must be careful to keep it education, and not indoctrination! Well, I ask you. Big chose a book from the sale box at the library a little while ago, an ancient tome on Reproduction and Growing Up. Today she wanted to read some of it, so we sat together and I read the pages on Being Born, Infancy, Childhood and Growing up. We discussed the position that the woman was in to give birth – lying flat on her back, and the surgical greens that the birth assistant was wearing. Also therefore talked some more about her own (hospital) birth, and Small’s homebirth. I think I’ll get my notes on both of those and write up versions for each of them.
We talked about circulation systems, and oxygen – she learnt via Bob the builder this morning that trees are good for you because they produce oxygen 😉 – covered percentages in a discussion of breastmilk , discussed vaccination very briefly, and then segued off into a discussion of environmental issues and disposable purchases when we found a picture of sanitary items on the growing up page. And therein lies the danger – where is the line between education and indoctrination? There was also a little snippet on the childhood page
Both reading and writing skills benefit from skilled teaching, usually at school with the use of books.
which she was unhappy with herself – she doesn’t want to go to school, she is proud of being home educated. I don’t think I’ve been overly negative about school, I have pointed out that I enjoyed some parts of it but not others, and she does watch lots of shows where children go to school, but she still isn’t interested in it as a concept.
Other activities of the morning have included building a kite for Small and getting him dressed before breakfast, which latter I was only partially impressed with as that means he now has weetabix down his new top 🙁 Still, I did thank her for helping as the intentions were good.
Last night she was talking about how she could help in the house – she wants to do more little bits. Which means I’m off to clear the kitchen, and then she *can* do the washing up after lunch. Also got more washing to put on, and some work to do this afternoon. Want to make sure I spend some time playing sound games with Small, and I’ve turned off the tv and the radio as just being horribly over the top today. Silence *is* pleasant, isn’t it.
Comments
4 responses to “This here education stuff”
Sounds to me like you’re discussing and offering different opinions, and encouraging Big to think for herself and not just take what she finds in books as “the truth”. Most info books present one set of facts as final and correct, with no discussion, so are they all indoctrinating? Perhaps alot of people don’t notice, or care? How can discussing other views be dangerous and a fine line between education and indoctrination? Well, unless you are ranting “do it this way or else” at her instead of asking and answering questions so she learns to think for herself. I suppose the world not being as black and white as some people would try and have it is quite a scary concept at such a young age though – aren’t young children supposed to only be able to see things as right or wrong?
I suppose because my views are so alternative to the mainstream, and with her spending the vast majority of her time with me, I am concerned as to whether I am always presenting information in a balanced way.
And how are you doing? 🙂
I KWYM but also by virtue of the fact that some of my views are alternative and have been carefully thought out, researched and developed over time in some instances I do think my view is the right one – as such I would probably be guilty of presenting it to the children as such.
I think as long as you acknowledge there are other views and teach tolerance and respect for them then you won’t go far wrong. Many children of vegans end up eating meat and vice versa.
I had an interesting conversation with someone at HESfes about religion and how that is one example of something you cannot help but struggle to present in a balanced way. I am clear about the fact that other people have different beliefs and ideas but as frequently my own dictate the way in which we live a level of indoctrination is inevitable.
I had a long chat with D the other day about how it *is* OK for people to have different opinions and leave it at that – it was over something very trivial (we disagreed on what the lyrics were to a Tweenie song, we played it several times and still both thought we were right and the other was wrong) – but he was very upset that he could not manage to either agree with me or manage to convince me to agree with him. I think he did eventually get to grips with the idea that it is our different ideas and independant thoughts which make us individuals and therefore interesting but the initial concept was a tough one for him.
Elijah *loves* cleaning things. Putting some washing on is really easy too, and of course getting them to put away the dry clean clothes helps the process along nicely!