Where to start with self-education?

[Molly]

I have thought about this a great deal since starting to home school the blossoms, and up to now have put it in the back of my mind because the thought of it makes me put it in the 'too hard basket'.

 

So for those of you who have started, where did you start?

 

I finished school at the end of 6th form which is the second to last year of school here, so Grade 11 I think, and did not come away with knowing a great deal. In fact, I think I have learnt more in the last 2 1/2 years than I did at school.

 

I want to be able to learn to think things through logically, and be able to articulate it so that I do not look as stupid as I currently am.

 

Does that make sense?

[JenneinCA]

What do you want to learn?

 

I would suggest starting there even if it isn't a subject you will ever teach. The act of learning something new and interesting is more invigorating than trudging through some subject you don't really want to do.

 

I am learning Japanese at a local Japanese school on Saturday morning. I can't imagine ever teaching Japanese but the thrill of learning is huge. The rest of my family is also doing Japanese school with me but we are definitely relying on someone else to teach.

[Molly]

You have stumped me on that question. I don't have anything specific I want to learn, I want to get the education that my children will be getting. A good general education that will give me the ability to feel like an educated adult during adult discussions about the world and what is happening in the world. I want to be able to form an opinion and express it.

 

The education I received is poor at best and I am often left sitting listening to a conversation with much of it going over my head. I feel stupid when everyone around me appears to have something to say about it and they all know what each other is talking about and I am thinking what are they talking about.

 

I am imagining that I will learn a lot of it along the way with the children, but somehow I want to be ahead of them in some areas so I have more confidence in my ability to teach them.

[Guest]

I cannot tell you how admirable I think it is to desire to remedy an incomplete education. It is an enormous undertaking, hard but also amazing and fun.

 

From my own experience: it's not so important to have a plan as it is to just start. Otherwise it is far, far too easy (at least for me) to do way too much research and planning and not ever get around to the doing. It seems so overwhelming, such a huge project. If, on the other hand, you start with one thing -- say, reading the newspaper, or even a section of it, five days a week -- you can do that and actually be making a real change in your life while you go about planning the next step.

 

What subjects did you like in school? What subjects do you either: enjoy, fear, feel you want to know more about... when you teach your kids? You can work from a strength; say you love art, for instance, and you decide to read through a history of art book, visit an art museum, and/or learn to draw and paint. Or you can tackle something you feel you are most lacking in. For me, that would be science. I have begun doing several things: going to a series of free book readings and signings by authors of current science books; reading lots of library books about particular areas that interest me; and doing experiments with my dd to get the hands-on work I never got myself at school. I don't do well with DVDs, but some people really like The Teaching Company's lecture series, which some libraries carry, and which also go on sale at up to 70% off once a year. Sometimes the learning process leads off in wild directions. My dd is a Star Trek and fantasy nut, so my physics reading has turned in the direction of things like astrophysics, time warps, theories about alternative universes.

 

If you like more collaborative or social learning, you could take an evening class or join a book club (or start one).

 

On the other hand, if you are much more comfortable with a very detailed plan in hand before you start out, you can read SWB's The Well-Educated Mind. It is largely literature and history based, has lists of books to read, explanations of how to read and annotate them, and lists of questions to think about as you read.

 

I hope this is the kind of thing you were looking for... if not, post again and I know people will try to suggest concrete things.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Guest

[JennW in SoCal]

The internet is a marvelous thing! You can fill in lots of general knowledge on-line. Start by reading some newspapers on-line or news magazines, perhaps beginning with the BBC and a local source. Scan the national and international news stories, look for science stories. If there is a regular columnist you like, make a point bookmarking their column and visiting it on a regular basis.

 

Google things -- names, terms, locations, dates -- that you don't know, and read about them. Wikipedia is usually a good quick reference source. I do this all the time with whatever we are reading or discussing.

 

Start reading literature. Don't kill yourself by starting with War and Peace, but just start reading whatever books interest you. Read aloud to your kids until they ask you to stop. Or start listening together to audio books -- they will enjoy material that is more advanced than their reading level.

