Several Mississippi moms connected online through a statewide homeschool network.
Fueled mostly by caffeine, the women of The Homeschool Cafe will regularly top off this virtual bottomless cup with
political opinions, educational issues, and general discussion. Pull up a seat and enjoy!
Dorothy Rich of the Online Skills Education Center, has an article in the Sun Herald explaining how all the time spent testing kids in public schools today takes time and resources away from actually teaching the children.
That is one of things I love about homeschooling. Yes, I test. But I am also able to tell if my children have grasped a concept by simply talking with them, often over lunch. Providing us with more time for learning and expanding on concepts they already understand.
Philly public schools are using Cuisenaire blocks to teach algebra to 8th graders, reportedly, with great success:
Using bins of colorful blocks and custom workbooks, students in Pautrat's class - and in eighth-grade math classes across the city - are learning algebra through a novel approach the district introduced in the fall called Algebra8.
Educators have long complained that too few students - especially in urban districts - take advanced math and science in high school because they don't have a chance to take algebra until ninth grade. The delay means students can't learn calculus until college.
Philadelphia is trying to buck that trend. And by offering algebra to all students in the eighth grade, the district has surged ahead of other districts in the region and the country.
Connecting abstract concepts to concrete observation via hands-on discovery using manipulatives. Who knew (you know, besides us)?
According to the NYT, a federal appeals court just sent the case back to a lower district court, stating that the lower court needs to establish "religious neutrality" before the sticker rule can be deemed unconstitutional (or not). A little background from the article:
The Cobb County school system was ordered in January 2005 to remove the stickers from the inside front cover of 35,000 biology textbooks after a U.S. District Court judge ruled they represented an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. To comply, school staff and students scraped the stickers from all the books months later.
It had been the school's policy since 1995 to tear out chapters on evolution from science textbooks out of ''respect for the family teachings of a significant number of Cobb County citizens,'' according to Thursday's opinion. But, in the spring of 2002, when the school district selected a new biology book that contained 101 pages on evolution, school officials decided to affix a disclaimer sticker instead of removing the section.
Parents of some students sued, claiming that the stickers violated the First Amendment clause that separates church and state. The district court judge ruled in their favor, saying the argument that evolution is a theory and not a fact is a distinction made by religiously motivated individuals.
''The school's position is that the sticker wasn't there in violation'' of the First Amendment, Cobb County schools attorney Glenn Brock said Thursday. ''It was there to promote critical thinking.''
It's official. Melissa Wiley is blogging about homeschooling at ClubMom with her new blog, The Lilting House. I love her writing style and appreciate that she earnestly works at her craft. As I speed through blogs, news and email each morning and evening, I always slow down at the Bonny Glen and have already added The Lilting House to my feed burner.
The Salon has posted a rather balanced article on the Pearls. Doc is quoted at length and Carlotta is mentioned [update: ...and Chris. Sorry for the omission]. Both are linked. Here are a few interesting tidbits:
Neither Pearl has advanced training in child development or a related field. "These truths," the tall, white-beaded Michael Pearl, 60, writes in his book, "are not new, deep insights from the professional world of research, [but] rather, the same principles the Amish use to train their stubborn mules, the same technique God uses to train his children..."
By this point, Judge had another baby -- and, though she didn't realize it at the time, a case of postpartum depression. One summer day it became clear to her that the Pearls' advice and her own rages were a toxic combination: Judge had to lock Noah in a separate room for fear she would "beat him senseless," she says. "I just wanted to know when that damn 'peace' the Pearls talk about was going to come..."
[Later in the article...] Gentle Christian Mothers has also become, in part, a support community for mothers like Meggan Judge, who was at first convinced that Noah's recalcitrance was entirely her fault. "They tell us that if parents would only spank 'correctly,' parents will get the results -- the first-time, happy obedience -- that they desire," says Carr. "When it doesn't 'work' parents can end up feeling very guilty and worried that they are doing it wrong and are failing to do it the biblical way. They may worry that they'll wind up with out-of-control children, so they try harder to do it 'right,' and the battle continues. Children may end up bitter and angry, and deeply hurt, with a warped picture in their mind of who our gracious God truly is."
