Growing Without Schooling 45

GROWING

WITHOUT

SCHOOLING

45 You'll find the new homeschool­ ing laws from Arkansas and New Mexico in this issue . At press time, Washing­ ton State and Tennessee also seemed about to enact new laws .

Delighted to hear of two major awards won by young GWS'ers. Rachel harton, a 10-year-old violinist, won a $5,000 scholarship as first prize in the junior division of the Chicago Symphony Young Performers Competi­ ti on. She proudly told the TV inter­ v i ewer that she is homeschooled. And Ishmael Wallace (13) of Ithaca, NY won first prize of $1000 in a nation­ al contest for composers aged 13-19.

His entry was an opera.

In May, the National Public Radio show "All Things Considered" interviewed John Holt and others for a story on homeschooling. Listening to the story, we were surprised to hear Grant Colfax, the much-publi­ cized homeschooler at Harvard, say that he was a late reader, not begin­ ning until age 9 .

Some of you may be wondering what has happened to our idea of form­ ing a non-profit corporation, "Friends of Homeschooling." We are waiting to see what becomes of Rea ­ gan ' s proposal to eliminate tax-deduc­ t ions for charitable contributions .

Meanwhile, if any of you are willing to make non-deductable contributions, we could-aTways use them.

Thanks to the readers who sent the article "Stress Effects on 1.Q . ," first mentioned in GWS #37. If anyone else would like a photocopy, send us a SASE. As you'll see in this issue, we always find a large amount in Susan Richman's Western PA Homeschoolers newsletter that we want to repr1nt in GWS - and there's even more that we have no space for . You don't have to live in western Pennsylvania to sub­ scribe to this excellent publication ($6/year; address RD 2, Kittanning PA 16201) .

We have a limited number of hard­ bound copies of John Holt's HOW CHILD­ REN LEARN: REVISED EDITION which we will use for a special offer. To any current GWS subscriber who gets us a separate new subscription of $15 or ~o~e Jnot an addition to any group sub, nor-a renewal), we will send a free autographed copy of this book.

The new subscriber s hould give you a check or money order payable to GWS, which you send to us along with his/ h er address and your request for the free book. --- Donna Richoux JOHN HOLTS COMING SCH EDULE June 13, 1985: Holt Assoc . Open House (2nd Thurs. each mo., 6-8 PM).

July 20-21: Homesteaders Good Life Get Together, Naples NY. Contact Norm Lee, Box 517, Naples NY 14512;

607-522-3324 AU~ 7-10: Sun Valley Music Camp, Sun Val ey 10. Contact James Salis­ bury, PO Box 2261, Twin Falls ID 83303; 208-734-6746 .

ALL-NEW 1986 DIRECTORY We have decided to toss out our last complete Directory and to print an all-new, updated Directory in GWS #48, made up only of those who tell us in 1985 that they want to be list ­ ed. We're afraid that a large propor­ tion (one quarter?) of the names in the current Directory, which we have been compiling since 1978, are of peo­ ple who have moved without telling us or who are no longer interested in homeschooling .

Also, we will now s~itch to printing only birth years for child­ ren instead of ages. Updating all those ages every year has finally got­ ten to be too big a job.

So if you wish to be in the "1986 Directory," send your entry using the form on page 31, or use a postcard or 3x5 card (one family per card). The only people who do not need to tell us again are those who have already sent an entry or change during 1985 (most of these appear on page 30).

We will remind you once more about this in GWS #46 . Please send your entry as soon as possible so we can get to work. Thanks. - DR STUDY KNOCKS SCHOOL READING An important story from the Chi­ cago Tribune, 5/1/85 . For a copy of the report described in the article, "Becoming a Nation of Readers," send $4 . 50 to U. of Illinois, PO Box 2774 Sta. A, Champaign IL 61820-0774: ... American schools could pro- ­ duce students who read better if only what is already known about the most effective ways to teach reading were put into widespread practice, accord­ ing to a major national study to be released Wednesday.

"It's not that we don't know what to do; it's that too many teach­ ers are not doing it," said Richard Anderson, director of the Center for the Study of Reading at the Universi­ ty of Ill~nois and chairman of the National Academy of Education Commis­ sion on Reading. ~nderson will present the commis­ sion's 153-page report, "Becoming a Nation of Readers," to U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett on Wednes­ day in Washington. The report was com­ missioned by the National Institute of Education.

Among the commission's major findings are that children spend far too little time reading, in school and at home, and too much time fill­ ing out workbook exercises that have not been demonstrated to help them learn to read.

The report is highly critical of "mastery learning" programs, such as that used in Chicago and some other school systems.

Diane Ravitch, Columbia Universi­ ty education professor and a national authority on education policy, said the new study is as important as the 1983 study, "A Nation at Risk," which is credited with triggering the national move for school reform.

"It not only says we should do better, but how we should do better," Ravitch said. "It has so many clear­ cut steps everybody can do right now."

The commission reached its con­ clusions by analyzing hundreds of studies, compiling the first national report that synthesized what research has already determined about reading instruction.

Textbook publishers, school administrators, teachers and parents must share in the failure to turn out better readers, the report says.

Among its findings are the following: - Elementary-school teachers devote too much time to workbook exer­ cises - up to 70% of the time alloca­ ted to reading instruction - though little evidence exists that this helps children read . Because reading instruction generally is done with small groups, the teacher must give the other children tasks to keep them busy, and that means "seatwork" ­ workbook exercises that may run as high as 1,000 pages a year.

"Even young children often see the futility of doing workbook page after workbook page," the report said . "Most saw the pages merely as something to get finished . As one boy, age 6, said: 'There' I didn't understand it, but I got it done. '" - Though independent, silent reading is a major element in improv­ ing one's ability to read, schools and pare~s do not have their child­ ren do this enough. The typical 1st through 3rd grade classroom has only 7 or 8 minutes a day of silent reading.

- A "mastery reading" approach such as Chicago's which requires stu­ dents to demonstrate that they've mas­ tered specific skills, "unbalances a reading program" by forcing teachers to devote "an extraordinary amount of time" to exercises that do not teach children to read ...

- The common practice of assign­ ing primary-grade children to abili­ ty-ranked reading groups with "cute names" such as "bluebirds" may create self-fulfilling prophecies that keep slower youngsters behind for the rest of their lives .. .

- Many primary-grade readers do not tell a story, and ."this makes the selections less comprehensible, less interesting and probably slows pro­ gress in learning to read." Text­ books in subjects such as science and social studies "too often" fail to explain important concepts and are frequently poorly written. ... One study found that only 45 minutes of comprehension instruction - teaching children the meaning of what they read - were found during 17,997 minutes of observation in read­ ing and social studies periods in 39 elemantary classrooms in 14 school districts. ... The commission also stressed the importance of parents' work with their own children .

"Reading begins in the home," it

WHAT'S INSIDE Page 2: Travel Network, Court News, New AR & NM laws --- 3: Legal news --- 4: TV, Grown un­ schoo l ers --- 5: Compulsory school age, Col­ l ege admission, CA Supt cooperates, Life at Home --- 6: Caring for parent, Leopard --- 7: Recovering motivation, Organic Learning, Time to sit, Watching learner, Being Smart --- 8: Apprentice Architect, Printer, Sales, Harlem teens --- 9: Sesame St, Mexico, English/2nd language --- 10: Houk/plays, Berg/sculpture, Testing - - - 11: Richman/war --- 12: History - -- 13-20 Booklist --- 21: Revising, Mnemon­ ics, Writing, Indian, Self-taught r eaders --­ 22: Richman/reading, Math --- 23: Sports, PE --- 24: Exercises, Science, 4-H, Piano --- 25: Rewards/practicing, Record --- 26: Books 29: Speakers --- 30: Directory summary

said. To a greater or lesser degree, depending on the home, children acquire knowledge before coming to school that lays the foundation for reading ... The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for reading in the home is reading aloud to children." . ..

TRAVEL NETWOR K INFO From Leigh Taylor (PO Box 3, Bergland MI 49910), who has taken over the GWS TRAVEL NETWORK, the special list of readers who would like to host visitors: ... This is how I figure to work the Travel Directory: 1) There is no charge for being listed in the Travel Directory. If people want to be listed, they should send me a long stamped self-addressed envelope for info and a questionnaire .

2) There is a charge of $2 for a copy of the Travel Directory, plus a long self-addressed envelope with two stamps. The whole directory is ove-r-­ 10 pages long.

3) People can get updates - the updates are $1 plus a long SASE. The next update will be out October 1 .

4) People should be clear about what they are wanting - just being listed and no directory, listed and directory, listed and Update #1 ...

I'll let you know if I get feedback from people on how their visiting went ...

COURT NEWS Associated Press, 4/3/85: SCHOOL BOARD CHIEF DEFIES ATTEN­ DANCE LAW - Mapleton, N.D . - As chair­ man of the school board, C . Fuller Sheldon says he thinks the schools are "doing as well as they can."

But as the father of two child­ ren, he has pulled them out of school to educate them at home.

Sheldon and his wife, Gloria, say they will continue to teach their children despite a court order direct­ ing them to return the children to public school.

"W e think homeschooling is a much more viable alternative to pub­ lic schooling, " said Sheldon, a truck driver. "W e'll wait and see what h ap­ pens with the appeal (of the order)." ... A Cass County judge declared the She ld on children truant in Febru­ ary and ordered them back in school.

The family is appealing the ruling to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

If they lose the appeal, the Sheldons will probably move out of the state, possibly to Arizona, which has less restrictive laws on home­ sc h ooling, said Mrs. Sheldon, who like her husband has a college degree. . . . Greg Lange, an attorney who has represented homeschooling defen­ dants in court, including th e Sh el­ dons, called the state's law "one of the most restrictive" in the country .

Sheldon pulled hi s children, aged 9 and 10, out of school in Janu­ ary after he and his wife had become increasingly disillusioned with pub­ lic education . .. . Sh eldon informed members of the school board in February of hi s decision and offered to resign the unpaid, elected position if other mem­ bers wanted him to. So far, the board has n ot taken a position on his action . The board supervises the oper­ ation of one elementary school with an enrollment of 137 children.

Another

A~P .

story:

Union City, IN - Authorities

have dropped charges against a Union City couple accused of failing to com­ ply with India n a's ~ompulsory school attendance law by teaching their children at home.

Randolph County Prosecutor Jan Chalfant said late Friday that the Indiana Department of Education had ruled that Jimmy and Louann Brasher have the right to teach their two school-age children in their home ...

The notion of an " equivalent edu-" cation" was the focal point of the issue. Indiana law requires that children not enrolled in public schools receive an education "equiva­ lent" to that provided public sc hool students. " In a lettex "to Chaifant, the department said, "It is the belief of the Department of Education that hom e instruction is permitted in Indiana and the Brashers are not in violation of the law conc erning compulsory attendance." · .. The Brashers conve rt ed a r oom in their h ome into a schoolroom. The children fol l ow a standardized curric­ ulum and are taught by both parents and an accredited teacher who visits the h ome twice a week ...

Kathleen Furnace of the METER SCHOOLS (TX) writes: · . . In March 1985, Paul and Dale Fourcade were charged wit h truancy by the Santa Fe (Texas) schoo l district as a result of a custody hearing.

Trial was held on April 18, in Pre­ cinct 4 of Galveston County before Judge Buckner without a jury.

Charges were dismissed when the state could not prove that the Meter Schools are not private schools .

Defense attorney was Leslie Dean with the law firm of Martin, Carmona, Cruse, Garz and Bunce, of Galveston.

The Fourcades have been h ome­ schooling since September 1985 when they enro ll ed their daughter, Sha n a, in the Meter Schools ...

In GWS #44, we reported that Ed and Sharon Pangelinan of Alabama were found guilty of not sending their children to school. In April, they spent 12 days in jail for contempt of court for refusing to tell the judge the whereabouts of their children, whom they had sent out of state .

After their sentence hearing April 15, they began spending two days a week in jail . "Th e judge was con­ cerned I might lose my job, and, for that, we appreciate what he has done," said Pangelinan, a health phys­ ics technician at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant. The couple may have to serve up to 90 days in jail .

The March bulletin of the ONTAR­ IO HOMES CHOOLERS says the hearings that investigated two homeschoolers, Janet Sheats of Kingston and Sidney Ledson of Scarborough, were co nducted entirely by the Ministry of Education even though they took place at Family Court. No independent judge presided.

We have not heard about any results of the h eari ngs.

The Colo. Homeschooling Network Newsletter, 5785: · . . In Loveland (Thompson Valley

School District) Barbara Ockenga has incorporated as a private school and has been home schooling for four years. The school district was not willing to accept her as a "real " school and a court date was set earli­ er this month. Because of difficul­ ties with her lawyer's schedule, she has agreed to find a certified teach­ er to oversee her children's educa­ tion . Official approval was expected. ... In Jefferson County, Michael and Jill Duggan are using Christian Liberty Academy. Their children are judged truant by Jefferson County, which has notified the Duggans that their case is being handled in juven­ ile court. A hearing is se t for May. In Douglas County, two families are also using Chri stian Liberty Academy.

They are Debbie and Rick Gurley, and Car l and Sue Parker. Both families have been told that in the judgement of the school district their childre n are truant. Neit h er family h as heard of any definite court action ...

Attorney Arnold Phillips (1221 Locust, Suite 1000, St . Louis MO 63103; 314-231-4901) is representing several St . Louis homeschoolers whose children have been ordered by the court to undergo psychological testing. - DR

NEW LAW: ARKANSAS...

