resources
We can all google the best sites to learn Spanish,
but here are a few gems we've found that are a little harder to find....
Thank you to all of the wonderful teachers at Blue Ridge Charter School for passing on this list of Homeschool Learning Resources! Don't forget to wander through the Rainbow Resource Catalog for some fabulous ideas and reviews on every subject.
Huck Book Recommendations
The Well Trained Mind
By Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Bauer
This book outlines the Classical Philosophy of Education, and gives practical guidance on how to pursue this type of education.
What Does It Mean To Be Well Educated?
By Alfie Kohn
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Alfie Kohn has written a number of essays asking all of us to define what education is for, and how we can get there. This is required reading for anyone that cares about education.
Punished By Rewards
By Alfie Kohn
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Another wonderful book by Alfie Kohn that helps us to understand the true nature of motivation and how rewards can kill a love of learning.
How
Children Fail
By John Holt
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Like Alfie Kohn, John Holt is an education reformer. He has written several books, but this is my favorite! Children fail when they are bored and their education controlled. Reading this book, especially as a new homeschooler, enables parents to start to let go of the belief that public schools are the best places for learning.
Dumbing Us Down
By John Taylor Gatto
John Taylor Gatto is one of the premier educational reformers. After 30 years teaching in the public schools, Gatto became a fierce advocate of families and young people taking back education and learning, arguing that "genius is as common as dirt," but that conventional schooling is driving out the natural curiosity and problem-solving skills we're born with, replacing it with rule-following, fragmented time, and disillusionment.
Drive
By Dan Pink
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Anything by Dan Pink is great reading! But this book goes hand in hand with Punished By Rewards. Pink's assertions strongly match what we see in children and adults; carrot and stick motivation just doesn't work long term. Grades can motivate for short term learning, but the learning doesn't stick. Why not? Because reward systems don't tie into the human motivation system unless they are doing piecemeal work. Try what Pink suggests and see the amazing results!
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