The Princess and the Jedi Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 I need a new book to read. Scratch that. I need a small stack of books to read, specifically about homeschooling and education theory, more specifically education reform. A few books I've read in the past two years specifically about homeschool and education include: The Well Trained Mind A Year of Learning Dangerously The Smartest Kids in the World The Knowledge Gap The Core The Read Aloud Handbook Since I've read a couple of books about the classical method of homeschooling, I would like to read an informative book or two about Charlotte Mason's methods, especially since our school day is more successful when it is Charlotte Mason-y and less by-the-book-Classical. I figure I should know a little more about her methods than what I've gleaned from the blogosphere. A few academic books geared toward educational reform in the public schools. I am a former public school teacher and I need a few more books to support my conclusions on why the current system isn't producing the results it is aiming for. I need a few more books like The Knowledge Gap and The Smartest Kids in the World in my back pocket. Recommendations for any other good homeschool related books are welcome. A Year of Learning Dangerously was more lighthearted, but it was very reassuring to read about another homeschool mom floundering around her first year, trying to find what works for her daughter. So, I'll take funny homeschooling books, too. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The Writers Jungle by Julie Bogart. CSMP maths lesson plans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Ruth Beechick's The Three R's. Handbook of Nature Study 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purduemeche Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 A Guide to American Christian Education, was an old school staple and although seldom discussed anymore, has influenced many of the still popular curricula. http://www.amazon.com/Guide-American-Christian-education-school/dp/0961620110 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Anything written by Lewis or others on "Chronological Snobbery" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronological_snobbery 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Drawing and Painting in Waldorf Schools. http://www.amazon.com/Painting-Drawing-Waldorf-Schools-Classes/dp/0863158781 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis Books the Build Character by Kirkpatrick and Wolfe Honey for A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt A Philosophy of Education (book 6 in the series) by Charlotte Mason The Living Page: Keeping Notebooks with Charlotte Mason by Laurie Bestvater 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The Well-Trained Mind by SWB Charlotte Mason Original Series A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola The Eclectic Manual of Methods for the Assistance of Teachers Ray's Arithmetic Rod and Staff Arithmetic Rod and Staff English The Three R's by Ruth Beechick You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp How Children Learn by John Holt How Children Fail by John Holt Teach Your Own by John Holt Dumbing Us Down - The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Mary McLeod Bethune by Emma Gelders Sterne Up From Slavery by Booker T Washington Christy by Catherine Marshall Walden by Thoreau 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 All of John Holt's books: How Children Learn, How Children Fail, Instead of Education, What do I do on Monday? and finally, Teach Your Own, the only one he wrote about homeschooling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AppleGreen Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 As a former public school teacher I found Build a Better Teacher: How Teaching Works (and How to Teach it to Everyone) really fascinating. I saw it recommended here in someone's status update or something about a month ago and found it a fascinating read, both as a former public school teacher and as a homeschooling teacher. I enjoyed Why Students Don't Like School. I am also putting For the Children's Sake on my nightstand to dig a little deeper into Charlotte Mason methods. I have heard it recommended a couple of times as a gentle introduction to her methods sans the period language to wade through while processing new ideas. I have also enjoyed listening to Circe Institute's podcast "The Mason Jar" to glean little Charlotte Mason tidbits. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The Charlotte Mason series. The Paideia Program Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.Ivy Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 You might be intereted in Consider This by Karen Glass. Its about the classical side of Charlotte Mason. Also, I loved The Liberal Arts Tradition, which helps move the definition of classical education beyond the "trivium as stages" theory. It's also a good follow up to The Abolition of Man. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire is another good one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KT7673 Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I really liked Consider This by Karen Glass. I also have been enjoying Teaching from Rest by Sarah McKenzie. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Did you mean the Knowledge Deficit by Hirsch? If so, I second the recommendation of Why Don't Students Like School (Willingham). It is written to K-12 public school teachers in hopes of applying research findings. Hirsch and Willingham are both at UVA, and I would guess they work/ed together, at least at some point. The Knowledge Deficit and Why Don't Students Like School are the two very best books I have read about educational theory. They have also had the most practical effect on my homeschooling. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers. The best book about raising kids imo!! Not about homeschooling, but definitely a great book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSinNS Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Norms and Nobility 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pehp Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 My hands-down favorite is Nurtured by Love by Suzuki. It's primarily about music lessons, but his outlook on life is so inspiring and applicable to all teaching situations (and parenting). ETA: This inspired me to post a few tidbits on my blog. I had written about this on my private blog more extensively last year, but here's a little sampling of Suzuki's philosophy: http://thejoyfulhouse.blogspot.com/2015/09/shinichi-suzuki-meet-charlotte-mason.html I would also say that I have appreciated Hold on To Your Kids SO SO MUCH, although it's a parenting book, not an educational/homeschooling book. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 The best book about raising kids imo!! Not about homeschooling, but definitely a great book. True, it probably doesn't mention homeschooling once, but it so validated our decision to do so. It's been a couple of years since I've read it, but I still think about the author's insights. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 The War Against Grammar http://www.amazon.com/War-Against-Grammar-CrossCurrents/dp/0867095512/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442542541&sr=1-1&keywords=the+war+on+grammar Most of Dumbing Down our Kids (Be aware he's kinda not into multicultural literature though...) http://www.amazon.com/Dumbing-Down-Our-Kids-Themselves/dp/0312148232/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442542574&sr=1-1&keywords=dumbing+down+our+kids Not a book but podcasts: Andrew Pudewa on Reading Aloud to Older Kids http://amongstlovelythings.com/1 Adam Andrews: How to Talk to Your Kids about Books http://amongstlovelythings.com/2/ Denise Eide's book on how whole word/sight word instruction is hobbling many children in school. http://www.amazon.com/Uncovering-Logic-English-Common-Sense-Approach/dp/1936706210/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442542749&sr=1-1&keywords=uncovering+the+logic+of+english Denise Eide's video on the same topic 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Abolition of Man by CS Lewis. Hands down favorite. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Anything by Diane Ravitch. Here's a link to her blog: http://dianeravitch.net/ Anything by C.S. Lewis. Here's a link to The Abolition of Man: http://archive.org/stream/TheAbolitionOfMan_229/C.s.Lewis-TheAbolitionOfMan_djvu.txt The autobiography of Ben Carson (or someone similar), who triumphed over poverty through the power of education. I also enjoyed reading Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, by Peg Kehret. Even though the author was out of school for several months, by diligently studying on her own, she ended up ahead of her class, instead of behind. These books reaffirmed for me that the student himself or herself needs to develop internal motivation to succeed and work hard. It can't all come from the teacher's heart and mind. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I learned a lot about Charlotte Mason when I read Consider This. Also recommend The Self-Propelled Advantage and Why Don't Students Like School. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Princess and the Jedi Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Wow. I've been taking notes and my list of books to read is a full page long! Thank you all for taking the time to respond with the wide range of recommendations, annotations, and links. You all responded with more than I had hoped for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 OP, I would be very interested in hearing your conclusions about why the schools are not producing desired results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 On Charlotte Mason, besides her own books, I would suggest When Children Love to Learn, and Consider THis. I had a significant reservations about the argument Consider This made about CMs connection to the classical movement, however it had one of the better systematic explanations of her thinking I've seen. I also would say The Abolition of man is very good. The End of Education by Neil Postman is a good read, more about education reform than homeschooling. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 One resource about coherence and big-picture thinking is Essential Questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enchantedhome Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I love anything Brave Writer, and also TWTM. It's not just curriculum…there's such great advice in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adaml1980 Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 Try searching for resources online. It is the biggest platform to learn in the 21st century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Princess and the Jedi Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 OP, I would be very interested in hearing your conclusions about why the schools are not producing desired results. I actually have a lot of theories, so I'll try to be concise about a few of them. I also don't want to step on the toes of any well meaning, passionate educators. I've literally been in their shoes as a high school teacher. The trend in public education right now is to teach academic skills, i.e. how to learn. So the greatest emphasis of the day is placed on reading skills and strategies. In my state, 2-1/2 hours of instructional time is spent on on reading in elementary school by law. After math, recess, and lunch a small amount of time is spent on content subjects such as science, history, or classic literature (as long as it's not library day or computer lab day.) At the end of elementary school, students have overlearned skills so often that their eyes glaze over the minute you mention something like "surveying the text", but they don't know much about the world at all. The education world knows of a phenomenon known as the "4th grade slump." After 4th grade, reading comprehension scores begin to level off. This is most likely because after 4th grade, students need some background academic knowledge to understand the increasingly harder texts they face. In countries where science, history, and classic literature are studied beginning in preschool, there is no 4th grade slump. Conversely, test scores increase. It may be a coincidence, but in the US, newspapers are written at a 4th grade reading level. Also, a classroom that is strategy-rich cannot be language rich. I went to school during a golden age in education. Our day started with a storybook before we started handwriting, phonics, reading, spelling, math, and another book or song about whatever history or science unit we were studying. When we finished our work early, we could go to the class "library" and read whatever interested us. And we didn't have to prove we read anything with an AR test. After lunch, our teacher would read from a chapter book to us while we drew or worked a logic or math puzzle, and we would always beg for another chapter. The rest of the day was free for art, science, music, or history. If we had a homework assignment, it was usually a short learn-with-your-family type of assignment. The read aloud time in language arts stretched through 7th grade for us! My son's third grade teacher really grieved that she couldn't get in more than a few chapters a week of any read aloud book. A language-rich environment at a young age is connected with stronger academic skills in advanced grades. I remember multi-paragraph writing assignments were a breeze in 5th grade, outlining seemed simple in 7th grade, and those challenge questions at the end of each unit in any subject were...fun. In contrast, schools are promoting "strategies" that encourage "higher level thinking" at younger ages. My son is burnt out on strategies. He has sat through enough group created (a.k.a. the teacher leads the group in a very leading way) T-charts, outlines, paragraphs, and KWL charts in second grade alone to turn him off of public school forever. Once he knew the strategies, he checked out and started sneaking in reading time with a book under his desk. He skipped in class assignments to read. He also started having to sit against the wall at recess. For reading. His teacher said he wouldn't be prepared for state testing in any of his subjects. He missed one question on the state assessment in language arts and didn't miss a single question on the state exam in math. Language rich + content rich = sucess Try searching for resources online. It is the biggest platform to learn in the 21st century. The internet flows wide and shallow; I'm looking for the depth that can only be found in books. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 The Marva Collins' Way http://www.amazon.com/Marva-Collins-Way/dp/0874775728/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442791920&sr=8-1&keywords=marva+collins+way Homeschooling for Excellence http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Excellence-David-Colfax/dp/0446389862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442796905&sr=8-1&keywords=homeschooling+for+excellence 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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