As promised here are a list of book links and resources that have been useful in my thought process regarding our education. I say "OUR" education, because I feel like this is a search to come up with a solution that works for all of those in our family. I am learning right along with the youngest in our family.
I do not want to give the idea that we are pro or against anything regarding education with these links. But here are some of the resources that have struck a chord with me. If you would like to add any links that you feel are valuable in this conversation, please feel free to do so in the comments section.
This orationfrom Sir Ken Robinson...its been awhile, but I keep coming back to it again and again. It was the first thing I saw when my boys were just in pre-school that made me want to dig in more. To find out how our schools are teaching and how my kids would learn best.
The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach by Howard E. Gardner - This was the first book I ever read on the topic of how our little ones learn. In my opinion, it gets a bit deep, but I still find myself going back to it once in awhile to look up a particular thought.
The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World as Your Child's Classroom by Mary Griffith
The Sudbury Valley School Articles especially their Underlying Ideas topics and the Parent Experiences were shared from Sarah
Give Kids Good Schools - full of good information for those of us wanting to make the most of our children's public education.
Should I Homeschool - a blog post from Lori of Camp Creek Press...really, her whole blog makes me think. Especially her info. on Reggio Emelia. Something seems to ring true to me when I read about the whole project based learning style.
The Hundred Languages of Children and subsequently Bringing Reggio Emelia Home. I checked the first book out of our local library, but they did not have the second book, recommended by Lori. She kindly sent a second copy she had to me and Im still reading it. I can't put it down and I find myself re-reading certain parts.
There are probably many more articles that I could have posted here. The internet is an amazing resource when it comes to educating our kiddos. There are many different opinions and trains of thought on the subject. These are just some of the resources that have been introduced to me along our journey. But, its a start. And to be honest, the opinions I value the most are those of my family including my children, and other mothers with whom I share a great deal of respect. Also, if you are having questions about public school like I was, I can not stress enough how important it is to jump in feet first. Getting directly involved in the boys classrooms has been invaluable. I have learned to so much about my kids and where their teachers are coming from. If you have the ability to get involved in your child's public school setting...please, do so. You will not regret it.
Let's continue this discussion...shall we?
Oh, and I have had a few comments and emails regarding our "summer unschooling" project. Would anyone be interested in learning along with us? I would be happy to organize us in some way and provide a forum to share info. Please let me know if you would be interested through the comments or email and I will put something together.