On March 22, 1985, the governor of Arkansas (which had been one of the few remaining states in which it was difficult to homeschool legally) signed House Bill 792 into law: BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Every parent, guardi­ an, or ot her person residing wit hin the State of Arkansas having custody or charge of any child or children of the age of seven (7) through sixteen (16), both inclusive, shal l enroll such child or children in a public, private, or parochial schoo l, or pro­ vide a home school for such chi ld or children as described in Section 2, under such penalty for noncompliance as s hall be set by law. Provided, how ­ ever, this Section s h all not be appli­ cable to any child who has received a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by the State Board of Education.

SECTION 2 . HOME SCHOOL . Any par­ ent may elect to provide a hom e school for hi s or her child, or child­ ren, if he or she, (A) Notifies the local public school superi ntendent or his or her intent, and; (B) Agrees for the child or children to take a nationally recog­ nized standardized achievement test from an approved list estab li shed by the State Board of Education no later than May 1 of each sc hool year. Pro­ Vided, however, that children prior to age nine (9) shall not be subject to the provisions of this section.

Test results shall be reported to the local school district and the State Department of Education. When a child's test results are unsatisfac­ tory, the child shall be retested within one (1) year. If the test results are unsatisfactory for two (2) consecutive years, the child shall enroll in a public, private or parochial school, unless the State Board of Education determines that continued home education would not be adverse to the child's interest .

On these tests, "unsatisfactory"

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

3 shall mean a score less than that set by the State Board of Education using a s t andard of an education reasonably comparable to that provided in a pub­ lic school.

The reasonable cost of test administration shall be borne by the parents or guardian of the c hild.

SECTION 3. Home schools author­ ized by this Act shall not be eligi­ ble to participate in state or feder­ al l y funded programs without having met minimum standards, criteria and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education and shall not receive tax monies or federal grants administered by the Department of Edu­ cation.

SECTION 4 . All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are hereb y repealed.

SECTION 5. EMERGENCY CLAUSE . The General Assembly finds that parents who are adequately educating their children are being threaten ed with criminal prosecution contrary to the intent of this State's Compulsory Edu­ cation Laws, that it i s urgent that legislation be enacted immediately to authorize and regulate home school programs; that this Act is designed to accomplish this purpo se and should be given effect immediately . There­ fore, an emergency exists, and this Act being immedi ate ly necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval . ...AND NEW MEXICO

Here are the relevant portions of the new New Mexico law on home­ schooling, which was Hous e Bill 278.

The requirement of a college degree for the parent, even though this can be waived, makes it one of the most restrictive homeschooling laws to be passed in recent years . We have not yet heard anything about the politi­ cal history of this law, such as how much input homeschoolers had: .. . BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLA­ TURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: Section 1. Section 22-l-2 NMSA 1978 ... is amended to read: "22-1-2. DEFINITIONS - As used in the Public School Code: .. . I. 'private school' means a school offering programs of instruc­ tion not under the control, super­ vision or management of a local school board exclusive of home instruction offered by th e parent, guardian or one having custody of the student .. .

U. 'home school' means th e opera­ tion by a parent, guardian or ot her person having custody of a school-age person of a home study program which provides a basic academic educational program including but not limited to reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science."

Section 2 . A new Section 22-1­ 2.1 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read: "22-1-2 . 1 . HOME SCHOOL - REQUIRE­ MENTS. Any person operating or intend­ ing to operate a home school shall: A. notify the superintendent of schools of the school district in which the person is a resident of the establishment of a home school within thirty days of its establishment and notify the superintendent of schools of the school district on or before April 1 of each subsequent year of operation; B. maintain records of student attendance and disease immunization and furnish such records to the superGROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

intendent of schools of the school district; C. provide instruction by a per­ son possessing at least a baccalaure­ ate degree, which requirement may be waived by the state superintendent upon a determination that such waiver is in the c hild's best interest; D. t est studen ts annually, to assess student achievement according to the statewide and local school dis­ trict teaching programs as determined by the state superintendent. The home school child shal l take suc h ach i eve­ ment tests at a time and place and in a manner consistent with the proce­ dures established by the state super­ intendent,"

. . . Section 4. Section 22-12-2

NMSA 1978 . . . 1S amended to read:

"22-12-2. COMPULSORY SCHOOL

ATTE'DANCE - RESPONSIBILITY.

A. Any qualified student a nd any

person who because of his age is

e ligible to become a qualified stu­

dent as defined by the Public School

Finance Act unti l attaining the age

of majority s ha ll attend a public

school, a private schoo l, a home

school or a state institution ... "

Section 5 . Section 24-5-l NMSA

19 78 ... is ame nded to read:

" 24-5-1 . IMMUNI ZATION REGULA­ TIONS. The health services division of the health and environment depart­ ment shall, after consultation with the sta t e board o( education, promul­ gate rules and regulations governing the immunization against diseases deemed to be dangerous to the public health, to be required o( children attending public, private, home or parochial schools in the state . The immunizations required and the manner and frequency of their administration shall conform to r ecognized standard medical practice in the state . The health services division shall super­ vise and secure the enforcement o( the required immunization program."

OTHER LEGISLATIVE/ STATE NEWS For addresses of homeschooling organ izati ons, see GWS #4~ or our "Homeschooling Resource List," $1.

CAL IF ORNIA: Pamela Pacula sent us a copy of a letter written to her

by James R. Smith , state Deputy Super­ intendent for Curriculum and Instruc­ tional Leadership . He said the recent child abuse legislation now requires fingerprinting of " anyone operating a private school." How ever, as we dis­ cussed in GWS #44, a carefu l reading of the law shows this is not true.

Califo rni a readers should-sfraighten out the state officials before this mistake goes any further.

COLORADO: The Colorado Home­ schooling Network News l etter o t 5/85 quoted In full a memo trom Calvin M. Frazier, state Commissione r of Educa­ tion, concerning the word " enrolled " as it appears in the school atten­ dance law. Statute 22-33-104(2)(b) exempts a child "who is enrolled a minimum of one hundred seventy-two days in an independent or parochial school which provides a basic academ­ ic education." In the commissio ner' s opinion, other parts of the law make clear that mere "enr o llment" is not enough unl ess it is followed by actual attendance.

FLORIDA: Ann Mordes of FLASH wrote in April that a compromise bill has replaced H.B . 50 and H.B. 326 (see GWS # 44). "It is not wonderful, and may still be amended some, but compared to the original H.B. 50 it is truly terrific' This bill passed the House subcommittee on April 3,

and the full House education commit­ tee on April 4 ... We still have the companion Bill 352 in the Sena te, sponso red by Se n . Langley ... The news­ paper Tallahassee Democrat has just endorsed the compromise bill .. . " The compromise bill would require all homeschooling parents to maintain a "portfo li o of records and materials," including a log of read­ ing materials and samples of the stu­ dents' work . One option for the manda­ tory annual evaluation would be for a certified teacher to review the port­ [olio and have a "d iscussion" with the child .

GEORGIA : The governor's educa­ tion reform package was passed unani­ mously by the House a nd Senate .

GEORGIANS FOR FREEDOM IN EDUCATION and other groups succeeded in getting the words "public school" added to several requirements so that privace and home study programs were not affected .

I OWA: Ron and Connie Duncan reporeea-in the Nebraska Home School Journal that Bill 311 in the I owa Leg ­ islature would remove the requirement o[ a state-certified teacher to over­ see private education .

KENTUCKY: Li bbie Morley ,,,rote in the Kentuck Homeschoolers, Spring '85: "~I ar k Aorgan and t met with Robert Elder and James Fouche, Associ­ ate Supt . o[ Instruction on Feb. 19.

We assumed that the Dept. of Educa­ tion would soon be working on new leg­ islation to present in 19 6 that would restore their control over pri­ vate schools . We were surprised to hear that there a r e no plans for any such legislation. The new laws are a result of an interpretation of the KY Constitution (Section 5 of the Bi 11 of Rights) in the Rudasill decision in 1979. The judge ruled that the state did not have the authority to regulate private schools . So the laws and Dept. regulations had to be cha ng ed ... Our overall impression was very favorable. Fouche was especially interested in homeschooling and help­ ing us. He said, 'It sounds like home­ schooling parents are just the sort of parents we need' (i n the state, that is). I left him a copy of GWS . . .

Elder and Fouche could see no reason why homeschooLers couldn't partici­ pate in public school programs now"."

LOUISIANA: Cathi Edward of LOUI­ SIANA CI1IZENs FOR HOME EDUCATION writes, "The compromise Legislation enacted in 1984 .. . turned out to be a really positive thing because now, most educators and legislacors are satisfied that it provides some accountability [or home study parti­ ci pants. At the same time, I can't imagine any family not being able to meet the requirement since they need choose only one of four options ...

The Dept. of Education stated that they wouLd accept a test that had been administered by the parent. So it seems that they are taking a more open and cooperating position than was true in the past ... " NEVADA : From the Las Vegas Review=JO'i:i'rna1 , 5/1/85: "H ome teach­ ing advocates who packed an Assembly Education Committee hearing Tuesday GROWING WI THOUT SCHOOLING #45, Vol. 8 No.3.

ISSN #07 45-5305. Published bi-monthly by Holt

Associates, 729 Boylston St, Boston MA 02116.

$15/yr. Date of Issue, June I, 1985. Second­

class postage paid at Boston MA .

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GWS, 729

Boylston St, Boston MA 02116.

ADVERTISERS: Deadlines are the 15th of odd­

numbered months. Discount for ads in 3 cqnsecu­

tive issues. Contact Patrick Farenga for rates.

4

were told to come back in two more years after they have had more time to work with new home education regu­ lations ... Erik Beyer, committee chairman ... noted the current regula­ tions had been in effect only one Year. which he said was not long enough t o t est them . . . The state school board will set up an interim committee to 'work out the bugs' with the home instructors, who would return to the 1987 Legislature, 'hope­ fully w~th a stronger bill,' he sal d ... ~EW YORK: Katharine Houk wrote in tht' Homescho o lers Exchanye: "At the l ~li'lrch lO meeting we ~ so dis­ cussed a hi II that would elimi nate the ho meschooli ng option in ~ew York State jf it passed la lthough that is not the hi 11' s intent i on) . Set h [ Rock­ ",u ller . ~aid the hi 11 hil s he en det"eat­ ed rour time~ already and he d0es not E'xpect it"to go any\"here this time l"ther ...

(1,,'1AK I (): The OJl:TA KI () HOMr:SCH()OI.­ ERS l)rgdni 7;lt i on h[l<-; " Home~ch()()ling

Kit"

avai1:1hl c' for 55.

put l()hethc r A of

information,

page 31) .

Pt'ter Ikrgson re­ porteZllfithei"F1\C [I , ShiJrpener tha t ,In Ap,-i I 24 . il ~roup o[ eclstern PA homeschoolcr~ met with some ot" the 'Acdre~~ .

I'r: ~:\SYI \,A~IA :

mo<.., t

stlpporl i vc' fTlcmhcr ... of

th£'

Hou~c

t o discuss the legi~lation that home­ ~chClole r<; ,,'anted tp i ot ""duce I C;WS 1'441 . The legisL~tors hild several objections to the proposal, b3sed on politicill considerations . ilnd suggest­ ed th at the legi s lation should "get out from underncilth Lhc "'pETi nten­ dents ,1Itogethe l-" and req"ire only thAt homcschooling parenLs sign an affida"i t stating that they ",,,,lid pr,)­ vide IHO davs of instruction in the requiled arcas. A current hi 11. H.fl.

877. would establish th ese requir e­ ments for church-a ffi I i aLed school s .

Thev may resubmiL H.B. H77 with a homeschool i ng adden(lo,!'l attachcd . nr suhmir ~nother bi II ~ith its own num­ ber, !'eter says therE' ; S .1 good chance of getting this legislation through hv the end of the sess i on.

June 29 , SOl'TH DAKOTA: ~lilrv Dal v \,.,-itc,", in the S.D. HmlF,SCHOOL - ASS()(:TATI()~ ne~.letter thAt on Feh . 24, a repre­ sentAtive from the State Superinten­ dent of Schools met wi th homeschnol­ ers and sa id. bv law. home schools are entitled to textbooks fror,l public schools.

TI::XA S : Fron! the Tex ils Home !::duca­ t o r s ~etter: "H.B. 673 "'as intro­ duced hy Rep. John Smithee of Amar­ illo, This bill rrovides an addition­ al exemption to the comrulsory ilttcn­ dance law [or any child il1stn,cted in an educational program that is con­ ducted by the child's parent or guardian ... A home school '_,ould not be consLdered a "privat e <"chooj"

under this bill ... If VOII ",nult! like up-to-the-minute infor~Ati on on the status of any bill pending before the Texas legislature. you may ca l I 1-800-252-9693. " VERMONT: Stephen I.. Hislop has put together a comprehensive informa­ tion packet on homeschool ing in Ver­ mont which he will make available for $10 . Send to POLESTAR ASsorlATES, PO Box 308, Randolph VT 05060 .