 

Are you near or in a metro area with museums? Look for lectures and exhibits at the museums, look for astronomy club meetings, book discussion groups at book stores or libraries. Talk with people -- if you meet someone who has an interesting job, ask them about it and how they wound up there.

 

I have a book recommendation for you for science. Bill Bryson, who is a wonderful and entertaining writer, has a large book called The Short History of Nearly Everything. He wrote that because he realized one day how woeful his own education was, especially in science, so he set about to learning everything he could and wrote a book about it. It is fabulous -- it has the history behind science discoveries, lucid explanations of science concepts, and funny comments about what he learns. It is decidedly secular, in case that is a concern. I own this book both in the print form and in the complete, unabridged audio form. I listen to it quite often, as each time I listen I pick up another tidbit of science.

 

For nitty gritty stuff like grammar or math, you can always search the internet for specific topics, or just read ahead in your children's books.

 

By the way -- your location is the south island of NZ?? Are you near Christchurch? How are they doing in the city after the quake?? (I just had to use Wikipedia to check the spelling as I wasn't sure if it was one word or two)

[Molly]

Oh thank you so much.

 

I had read something about The Well Trained Mind the other week and thought I must get that, but of course it flew right out of my head again.

 

The Bill Bryson book looks really interesting. We are creationists, but perhaps it will help me in understanding where evolutionist are coming from.

 

The audio book idea is a great one also. DH is a tractor driver 50% of the time so has started listening to audio books while driving. He is currently listening to a GA Henty story and loving it, especially the learning side of things.

 

I think I will just start. I will put more effort into looking at current events and digging a little further and using the internet as a tool for my education as well as my entertainment.

 

I am learning a great deal already with what the children are learning. I knew nothing about history. I learned bits and pieces but not how things were connected, and get so excited when I learn something new, that the blossoms end up rolling their eyes at me. But I do hope that when I do get excited that it will rub off on them.

 

JennW, Christchurch will take some time to recover. We are about 150km south and regularly go up there for shopping and educational trips. It has certainly been a wake up call for many down here. We all expected Wellington to get the big one, not Christchurch. It is honestly a miracle that no one was killed. I would imagine they will still be rebuilding parts in four or five years. But everyone has been helping others, so it certainly has encouraged the community feel up there. We had friends from there come for the weekend to get away from the aftershocks. We are not feeling the aftershocks but definately felt the big quake and some of the first aftershocks. I knew in my heart that where ever it was, it was a big one and even now shudder at the thought and at what has happened. What a blessing it is to be in a country with high building standards!!!

[JennW in SoCal]

About the kids rolling their eyes -- oh my yes!! I'm always excited when I learn something new and it finally doesn't bother my 18yo any more. As a younger teen he loved to act like he would live blissfully ignorant for the rest of his life, but now he has said he appreciates that our family enjoys learning. So you may have to wait several more years before they come to appreciate and value your enthusiasm!

 

150km is close enough for experiencing such a big quake. We felt a 6.2 (or thereabouts) Easter Sunday that was about as close to us (it was on the Mexican border east of us and we're in San Diego), and it has made us appreciate all the retrofitting to bridges and older buildings that has been going on in California over the last 20 years. Of course I haven't bolted bookcases to walls like I should or taken care of other earthquake preparedness like I should....

 

By the way, the Well Educated Mind is about how to read and tackle literature, whereas the Well Trained Mind is the homeschool tome for which this forum is named. I have both on my shelves and turn to them both quite often.

 

Have fun with your self education project. It is the best part of homeschooling, really, getting to read and explore for your own sake as well.

[Rosie_0801]

I have started off with grammar because it seems like the beginning, and I got a nasty shock when I bought FLL to have a look at, and found I didn't even know grade two grammar! We did do a little grammar in year seven, and I was best in the class because I still remembered having done it in grade one, and no, there was no new information presented :glare: My beloved hubby guy is studying it with me, to show his devotion, which keeps me progressing. It's, well, pretty boring. We're about half way through the first season of Analytical Grammar and feel like we know some stuff now :D That and dh wants me to study Latin with him and being a parts to whole learner, I need to understand English grammar before I'll have a hope of achieving anything with Latin!