"There are now three very good studies showing that the more someone was spanked as a child, the more likely they are to hit their partner as an adult," says Straus. (Some suspect that spanking at home, or paddling at school, may be particularly harmful to girls.)
"The parent holds in his hand (in the form of a little switch) the power to absolve the child of guilt, cleanse his soul, instruct his spirit, strengthen his resolve, and give him a fresh start through a confidence that all indebtedness is paid..." writes Pearl. "After a short explanation about bad attitudes and the need to love, patiently and calmly apply the rod to his back-side. Somehow, after eight or ten licks, the poison is transformed into gushing love and contentment. The world becomes a beautiful place. A brand new child emerges. It makes an adult stare at the rod in wonder, trying to see what magic is contained therein..."
Our children deserve better then C+ textbooks. Many of you know I have been searching for a U.S. History Textbook. After doing volumes of research I am more discouraged then ever.
Sadly Glencoe’s American Journey: Building a Nation got the highest marks at a whopping 78% C+ (Acceptable). It only got worse. I don’t know about you, but I want an A+ textbook for my children, especially at the prices they expect you to pay. This should be one battle that both public school parents and home school parents can unite on.
And it’s not like they are not aware of the problem. There are tons of articles lamenting the poor quality of textbooks and U.S. History textbooks in particular.
According to the Washington Times Special Report – Social studies textbooks used in elementary and secondary schools are mostly a disgrace that, in the name of political correctness and multiculturalism, fail to give students an honest account of American history, say academic historians and education advocates.
'Deadly dull' Historian David McCullough, who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of Presidents John Adams and Harry Truman, also calls school history and social studies textbooks "deadly dull." "It is as if they were designed to kill anyone's interest in history," he said in an interview. "A child made to read these books would ask, 'What did I do wrong today that I am being so punished?'" Textbooks written to be "politically correct" do not tell the truth about struggle and conflict through the ages in order to avoid offending minorities, ethnic groups, women and other advocates, he said. "History is a story, cause and effect. And if you're going to teach just segments of history, women's issues, these youngsters have almost no sense of cause and effect," he said. Mr. McCullough said, "I would do away with the textbooks. ... Get rid of all the state commissions that write the textbooks" because they fail to instill in students a sense of gratitude for the country's leaders over the centuries and what the American people endured and accomplished in order to pass on a legacy of freedom and prosperity. "I think that to be ignorant or indifferent to history isn't just to be uneducated or stupid. It's to be rude, ungrateful. And ingratitude is an ugly failing in human beings." Read the full article.
Textbook Troubles by Rebecca Jones has this to say The American Textbook Council issued a report earlier this year criticizing the latest history textbooks for dumbing down and reinventing history. "Content is thinner and thinner," according to the report, and is "increasingly deformed by identity politics and group pieties." Because textbook-adoption committees and teachers look for this sort of thing, the report says, "editors have moved diversity lessons to front and center, at risk to student interest and accuracy." So there are more stories about Sacajawea and fewer about George Washington. Recommend History Book – The Story of America by John A. Garraty
Sandra Stotsky at EducationNews.Org wrote Why American Students Know So Little American History and What We Can Do About It.
And if you REALLY want to know why textbooks are such a mess read The Muddle Machine Confessions of a Textbook Editor by Tamim Ansary. Be sure to check out her ideas for fixing American Textbooks.
Since I don’t expect the problem to be fixed anytime soon, I plan to create my own U.S. History Program …………………It’ll take awhile and be more work for me, but at least I have until Fall 2007 to pull it together. I promise to keep you updated.
Five home-schooled students came together with family and friends Saturday to celebrate the completion of their high school studies in a ceremony for members of the Coast Christian Home Educators Association.
One student's schooling took place in six different countries across three continents. Some of the students had been enrolled in public schools before home schooling, others had been taught at home from the start.
