What is a grade? What do you think your educational experience would have been like if it didn’t include being graded on everything? Do you think grading helps a student learn better? Do you think all learning can be graded? Do you think it is possible to objectively grade a student’s work? The word grade […]
Tag Archives | homeschooling
Do You Need Experts to Teach Your Children?
What exactly is the question about experts? The question of experts in the education of children needs to be refined on many levels. It is not a one-size-fits-all question. To treat it as such would mean we would also need to ask things like “do we need experts to feed our children?” because, after all, […]
The Happy Libertarian Discusses Homeschooling with Kenny the Wizard
Kenny the Wizard does a regular podcast called Wizardly Wisdom. Catchy title, no? I really enjoyed my interview with him. (the Soundcloud podcast is embedded below) We concentrated on homeschooling, including record keeping and explaining concepts to kids. He is a parent of young children and had a lot of good questions and comments. The interview […]
How to Create and Empower a Bully
A nearly fool proof way to protect your child from bullies There is a good way to protect your child from bullies. The best way to deal with a childhood bully is to keep your child under appropriate parental supervision. Children will gradually learn to be independent and self-controlled. Parents, who usually know their children […]
Easy Flexible Record Keeping for the Homeschool Parent
Why keep homeschool records? Good homeschool record keeping needs to be founded on knowing why you are keeping records. At first parents might think they only have to do it because of government requirements or potential threats, but, as usual, government meddling tends to obscure what is really going on. Think instead of what the […]
Should a Libertarian Parent Train or Discipline a Child
Opposing libertarian views on children Among those claiming a libertarian philosophy , there are basically two opinions about what the parent-child relationship should be. Some libertarians think it should be basically the same as any adult-adult relationship. Children should be allowed to make all their own choices unless serious physical harm is imminent. Training is […]
How to Explain Government to Your Child (or anyone, for that matter)
Too many times we start discussions about government with “how it works.” There are assumptions about keeping order and peace and it all being done in everyone’s best interest. We are supposed to believe, and teach our children, the relationships of individuals can and should be directed by a central focus of power and decision […]
Books for the Young Homeschool Child
How do you find good books for your child, homeschooled or not? First, define good. Good doesn’t necessarily mean old or even traditional. I think there are few basic criteria for a good children’s book: Pleasant, creative illustrations. Sometimes just a glance at illustrations can weed out weirdness or attitude that is questionable. There are […]
How to Choose a Homeschool Curriculum
One of the best pieces of advice I received about teaching my own children was that the parent-child relationship far outweighs any curriculum choice. To put it another way, there is probably no really good or bad curriculum choice that the parent-child dynamic will not supersede. If the parent is engaging with the child, considering […]
A Case Against Institutional aka Public School Socialization
The word socialization was coined by social scientists to discuss the concept of how people learn to get along. My fat 2007 dictionary doesn’t give socialization the status of its own entry, but only lists it under the word socialize, which it defines as: 1. to make social; adjust to or make fit for cooperative […]