 

Other than that, I'm torturing myself with the autobiography list in the Well Trained Mind. I really hate autobiographies but when I wanted to start and checked our library catalogue for the first book on any of the reading lists, that was the only one available. I'm doing this, not because I like torture, but because I started work on my critical reading skills at uni, but didn't graduate anywhere near where I'd have liked to be. Such is life when poorly trained; but I learned enough to know what it was I should be aiming for.

 

Hopefully next year I'll be ready to start revising maths. We'll see when we get there...

 

Wordy answer...

 

Rosie

[rieshy]

Check out http://www.amblesideonline.org They have amazing book lists. If you didn't get a good education in classic literature or history you could start there with one of the late elementary or middle school years.

 

Btw, suggesting such an early year is not a slam! They've got some really incredible titles (and difficult) for every year because a lot of the books are meant to be read aloud by the parent!

[Anna]

...A good general education that will give me the ability to feel like an educated adult during adult discussions about the world and what is happening in the world. I want to be able to form an opinion and express it.

 

Many times I find that adults lean towards discussing current events. My oldest dd is graduating this year as a Political Science Major. These are the top three websites that her Poli-Sci professors recommend to the students. If you keep a steady eye on these sites you'll stay up to date on current events without having to spend a dime.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com

 

Good luck with your self-education but know that most of us will learn until the day we die; you are not alone. Education is a never-ending journey.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Anna

[Tullia]

It's easy to become overwhelmed with all the choices out there. That's what happened to me. I'm going to suggest 4 books that I wish had been published or that I'd known about when I decided that there were some gaps in my own education that needed to be filled if we expected to have a classical home school.

 

1. SWB's works on history, or a good comprehensive world history textbook such as Jackson Spielvogel's world history. (To strengthen your sense of historical chronology.)

2. The Well-Educated Mind--Susan Wise Bauer (Reading profitably and writing about history and literature.)

3. The Soul of Science Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy--Nancy R. Pearcey and Charles B. Thaxton (If you don't care for Christian perspective, then skip to number 4. (history and philosophy of science--Christian perspective)

4. The Beginnings of Western Science--David C. Lindberg (For history and philosophy of science--a secular textbook recommended by the Teaching Company lecture series on the history of science.)

 

I agree with the suggestions to look for opportunities to supplement reading and writing by attending performances and visiting museums. Your public library may have a lot of resources, including Teaching Company lectures, audio books, and films that you'll probably be looking for if you start your own reading program. By the way, this list isn't authoritative; it's what I'd choose if I had an opportunity to start over. YMMV!

 

HTH,

Martha

Edited September 13, 2010 by Martha in NM
can't type my own name sometimes

[Ester Maria]

It's a tough question - where to start making up for the 12+ years of a solid education, how to even begin condensating those basics so that you can move forward in other directions that might interest you?

 

I recommend the following route, though keep in mind that I don't talk from the experience of self-educating but, looking back, how I think one can relatively painlessly make up for what I was lucky enough to be given:

 

(i) Start with grammar - morphosyntax of your own language. I would recommend getting a solid college textbook right away, most of those are perfectly gentle books that are written in a clear manner so that even with lack of previous knowledge you can catch up easily, with some googling or looking things up, should you do it.

 

(ii) Continue with formal logic. Get a basic, but high school or college-level formal logic textbook in order to familiarize yourself with it. Logic is a formal science, just like mathematics; expands your mind and trains you to think in very precise terms.

And while you're there, and have got morphosyntax and formal logic done, study informal logic / rhetoric; it's an excellent equipment for work on texts.

 

(iii) Go through a good History spine in order suggested in WTM, and combine it with reading through a gentle introduction to history of philosophy. Russell is great for starters, I have my 7th-8th graders using his history of Western philosophy, it's really gentle, yet quite comprehensive as a starting point. That way you will get an overview of history as well as history of ideas that shaped the world.

 

(iv) After you've done this, you have all the tools needed to tackle literature. I suggest not overwhelming yourself - pick a reasonable list of the works you'd like to go through in a reasonable amount of time, say a year or two. I do suggest going chronologically, and learning a bit about history of literary genres as you read, but primarily, focus on getting down some of the fundamentals of Western literature.