WISCONSIN: Chris Mayou writes, "A local radio station telephoned State Supt . of Public Instruction Her­ bert Grover . Gr over then said the legislator s did not heed his advice ",hen approving legislation regarding in-home instruction . He disliked the fact that the Dept. of Public Instruc­ tion no longer had the power to moni­ tor in-home instruction and the fact

that the l egis lature did not tighten the compulsory attendance law. He stated that while the right to home­ school ought to be respected, soci­ etal interests need to be respected a l so . He was concerned that there ",as no way to validate the 875 hours of instruction parents are required to provide,., It seems likely that the DPI will, sooner or later, try to gai n more control over home school­ ers .. . " - DR

A TV INTERVIEW From Donna Faturos (NJ): .. . On April 24, Nancy Plent and appeared opposite Evan Goldman of the NEA on the CBS 5:00 News feature "Heart of the Matter." What an experi­ ence ' I was a nervous wreck, worried that I might not be able to answer the questions ... Nancv, seasoned vet­ e ran that she is, assured me that nobody was going to ask anything new or even very thought-provoking.

Amazing - Nancy was right. The big emphasis was on social deprivation. ( Funnv. my boys don't look deprived to me,' He made such a sti nk about kids missing out on this wonderful ex pe rience that I cou ld kick myself for forgetting to mention cliques and peer pressure . the dark side of school socia l life, particularly because I' ve mentioned it to so many relatives who are anti-home schooli~g, r was as ked why, if home sc hool­ ing is so wonderful~ did [ spend my youth in a publ ic school and go on to a stote llnivc~sity '? My mind went blank 3t first a nd the only thing I cou ld think of ~:as to say, "I didn't knO\v a nv better," ;\"ncy thought that "'as ,,'onclerftil . Latel- . when Coldman stated vehemently that "a parent can­ not possibly do in two hours a day what a t eache r docs in 5. hours a dav." I mentioned Ihaving taken the tip [rom TCACH YO\'R OW",) that our school district will allow a child no more than 5 hOllrs per week of tutor­ ing should s/he be ahsent for a long re ri od oft i me , ..

Everyone who saw the news said that we did much better th an the NEA and that the points ma de by Goldman \Vere pretty s i ll y. Of course, a ll the comments I've received have come from friends and fellow homeschoolers, All in all, though. I'd li ke to do it agilin sometime ...

GROWN UNSCHOOLERS From Al icia Lown (TX) :

... My mother's cousin, Uncle Emilio . 1uit school in the second grade because "t he teacher could not teach him anythi ng else. " Uncle was a general in the army, rancher, farm­ er, scientist, writer, poet, and math­ ematician, as well as philosopher ­ one of the most fun and brilliant per­ sons I have ever met. I spent several weeks each year at his ranch near Mex ico City and those were the most enjoyable times in my life .

When he was past 50, he adopted his first and on l y chi ld, a girl, and he then put all his educational theor­ ies into practice. The girl was a great athlete and had a quick mind .

He never sent her to school, but rath­ er schooled her himself. When she was 9, s he was driving like an adult; at 10 she was study ing physics and phil­ osophy. She was very good at math (s he knew how she could make a profit from raising rabbits, goats, etc . ),

had fantastic leadership properties, was independent and self-pOised.

About that age she was introduced to piano lessons and within a year accom­ plished what another student might i n 6 years. ,. I was so envious of her ­ but at least I had a c hance to become free of my structured lif e a few days eve ry yea r, My uncle's memory and his e ducational ideas have lingered in my memory every since . He died when 1 was about 17 ... His daughter is now a cattle broker, owns a farm and a dairy. She went to school 7 years ago to see if she could "be successful," became an accountan t, worked, and found out s he could do it, ..

An A.P. story, 6/10/84: Humboldt, Tenn. - Robert Allen was 32 years old when he first walked through a sc hoolhouse door, but three years later he's graduating at the top of his college class a nd wants to become a professor, Allen grew up an only child reared by elderly relatives who re­ fused to send him to school . He deci­ ded to "give college a whirl" when he was laid off from his job as a jani­ to r ... He was taught to read at home, and at 14 years old, he began reading aloud to an aunt who cou ldn't see .

"I have never encountered a stu­ dent with such a wide general kn ow­ ledge," said Dr. William Odom, presi­ dent of Bethel Co llege, a small Cum­ berland Presbyterian church-supported school in nearby McKenzie. "H e got it from reading every book he could get his hands on, ..... adorn said Allen was an outstanding college student be­ cause "he had already discovered the value of learning for its own sake ." ... In August, Allen wi II enroll at Vanderbilt University io Nashville with a fellowship to work for a doc­ torate in English . He plans to become a college prof esso r.

Allen lives with his 77-year-old g r eat-aunt in the same ramshackle house they've rented for more than 20 years , Renting for $20 a month, the house lacks indoor plumbing and is surrounded by a thicket of trees and bushes that isolate it. Allen said he likes the solitude, and when not read­ ing, he writes poetry or entertains himself with an ancient, pedal­ powered organ and an old banjo that once belonged to his grandfather ...

The Knoxville, TN News Se ntinel, 4/19/85 : ., ,Eugene "G ene " Pickel has been a teacher in the Oak Ridge system for 19 years , His most recent honor was being named Outstanding Teacher of American History in Tennessee by the state 's Daughters of the American Revolution.

Many of Pickel's students don't know they are experiencing something he has never known. "I had never seen the inside of a public school until I went to college." The decision for him to study at home was made by his mother, Mae, a teacher and principal in the Roane County system. ... His parents were divorced when he was 5. He grew up "in an old-fashioned house built by my grand­ father Jackson in downtown Kingston. . ,.We lived in the house with my grandparents . Never in my whole life did I not feel loved and wanted . " Pickel was tutored at home by his mother, his brother and school associates of his mother's. His read­ ing progressed from children's books

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

-

- - -- - - --

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to encyclopedias (cover to cover), novels, magazines, pamphlets and text­ books . Wh a t he found he liked to read most was hi s tor y .

Periodically, hi s mother had him take ac h ievement tests . "At around age 13 or 14 I ranked beyond high school in social studies, as a se ni or in English, a sixth grader in math, a second grader in spe ll ing. I n ever have been able to spell, " he says .

"Toda y I get my students to spell for me," He finds it interesting th a t n o authority ever questioned his non­ attendance in public sc h ool .. .

He wanted t o be a hist ory teach­ er. "Had I known anything about the educational process at the time I would have been scared to death," Pickel says of his application for admission to the University of Tennes­ see . Yet, h e found few stumbling blocks .

He did so well on the Genera l Education Diploma t es t, required by the state, that the results were delayed because administrators felt su r e tha t Pickel, having had no schooling, must have had someone take the test for him .

As a UT student, Pickel very soon "progressed from the back row of the classroom to the front ... " High school student Jim Parks said in recommending Pickel for the DAR award, "Mr. Pickel is an incredi­ ble t eac her because he understands students. He encourages us to want to learn about our nation's hi story.

There is a comfortab l e, instead of tense, atmosph e r e in his classroom.

We never feel afraid to answer ques­ tions. He even e n courages us to speak our point of view . .. He k eeps the classroom alive and ful l of energy.

He makes learning fun. " .. .

COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE NEWS From Karen Smith (SC): ... Concerning your requ est in GWS #44 for information on which sta t es have recently made kindergar­ t en mandatory: South Carolina is one of them. The new law went into effect in the fall of 1984 and r equires com­ pulsory kindergarten attendance by c hildr en who are 5 years of age on or before Nov. 1 ... You can keep your child o ut by signing a waiver saying that you are aware that kindergarten attendance is compulsory, but do not choose to enroll your child, and that you understand that this may affect your child's education in later years, and you accept res ponsibili t y .

The waiver is filed with your child 's permanent record wh en s/he does enter school and will remain a part of that record .

I want t o add that a couple of months af t er the new law went into effect, there was a notice in the paper saying that one of the topics fo r discussion at the Anderson County sc hool board meeting would be the possibility of instituting a nonc om ­ pulsory kindergarten program for 4-year-olds . It seems like every time they lower the mandatory school atten­ d ance age, someon e feels it necessary to come up with a voluntary program for younger c hildren ...

Mary Daly wrote in the South Dakota Homeschool Newsletter-:---­ ... Some of us were disturbed this spring by the new s th at the SD legislature lowered school entra n ce

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

age by 1 year . This ma jor decision was made without a ripple of public awareness. It made us realize how fast these things can happen. Can we homeschoolers afford to sit and hope that some decision affecting us won't suddenly and silently come fu ll-bl own before the legislature? And what would we do then, busy as we are and sprinkled in helter-skelter isolation across the state?

I believe that we should now take the initiative of coming CO-an ag r eement among ourselves regarding desirable homeschooling legislation.

Then we should begin to talk to our representatives and find out who is open to our point of view or who may become supportive with a little infor­ mation . . .

Laurie Huffman of the UTAH HOME EDUCATION ASSOCIATION tells us that this spring, the Utah legislature reduced the upper mandatory school age from 18 to 16. She says, "A lit­ tle reli ef is always welcome'" - DR

SCHOOL RECORD DOESN 'T COUNT Joyce Kinmont (UT) wrote in The Tendor Tutor, 2/85: ... 1 recently attended a meeting at our local high school ... After the meeting I talked to a counselor who told me about a boy who had a great hi gh school record - a high grade point average, lots of "solids," a h igh ACT score, and good extra­ curricular activities. The boy attend­ ed a state college and "bombed out" his first term. (He was probably worn out') He then applied to BYU, and in spite of his great high school record, they would not touch him.

I asked the counselor (who is new to the district and doesn't know me) what would have happened if things had been the other way around - if the boy's high school record had been poor but he had done really well in his first term at a small college and then applied at BYU . The counsel­ or s ara, "They would have welcomed him with open arms' The college record supersedes the high school record ."

That is a valuable piece of information for home educators be­ cause there are many small colleges who wi l l accept just about anyone. If our students are not academicians, they can still do their own thing and do it well, then start at a small college ...

time we went out in the car. Almost al l the social activity is centered around t h e sc hool ... So I decided I wanted to do the best thing for every ­ one concerned and I called the super­ intendent/principal and made an appointment .

In his office I told him I was really sorry but I was taking Montara out of school . I told him I had filed all the papers with the county and he would be getting a copy soon . I said I was planning to homeschool Montara and had an approved curriculum ... I assured him that I thought our school was better than any of the others nearby ( it is) but that it just wasn't meeting the needs of my daugh­ ter. I told him I was really sorry if it was going to be a hardship on him and the school when they needed the revenue [rom all the students to keep the school open, and asked i[ my tak­ ing Montara out would mean a loss of about $2,200? He told me no, it was more like $3,200 ...

I told him that if it would help the school, because J really thought it was a wonderfu l school, I would treat my home school as secondary, and he could carry Montara on his rolls as an Independent Study stu­ dent . He asked if he could really do that and I told him I had checked with the county and it was perfectly legal. He said he would call the county and if they gave him the OK ­ they did - the school would buy our books and supplies for us. He started getting excited and said Montara could come to school for assemblies and field trips and parties. He said that only thing he had against home­ schooling was that the kids never got to be part of a larger group, bLt if we did it this way that would be taken care of. He also said that we could use the library whenever we wanted to and if there was some piece of equipment that we needed that could be used by someone else when we were through, the school would buy it for us. I walked out of his office elated . Trying to do the best for everyone and not holding grudges had really worked .

We had only been homeschooling two weeks when Valentine ' s Day came.

Montara put on her best dress and got ready to go to the party . I was very curious to see what kind of reaction we would get . When we walked in the door, the whole class said, "Oh, Tara, we're so glad you came. We were afraid you wouldn't come . Hi, Tara' Oh, what a pretty dress .. . Oh, good, Tara came . Hi, Montara, I have a Val­ entine for you." She beamed and my heart mended right there ...

SUPT. WANTS TO COOPERATE Suzanne Van Fleet (CA) wrote:

LIFE AT HOME From Donna Spruill (NM):

... My daughter endured a disas­ trous year i n kindergarten and by first grade (this year) had resigned herself to the fact that she was just stupid and everyone was mean to her. .. . 1 phoned for a private school affidavit. No charge. When it came I had to fill in the name of our school, the name of our principal and teacher, and the number of students .

I was told to put "not applicable" in the space for fire inspection, e tc., because that only applies to schools with enrollment of 50 or more . That was it ... ·1 sent $5 to the county for a copy of t h e approved cu rriculum to use as a guideline for our own.

The only real problem was the nature of our community ... I didn't relish the thought of ducking every

... We live on a working ranch in central New Mexico ... Our children (16, 14, and 7) have been home­ schooled their entire educational experience, with the exception of a half year in the Texas public school

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6 system. .. . We have used Calvert and International Institute correspon­ denc e courses with the teacher­ advisor help from these schools for our older gir ls and we were fairly satisfied, although the costs we re sometimes prohibitive. After the third grade, we felt confident e n ough to choose, and let the girls choose, their own subject matter; things that interested them . This h as proved to be quite successful and satisfyi ng for all. ... They work a t th eir own study and achievement pace and our school time is no mo r e than 4 hours a day .

The rest of the day is divided be­ twe en hou se hold c hores, ranch wor k, and best of all, play .

Livi n g o n a livestock r anc h, the girls have amp le opportunity to prac­ ti ce some veterinary ski lls, drive tractors and trucks, and operate small machinery . There ' s also time for observing wildlife and plant life and learning something about their immediate environment. We often take 'field trips' to various hist or ical and interesting l oca t ions around our state ... The girls are involved in 4-H and church activities which give all of us some contact with the rest of the world . Our local sma ll - t own libr ary provides severa l services a nd many enjoyable hours of reading . Our family likes to read together, too .

One mode r ate drawback we have had ha s been t h e lack of contact with other hom eschoolers and the fellow h i p and sha ring of ideas with ot h ers of l ike minds .