After Katrina, one student took an extended break from the classroom to help with volunteer recovery efforts; others resumed study as quickly as their families were able.
Remember PWC? Much of what they accomplished was based on carefully cultivated relationships between homeschoolers and the PWC Board. Now, there's a new super in town who is taking names and kicking booties. First on the chopping block, a favorite principal. Parents are ticked.
Editted to include imbedded links. Originally posted by Alasandra
A new homeschool Mom asked for recommendations on books for her kids to read. After talking with Jonathan (17) and Sean (15), I compiled this list. Links to Lesson Plans when available.
And of course feel free to visit my blog Home~Schoolers Rule to see what we are currently reading. Right now Sean and I are reading Historical Novels by Bernard Cornwell.
In a May 8 report titled "Caught in the Middle: Home Schooling Neglected in Marin County," the grand jury found that local school districts had neither checked the affidavits, nor were they aware of how to do so.
Well, not everyone is happy:
"Kids are falling through the cracks, and no one is paying attention," said Catherine D. McKown, forewoman of the grand jury, composed of 19 citizens. "If you don't check on the affidavits, you have no way of knowing how many kids are being home-schooled in a district."
After the report's release, Mary Jane Burke, superintendent of the Marin County Office of Education, reiterated the notion that public school officials lack the legal authority to intervene.
With any luck, it will take them a long time to figure it out.
How do homeschoolers feel about it - Brad Haines of Missouri’s Families for Home Education said, "the state shouldn’t expect participation from many families who have chosen home schooling. Home schoolers have for years been using the Internet to purchase from a wide variety of curriculums, and using e-mail networks to share ideas. State curriculum, online, is still state curriculum — something most home schoolers don’t want".
According to a recent article in the Sun Herald The Nebraska Legislature earlier this year got the concurrence of the state's governor on a measure that, effective in 2008, will divide the Omaha public schools into a trio of systems - one to serve whites, one to serve blacks and one to serve Hispanics.
I found this article very troubling. It's bad enough that a five year old brought a gun to school, but get this, according to Scheibel "There are about 1,400 children in the county's Head Start program, the gun incident underscores the importance of programs like Head Start, where adults can monitor children."
What's wrong with parents monitoring their own children?
Shannon (blogging homeschooler and designer of this here Cafe) has addressed the issue of net neutrality. I have to agree with her. Market mechanisms are a much better regulator than the government:
By instituting regulations, Congress could actually hinder the development of new and exciting Internet technologies that we are not even aware of yet. Not to mention pave the way for {shudder} taxation.
I'm taking Katie to a local fencing academy on Monday to see if it's something she'd like to pursue (and because I want to be like Chris when I grow up...)
The mother argues that her daughter missed school because of asthma. "So here she's wheezing really bad and going into the school and having the roughest time and the nurse would say, she can go back home."
The mom claims she presented doctors' excuses and had already turned in paper work to homeschool her child, but the explanation didn't work on the arresting officer.
"I said, but she's home schooled. I have proof of this. I can show you. He said, 'It does not matter. The warrant has been issued and I have to serve it.'"
The mother spent 12 hours in jail before being released on bond.
Nicolas Provenza has written an excellent post concerning the dangers inherent of "politically correct" agendas (read: Marxism) in public schools. This particular example involves Seattle Public School's definition of racism. Check it out.
I took Sean to get his Learners Permit today. Sean passed the computer test with flying colors. So they presented him with a Learners Permit, someone should have given me a tranquilizer.................(ok, I am kidding it wasn't that bad, really, it was worse much worse. I am sure all my hair turned GRAY on the way home). Thanks to Katrina, the Highway Patrol is now located in a FEMA trailer across from D'Iberville High School, so in the interest of public safety I drove to the Community Center close to our home, where Sean took the wheel. I don't know who was more nervous.
For those of you who are at this stage in homeschooling, here are some tips.