 

(ivA) As you do (iv), I really recommend starting to work on a foreign/classical language, if you aren't familiar with one. Few things make one appreciate one's own language and understand language and its nuances as the study of a foreign language; also, having dual literacy is an incredible blessing, as you can later read works in your foreign language as well, communicate with people from different parts of the world and generally broaden your horizons. It's something to be tackled AS you study everything else, not as a separate "unit" to start and finish.

 

(v) With a general overview of literature, history and philosophy, as well as having the tools to access those critically, you need an overview of art and music history, as well as fundamentals in those disciplines.

I recommend getting a basic textbook of solfeggio and history of music, doing a chronologic experience of "listening" to the world, and doing the same for art - a basic textbook to know how to access it and analyze it, and then a good historical overview. Janson comes to my mind as a great choice.

 

(vi) By this stage you will have probably found where your interests lie and have foundation to further them, but I still recommend including a sort of condensated study of modern history, geography, geopolitics and international relations - say 20th century and beyond: work with a modern history spine, but also expand on those areas specifically, and I also suggest reading modern publicistics on political issues of particular interest to you.

[Hunter]

Often other people don't know as much as you think they know. They just talk confidently about what they do know. The most startling difference between them and you is their CONFIDENCE in what they know.

 

I've seen a group of farmers with little book learning, talk circles around a "college boy", who is starting his first garden. Same with a plumber or an electrician, talking to a lawyer.

 

I'll bet you know MUCH more than you think you do about many things. When we are denied a certain activity or resource, we spend our time growing and learning in another area.

 

DVDs are the quickest way to learn KNOWLEDGE. Books and software are the quickest way to learn SKILLS. I wouldn't invest time and money in books for history or science right now unless using them as a spine to know what to search for DVDs on.

 

If you do use books for KNOWLEDGE use kids books. For SKILLS also don't forget to first look at what is produced for children in textbooks, software and audio, especially for foreign language.

 

For maths and English, took at junior college remedial textbooks, used for the noncredit courses.

 

I'll bet you know your way around a kitchen. Start with kitchen science and get cookbooks based on literature, geography and history. Food writing is a genre of writing, you can study and practice.

 

Study botany and start some house plants this winter. Herbs can also be worked back into the food studies.

 

Maybe study French as a language if you are enjoying your food studies.

 

Start with something you have confidence in, and design your own unit study for yourself.

[Ester Maria]

DVDs are the quickest way to learn KNOWLEDGE. Books and software are the quickest way to learn SKILLS. I wouldn't invest time and money in books for history or science right now unless using them as a spine to know what to search for DVDs on.

 

If you do use books for KNOWLEDGE use kids books. For SKILLS also don't forget to first look at what is produced for children in textbooks, software and audio, especially for foreign language.

You're kidding, right? :001_huh:

 

There is so much nonsense written in "serious" scholarship, LET ALONE told on DVDs and in kids' books, which are more often than not watered down to the point of being simply incorrect, as any oversimplification becomes at certain point. And even if not technically incorrect, decontextualized to a dangerous point.

 

And that's when this happens: we get a lot of people who claim expertise from documentaries or kids' texts or googled articles, without serious scholarship, context, structure and understanding. Bits of information now and then, clumsily glued together, it would be comic if it weren't tragic.

A knowledge is not only a set of facts; it assumes an entire system of organization of those facts in your mind, a certain structure that has to be built, and a whole lot of cognitive skills to support it. It's most definitely not something you can do via a few DVDs or elementary school texts.

 

While I agree that there are quite a few pseudos and dilletants in academia nowadays, who shouldn't be there, the whole idea that it's all about a few DVDs and then lots of confidence strikes me as quite... sad, actually. That's definitely not how one learns and how one builds one's intellectual profile. I know that you probably don't mean it the way I read it, as I'm probably reading certain of my own frustrations with students into your post, but this kind of attitude very often really gets me.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Ester Maria

[Anna]

DVDs are the quickest way to learn KNOWLEDGE. Books and software are the quickest way to learn SKILLS. I wouldn't invest time and money in books for history or science right now unless using them as a spine to know what to search for DVDs on…. If you do use books for KNOWLEDGE use kids books. For SKILLS also don't forget to first look at what is produced for children in textbooks, software and audio, especially for foreign language…. For maths and English, took at junior college remedial textbooks, used for the noncredit courses.