For years we felt we were the only ones in the world teaching our children at home ... In the last year, our parents have become somewhat more tolerant of our educa ti ona l decision.

Nearly all of the homeschooling fami­ li es we have known over the years have gone back t o public or private schools, most l y by choice, and we feel that's right for them ...

The local school districts have given us very little troub l e . As a matter of fact, several teachers ha ve been helpful with offers of assis ­ tance and support for us . The l ocal school board members have remained friendly . . .

From Kathy Oppedyk (OR) : ... 1 have been teaching my child­ ren at home for 2~ years now ... It seems that al l of our h omeschooling pr oblems have just gone away on the ir own and we have just settled down into a very comfortable way of life . ... My biggest problem with Lisa (6~) was socia lizing. She was very shy and wouldn 't do anything without me . I found a fantastic way to solve that problem and I wou ld recommend it to other homeschoolers who h ave the same problem. I started a Brownie Scout troop . I have a lot of fun do­ ing it, a nd Lisa doesn ' t seem to know or care if I am even th e r e because she is having so much fun with the other kids. She has bec ome very inde­ pend ent in the thr ee months since we started the troop.

This also had an unexpected bene­ fit . When it came time to take her to school for the first of yearly achievement tests, I requested that she be able to take th e test with th e first grade c lass because most of the girls in the class were her f r ie nds from Brownies . The school thought I was crazy beca use she would normally only be in kindergarten . But because s h e is not ye t 7, the test this year

was vo lunt ary, a nd I cou ld h ave some say i n the ground rules. The testing lasted four mornings a nd s h e finished before anyone in the class o n every session . It will be another month before I get the results, but s h e says it was very easy a nd she had a lot of fun. As a special tr eat, I l et h er s ta y for lunch wi th h e r friends o n the last day. I th ink that si n ce s h e h a d suc h a good experie n ce the first time, she will always l ook for­ ward to her yearly tests. ... We have a very good relation­ ship wi th a l most eve ry on e at our l oca l school ... They are very good about letting us use the school library , inviting us to s ta y for lunch in the cafete ri a, se l ling me supplies, letting me use the Xerox machine, and letting me know when they a re going to discard books ...

And a letter from Nova Scotia: ... We have chosen to li ve two miles off the main roads; l egally, our c hildren are not required to go to school, a nd so fa r , nobody h as hassled us about ke epi ng up with the grades . My older chi ld we nt for abou t two years. She quit wh e n she l earned to r ead we ll enough to be able to fol­ low the text in Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS, as I remember . I was glad; I felt it was beginning to be a was t e of h er growing years . .. . Last year, my 12-year-old and I spe nt some months studying ear l y Mesopotamian civilization . I got some maps and Time-Life books out of the librar y and she fo und some quasi­ historical literature. We pored over trade routes, copied maps, made a time line, talked abo ut Sumerian s and Egyptians a nd the Indus Valley and the h abits of the Phoenicians. She fo und a number of Nationa l Geogra ph ic articles and eventual l y wrot e some very interesting reports on h er own, full of terrible spelling mistakes but o therwise quite accura t e.

I n th e course of a ll th is, s he became fascinated by the funny little marks on clay tablets, known as cunei­ form . She studied photographs whe n­ ever she found them a n d eventually began to be able t o translate a few wo rds and decipher the numbers, whic h are frequently an impor tant part, since cuneiform was often used by mer­ cha nt s keeping track of their grains and wines . Recently, o n a trip to vis­ it her grandparents, s h e got to go int o a rare book library and actually handle a number of ancien t seals and t ab l e ts. She also we nt to an exhibit of the history of writing and real­ ized that cuneiform really is the old­ est known form of writi ng used commo n ­ ly by a people; it probably precedes the invention of paper. I didn't know th at . In fact, I didn ' t know most of this before we started . I mostl y learned it as we went a long, a n d I still don't know as much as she does. . . . At this time, she i s doing quite a bit of mathematics - abou t a n h ou r a day, when possible, out of a school-borrowed t ex t. [ used to tr y to think up math problems on my own , for her, but [ found it took me l ong­ er to cook up a mess of problems than it did for her to solve them. It was taking up a ll my spare time; I resent­ ed it. So now s h e does it b y t h e book, a lth oug h she is abou t a year behind h er grade level, as near as I ca n figure. On the o th er hand, s he is very relaxed a nd h appy abou t math a nd finds her who l e day goes better after an hour of division or fractions. We find it is best to do this in the

morning or not at all; by late after­ noon o r eve ning it's to o hard t o con­ centrate . About once a week I c heck h e r work and make her correc t the mis­ takes, a nd about o nce a week s h e asks me t o explain something . Usua ll y that turns out to be something she really understands but just wants so me cor­ roborati o n on - "Hey, this is neat' Is it really true? " . . . Another subject we do o n a r egu l ar basis is spelling ... I ' ve asked h er to l is t 10 words s h e ca n't spel l, and learn them by Friday every week. Today the words s h e chose were a ll bird names: s h e h as bee n k eep ing a bird journal for some months n ow, a nd I th ink she just realized the names in it didn ' t look lik e the names in h e r bird book s.

People often ask me wh et h er teaching at h ome doesn't take up an awful l ot of time. I n ever know what to say . It's like asking whether cook­ ing takes up a lot of time, or read­ ing, or gardening . It all depends on wh at you want to do wit h your time ...

CARING FOR MOTHER-2 From Kandy Lig ht of Oh io: .. . I'd like to repl y to " Ca ring for Moth e r," GWS #4 1. I've s h ared a similar expe rience with my six c hild ­ ren. With my l ast pr egnancy four years ago I was fla t o n my back for months. My c h i ldr e n not o nl y ca r e d fo r me, the h ouse, th eir young sis­ ter, but also attem pt ed to keep up wi th their structu red corresponde n ce sc h ool program.

I was very thankful to have them all home . Although it was very hard on them a nd at the tim e I felt te rri­ bly guilty, looking back we ca n see that all thing s truly do work togeth­ er for good . They l earned a tremen­ dous amount of things. My da u ghter , th e n age 12-13, lea rn ed t o plan a menu, shop, and coo k for a fami l y of seve n. The others le arned how to work together unsupervised, how to hav e conside r ation and compassion fo r oth­ ers . Some of the boys spent hours rub­ hing my back, helping me to fee l be t­ t er ... The amazing thing was that wh e n tested, they we r e exce lling at standardized tests .

True, I ' d never want to go through it again, but I can see th at it was all part of th eir growt h . ..

Also, the older ones l ear ned to help the yo unger because they h ad to ...

A YOUNG ARTIST From Judy Perna in New York: ... Thanks to Ross's help on th e phone a n d John ' s books, we have two h appy h omeschoole r s' They h ave bee n out si n ce Dec. 4 wi th the p erm i ssion of the district supe rint e nd e nt. . . . Jess is 12 (7th grade) and Mark is 10 (5t h ) . They are excel lent stude nt s, but h ate d school si n ce 2nd grade . School did not l eave Jess much time to draw ( h e need s a bout 50 hours wee kly ) and Mark wa nt ed more selec­ t io n. Jess has grown very socia l since l eav ing school . Before he wou ld h ardly converse with anyone outside th e family . Mark has a lwa ys been soci­ able but did not like being l ocke d up. ... The sc hool peopl e read our curriculum (20 typed p ages) a nd agreed immediately. I was expecting a problem, but th ey did not want to cre­ ate o ne. The super was really very pleasant co nsid e ring that we removed the children from their "best" gifted

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

program. .. . Ross mentioned th at John want­ ed t o try and reprint Jess's drawing of a leopard in GWS . Jess thought that would be great, he loves to see hi s pictures published . He has drawn six commissioned pictures since Novem­ ber and is having his first art show in a few months .. .

priests, nuns, and refugees for some first-hand information about U.S . involvement in Latin America . Because of these experiences, they follow the news and curren t events with great interest, enjoy reading about the geo­ graphy and history of Ce ntral Ameri­ ca, and even practice their Spanish ...

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC LEARNING

Manfred Smit h (9085 Flamepool Way, Columbia MD 2 104 5) and Nancy Plent (NJ) have started the ALLIANCE FOR ORGANIC LEARNING, which is intend­ ed to promote the idea of natural, self-directed learning . Manfred sum­ marized their basic position as :

f'.'·

~.

RECOVERING SELF-MOTIVATION

From Kathleen Hatley in Oklahoma: . .. A change that pleases me very much this year was to watch our son Steve ( 12), who spent four years in public school, and who spent his first yea r of homeschooling asking for "assignments," become a more self-motivated learner. He became interested in mechar.ical drawing when I gave him a beginning drafting set and he spends a lot of time designing cars and space ships . He has discov­ ered science fiction and reads Asi­ mov, Bradbury, Heinlein and others with great enjoyment (he has always read a lot, but despises the school­ type reading programs where one must answer questions to prove comprehen­ sion) . We both e nr olled in the IBM Systems computer course at the s t ate Vo-Tech school and he thor oughly enjoyed that - the perfect c l assroom situation, in my opinion, no tests, no grades, just people voluntarily coming to learn about something whic h they were interested in, from a help­ ful expert in the field . Since Steve's career goals tend toward the technical at this point, he works real hard at mathematics, and at his request we added the Key Curriculum algebra and geometry series to hi s regular 6th grade math . He surprised me this year by informing me that he didn't want to take a summer break from his schoolwork' ... We hav e been very active this year in the peace movement, and this has provided the older boys with a very direct type of learning in the area of "soci al studies." We have con­ structed a section of the Peace Rib­ bon, regularly met with and wri tten to our representatives (they were quite thrilled to get their first cor­ respondence from their Congressmen), viewed numerous films and attended lectures on Central America, and met

GROWING WITHOUT SC HOOLING #45

1 . Happiness first - all else follows. Let the children play; their world is one of discovery, love and joy . Let i t be .

2 . There is only one subject mat­ ter for educatio n and that is LIFE in a ll its manifestations. The division of life into disconnected subjects kills the vitality of each part, rob­ bing the learner of a wholistic view of life .

3 . The desire for learning will never be extinguis hed in children who are free to generate their own most vital questions and a r e ab l e to dir­ ect their own learning. Fear of fail­ ure is not a by-product of a life­ 10ng-unroTding of the pleasures of learning.

4. When the learner is ready, the teacher will come. Each child has an internal clock th at will d etermine when certain things will happen . Some children lear n to read at age three, others at age 11. When the child is ready, the means will be found .

5 . Have faith . Nature has pro­ grammed us for success, and unless we purposely try to subvert this grand pl a n, our children will become inde­ pendent adults and remain in that nat­ ural state of wonder that is every­ one's birthright .

Nature really does know best' ...

TIME TO SIT AND WONDER From Home Ce nter ed Learning (CA):

.. . Dr . Margaret Collins, a pro­ fessor of entomology, was recently interviewed on a public television program called " Spaces ." She gave the following advice : "The young person who wants to be a scientist will be very fortunate if he can live a rela­ tively unstructured life - if he doesn't have too many activities planned for him - if he's free to c hoos e and do, and free just to sit and watch things - free to sit and wonder. It's this wonder, and this interest and this curiosity that makes the scientist, or the ar tist for that matter . Because this is all you do - you wonder why something, or you wonder how, and then you proceed to ask the question and find out - if not th e whole answer, at least part of th e answer." . ..

WATCHING SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING Marta Clark (KY) writes:

... When Elena (5) was a baby, was dubious about allowing se lf­ directed learning ... But I now I see that the learning is no t really acci­ dental. The child r en see us doing things and as soon as they are able to do them, they will ... Elena fre­

quently chooses to do what I am do­ i ng . Whe n I am typing, she types; when I write letters, she writes l et­ ters; when I sew, s he sews; when I exercise, s he exercises; when I gar­ den, she gardens; etc . This is not accidental ...

El ena has recently learned to tell time, which is a good examp le of some thing usually taught through work­ books in school. We have a clock that chimes the hour and she le arned to coun t the number of chimes a long time ago . Then, about a month ago, she started saying, "It is two past one," when in fact it was ten minutes past one . I would answer somethi ng like, " Actually it is ten past one."

When she asked me to explain, I told her that each number stood for five minutes but only one hour. She caught on about the third time I explained it, about three weeks after her inter­ est in the subject had first fla r ed up . And that was it. She astonished her father one night by telling that it was 25 minutes past seven and that she had better get ready for bed so she could have a story at eight o ' clock! He remembered doing pages of clocks in workbooks . I told him that it hadn't exactly been instantaneous because she had asked me hundreds of questions about the time before she figu r ed it out.

Reading has been going much more slowly ... r had an experience when I was a teen-ager that makes it easy for me to wait for her to start read­ ing "spontaneously . " 1 babysat every Friday night for a 6-year-old boy who had just missed the cutoff date for sta rting first grade, so he had not yet gone to school . One day he start­ ed to read . A few days later, on Fri­ day night, I came to babysit for him and we watched the WGBH silent movie .

Previously 1 had read the subtitles to him. That Friday he read them to me' And I mean he read all of them except for a few long, very unusua l words . And this was not graded, child­ ren's material at all . . .. I am comfortable with ar ith­ metic and Elena is picking it up as fast as she can, without me having to do anything special . She can add two-digit numbers now and I'm not really sure what her inte rn a l reason­ ing process is! I didn't teach her any tricks or rules. She just asks me what 14 and 22 is, 1 say "What is it? " and she tells me the answe r. If she gets it wrong, 1 tell her it is wrong and she tries again. She says she counts on her fingers' ...

