"First, don't subject your children to formal, scheduled study before age 8 to 10 or 12, whether they can read or not. In addition to our basic research at Stanford and the University of Colorado Medical School, we analyzed over 8000 studies of children's senses, brain, cognition, socialization, etc., and are certain that no replicable evidence exists for rushing children into formal study at home or school before 8 or 10.
Read and sing and play with your children from birth. Read to them several times a day, and they will learn to read in their own time... as early as 3 or 4, but usually later, some as late as 14. Late readers often become the best readers of all, with undamaged vision and acute hearing, more adult-like reasoning (cognition) levels, mature brain structure and less blocking of creative interests. Yet late readers are often falsely thought to be in need of remedial help. If you have any doubts about your youngster, have specialists check vision and hearing; possibly see a neurologist. If there are no problems, relax."
Yeah, RELAX, mom!
5 comments:
Nice blog! I totally agree that creativity is stifled too early in our society. Here is my question: How do you think your kids will transition to structured environments later in life that are outside of your control?
Here's what I mean. Right now you are able to "control" your children's environment, and it's very free and loving and creative. So your children are able to grow and learn at their own pace. But when your kids are older, like 18 or 21, I assume they will eventually either go to college or start working. Most colleges and businesses do have structures (like it or not) that are not free or loving or creative, and they will assume or even demand that people "fit in". There will be mandatory readings and deadlines and so on.
Well I'm sure you get this type of question a lot, but I just found your blog so I'm curious. Maybe you could write a post in general about what you see for your kids in the future -- as teens and adults ... will they go to high school or college?
This is a great question, Anonymous (who I am assuming is not my mother). Here's my take on it: I'm not worried nor do I think about any of it. My goal (if we can call it that, not sure of a better word) is to provide my children with an environment where they can learn to think for themselves. I don't want to "teach" (I'm using quote marks here because I'm not really "teaching" them anything. They are teaching themselves) them what to think... I want to teach them HOW to think. I want them to develop themselves internally, so that they are true to themselves.
I think with a background like that, they'll be able to "fit in" to any environment. By that, I mean that they'll be able to figure out a situation and how they want/choose to be a part of it.
They can follow rules without conforming.
Those quotes are excellent. Thanks for sharing the link.
To anonymous, I pose these questions:
How would a child who has lived in a highly structured environment her whole life know how to operate in a free environment when she's grown?
Do we really want to train children to only know how to operate in structure and not know how to handle freedom?
Oh wow! I find this excerpt fairly inspiring. I homeschooled my now-12yo-daughter through 2nd grade. She then had a little trouble transitioning into public school in 3rd grade, but generally loves to go with all the kids. It was a lot of work because I picked and chose and came up with my own curriculum.
My husband and I have a plan to use state-provided education through a website. Partially because I work full time outside the home and so am more limited on time I could spend on school.
However... some interesting studie results there!
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