 

You're kidding, right? :001_huh: …. A knowledge is not only a set of facts; it assumes an entire system of organization of those facts in your mind, a certain structure that has to be built, and a whole lot of cognitive skills to support it. It's most definitely not something you can do via a few DVDs or elementary school texts…. While I agree that there are quite a few pseudos and dilletants in academia nowadays, who shouldn't be there, the whole idea that it's all about a few DVDs and then lots of confidence strikes me as quite... sad, actually. That's definitely not how one learns and how one builds one's intellectual profile.

 

I’m sure that there are several schools of thought about remedial learning. Hunter’s ideas are actually good for anyone who is either learning challenged or whose education has huge gaps in it. If an adult’s skills are deficient, how would they be able to pick up college level books and learn from them? You begin at the level from where you left off with your education and then you can continue to move forward. And yes, DVDs can help quicken the learning process especially if one has difficulties with reading, which is common among adults who feel that their education is lacking. DVDs along with books aimed at your current level, can be excellent tools to begin self-educating.

 

I’m speaking from personal experience. My 20yo has learning disabilities and although she is currently completing her second year of college, it has been slow-going for her and extremely difficult. Now I’m going on the assumption, rightly or wrongly, that the OP may have learning disabilities… her reason for having large gaps in her education. While college material may be optimal in completing one’s education, it isn’t always a good first choice for adults who struggled in high school.

[metrodorus]

Hi Rosie - you might find the YouTube Latin course I am putting together is really useful - it teaches Latin through Latin, starting from nothing, and working your way up very slowly. You might find is more easy to progress though a series like this, than with a textbook - perhaps keeping a log of which lesson you are up to. I have uploaded over 250, there will be a few thousand by the time I am finished, and we are reading Cicero.

[metrodorus]

http://www.youtube.com/user/evan1965

I forgot to give the link.

[regentrude]

If an adult’s skills are deficient, how would they be able to pick up college level books and learn from them? You begin at the level from where you left off with your education and then you can continue to move forward..

 

Actually I found introductory college textbooks for non majors the perfect material for Middle and Jr Highschool age if the student is a good reader.

(obviously, learning disabilities are another issue- but teh OP did not mention any)

The school textbooks are dumbed down and have often grave errors; the children's books are overly simplified.

Those college texts usually start from scratch and assume no previous knowledge. They can be used as a starting point to learn almost everything - again, if you are a solid reader and have no deficiencies in that department or learning disabilities.

You can always choose which material you want to include and do not have to be intimidated by a whole book.

 

In order to be articulate, I think nothing beats reading, reading, and more reading - lots of good books. Contrary to popular belief, one can achieve a great vocabulary completely without having word lists or vocab study books; this is possible just by reading a variety of stuff.

Edited September 13, 2010 by regentrude

[Tullia]

 

Good luck with your self-education but know that most of us will learn until the day we die; you are not alone. Education is a never-ending journey.

 

Hi Anna,

 

I'm glad to see you're still reading the boards. I so agree with your last statement. It's similar to what Arthur Robinson (Robinson Curriculum) says about education. He compares it to a road on which people travel at different rates and some cover more distance than others--the important thing is to keep learning every day. I don't believe that there is any single magical list of curricula, books, or course of study, either. You find out where you are, and move on from there. Molly, I'll join Anna in wishing you the best!

 

Martha.

[Tullia]

http://www.youtube.com/user/evan1965

I forgot to give the link.

 

Thank you!

[Hunter]

There are only just so many hours in a day. Certain shortcuts, save a ton of time, and raise a person to cultural literacy, and instill confidence.

 

THEN once that foundation has been laid, they can move onto getting fancy, where and if they want to.

 

What do you all think of the quality of science taught in the Bill Nye videos? How much science will a person retain after 20 hours of instruction with them, compared to 20 hours of reading Great Books on science, if they are not scientifically literate?