THE ILLUSION OF BEING SMART

From Andrea Kelly-Rosenberg (ME): ... 1 agreed with what John wrote in GWS #42 about kids learning that they are dumb in school. But he miss­ es a n important point. There are some kids that learn that they are "smart" in school. They learn that "smart" is having a lot of information abou t cer­ tain things, and using that informa­ tion to do well on tests . They are as damaged a nd deluded as the c hildren who learn that they are "dumb . " For that kind of " smar t" has nothing to do with living intelligently and mor­ ally and gracefully .

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8 I learned that I was "sma r t" in school . And until my mid-twenties I was baffled as to why I couldn't seem to cope with life. I had won two spelling bees, hadn't I? Learning that I was "smart" now seems to me a cruel joke.

Now I think that being rea smart is the ability to live we ­ that is, in harmony with one's own needs and the needs of the rest of the world. Realgr smart is the abili­ ty to solve pro ems. I would never tell the school board this, but my goal for my own and my children's edu­ cation here at home is to get better and better at solving problems, and at meeting needs . That is our curricu­ lum here; those aretne "basics."

Math and reading and such are the frills. (And we do enjoy them . ) That is why, even though Noah has mentioned wanting to go to school with his buddies next year, we are not sure we will Let him. He goes now once a week by arrangement with the teacher, and this seems perfect. It is a private Montessori school. Even though it is a Lovely school, there aren't that many problems to solve .. .

ttY

AN APPRENTICE ARCHITECT From Lisa Asher: ... 1 am a 12-year-old homeschool­ er presently living in Barnstable, MA. My father is an architect, and am, too. I am his apprentice.

I first became interested in architecture a year ago, when I began homeschooling. I made floor plans (the overhead view of a house without a roof). My plans were not very good, not even buildable, but they were a start.

About two months ago I got seri­ ous. I began to design buildable plans that took weeks instead of days to complete, and included sections and elevations.

My father looks at all my designs and shows me where I need to fix something. When I have a good plan, my father blueprints it.

I also help my father . When he has a completed design, he pays me to trace it. He also asks my advice some­ times. I even help design.

Right now, I just design contem­ porary houses, because that is what my father designs, but I would like to design rustic houses also someday.

Because architecture is what I plan to choose as a career, some days that is all I do for schoolwork. Of course I have to study other subjects too, especially math.

Architecture is not the only thing 1 like to do, but it is one of my favorites . . .

PRINTS BOO K AT 9 From David Kent (TX) - see "Owning a Press," GWS #15: . .. Robert (9) has been at work in his study of Latin, translating the myth of Perseus . He then set to work composing and printing his book of the translation, and did a very creditable job of it. He put an ad in Fine Print magazine and sold them at $5 each, and has had very favorable comments about the book. (One purchas­ er even sent a resume, on the chance Robert needed an illustrator/artist on his staff.) . .. Among the purchas­ ers of this publication of a 9-year­ old home schooler was Argonaut High School in Amador County, California'

So Robert has learned how t o make out an invoice in triplicate . He is a me m­ ber in his own right of the 150­ member Amalgamated Printers ' Associa­ tion, which includes the finest let­ terpress printers in the country, and will be meeting several of those he has exchanged printing with at the annual convention in Concord, MA . . .

10-YEAR-OLD SALESPERSON From Megan Asher, age 10: . . . 1 discovered a great thing to do . There is a club called the OLYM­ PIC SALES CLUB (Enfield CT 06082).

You can earn money and prizes selling cards, stationery and other things from door to door. They send you everything you need, including an order form, sales catalog, prize cata­ log, and instructions .

It was easy to do. ALII had to do was go door to door with my sales catalog and order form and, when 1 was through, send in the order form and checks. 1 earned a microscope for selling 21 items from the catalog.

The items were supposed to come 3-4 weeks later, but they came in a lit­ tle more than a week' Then 1 deliv­ ered the items, and 1 was all through .

The microscope is of good quali­ ty. It was in EDMUND SCIENTIFIC CATA­ LOG for $40' I f none of the prizes interest you, you can earn cash .. .

To do th i s project, I had to explain to the customers a lot about the different choices in the catalog, how the order i ng worked, ride around on my bicycle to find customers, keep track of the money and where to deliv­ er what (I had a notebook for this) .. .

SLUM TEENS RENOVATE BUILDINGS Through the NATIONAL COMMISSION ON RESOURCES FOR YOUTH (605 Common­ wealth Av, Boston MA 02215; 617-353­ 3309), an organization that supports young people' s involvement in real­ life work (see "Museum Run by Kids," GWS #37), we learned about the YOUTH ACTION PROGRAM of East Harlem in which teenagers are rehabilitating abandoned city buildings. The pro­ gram, located at 1280 5th Av, New York NY 10029 (212-860-8170) sent us a number of n e ws stories about their work, from which we quote: ... "We were just a bunch of kids with nothing to do," said Victor Ortiz. "We had a lot of negative ener­ gy and spent our time scribbling graf­ fiti on trains and hanging out on the st,eet breaking windows . " Five years ago, an abandoned ten­ ement building on Second Ave. in East Harlem was a clubhouse for Ortiz and his friends . Today, it is a newly ren­ ovated apartment building that will house two youth-owned stores and a community home for unwed mothers and their infants . Ortiz and 200 other young people banded together in the Youth Action Program to make it hap­ pen - using a combination of "sweat equity" and City, state, federal and private funds. For many of them ­ adrift, unemployed or homeless - it changed their lives. . . . David Jones, executive direc­ tor of the mayor's Youth Bureau, said the City likes what the young people did so much that it is using the pro­ ject as a model for similar ones around the city, starting in Brook­ lyn. "We're matching up five build­ i n gs from t h e city's Housing Preserva­ tion and Development homestead pro­

gram with yout h groups, " Jones said . .. . " When we got involved in re n o ­ vating this bui l ding, we started feel­ ing a lot better about ourselves," said Ortiz, renova t ion project c h air­ ma n . "We started caring about our com­ munity; we realized we could do some­ t h ing to make a difference."

Ortiz, 22, a h igh school drop­ out, is now an apprentice plumber and has his diploma . . . . Dorothy Stoneman, director of the Youth Action Program, said it cost $500,000 to renovate the five ­ story tenemen t - wh ich in addition to the stores and community home con­ tains six modern apartme n ts. She esti­ mated t h e vo l unteer labor at $100,000 . The building was boug h t from the city for $1,500 .

The City paid for installation of plumbing, h eating, and electricity by licensed contractors . The group employed an architect to draw up t h e plans and hired technical advisers to teach the teenagers how to do the rest of the construction.

A big boost to the project was $85,000 in private foundation grants that allowed 30 teenagers to be hired at $3.35 an hour for construction work for one year . . . . YAP encompasses several [other) projects . One group, the Young People's Block Association, has turned a vacant lot into a park with a garden . A walkie - talkie-equipped Youth Patrol makes its rounds in local housing projects to help cut down on crime, whi l e the Home Away From Home network finds places for teens who have family problems . ..

"All the energy, all the ideas, were there, with the teenagers," Dor­ othy Stoneman says, "but they never had any expectations of being able to carry anything out . They had a funda­ mental sense of powerlessness, and for them, that was the reality . " The East Harlem teens were will­ ing to join forces with her, she feels, "because they realize adults know how to get and do things. No one really wants to be out there alone .

Teens are starved for adult friend­ ship ."

Freddie Acosta is proof of Doro­ thy's belief that "teenagers have a real yearning to be good peop l e and a part of a world that loves them . " "When I first met Dorothy," Fred­ die says, "I wasn 't doing anything creative or constructive . All I was doing was running around and wasting time . . . It was time for me to change.

So when this lady was willing to get us into somet h ing good, I grabbed her quick ...

"Something that I think we all gained," Freddie Acosta says, "is fame - a small type of fame. I wrote a newsletter the first year and my name was down there as a writer . I felt good about that . A lot of people were surprised when they read it.

They said, 'Wow' Freddie Acosta did this" They thought I was just one of the hoodlums on the corn er . " .. . Dorothy Stoneman comments that the teenagers in East Harlem didn't want their parents involved until they had something they could be proud of to show them . " They only expect their parents to belittle th em or put them down - and that ' s the reality for those who've been in trouble ." ... The YOUTH ACTION RESTORATION CREW is much more than a "work pro­ gram." At t h e site, the you t h take part in all phases of planning, con­ struction, and building rehabilita ­ tion . .. T h e young people help raise funds, by soliciting private d ona -

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

9 tions, for example, and by recycling for cash the lead and cast iron pulled from the site. They partici­ pate in community action and aware­ ness activities, and generally help to improve the neighborhood by clean­ ing the streets, tutoring other youth, and examining the public ser­ vices available in East Harlem. ... The " secret" of projects like YARC lies in giving an outlet for the youth participants' ideas, enthusi­ asm, and skills. "It's not so amaz­ ing," says Stoneman. "What is amazing is that other people don't think about it." ...

SESAME STREET PROMOTES MYTH Ross Campbell (CA) writes: ... The neighbors ha ve a tele­ vision . I was up with them last week when "Sesame Street" was on . One of the blue, frumpy-looking creatures was chatting with a man about being a fireman. He had a fireman's helmet and said something to the effect tha t he was all ready to go, so where's the fire? The older, non-muppet authority figure laughed in what I'm sure was intended to be a friendly way and then explained that one can't just decide to be a fireman, but that one must go through a program of training. He then went on t o general­ ize about all occupations a nd grown­ up activities, mentioning that he had to go to actors' school, that so-and­ so had to go to music school, and down the line, always mentioning this or that sort of sc hool. Soft, friend­ ly, early inculcation of the Big Myth by the very program which prides itself on helping people to learn at home on their own ...

SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO In GWS #42, we printed several letters about learning by traveling in foreign countries. Ann Bodine (CA) writes that last year she and her two children spent three months in Mexi­ co . "It cost us less than staying home and the kids l earned sooooo much . .. t~ving in Mexico is cheaper, and I be ~eve better, than traveling in Mexico."

Ann also sent this story from the New Jersey Family Schools News­ letter: ... Jennie Douglas has written the newsletter about the six months she spent in Oaxaca, Mexico with her husband Martin and 7-year-old son Theo. "Everyone we met in Oaxaca assumed that Martin was a professor on sabbatical, but the truth is he's a General Motors assembly-line work­ er. Living in Mexico is by no means ou~ of the question for blue-collar families like ou rs. Nearly anyone who owns a home in the States - and has an employer willing to grant a leave of absence - can rent the house out at today's exorbitant rates, with the rental income easily paying for a com­ fortable sojourn in Mexico. We . spent only $8 1 a month for a pleasant two-bedroom apartment. Laundry cost us $2 a week. In all we spent about $400 a month, and that included eating dinner out two or three times a week . 1I

Transportation costs within Mexi­ co, whethe r by bus, train , or plane, are extremely inexpensive. The Doug­ lases traveled to Oaxaca by train, and even that was an adventure. "We missed a connection in Guadalajara

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

and our trai n had to wait three days in the train yard, but it was fun because we became acquainted with our fellow passengers . " The Douglases' trip was motiva­ ted by a desire to experience a dif­ ferent culture and to learn a new language. But they discovered other be nefits.

"One of th e bonuses was that Martin, Theo and I spent many unhur­ ried hours together during which, if we star ted an important conversation, there was a l ways time to finish it .

At home this was se ld om the case . Now we feel so much better acquainted with each ot her, and so much more cohesive as a family. I sometimes mar­ vel that once I thought a ringing t e lephon e or dirty dishes or a TV pro­ gram was r easo n e nough to cut short a good family talk."

The Douglases took no textbooks for Teho, who missed six months of 2nd grade, but they did take l ots of reading material for him. "When we first arrived in Oaxaca we thought it would be nice for Theo to go to school . The principal was very cor­ dial . The teacher was not. She said that she had two more kids than desks a lr eady and the last thing s he needed was another pupil, so that was th e end of that. Afterwards we were glad.

Theo had maximum exposu r e to Spanish and we were free to s l eep late and wander at will . I think Theo learned more by chatting with the trashmen and the dozens of boys who are perpet­ ually washing cars than he would have in schoo l.

"When we went to Oaxaca Theo had just entered 2nd grade. When we came back he skipped to 4th grade ." Jennie does not believe that the six months in Oaxaca were the CAUSE of Theo's skipping a grade, since he was very advanced academically before the trip. But a t least it is clear that missing six months of sc hool didn't hurt Theo academically .

When the Douglases were in Oaxaca, "Theo was the on l y American child living in the city . He was sought after, invited places and ne ver at a loss for playmates . The children are different in Oaxaca . The older ones watch the young er one s and I neve r heard an argument among child­ ren the whole time we were there.

Many Mexican mothers routinely leave children as young as three in the park while they do errands, secure in the knowledge that others will keep an eye on them." ...

LEARNING ENGLISH AS ADULTS Cathy Earle (CA) writes: ... 1 was very interested in read­ ing "Fore ign Language Through Listen­ ing" by Barbara Stoutner in GWS #43 .

Two of my neighbors have asked me to tutor them in English. One is a Japan­ ese woman who has lived in the U.S . for three years. She stays home with her 18-month-old grandchild, and feels that she lacks enough contact with English speakers to learn. (On ly Japanese is spoken in her home, although her daughter and son-in-law speak quite good English in their ou t­ side jobs. ) The other neighbor is a Taiwanese woman who, like me, is home with her two young children. ( Her hus­ band speaks English on the job, but refuses to "practice" English with her at night. He says he's tired and wants to relax in Chinese . ) My two pupils are "calling the shots" during the tutoring, and what they want most of. the time is real

conversation abo ut real co ncerns . We s har e our experie nces wit h parent­ partiCipation classes, museums, and vacations; we discuss chi ld -rearing; we exc hang e recipes; we share our per­ sonal ne ws .