Prentice Hall has an excellent Driver's Education Program, which our local State Farm accepted. They also have a Steer Clear Safe Driver Discount, you can pick up the program for free from your State Farm Agent. If you use another insurance company check with them for something similar.
Have all your paperwork in order. Your child will need a certified copy of his/her birth certificate, their social security card, the educational form filled out and notarized, and the Application for Mississippi Driver's License - which must be signed by both parents and notarized if your child is under 18. Be sure to keep up with the Application for Mississippi Driver's License, your child will need it when they go back to get their Driver's License.
Keep the first excursion short, and on a street without much traffic.
Drink decafe coffee, you'll be wired enough without the extra caffeine, I promise.
Have fun, and welcome to the wonderful world of TEENS!!!!!
The following are excerpts of messages I posted to a homeschool group after several people asked for statistical information with which to convince or silence their critics. I thought I'd edit them together and include it here for others to read. My view was that homeschooling statistics are flimsy, especially when you're dealing with emotional family members, obnoxiously "friendly" strangers or stat-wonky school professionals. This is long, so go refill that coffee cup...
It helps to understand what the critic is really saying and what these concerns and assumptions are based upon. Rather than immediately assuming that this common line of questioning is a personal affront to your intelligence, ability, or parenting skills, view this as an opportunity to expand their view. Some people sincerely lack knowledge (others are just plain jerks). By remaining level-headed and unemotional, you strengthen your case as well as lessen the risk of becoming defensive or feeling attacked. Here are my stat-free responses to the top eight questions/comments confronting homeschoolers. -- "I am a schoolteacher and I have to be evaluated periodically, as well as take continuing education. Why shouldn't you be accountable as well?"
Clearly, this isn't a stat question although newbies think they need to quote educational research here. Instead, think of it this way: Teachers are *required* to do this by the government. So ask:
1. ...if she'd feel confident in her abilities without jumping through those hoops (any teacher worth her salt would say yes), 2. ...if she'd participate in the re-evals and CE programs were these strictly voluntary (most would not and claim these are a waste of time and money), 3. ...if she felt she was learning practical, valuable information from these classes (no, see 2 above), 4. ...if she felt "bad teachers" were really being weeded out or improved by these evals, or were they just killing trees and pushing papers around to make the rest of us feel good (no, see 2 above), 5. ...to whom she feels the highest level of obligation to do a good job (hint: not your children), 6. ...if she positively enjoys her job and the kids she teaches every year (my mom--a public school teacher--admits she doesn't, even dislikes some kids, and says most parents AND teachers learn to view the classroom as an assembly line. next!).
Chances are she resents the fact that you have this freedom of opportunity, feels threatened by invalidation if she accepts your choice, or just doesn't get it (and you can't make her). She also doesn't grasp that you are working one-on-one with your own children without a salary whereas she is entrusted with a larger number of others' children in an employee-employer relationship. By that very nature, your job is not the same as her job and shouldn't be subject to the same bureaucratic requirements. Even if it would make her feel better. -- "There are a lot of parents out there who have no business teaching their children."
Not unlike "paper or plastic", complete strangers feel perfectly comfortable throwing this statement out there in the line at the grocery store. While true, this is a general assumption that can't be quantified. Stats won't work here, even if they existed. Whatever you do, DON'T answer it with this snarky statement:
"There are a lot of people who have no business having children."
(Most people will agree with you here, but they'll also assume YOU might be one of those people.)
What this person is saying is that they think there should be some standard (via regulation) to which homeschoolers should be held accountable. You can just say, "There are a lot of teachers out there who have no business teaching." This directly addresses the premise of this argument by pointing out that regulations don't weed out bad teachers in the present system, and they wouldn't weed out bad homeschoolers, either.
If they persist, ask if they'd welcome increased regulation to weed out the bad (fill in their job title) in the (widget) industry. Government intrusion sounds like a great solution to lots of problems until the camel's nose is in their tent, so that'll make them think. This is also a great one to use on school administrators and teachers, because they *know* teachers who shouldn't be teaching AND feel tied down by the regulations, whether they openly admit it or not. However, many don't think beyond the bureaucracy (See Comment 1). -- "HOW are you going to make sure Kiddo learns SOCIAL SKILLS??"