 

I have a friend whose knowledge base in history and science is so woefully deficient, that her conclusions about current events are...illogical to say the least. I have been picking out high quality DVDs such as a 4 part documentary on gold, that covered thousands of years of history on several continents and touched on science and included quite a bit of economics. She was so happy about all that she learned in just 4 hours.

[Amy Jo]

Check out http://www.amblesideonline.org They have amazing book lists. If you didn't get a good education in classic literature or history you could start there with one of the late elementary or middle school years.

 

Btw, suggesting such an early year is not a slam! They've got some really incredible titles (and difficult) for every year because a lot of the books are meant to be read aloud by the parent!

 

I second Ambleside's lists. I decided to start with my interests and time needed. I want my children to learn Latin and speak Spanish fluently. So Latin and Spanish are high priorities, since I need/want to be far ahead of them. I am working through Ambleside's books - mainly year 7, but really the ones I find at the used book store. I purchased a book on identifying birds. So much to learn - so little time.

 

I would also consider reading "How to Read a Book". I'm still working on it - I found I need quiet and that doesn't happen often here.

 

Best of luck!

Amy

[Rosie_0801]

(ii) Continue with formal logic. Get a basic, but high school or college-level formal logic textbook in order to familiarize yourself with it. Logic is a formal science, just like mathematics; expands your mind and trains you to think in very precise terms.

And while you're there, and have got morphosyntax and formal logic done, study informal logic / rhetoric; it's an excellent equipment for work on texts.

 

That's on my list for the year after next, I think. Can you recommend something? I keep reading threads on here about logic and still can't figure out what to use.

 

Many times I find that adults lean towards discussing current events. My oldest dd is graduating this year as a Political Science Major. These are the top three websites that her Poli-Sci professors recommend to the students. If you keep a steady eye on these sites you'll stay up to date on current events without having to spend a dime.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

 

www.washingtonpost.com

 

 

Al Jazeera is pretty darn good too.

 

(vi) By this stage you will have probably found where your interests lie and have foundation to further them, but I still recommend including a sort of condensated study of modern history, geography, geopolitics and international relations - say 20th century and beyond: work with a modern history spine, but also expand on those areas specifically, and I also suggest reading modern publicistics on political issues of particular interest to you.

OP, check out the section of the library devoted to books by foreign correspondents.

 

If an adult’s skills are deficient, how would they be able to pick up college level books and learn from them?

 

I can't comment on any subject except history, because that's what I studied. If you can't read a tertiary level history text, then what you need is not to back up to children's books, but to keep reading the tertiary books, despite the headaches, and supplement with adult non-fiction from the general (not university) library. And read a book on how to read a book. There are quite a few around. As Ester Maria was trying to explain, there is two parts to learning a subject area. One is content, and yeah documentaries are good for that. The other is the discipline, and documentaries aren't going to help you there. If content is all you want for now, go for it, but studying the discipline is a deeper level of learning.

 

Metrodorus, I will look at your video series when I get to Latin, though I'm more of a book girl. I think dh will learn better from them than I. I have to finish my English grammar first though.

 

Rosie

[Anna]

Actually I found introductory college textbooks for non majors the perfect material for Middle and Jr Highschool age if the student is a good reader. (obviously, learning disabilities are another issue- but teh OP did not mention any)

 

Absolutely, college texts are perfect for middle and Jr. highschool as long as the student is a good reader. Typically though, when a person has gaps in their education their poor reading skills are part of the equation.

 

The school textbooks are dumbed down and have often grave errors; the children's books are overly simplified.

 

Yes, I think we all can agree on that but you have to begin at whatever level you are in. (Yes, I ended a sentence with a preposition ;) .) I wouldn't necessarily suggest to an adult with learning gaps to begin at a children's level but Jr. high may be a good starting point for them. Once they can master their learning at that level, then they can move on to Sr. high and college level material. Baby steps...

 

Those college texts usually start from scratch and assume no previous knowledge. They can be used as a starting point to learn almost everything - again, if you are a solid reader and have no deficiencies in that department or learning disabilities.

 

Knowledge and learning skills are two different things. If you don't have knowledge you can easily begin at intro college level but if you don't have learning skills you have to back up some to learn how to learn at your current level. How many college students do well when their learning skills are deficient?