Some of the time my studen ts wan t to practice pronunciation with­ out having to worry about "how to say " something. At tho se times the y listen to me read a passage, and th en they practice saying eac h sentence . I help them practice th e sounds the y find difficult, and it seems to help if I "find" the sound in my mouth (where my teeth and tongue and lips are) and communicate this to them.

Another thing my students do ­ on their own, not because I tell them to - is to write down words, phrases, or sentences to remember or practice.

We might be having a really interest­ ing discussion about something, and suddenly Emiko will say, "H ow did you say that? Write it down, please ." Or Tina will say, "What was that word Mindy used? Twirl? How do you spell, please?" Since we 're having real con­ versations, my students leave each session with a very interesting mix of vocabulary words scribbled on their yellow pads . Vaccination .. . chicken pox . .. Reyes syndrome ... egg hunt ... fake grass ... colored .. . dye ... pizza ... stone .. . oregano ...

Italian seasoning ...

Sometimes my students have ~e write down a question or comment they CANNOT understand. Later, when they are alone, they puzzle out the mean­ ing using a dictionary . Then, during the next session, they will answer my question or whatever; in other words, several days later, the conversation will continue' By the way, during tutori g sessions , my daughters play wi:h Emiko's granddaughter and Tina's children . The kids always give us a lot to talk about ' Sepa r ate from the tutoring, both families do own and play records of chi ldren 's songs, something Barbara Stoutner suggests . [ might also, as she suggested, tape some picture books and allow my students to borrow the book-and-tape combination. [ gather from friends that child­ ren in bilingual homes usually learn to talk much later than their uniling­ ual friends. Emiko ' s granddaughter Yumi is exposed to Japanese tQlk at home, and to English in her weekly preschool class , on TV, in some books and records, through my children , and in stores, etc . At l8 months, Yumi only says one word in either langu­ age : "B ye bye." ... Yet I understand that these children, when they do

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A few of the 22 chapte rs: Parents and education. Keeping peace with school authorities. Helping children learn . Teach · ing several children . Early education . Teaching reading.

Teaching math. Social development.

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start talking, tend t o go thr ough the usual stages quite quickly and often end up chattering away in both langu­ ages very soo n . It's almost as if c hildren need to assimi late sounds a nd wo r ds a nd grammar for a certain amoun t of time before producing lan gu­ age, and wil l assimi lat e twice as l o ng if two languages are involved.

Does a n yone know of any research or i nf orma ti ve books in this area? ..

DOING PLAYS AT HOME From Katharine Houk (NY) : ... Ben (6) has been read the Pooh stories many, many times. One of his favorites is f rom TH E HOUSE AT POOH CORNER, Ch apter VIII, "In Which Piglet Does a Very Grand Thing ." One day, after h earing it fo r th e ump­ t eent h time, Ben said, "Let' s ac t it out ' I'll be Pi g] et, a nd Papa can be Pooh'" So Se th became Pooh; I was to be Owl . Emily (3) and I also played Rab­ bit, Kanga, Eeyo r e, and Chr ist o ph er Robin, who h ad br ief parts along the way .

It was all very impromptu - no costumes or elabora t e sets . The kids h ave a set of wicke r fur nitur e sca l ed to their size wh ich became th e va ri ­ ous "houses" Piglet and Pooh visited on that "blusterous day ." We happen to have two copies of THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER, so Seth and I r ead ou r lines from the books . Ben knew many of his lines from hearing the sto r y so many times , and we reminded him when h e needed it . There was no "dress rehearsal" - we jus t did it .

It was so much fun' When-5wl's house b l ew over, in the resulting con­ fusion Piglet was wou nd in a table­ cloth and Pooh ended up under a chai r . I'll never fo r get th e sig ht of Seth l ying on th e f l oo r. wi th his h ead and shoulders under a tiny wic k er loveseat, delivering his lines. I was laughing so hard we could hardly go on .

Acting out sto r ies became the thing to do, and Ben, Emily a nd Seth would rehearse them once or twice a nd th en present them to me. The kids c h ose th eir favorite books to ac t ou t - among them GOLDILOCKS AND THE THR EE BEARS, IRA SLEEPS OVER by Bernard Waber, and BEARS IN THE NIG HT by Stan and Jan Berenstein .

BEARS IN THE NIGHT was gr.eat ­ it's about some you ng bears who climb out their window at night to discover the source of a strange so und they hear. The kids created the path the bears took - tree, bridge, wall, rocks, etc - from furniture . The stairs to our second floor se r ved as "Spook Hill" and a s tu ffed animal at the top represented the owl that frightened the bears . The lighting was very subdued and they used flash­ lights for lanterns. By the time the bears got to the bottom of " Spoo k Hi ll," Emily Bear was so into the spirit of the p l ay s he was t oo fright­ ened to go up' So Set h Bear ca rri ed her, and the play went on . ... Ben a nd Emi l y hav e been act­ ing out chapters from THE BORROWERS series by Mary Norton, on th eir ow n.

It' s so exci tin g to pretend to be on l y a few inches tall' ... Ben read (i n SUPERKIDS by Jean Marzollo) all about producing a pl ay - cos tumes, lighting, tickets, etc . - and decided he would like t o put on an elabora t e play for a ll hi s friends some time; maybe that will h a p­ pen this summer . I f it does we ' ll write you about it.

... We're glad Ben came up with h is idea of "pl ays " - we n ever would h ave thought of it - and if ot h er GWS families are doing similar things I would l ove t o read about them ... [ Fr om a later letter: 1 After month s of ac t ing out stor i es from their books - th e mselves and wi th their little dolls - Ben and Emily decided t o mak e th ei r ow n play . First of al l Be n decided who h e wa nt ed to be (a c 10.ud). Emily chose the sun .

Ben wo rk ed up a little story about a plant (me) livin g through the seasons; I wr o t e down the words .

He s t a rt ed si nging his " c loud" so n g - so I we nt to the piano, picked out th e me l ody, and wrote it i n a little book, a l o n g with th e words .

Ben a nd Emily d esig ned the cos tumes a nd I h e lp ed th e m put them together . We practiced the one very simple little song until they could both sing th ei r par t s, th e n we per­ formed " Su n on Spring " i n full cos­ tume for a n audience of one - Se th.

Th is wh ole process took abo ut four d ays, and it was a l ot of fun putting o n th e performance - but th e mos t exciting pa rt of it for me was th e process . Though Be n and Em o nl y sa ng the o n e little so n g in th e play, Ben o ne af t e rno o n spent a good deal of time a t th e piano making up a "Winter Song" - some times pl ayi ng wit h one h a nd , some times t wo , some­ times using th e pedal, making very soft delicate me l odies that were be a u­ ti f ul - but that I can ' t r eme mber ...

We must get a microphone for t h e tape deck (whi ch is next to the piano) .

The o th er wo nd e r fu l th ing that happened wh ile we r e worki ng on the play was the freedom it gave Ben to express his feelings. Ben as an infant was a " good " baby - didn't c r y mu c h , a relat ive ly qu i e t child . To this day, although he feels things inte n sely, h e holds hi s feeli ngs in .

We ll, l ate o n e af t e rn oon, after we h ad been wo rk ing o n th e play, he put on his cloud costume (wra pp ed himself in some of my quilt batting, that is) and c limbed into my lap. He began si n gi ng a n ew cloud song about taking care of the p la nt (me) , giving the plant water t o drink from hi s r a in, n e ver thundering beca u se it might frighten the pl a nt, n eve r lightning because it might set th e plant on fire, e t c . All th e time h e sa ng h e was hugging a nd ki ssi ng me' "T ouch my misty h a nd, " h e sa ng, a nd I almost wept . These are th e moments I woul dn't trad e fo r anyt hing ...

UNAFRAID OF SCULPTURE Leila Berg wrote in h er 1977 book READ I NG AND LOVING: . .. In th e Tate Gallery, at a Bar­ bara Hepwor th ex hibition ... was a l a rg e scul pture st ructure , wit h steps leading up to it at either end, a sor t of roof o ver it, a nd holes in th e sides. Adults were tiptoeing re­ spectf ull y a bo ut, gazing and commen t­ i n g in the " c o rrect " strained way, tiptoeing near it, then tiptoeing away .

Into this n e r vo u s room came a c hild of fou r wit h father and mother.

The c hild saw the s tructure and imme diat e l y ru s h ed t o it . Sh e we nt up the s t e p s, sat on the top one, went inside, peeped a nd waved through the hol es - which immediately became win ­ dows. Her parents were h or ri fied, though not repr ess ive. What would peo­ ple think ? In whispered shouts the y demanded the c hild come out . But she was at home th ere . They protested,

pleaded, reaso n ed . But the child s ta ye d, and demonstrated with unself­ conscious delight and assured famili­ arity that the feared and mysterious sculpture was - a playhouse . Having played enough, the child came ou t a nd the thre e moved to anothe r room - th e parents ve r y r e lieve d that the c rime was ended . For about two minutes there was no change in the h al l, th ough you coul d se n se everyon e pri­ vately ruminating . Then th e firs t most daring adult walked, wit h stud­ ied casua lness, up t o the sculpture, a nd we nt up th e steps . Someone e l se followe d - s t ~ ll very deliberately casual - a nd sat o n the top ste p.

Someon e e lse went and l ook e d - a lit ­ tle self-consciously, but trying t o pass it off - through a "wind ow ."

In five minutes, the sculpture was buzzing l ike a hi ve . People were sitti n g o n its s teps c h a tting happ ily to strange r s, leaning ou t and talking through the windows, a nd strolling in and out wi th a n almost dancing s t ep .

All the adul t s were playing hou ses ­ or you cou ld say th ey had accep ted this sculpture into their wo rld. The child - un r ep r essed - h ad s h own th em what it was about ... [ DR: We h ave a limited numb er of copies of READING AND LOVING for sale here, for $3 plus postage . It is a beautiful book about h ow th e e mo ti on ­ al con t ext in which young children e ncounter books counts much more than any teaching of reading skills .

Please write a separate c h eck to Ho lt Associates, and we will return it if we run ou t. 1

HOME TESTING AT 4'/2 Sall y Ember (N H) writes: .. . 1 thought GWS readers would like t o know some of th e ensuing acti ­ vities that came f r om my request to have Merlyn (4~) tested ... We a rranged for th e school psychologist to come to our house (a great se r­ vice: always arra ng e to ha ve any tests done on the child's h ome turf, if at all possible ) on consecutive Tuesdays, a t 10 AM, until we both felt th at th e te s ting was comp l e t ed, or until Bob (t he psychologist) h ad to put h is time e ls ewh ere . He was actua ll y delighted to come, to meet Merlyn, a nd to do th e t es ts on a child who wasn 't "abnormal" in th e " sub" direction: apparent l y h e spent the bu lk of hi s time testing c hildr en who had learning pr ob l e ms of some kind, and felt discouraged by that.

We a rran ged that I cou ld be th ere, but couldn 't talk, or offer any answers or indications of answers by face or voice, ju st support (Me rlyn cou ld si t o n my l a p if he wan t ed, etc . ) .

He arrived the fi r st Tuesday just to meet Merlyn, and o nl y stayed abou t 15 minutes. He laid the ground rules, whic h were th at I couldn 't "he lp" Merlyn, that Merlyn h ad t o really ~, and that he would get some cho~ce of a toy or reward from Bob at the end of each session, inclu­ ding th is o n e . This was a surprise to me, but th e to ys were just some pla s ­ tic schlocky stuff, all about ~-i n ch big, and eminent l y losable, so I allowed i t. Merlyn a n d I h ad a good discussion about qualit y to ys when h e left' For the first session the follow­ ing week, Bob brought enough to begin at the pre-scho o l l evel ( various objec ts to be named o r manipulated, for ages 3-5), but after just a few preliminary questions, h e asked my

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

11

permission t o begin at level 2, ages 5-6. I agre ed, and the tests began.

Merlyn was supremely uninterested in anything involving paper and pencil after about the first two minutes, despit e Bob' s coachi ng and promises, and had no ability to read or write, really, at all . So, all the test ques­ tions Bob could use had to be pictor­ ial, verbal, or physical.

Here are some questions Merlyn was marked "wrong" for: When shown a d rawing of a man wearing a raincoat, hat, and carrying an umbrella side­ ways behind him in the pouring rain, he was asked, "What ' s silly, or fu nny, or ridiculous about thi s pic­ ture?" He answered, "Y ou don't need to carry an umbrella if you're wear­ ing a hat'" His father demonstrates this al l the time. Nevertheless, this was a "wrong" answer. Another picture had a couple of people sitting on their porch ... The man was smoking a pipe, but it was upside down. The chimney of the house had smoke coming out of i t. Merlyn's response was: " Smoke out of a chimney doesn't look like that'" (We heat with wood, and he knows well what smoke looks like.

The drawing was rendered quite poor­ ly, a nd didn't do justice to the smoke . ) This, of course, was wrong.

On to verbal questions . "What's the differ e nce, and what ' s the same, for a river and the ocean? " Mer l yn's ans­ we r was "The river is fresh water, but the ocean is salty. Both are blue ." Bob said that since he neglect­ ed to mention that they were both water, he was marked wrong' Another: " A man had the flu two times. The first time, he died . The second time, he r ecove red. What's wrong, or silly about this story?" Merlyn collapsed into giggles: "You don't die from the flu''' ...

