much thought and recall, that he could not get to the spelling part. Often, he'd have to ask me to tell him the word again because he forgot what he was supposed to spell because he was concentrating so hard on writing the letters! And, how could he write sentences? His thoughts got lost when he was trying to make the letters, then spell the words, then remember the grammar rules! No wonder this was so hard!

What was the solutions? Sadly, my friends, practice and going back to square one. Handwriting had to become fluent. He needed to learn to write the letters without looking at a model or having to think through the strokes. Then, he had to be able to spell the words fluently. Then he had to construct the sentence properly in his head. Then he needed to get it down on paper. So it all came back to handwriting. After doing a tremendous amount of research this summer, I decided we would learn cursive and go back to a very phonetic method of spelling.

I pulled that Spell to Write and Read program off the dusty shelf and I enrolled myself in a two day class. The instructor was phenomenal! And, she helped answer many of my questions just by how well she taught the class. By the way, I am a professional educator, so I am pretty picky about who I praise. And, I walked away from the class confident in my choice, confident on my theory and confident that we would have good writers after this year of school. I'm such a big fan, I've converted another homeschooling family down the street to Spell to Write and Read.

I used to be a fan of accommodating. I'm not any longer. He had to practice. We also had to work with his difficulty with crossing midline. That one was easy. Brain Gym, developed by Paul Dennison is brilliant. They work on helping kids (especially kinesthetic learners with difficulties) overcome their learning problems. I came across Brain Gym when I started homeschooling and have been using it ever since. Kids that have difficulty with crossing midline have difficulty with letter directionality, hand writing and spelling. One Brain Gym exercise that is super easy and so helpful with this is the lazy eight. Draw an infinity symbol (or a number eight side ways) on a large sheet of paper. Start by having the trace the symbol, being sure to position the paper with the middle of the symbol at their middle.

After working on midline issues, I started the Cursive First program. This program is integrated in the Spell to Write and Read program. I bought the actual curriculum and LOVE it. My first grader is now learning cursive after teaching herself how to print at age four. She has many bad printing habits. Learning cursive is good middle ground for her and I, as she often doesn't want to be taught that which she already (thinks she) knows. My son had to relearn cursive. He's doing great.

Then, we started Spell to Write and Read. He scored a grade below his actual grade, which was a nice surprise. He has to write his spelling words in cursive. Spell to Write and Read starts out by teaching the 70 phonograms and 28 spelling rules most often used in the English language. There are no sight words, which I like because telling kids just remember this word isn't a logical approach to reading or spelling. I tested each of my older children to determine where to place them on the Wise Guide to Spelling (the spelling words, based on the Ayres List of most common words in the English language). I cheated a little. My daughter should be about 14 lists ahead of my son, but I figured a little practice wouldn't kill her and she needs to work on her humility.

Each school day is all about Spelling, Writing and Reading at our house now. We review the phonograms each day. We spell their 20 spelling words for the week, marking the phonograms used to spell the words and any special spelling rules. Guess what? My non-writer is spelling very well and his cursive is more than just readable (which it wasn't last year), it's very nice. He's still not liking writing essays. But, this is a process, right? We must crawl before we walk. They are learning to write nicely in cursive (fluently, too). They are learning the critical thinking process necessary to decode words in order to read and spell. They are learning grammar along the way, as that is an integral part of SWR (Spell to Write and Read) and they are practicing. I hope to be able to report at the end of the year that my son is no longer a struggling writer. Stick with us and I'll tell you how it's going.