Edited September 14, 2010 by Anna

[Anna]

Hi Anna,

 

I'm glad to see you're still reading the boards. I so agree with your last statement. It's similar to what Arthur Robinson (Robinson Curriculum) says about education. He compares it to a road on which people travel at different rates and some cover more distance than others--the important thing is to keep learning every day.... You find out where you are, and move on from there.

 

Hi there, Martha:seeya: ! Yes, I do read the boards on occasion although I don't post as much for two reasons-- 1) The boards have drastically changed. Common decency is no longer the norm here. And 2) My two kids are in college now- one in her senior year... the other, learning disabled, in her 2nd year of college. Arthur Robinson is a wise man, I agree.

[Guest]

It may perhaps bear repeating that regardless of the level of skills the OP may have or not have, she's homeschooling four children under ten, one of whom is still an infant but who in the next few months will become mobile and need constant watching. A plan requiring years of stringent, "disciplined" study of grammar and logic before she begins to read around in interesting books on current issues may not be the most accessible for her at this point in her life.

[Molly]

Thank you for all the amazing responses here. I knew it was a bit of a tough question, but appreciate everyone's ideas.

 

I think at this point, I will be reading The Well Trained Mind. I also will be keeping an eye on current events and looking up words I do not understand. I love the idea of using the booklists from Ambleside Online. I had started reading 'Swiss Family Robinson' but had got caught up with a number of other books and with life and had left it, until last night when I picked it up again and remembered why I had been enjoying it. I did not read many of the classics out there and do believe I will learn through reading, so will definately up my reading time.

 

KarenAnne, you reminded me that yes I will have a little person mobile all too soon, and that will change the dynamics in the house once again. I think I will take it easy with just the reading and current affairs but also continue enjoying learning alongside the children.

 

History is not viewed as an overly important part of education in New Zealand, which is one of the many reasons my children are at home with me. I do believe there is a great deal to be learnt by knowing the history of the world and the history of the country you live in, so I am emphasizing this in the blossom's education. This is where a bit part of my education is missing, but not only that, grammar does not have the same emphasis in New Zealand as I would like, and I do know, I do not understand the English language to the degree I should. The Latin my daughter is learning, has flicked many lightbulbs on in my mind and has helped connect some dots. I aim to keep connecting all the dots that are laying in there so that I will have a good foundation to call upon when needed.

 

I do hope that as I go along, the logic and rhetoric gaps are filled in, although I do see that as something to come after I have added to my knowledge.

 

Thank you all again.

 

I will add that I do not have a learning disability which I am thankful for, but I do know that I do need to put into practice what I learn for it to be retained. I do not possess the ability to learn by just reading a book. I failed my written test for my drivers license five times before I passed, yet passed the practical test the first time. So that may just explain perhaps why I find much of my learning filled with holes, I do not retain information easily through a book. Mind you, I forget movies and what happened in them fairly rapidly too.

[Hunter]

I have not read Swiss Family Robinson in a long time, but remember it is a good book. I have a local bookstore that sells paperbacks of the classics published by Signet and Dover that are amazingly cheap.

 

My friend and I have been picking one and then reading it together. The DVD series on gold was picked to supplement Call of the Wild. As we read, she often has many questions, and instead of giving her a quick answer, I usually go to the library website and put a few things on hold. Although I know enough what to look for, once the book, DVD, software comes in, I learn quite a bit too.

 

We are not too big for unit studies ourselves :-) it's fun to make at least one recipe, inspired by something read in your current story. My friend has frightening geography skills and immediately starts searching for a map to accompany each book we read.

 

For my reading list, I picked, The Book of Great Books. In the past I always picked more demanding lists, featuring too many books originally written in the the classical languages and was pushing myself too hard. In my efforts to be truly classical, I lost sight of my true goals, and got lost in doing things the "right" way.

 

Reading Write Like Hemingway and Writing Tools has also helped me narrow down my goals and prioritize. Hemingway's minimalist writing style is certainly not the only way to write, but it works for me.

 

Movies as Literature has also been a big hit with us.