You're probably wondering, if these were wrong, how Merlyn did on the scoring for these tests? Well, despite judgements like these, Mer­ lyn's not reading or writing, his refusal to do some questions at all because they explained in an intimida­ ting manner ( "This next one is tricky, so watch ou t''' ), these were his results . For his Mental Age, he ~as judged to be 7 . 6 years old. Since his Calendar Age was only 4.5, this resulted in an IQ of 165.6 (Genius is anything over 125 by most stan­ dards) ... The upshot was, Bob stated quite seriously that he thought it wou l d be inappropriate, at an aye, for Merlyn to be in publ~c sc 00 , and agreed to put this in writing in his folder of record' That was all I rea ll y want ed, after all.

I just wonder, if this is one of the nicest, most helpful school offi ­ cials I've ever dealt with, and he was so misguided, or uninformed, and gave tests so biasedly, what on earth do most of you have to deal with? ..

h

no referr ants in the real continuum of human experience . I wonder if this sort of play can go anywhere, evolve into something personally meaningful, help th e child to make sense of the real world.

Jesse and Jacob have evolved over four years' time~ough, an elaborate war-play game, and I'd like to s har e some of that with you now.

As a new mother strange to the ways of little boys' play, I often worried about how I'd handle the GUN ques­ tion . I had an older sister, and though I fancied myself something of a tomboy, war play was not one of my interests, ever. In college, I'd seen an alternative pre-school refuse to allow gun play, only to see the lit­ tle boys push the rule to its limits by trying torpedoes, cannons, bombs, etc . The exasperated but somewhat amused teachers finally felt that per­ haps it was just not a possible rule to fully maintain, but that at least they'd put a bit of a damper on vio­ lent weapon play . I probably hoped my sons would simply not be at all inter­ ested in this type of play . Not so .

Jesse's first war interests came at about 3~, when we visited Fort Frederica, a National Historical Site in Georgia where my mother lives. We saw a filmed re-enactment of the fort and town settlement, we walked all about the excavation sites, and Jesse, of course, climbed on the can­ nons . It was love at first sights, those cannons . The place had a good story to it, and Jesse was hooked ...

I'd never found the place at all interesting when my family moved to th e area when I was entering college, my "blase" days when little in the real world held much interest. I'd yawned my way through the site a few perfunctory times back then, but real­ ly found it utterly boring . Now, through Jesse's questioning eyes, the site became alive for us all . It was perhaps a first experience for Jesse in realizing that life was not always the present day, that there indeed was something called a past history, some dimly perceived continuum. Why, you could even dig it up' Back at Grandma's house he spent hours delightedly acting out the bat­ tle scene with Spanish forces from Florida attacking th~ undermanned English fort. He would sneak into the livingroom quietly, I would have to be the lookout at Fort Frederica and spy him out, and then the battle would ensue. Replayed again and again.

My mother was a bit surprised when the next year on our vacation visit, we wanted to go to the fort again, for after all we had "done" it

the year before and would surely be bored by a repeat. Not so. We sat through the movie several times, remembering parts we'd seen before, putting together more historical pieces. We now read aloud all the exhibit signs, looked more carefully and thoughtfully at the miniature dio­ ramas, felt more keenly the spirit of life in the now utterly gone town.

More acting out of the battles, that year with closer attention to details we now understood better. Jesse received a huge set of cardboard brick blocks from Grandma, and they were used to build myriad forts and invading fleets of boats . Postcards of old soldiers were bought at the Fort, and miniature cannon ( ' ) , and again the play went on for hours .

Jesse worked hard making some collage soldiers for extras, while Jacob at 18 months did his best to take part, probably feeling that this soldier game was the best sort of hide and seek and chase game there was .

Each year we returned to the fort, each year we loved it even more. Books extended our understand­ ing, and I even found myself looking into a few adult history books on the area.

Other war interests grew over those years, too, and continued broad­ ening our view and the boys' play.

Any cannon was spotted and visited if at all possible, and we soon found ourselves at the Soldiers and Sailors Civil War Memorial in Pittsburgh, Gettysburg, Fort Pitt, Fort Necessi­ ty, the flagship Niagara, Fort Ligon­ ier (with a homeschoolers group tour last fall), and another fort site in Georgia. A timeline gradually began forming in our minds: Ft. Frederica before Ft. Necessity, Ft. Necessity before Ft. Pitt, Civil War much later (we always peg it by Drake's discov­ ery of oi 1) .

Our reading aloud, in among PETER PAN and HEIDI and THE WIZARD OF OZ, was full of history. Each fall we always read several biographies of Columbus (special interest of mine as I was born on Columbus Day), adding one a year, then the same with the Pilgrims in November. We found a book on the history of forts in America, archeology in Georgia, Pennsylvania history, a Lois Lenski book called INDIAN CAPTIVE (based on the real life story of Mary Jamison, who decid­ ed to remain with the Senecas after her capture during the French and Indian wars) . We read about Jamestown and Pocahontas, we read biographies on many early American leaders (especially love the D'Aulaires bio­ graphies on Columbus, Franklin, Lin-

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Susa n Richman wrote in Western PA Homeschoolers, Winter '85: ... Jesse (7) and Jacob (4) have never been involved at all with super ­ heros or He-men. We have no TV, don't go t o toy stores much, and are usual­ ly simply blithely unaware of all these commercially pushed fantasies.

The boys somehow agree with me that al l those muscled toy dolls are hide­ ous and creepy. For me, perhaps, the commercial adult pre - made fantasy aspects are what distress me the most about this sort of play - it is adult made specifically for children, with

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12 coln, Leif Ericson, and George Wash­ ington), and Jean Fritz's simple and wonderful Revolutionary War books AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED, PAUL REVERE?; WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA, BEN FRANKLIN?; WHY DON'T YOU GET A HORSE, SAM ADAMS?; WHERE WAS PATRICK HENRY ON THE 29TH OF MAY?; CAN'T YOU MAKE THEM BEHAVE, KING GEORGE? Forts led into an interest in war ships, and we've read extensively about the USS Consti­ tution and many others ... Also, to offset war as the sole way of looking at history, we've also read all the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and CADDIE WOODLAWN by Carol Brink (feeling through it, of course, the underlying pulse of the Civil War taking place far away), and we've read about the history of transporta­ tion, especially trains and canals and ships.

Jesse and Jacob gradually added more cannons to their play, made their block forts both more elaborate and more true to the forts they knew about, made fleets and fleets of paper and cardboard boats (anyone want to go in on a case load order of masking tape??). Actual battles were often acted out, with lots of loud "bang-banging" filling the air . This was their "soldier game," and they were always begging Howard to take part. They knew I was rather dull about it and not much into their re­ enactments, much as I loved visiting the actual sites and reading to them about these older times. Somehow I just cannot get into being down on hands and knees and "banging" away, and the boys have eventually accepted this. Jesse and Jacob have spent long happy stretches of time cutting out "armies" of men - hundreds of differ­ ent colored strips of paper bundled together with rubber bands by 10's and 100's, complete with generals and captains. They lay them out in elabor­ ate battle formations and become enraged if I inadvertently sweep up or try to toss out a crumpled regi­ ment. The soldiers are kept in spe­ cial boxes, stored with aluminum [oil carefully torn into cannon balls.

On occasion I've thought of dis­ couraging all this play, considering the GUN question, feeling disheart­ ened that my boys saw wars as such a game, such an exciting play theme, such an abstraction of paper soldier deaths. I ' m glad now I've let it be and let it evolve and grow. It is their play, it belongs to them, and further it is clearly becoming their way of grappling with all the real questions of how people have and might get along in this world. Be­ sides banging wildly, they've also worked hard at making peace treaties - Daddy's soldiers will get all of the living room, Jacob's will h ave the attic and Jesse's will patrol the connecting zone of the playroom.

They've made compromises, seen wh at happens when one side secretly doesn't go along with an agreement, they've made allies and promises of future aid .

And, then, just yesterday, I sat in the attic nursing Molly to sleep while Jesse and Jacob continued their new version of the soldier game. Both rebuilt elaborate block forts, stur­ dily reinforced, the paper ship fleets were lovingly repaired with tape, all was set . BUT THE BATTLE DIDN'T COME . Jesse looked up at me after a silence (I was reading a maga­ zine), and said very quietly, almost reverently, " Look, look at this smal l building I've made ... It is the House of Peace ... It has one soldier in it, with NO weapons allowed, and it is

where each side can come, in safety, to talk." His voice was almost choked, full with emotion. He took a wooden sculpted head (a leftover from an old tenant who was an artist of sorts), and placed it by the little building . "This is the grim face of Peace, look ing grimly at all the war." Another larger, grinning sculp­ ture was placed by the huge fort.

"This is the smiling face of War, it looks down gleefully on all the fight­ ing and destruction." We talked here of how Ares, the war god we 'd met in the D'Aulaires book of Greek my ths, always loved the battle scene . A metal crown (an old bongo drum rim, I think) was placed on the War God 's head, as his side was winning over the much smaller God of Peace. Jesse and Jacob were both hushed and seri­ ous, this was important drama coming alive before them, universal ques­ tions hanging in a delicate balance .

I was careful not to intrude. Some­ how, over the next long half hour, Jesse and Jacob ' s armies were secret­ ly meeting at the Peace House, their generals talking quietly and safely, and then - TRIUMPH" PEACE won out!

Plans were swiftly made to join the two opposing forts together i n one large cooperative complex . Much re­ shuffling of blocks to bridge the ground between them, much excitement over these new plans. And when the re­ building was complete, Jesse with solemn ceremony took the crown from the War God's head and placed it upon the Head of Peace, who somehow looked happier to us all, not so grim-faced.

The whole drama felt like a refresh­ ing cleansing, a noble setting of the world to right. We all took deep breaths of peace, and went down for supper keenly alive and aware, and kind .

If I had banned their soldier game out of some urge of my own to have my boys be peaceful and peace­ loving, this scene could never have happened, they could never have grown to this pOint. Their growi ng and play, of course, did not take place in a vacuum, but against the rich background of our reading and continu­ ing discussions. We just this week completed reading Esther Forbes' New­ berry Award-w inning book JOHNNY TRE­ MAIN, set in pre-Revolutionary War Boston, culminating in the battle of Lexington. The book moved Jesse per­ haps more than any we have ever read - it's the first book I remember him crying aloud over . It gave an espe­ cially close, sensitive look at the realities and ambiguities of war, the mixed and torn feelings involved .

Johnny, an active young patriot, as wacm fee l ings for many specific Bri­ tish soldiers - knowing them personal­ ly, having his life entwined with theirs, it is hard to see them as abstract targets of scar let. Instead of taking us into the actual battle scenes, Forbes has Johnny walk from Boston to Lexi ngt on the day after, seei ng the crying women and c hildren, the burial carts, the groaning, wound­ ed British soldiers, and finally the death of Johnny's beloved friend Rab. I'm sure the soldier game will continue to grow and change as the years go by. The boys have already talked about having Molly be "Molly Pitcher" - I will be curious to see how Molly perhaps softens the game. feel comfortable now about it all, rather than exasperated or guilty . I feel a trust that through their play they will all be made more ready to deal with the terribly difficult ques­ tions of war and peace in the real world. I feel hopeful when Jesse

says, as he did today, that maybe a problem with these grown-up real gen­ erals is that they still t hink they are playing with toy soldiers, and not real people .. .

INVOLVED IN HISTORY Kim Jeffrey wrote in Western PA Homeschoolers, Winter '85: ... In the Oak Meadow social studies curric ulum for this quarter, Nat han was supposed to be doing a pro­ ject about the local terrain and his­ tory which was boring to him (we've always been interested in Girard his­ tory so this was no new subject where he was concerned) . Instead we changed that subject to one Nathan was more immediately fascinated with - the Civil War, in particular the Battle of Gettysburg. He made a terrain mod­ el of Pickett's Charge from the bat ­ tIe ... We made a dinner of typical army food of that time (we even baked our own hard tack') and learned songs of the Civil War, we studied about clothes and uniforms, talked about what it would have been like to live in Gettysburg at the time of the bat­ tle, read the Get tysburg Address, and went to visit Gettysburg as part of a brief vacation. We looked at battle­ field maps and read innumerable books about the Civil War, and Nathan wrote letters to hi s grandmothers and great-grandmother, asking if they knew whether anyone in our family had fought in the Civi l War. He also wrote a lett er to a man he met in Get­ tysburg, telling him some things he had learned about Abraham Lincoln hav­ i ng visited Nor th Girard, PA, just a little ways from where we live .

All-in-all, we did a very absorbing study .

And when I say "we" did all this, I mean that Nathan led all of us in a study of the Civil War ...

Whatever one child is studying, from eldest to youngest, everyone else is involved, too. Adam and Blythe were every bit as involved in Nathan's Civ­ il War study as Nathan was involved in Adam ' s making a n otebook of the book LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS. In a hom e si tuation it is impossible to box in each child with their own little curriculum (and who would want to?) and insist that no one do any­ thing the others are doing or pay any attention to what anyone else is do­ ing. I ' m finding a great sense of security in this. It means that I no longer have to worry that a child may not be exposed to all the building blocks ...