This person is operating under an out-dated assumption. Schools aren't conducive to socialization like they were when we were in them (detail examples if you need to). Ask sincerely, "Do you really want your child to learn social skills from her peers? And since when did socialization trump education at school or in the home?" This will slow them up, but not shut them down, because then they ask... -- "Well then, what are you going to do to make sure she has friends?"
This person is operating under institutional pre-conditioning, which results in a very narrow view of the world in which school is not the only place children meet other children and ignores the fact that not only can homeschoolers join homeschool groups, we (like other "normal" people) go to church, utilize library book clubs (some of which cater to homeschoolers, like ours does), take up ballet or karate, join 4-H. The list is so long, people will eventually feel stupid for asking for it.
As an added bonus, you can point out that the fact that you don't have to help with three hours of homework every night or spend weekends on a diorama of the life cycle of the wiki wiki bird (a winged animal that knows where to find information about anything...ok, I made that up) makes enriching your child's life with other activities even more possible. The average parents of traditional schoolers don't have that luxury, they know it, and this will shut them down. -- "But don't you get tired of staying at home with your children all day?"
This question cracks me up. I just say with dramatic sincerity, "No...[hand to pearls]... I love my children" then watch them spin their wheels. Suddenly, they're doing all the talking and the focus isn't on my choice anymore. They also realize what a faux pas they've committed while they ramble about how they love their children, too. This is fun to watch.
You don't have to explain yourself further, because the asker is rarely ever *truly* saying "but what about you and your interests and sense of well-being?" They're just being nosy, so don't humor them. -- "Are you qualified to teach?" or "How will you teach?" or "Do you know how?", etc.
So far, I have resisted the urge to say "Golly. I dunno, I'm a moron like you!" and look completely bewildered or walk into a few walls... but that wouldn't be very nice. This asker is also operating under the influence of institutional pre-conditioning and shares the myopic AND misguided view that parents shouldn't, don't know how to and cannot teach. Therefore, they conclude, education should be left to the "experts."
Stop them in their tracks by asking if they knew how to parent when their first child was born or how to be a wife/husband when they got married. They might say, "No, but I had a mother/home life/childhood to model..." Bingo, they answered their own question: the most valuable skills for long-term success were learned, not at school, but at home...from Mom and Dad (What, like math is harder than marriage and raising children??)
Bottom line: Committed individuals can do anything they put their minds to and that includes teaching algebra. -- "What do you teach?" or "How do you teach?" or "What resources do you have?", etc.
Sometimes, people who ask this question are genuinely curious. Other are extending the "You can't do that!" argument. Regardless, most are operating under the false assumption that homeschoolers have fewer resources than schooled children. Be prepared to wow this person (and for their envy), because the options you have and the resources from which you may pull are beyond this person's grasp. From life to the library, list them and watch the looks on their faces.
They know the drudgery of homework and use internet searches and library visits to complete time-sensitive projects they care nothing about. That your children are so motivated by curiosity or that these resources have been integrated into your everyday life is unimaginable to families who send their kids off to apathetic public schools or rigorous private schools. School, to them, is like a job they wake up hating to go to everyday, something to get through. Not an adventure or a way of life like it is for most of us.
(Side rant: If homeschooling is not this way for you, you should change something you're doing. Obviously, your methods and your child's needs aren't on the same level, but it is fixable. Not a criticism, just more unsolicited advice from a know-it-all.) -- "What are you going to do about college?"
This one used to be harder to answer, but this has changed in the last several years as both private and public colleges and universities have begun to recruit homeschool grads. However, this person doesn't know that and assumes it is more difficult, if not impossible, to get into any college, much less a good one. They also assume your child will have a hard time adjusting.
