Comments on: The Illness of State Schooling http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/the-illness-of-state-schooling/ Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:35:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: tdbwd http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/the-illness-of-state-schooling/#comment-609 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:43:50 +0000 http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/?p=142#comment-609 Frances,

Hear, hear!! Seems the popular idea is to read books about people who share your struggles and shortcomings, whether they overcome those problems or not. I want to read about people who have overcome — problems like my own, as well as ones unlike my own.

Tammy

]]> By: Frances http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/the-illness-of-state-schooling/#comment-608 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:47:07 +0000 http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/?p=142#comment-608 Wintertime,
I had not heard of Dr. Suzuki, but you have piqued my interest. Thanks for the tip.

Tammy,
I think that a government education glorifies the mundane and mediocre. If you are exceptional, you are labeled “out of touch”. This has seeped into our churches too. But there are twin teenageres taking a stand against this. Alex and Brett Harris with their book Do Hard Things have really impressed me. I am saving it to give to my kids when they turn twelve.

I prefer to read books about people that are different from me. I also like to read stories of people who are like me. Whether like me or not, I want books that have characters of courage, faithfulness, strength, endurance, graciousness, etc. Why fill the mind with characters that are punks and remain punks? If there are punks in the story, I want them to be transformed by the end.

]]> By: tdbwd http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/the-illness-of-state-schooling/#comment-607 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:53:01 +0000 http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/?p=142#comment-607 The Autobiography of Helen Keller was very influential on my thinking, too. Another one well worth the read is Helen and Teacher by Joseph P. Lash. I’ll be picking up a copy of the Suzuki book — haven’t read that one yet. I would list the Helen Keller books as highly recommended for anyone who plans to homeschool.

Tammy Drennan

]]> By: wintertime http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/the-illness-of-state-schooling/#comment-605 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:00:15 +0000 http://educationconversation.wordpress.com/?p=142#comment-605 Two books greatly influenced my homeschool:

Nurtured by Love: The Classic Approach to Talent Education by Shinichi Suzuki,

The Autobiography of Helen Keller by Helen Keller

As a result of these two books I attempted to fill my children’s lives with wholesome books about people of extraordinary courage, bravery, imagination, and accomplishment. I scoured our library for these books and read them to my children every day.

I especially valued true stories of children who stepped up in times of trial and danger and who did what was noble.

I told them stories about our own brave ancestries.

I reminded them that they were cut from the **same** spiritual cloth as these people and I had every confidence that they too would always do what was true, correct, brave, and courageous.

Every morning and lunch as the children ate their meals, I read these stories to them. ( I ate later.) There were many times when we were so moved by what we were reading we would all be convulsed in laughter or in tears. These are some of our happiest memories as a family.

Dr. Suzuki and Anne Sullivan ( Hellen’s teacher) were correct. If you fill your child’s life with people and experiences of excellent quality, these are the people they will become. This is what my adult children now are.

Thank you Dr. Suzuki. Thank you Anne Sullivan.

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