 

One of my current goals is to learn to be able to whip out a quick short research essay. I'm currently still assembling junior high and remedial junior college resources, to create a template for myself. In the past I have floundered at keeping up with some free courses at a pagan/metaphysics site, because of my inability to pound out a quick essay, properly supported by research. My goal here is short, quick papers, with interesting, varied sources. I'm having to sift through many resources setting lofty goals that are just not my goals right now and will just slow me down.

 

Good luck :-)

[Rosie_0801]

Molly, are you on the Rockpool? That's an Australian/ New Zealand forum. They're not as chatty as the bods here though ;)

 

http://www.rockpoolhomeschool.com/

 

Rosie

[Pam B]

You have stumped me on that question. I don't have anything specific I want to learn, I want to get the education that my children will be getting. A good general education that will give me the ability to feel like an educated adult during adult discussions about the world and what is happening in the world. I want to be able to form an opinion and express it.

 

The education I received is poor at best and I am often left sitting listening to a conversation with much of it going over my head. I feel stupid when everyone around me appears to have something to say about it and they all know what each other is talking about and I am thinking what are they talking about.

 

I am imagining that I will learn a lot of it along the way with the children, but somehow I want to be ahead of them in some areas so I have more confidence in my ability to teach them.

 

I am learning every day it seems, and my kids are in grades 6, 7 and 9th this year. Perhaps you would like to look into some free online classes? Although one of the best ways to learn is to teach. I hate it when my kids know something I don't..... but I try not to let it bother me.... I think the kids enjoy being the one to teach for once! ;)

 

If nothing else, however, I would read, read, and read some more!

[jenadina]

 

Start reading literature. Don't kill yourself by starting with War and Peace, but just start reading whatever books interest you. Read aloud to your kids until they ask you to stop. Or start listening together to audio books -- they will enjoy material that is more advanced than their reading level.

 

Are you near or in a metro area with museums? Look for lectures and exhibits at the museums, look for astronomy club meetings, book discussion groups at book stores or libraries. Talk with people -- if you meet someone who has an interesting job, ask them about it and how they wound up there.

 

I have a book recommendation for you for science. Bill Bryson, who is a wonderful and entertaining writer, has a large book called The Short History of Nearly Everything. He wrote that because he realized one day how woeful his own education was, especially in science, so he set about to learning everything he could and wrote a book about it. It is fabulous -- it has the history behind science discoveries, lucid explanations of science concepts, and funny comments about what he learns. It is decidedly secular, in case that is a concern. I own this book both in the print form and in the complete, unabridged audio form. I listen to it quite often, as each time I listen I pick up another tidbit of science.

 

I agree with all of this and would add the book Science Matters for basic scientific literacy. It's a drier than Bryson's book, but it's not too dry to be interesting, IMO, and it lays a good foundation for understanding basically any scientific topic. I personally am reading it before Bryson's book, but you could just as easily read them together.

 

I'm also doing as another poster here did and outlining a history encyclopedia to get the timeline straight in my own head. I'm reading my literature chronologically, too, to go with my outlining/history study, and I use SWB's adult history series for the history itself.

 

HTH and I'm actually just starting myself...I'd be happy to do the study-buddy thing with you (and anyone else) if you are interested; just send me a PM :)

[Hunter]

I agree with all of this and would add the book Science Matters :)

 

I had the older version of this book before my divorce and it's on my list to rebuy. It is an EXCELLENT summary of science. Whenever I didn't understand something, I used a child's book or Bill Nye video to fill in the missing pieces. I want to study some classical astronomy and botany first though.

 

Today my friend and I started watching National Geographic's Amazing Planet 3 DVD series. The word choices and writing are poetic, which I wasn't expecting in a science DVD.

 

I downloaded Teaching Company's Masterpieces of Short Fiction last night and I printed out the guidebook today. I've got the audios all loaded on my iPad and iPod and purchased a Dover thrift book with the first story today. I'm really quite excited about this course.

 

And I'm still finishing up Write Like Hemingway which I like more and more and more, as I get closer to the end of it.

 

It might be fun for those of us who are seriously self educating to check in and give updates on what we are working on. Especially what we stick with to the end and actually finish.