You don't even have to get into a discussion of state laws or college admission procedure or research studies conducted on the success rates of homeschoolers transitioning to college, though that's the first thing I thought of when someone asked me. Instead, tell them that many homeschoolers are actually more prepared for college because they have been integrating learning and life in a diverse environment for years. Many of them are independent thinkers who don't have to "find themselves" after years of assimilation.
Embarking on a structured "college track" isn't really even necessary, but the homeschool families who do put more time and effort into college choice and preparation than the average public-schooled child/family. Around 10th grade, lots of us kick into portfolio mode and begin researching colleges while most parents of (average) traditionally schooled children don't think about this until the latter part of their child's junior year. While they're trying to get Jr. to focus on bringing up his GPA so he can have a better chance at a scholarship (or even just get a letter of acceptance), our child has been in college mode for a year and a half longer, has been taking practice tests, has participated in researching potential schools (rather than solely leaving it up to mom and dad), has taken dual enrollment courses and usually understands what is at stake, the transition that must be made, etc. -------------- If your breeeelliant logic and well-thought-out responses fail to beat stereotypes and change minds about homeschooling, know when to call it quits and just change the subject:
"...did you see American Idol? I'm so disappointed that Elliot Yamin was voted off. He had the most talent in the final three and now that Katherine McPhee girl is probably going to win. [sigh]. I just don't like her. She's like a high school diploma: pretty packaging, lots of fanfare, but no substance...you know, a dime a dozen..."
Smile, wait five seconds, excuse yourself and walk away. Your work here is done.
I just realized that the majority of my favorite authors are British. As a teen my favorite reading including “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell (American), anything and everything by Charles Dickens (British), and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (French). And I’ll confess the only reason I read Les Miserables was it was mentioned in Gone With the Wind, but I fell in love with it on it’s own merits.
As an adult I discovered Tolkien (British), who has the honor of being my favorite author so far. J. K. Rowling ‘s Harry Potter series (British), Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series (Irish), and Bernard Cornwell’s historical novels (British). It’s just something about the British love of languages that appeals to me. That’s not to say there aren’t American authors I read and enjoy; there are Mary Higgins Clark, MPM (Barbara Mertz, also known as Elizabeth Peters, also known as Barbara Michaels! Thus she is commonly referred to as MPM; it saves time), James Patterson, and Nora Roberts aka J.D Robb just to name a few.
Part of what I love about reading is learning new things. Thanks to Bernard Cornwell I now know a different meaning for the word Harlequin. I was familiar with its definition as (n) a clown or a buffoon or (adj) having a pattern or brightly colored diamond shapes. But I could tell from the way Cornwell used the word that neither definition fit, so I looked it up. The obsolete French from the Old French Herlequin/Hellequin means demon. That definition fit the author’s use of the word perfectly. And I have a new definition to add to my vocabulary. The other thing I love about reading is sharing my love of reading with others, so you can count on me for book reviews and author recommendations.
I have a new book to read, so goodbye for now……………………..If you are interested in Bernard Cornwell’s Grail Quest please visit my blog to read the review.
You don't need a slide rule to figure this out: Week 19 of the Carnival of Homeschooling hosted by Why Homeschool has been dedicated to Albert Einstein.
I just finished reading Chris D'Lacey's book The Fire Within. It's suitable reading for ages 9+, and it is so cute. For those of you with younger kids it's perfect for reading to them. So if you need a break from the real world grab a cup of coffee and join David and Lucy as they attempt to rescue Conkers the squirrel with the help of David's dragon Gadzooks.
The Flickering Mind: The False Promise of Technology in the Classroom and How Learning Can Be Saved details how hi-tech classroom learning gadgets have left our young people less educated than any previous generation. In the process it makes a lot of statements that indirectly support homeschooling. I'll post a full review later (at 500 pages it's liable to be very full), but buried on page 399 I found one of the dreams of a homeschooling parent: a Golden Quote that proves just how much more effective homeschooling is than mass schooling. Homeschoolers use a one-on-one teaching method that is known in the trade as tutoring.
"In study after study, whenever tutoring is matched against some competing pedagogy, including technology, tutoring wins handily. In his own research (Benjamin) Bloom found that tutored students outdistance 98 percent of those taught in conventional groups settings.(7)"
98 percent!??!!!! No wonder we're so damn good!
The citation is: "The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search For Methods of Instruction as Effective as One-on-one Tutoring," by Benjamin S. Bloom, Educational Researcher, Vol. 13 (6), pp. 4-16, 1984. Apparently this study has become the gold standard on the power of tutoring.
I went digging. I couldn't find the original article online; Educational Researcher'sonline archives don't go back that far. I did find some synopses of the original article. The first synopsis explains why it's called "The 2 Sigma problem:
If one looks at a "conventional classroom" that uses the traditional lecture approach (Bloom chose classes of about 30 students for his study), the outcomes of both learning and cognitive development of higher mental processes produced by such classes can be expressed as scaled in at the 50th percentile equivalent. By contrast, the outcomes of tutoring scale at close to 100% or about two standard deviations (2s) beyond the level of achievement in conventional classrooms! This achievement has further striking implications: students who learn through tutoring don't flunk out, stress out, or drop out. This means that many students who have been consigned to the categories of "low achiever", "not bright enough", or even "unteachable" are students who can, in fact, succeed.
This article is very well written, apparently for helping entering college students find tutors. A second synopsis shows Bloom's actual table. A third article states Bloom's challenge to the educational community: "Under the practical considerations of a class of 30 or so students, how can one approach 2 sigma achievementeivement gains of professional tutoring?"
But wait! Is homeschooling really the same as one-on-one tutoring? Ask a homeschooling parent if this definition sounds familiar:
The concept of tutoring is an old one, perhaps one of the oldest of all human teaching and development tools. As Jenkins and Jenkins described the origins of tutoring in their paper Educational Leadership (1987), "Tutorial instruction: it was parents teaching their offspring how to make a fire and to hunt and adolescents instructing younger siblings about edible berries and roots, it was probably the first pedagogy (teaching) among primitive societies." Tutoring is one of the fundamental foundations of physical, emotional, social and academic growth. It is considered one of the most successful of all teaching methodologies. Quality tutoring reaches beyond singular academic subjects by adapting to the needs of the learner and doing so in a fashion the learner can understand. It works best when it utilizes and takes into account the concept of learning as a whole mind and body experience; it involves all the senses, the environment, the community, family and specific requirements of the learner.(emphasis mine.)
Tutoring is defined as the act, art, or process of imparting knowledge and skills. In the last one hundred years the term tutor, especially in western countries, has closely been identified as an individual who works with a single child or small group of children as opposed to a teacher who tends to manage with larger numbers of students. Tutoring has further been distinguished from early stage education and development. It is now viewed as a separate vocation focused almost entirely on academics. Most academic-oriented tutors work with children K through 12 and beyond while parents or nannies and caregiver services tend to focus on development of infants and young children. Individuals from both groups may still act as tutors and manage developmental activities during a child's early years.
Academic tutoring takes on a variety of different classifications: peer tutoring, age tutoring, certified tutors and tutoring by certified teachers. Many tutors wone with-on-one with students while others work with three, five or ten students at a time. The ability of the tutor to impart knowledge, as later discussed, may have less to do with the age or experience level of the tutor and more to do with individual attention and the ability to create learning strategies in a student. Good tutors follow the student, not the curriculum. (emphasis mine.)
There are thousands of homeschooling stories inonlinet and onlne, and all the ones I've read sound just like that definition. A fourth article lists specific groups that tutoring can help.
Unfortunately I couldn't find an interview with Bloom. I did find some of his quotes. I also found the book he published the year after "The 2 Sigma Problem", Developing Talent in Young People, which looks at the tremendous results which highly gifted young athletes and musicians achieved through a combination of supportive parenting, and a progression of learning from solid basics to more complex skills which Bloom calls "mastery learning" but which sounds suspiciously like the trivium so near and dear to many homeschoolers. Interestingly, this program only outdistances 85% of regular students in a classroom setting, whereas one-on-one tutoring itself outdistances 98% of those students. Gee, what sort of performance boost would happen if you combine supportive parenting, one-on-one tutoring, and the trivium -- er, mastery learning? (Can you tell I'm smirking?)
Ironically, not much seems to have been done with Bloom's research. A number of attempts have been made to produce a computerized tutor-equivalent. Their failures are outlined in the book I got the quote from. No machine can possibly be anywhere near as flexible as a human being.
The only homeschooling article I could find that references Bloom is from a Dutch study. Bloom's research is woefully underutilized in defense of homeschooling.
The inevitable comeback is that such results are only obtainable with specially trained tutors. That argument is not supported by the data. A good tutor is one who pays attention to the student and adapts their learning approach to meet the individual student's needs. Anyone who has reasonably good communication skills can do that. There are also many materials available to help both tutor and student look up what they need to know.
A key area is teaching students how to learn; this skill is best taught one-on-one. A student who has learned how to learn knows when, where and how to find what they need. That student and his or her tutor are then in an excellent position to evaluate when or if they need outside expertise in specific subjects.
But hey! Tutored students outdistance 98% of group-schooled students. That means that even if homeschooling parents don't make absolutely perfect tutors, they still stand head and shoulders above the school system.
TO RECAP: An average student who is individually tutored will outdistance 98% of the students in a classroom setting, or do two standard deviations (2 sigmas) better. No classroom teaching method yet devised comes anywhere near that figure. This study means that a learning disabled student who is individually tutored will do as well as an average student in a classroom setting. An average student who is individually tutored will do as well as a gifted student in a classroom setting. A gifted student who is individually tutored will go off the scale. Since two standard deviations is an awful lot of wiggle room, this study also means that an average parent who makes a reasonable effort at tutoring his or her children will do a better job than the best classrooms in the country.
Don't Expect Taxpayers to Pick Up the Tab for Daycare
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
I just finished reading an interesting article by G. Edward Griffin about the difference between collectivist and individualist.
My thanks to Shannon –PHAT Mommy for providing the link.
Becky Trask is obviously a collectivist. She wants government to solve all our problems. According to her the State should fund prekindergarten. WHY??? All parents are perfectly capable of teaching their children; especially during the preschool years.
But Ms. Trask is busy bemoaning the fact that private schools, and churches bear the burden of prekindergarten (which was known as day care once upon a time) and that parents bear the expense of prekindergarten (as well they should). According to Ms. Trask if taxpayers would just fund prekindergarten and put our children’s futures under government control the world would be a better place. She also wants the government to force parents to send their children to kindergarten.
First off the State government hasn’t been able to fully fund K thru 12th grade yet. The last thing our public education system needs is more “hands” asking for money. Lets provide the students already in the system with new textbooks, safe classrooms, and teachers before we add additional demands on an overburdened system.
Secondly parents need to assume responsibility for their children. Every parent is perfectly capable of teaching their children their ABC’s, how to count, simple addition and subtraction, their colors and how to behave. We don’t need government interference in raising our children. Those parents who don’t wish to be burdened with raising their own children are “free” to seek daycare providers; they shouldn’t expect taxpayers to pick up the tab.
I have a fundamental problem with their assumption that parents have a duty to support public schools by sending their children to them, and that somehow we are not being good citizens if we choose an option other then public schools.
And certainly churches have as much right as anyone to help their congregations find alternatives to public schools.
The Star states, “Schools, like many other institutions, tend to reflect the politics and values of the communities where they are located”. They must be kidding, the majority of people in my community did not want mandatory school uniforms in our public schools (We even filed a lawsuit), but the school board with their arrogant “we know what’s best for your children attitude” implemented them anyway. I have no faith that other policies I disagree with will not be implemented.
In my opinion a parent’s first duty is to their children. It’s the parent’s responsibility to make sure their children receive the best education possible, rather it be home schooling, private schools or public schools, it is not our duty to shortchange our children in order to “help” the public school system.