I know that true learning can occur from even the least likely places. From my own youth, I can draw examples' Whe n I was 12-16 (dare I admit it all lasted that long?) I was really involved in several television shows, but especially "The Man From UNCLE." My family moved around a great deal and so to fill in the gaps when I left close friends, I had a whole collection of imaginary friends courtesy of Man from UNCLE, Garri­ so n's Gorillas, the Rat Patrol, Big Valley, and others . On the surface this all looks and sounds like a mind­ less waste of time and energy, but below the surface I wa tch ed the shows, took notes on episodes, co ll ec­ ted all the known data abou t them (somet h ing like wha t the Trekkies have done with all the Star Trek epi­ sodes), made up characters of my own, wrote hundr eds of pages of s tor ies about these shows, speculated about CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

John Holt's

BOOK AND MUSIC STORE

The number following title and author re­ fers to the issue of our magazine GROWING WITH­ OUT SCHOOLING that contains a review of the book. * = newest additions to our catalog.

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ANNO'S COUNTING BOOK, Mitsumasa Anno. #35.

Look at thlS book and look again . Each time

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2

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telling how the letters of the Chi nese alpha­

bet came to be . $5 .95

THE COMPLETE FAT HER BROWN, G.K. Chesterton. #35. Al I the Fr. Brown stories, the famou s Eng1isn-detective / priest, under one cover.

Exciting, amusi ng , and instructive mysteries for ch i l dren and adu lt s . $8. 95 EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES, Erich Kast ner. #20 . A country boy goes aft er an adult thief, and is helped by city kids. Clever, light-hearted story written in Germany in 1929. $2 .50 NEW AND COMPLETE FAIRY TALES BY HANS ANDERSON, #17 . Blg co ll ectlon of the falry tales by thl s gifted Danish writer, inc luding "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Snow Quee n." Hardbound, with co l or plates by Arthur Rackham. $6. 95 *A GATHERHlG OF DAYS, Joa n B10s. Jour nal of an 1830 New England glr1 who keeps house for her father and sister . Realistic fiction portray­ ing the people and life of th at era . $3.95 GNOMES, Poortv1iet/Huygen. #13. A "scientific" ~of gnomes, with a wealth of beautiful waterco l or paintings. A deli ght for all ages, already a classic. $9.95 GREENLEAF, Constance Bernhardt. #6. The story

of a chl ld's growing up from the ages of 4-13,

as the child might have told it. Unique and

lovely. $5.00

GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES, #19. Fifty-five tr ad ition­ al folk ta les, lncluding "Hanse l and Grete l ," "Rumpe 1sti1tskin," and "The Goose-gi rl." $2 .95 HARRIET THE SPY, Louise Fitzhugh. #13. En­ gaglng story of an inquisitive ch ild wh o grows up in a modern big ci t y and writes down every ­ thing she sees. $2.95 HEIDI, Johanna Spyr i . #16. The heartwarming story of a gir l in the high Swiss Alps, her grandfather, and her friends . Long a favorite, and as good as ever . $2 . 25 THE HOBBIT, J.R.R. To1kie n. #13. A reluctant Bl 1bo Baggins sets out after a dragon' s trea­ sure. Enchanting introduction t o To1kien's Middle Earth. $2.95 THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, Shei la Burnford. #28 .

A cat, a young Labrador retriever, and an old bull terrier travel hundreds of miles t o jo in human friends. The dangerous trip i s not only exciting but complete ly believable . $2.50 JUST SO STORIES, Rudyard Kipling. #18. "How the El ephant Got His Trunk," "How th e Leopard Got His Spots," and many other fables set in the desert, sea, and jungle. Wonderful read ­ al oud book. 95¢ KIDNAPPED, Stevenson. #16 . Another great t ale of adventure, flight, and escape, this one set in Scotland in 1750. $2.25 THE MAN WHO KEPT CIGARS IN HIS CAP, J im Heynen. #33. Beautlfu1, almost mythic down-on ­ the-farm tales of l ife and death in the country. $5.00 MASQUERADE, Kit Will i ams. #27. A real t reas ure hunt wlth crypt i c clues . Also, find the hidden rabbit on each page of fanciful artwork. Now in paperback with the complete story of how the puzzle was so l ved. $3.95 THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, Howard Pyle. #15 . The best acco unt of the famou s legends, from Robin Hood turn ing ou tlaw to his gallant death in Litt l e John's arms. Pyle's own illustrations. $5.00 NATIONAL VELVET, Eni d Bagno1d. #15. Beautiful story about a family in a small English vi l­ lage, and their youngest daughter who risks her life to ride in a big race. A great novel for peop l e of al l ages , and not just th ose who love horses. $2.50 OTTO OF THE SI LVER HA ND, Pyle. #1 4. A gentle boy grows up amo ng warring robber barons in thi s great Middle Ages adventure. $4.50

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, Norton Juster . #30. A boy flnd s hlmse 1f ln a magic world of words, pun s and double meaning s , and meets the Whether Man, Faintl y Macabre , Short Shrift, and many others. A modern "Ali ce ." $2.95 PIPPI LONGSTOCKI NG, Astrid Lindgren. #15. A nlne-year-old Swedish super-girl lives alone in a hou se with a pet horse and monkey and does exact1 ~ what she like s . $2.95 ROOTABAGA STORIES, By Car l Sa ndburg. #10. Two vo lumes of dellghtfu1 f ai ry tales set in the American prairie. Great word-magic for bedtime reading. Part I, $3 .95 ; Part II, $2 . 50 THE SECRET GARD EN, Frances Burnett. #1 4. A lonely 11ttl e glr1 in York shire comes out of her shell as she makes a few good friends and he lps reviv e a neglected garden . $3. 50 THE SECRET OF NIMH, Robert O'Brien. #36. Mrs. Frlsby, a mouse, seeks th e help of super­ intelligent rats to sa ve her children. $1.95 ST ALKY &CO., Rudyard Kip ling . #35. A great comlC novel about three independent, smart, and resourceful boys making endless trouble in a rigid British military school. $4.25 STICKEEN, John Muir. #42.The true story of the 11fe-and-death adventure of a man (Muir him­ se lf ) and a small dog ca ught in a blizzard on the top of a great glacier. $3 .95 *TREASURE IS LAND, Stevenson. #13. Cla ss ic ad venture of plrates and buried treasure. This spec ial edition features full-color plates by N.C. W yeth. Hardcover. $18 . 95 UND ERST OOD BETSY, Dorothy Canfie l d Fisher. #12. Charmlng story of a shy nine-year-01d grow ing brave and happy on a Vermont farm, where the ad ult s treat her seriously and value her he 1p. $1. 75 WINNIE-THE-POOH, A.A. Milne. #15. The author put hlS son Chri stopher Robin and his toy ani­ mal s (Pooh, Piglet, et c.) in these funny ad­ ventures. Good for reading aloud. $2.50 THE YEARLING, Marj orie Rawlings. #21. 'Lyrica1 story of a boy in the Florida backwoods, play­ ing, hunting, working; his famil y & friends; and the fawn he tr ie s to keep as a pet. $3 .95 SERIES

By L.M. Boston. #15, 19, 26, 28, 30. A boy comes to 11ve in his great-grandmother's old hou se , meets the ghosts of chi ldren who lived there long ago, and ha s many weird adventures. $2 .95

THE CHILDREN OF GREEN KNOWE AN ENEMY AT GREEN KNOWE $3.95

THE RIVER AT GREEN KNO WE $2.95

THE TREASURE OF GREEN KNOWE $1.95

$3.95

A STRANGER AT GREEN KNOWE

By Susan Coo per. #27. A group of young English chl ldren flnd themselves in the midst of a life and death st rugg le against a mysterious, ancie nt, and powerful Evil.

OV ER SEA, UNDER STON E $4.95

GREENWITCH $3.95

TH E DARK IS RISING $3.95

THE GREY KING $3 .50

By Herge, "The Adventures of TinTin." #25, 33, 37, 43. Popular cartoon adventures of a re­ sourceful boy detective . Great mixture of slap­ st i ck and suspen se . More actual reading than ma ny children's books.

BLACK IS LAND $5.25

TH E BROKEN EAR $5.25

*THE CA LCU LUS AFFAIR $5 .25

THE CASTAFIOR E EMERALD $5.25

CIGA RS OF THE PHAROAH S $5.25

TH E CRAB WITH THE GOLDEN CLAWS $5 .25

DESTINATION MOON $5.25

EXPLORERS ON THE MOON $5.25

FLIGHT 714 $5.25

KING OTTOKAR' S SCEPTRE $5.25

*PRISONERS OF THE SUN $5.25

RED RACKHAM'S TREASURE $5.25

THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN $5.25

*THE SEVEN CRYSTAL BALLS $5 .95

SHOOTI NG STAR $5.25

$5.25 TINTlN IN TIBET

By Ur su la LeGuin. The "Earthsea Tri logy." #18, 19, 22. Three adventures of a powerful young wizard in a marvellous world where magic is a central part of reality. $2.95 A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA $2.95 THE TOMB S OF ATUAN $2.95 THE FARTHEST SHORE

By C.S. Lewis, "The Narnia Chro nicle s ." #15, 16, 18, 24. Popular fantasy series. English Children s lip into the magical world of Narnia and have adventures with princes, witches, ani­ mals, and more.

THE LION, THE WITCH, & THE WARDROBE $2. 95 $2.95 THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW PRINCE CASPIAN $2.95 $2.95 VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER THE SIL VER CHAIR $2.95 THE HOR SE AND HIS BOY $2. 95 THE LAST BATTLE $2.95

By E. Nesbit. #19. Five childre n in Edwardian England have many strange and fUMY adventures with magic and time travel.

FIVE CHILDREN AND IT $2.95 THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET $2 .95 $2.95 THE STORY OF THE AMULET

By Mary Norton. #16, 31, 44. The story of a tlny famlly , six inches high, and how they face and so lve the many problems that a giant world can pose for little people. A delightful series.

THE BORROWERS $3.95 $3.95 THE BORROWERS AFIELD $2.95 THE BORROWERS AFLOAT $4 .95 THE BORROWERS ALOFT $5.95 *THE BORROWERS AVENGED

By Arthur Ransome. #29, 31. A delightful serles about the self-created adventures, some in sai l boats, some on shore, of a resourceful and imaginative group of English children.

SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS $3.95 SWALLOW DALE $4.50 $3 .95 WINTER HOLIDAY $3.95 WE DIDN'T MEAN TO GO TO SEA

By Glen Rounds, #3 7, 43. A lively Western serles about the youngest, smallest, and least depended upon cowhand on the range. Easy readi ng 1eve 1. $1.95 WHITE Y'S FIRST ROUNDUP $1.95 WHITEY TAKES A TRIP $1.95 *WHITEY' S NEW SADD LE

By J.R.R. To1kien. #13. "The Lord of the Rlngs." TheriOliDlt s become involved in an im­ mense s t~ugg1e between good and evil. Action, humor, tragedy, in a world complete with its own history and languages. Set of 3 Volumes, $7 .95. $2.95 THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING $2.95 THE TWO TOWERS $2.95 THE RETURN OF THE KING

By Laura Ingalls Wilder. #13 , 19, 27. Beloved se rle s about chl Idhood in pioneer times, the difficulties and dangers as well as the plea­ sures and joys .

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE $2 . 50 LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS $2.95 FARMER BOY $2.95 ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK $2.95

BY THE SHO RES OF SILVER LAKE $2.95 THE LONG WINTER $2 .95 THE LITTLE TOWN ON THE PRAIRIE $2 .95 PLAYS

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, Robert Bolt. #15.

Moving and inspiring modern play about Sir Thomas More, who was executed for obeying his conscience rather than his king. Try reading it together as a f ami 1y. $2.95 THE MIRACLE WORKER, William Gibson. #20. The brl Illant, unorthodox Annie Sullivan's attempt to reach the deaf and blind young Helen Kel­ ler, then wild and wit hout language. Beautiful and almost unbearably moving. $2.50

3

OUR TOWN, Thornton Wilder. #19. Life and death of ord1 nary people in a small town. Simply told; one of the best American plays. $2.75.

POETRY AND HUMOR

AMERICAN TONGUE AND CHEEK, Quinn. #42 . This W1tty book lets the hot air out of our se1f­ styled defenders of "good" English grammar and l ets us know what grammar really is. $4.95 BUMPEE GARDENING CATALOG , Ken Lawless. #3B. A r10tous spoof of garden catalogs. Complete with order forms, guarantees, discount poli­ cies and not a word of it is serious. $4.95 amp,

,

ana

0

av ova, e.

.

very powerfu l book that provides a clear and painful look at life in Terezin. We also see the indomitable spirit, the adaptability, and the will to live of these children. $6.95 *I'M NOBODY, WHO ARE YOU?, Emily Dickinson. #44. A co l lect10n of D1ckinson's poems, chosen for young people. Every page of this book is a beautfu1 Bx10" drawi ng in fu ll color with the poems printed right in the pictures. $9.95 THE LIVES AND TIMES OF ARCHY AND MEHITABEL, Don Marqu1s . #6. A cockroach and a tough alley cat take a satirical look at life in the U. S. in the 1920's. My favorite of all books of light verse, for the poetry as much as the laughter. A comic classic. $10.95 *THE OXFORD BOOK OF POETRY FOR CHILDREN, E. B11shen, ed . #43. Ihe best co II ect 1 on of poetry for children we have come across. I llus­ t rated by Brian Wi1dsmith, one of the most sought after among today's children's book artists . $12.95 PARKINSON'S LAW, C.N . Parkinson. #15. "Work ex­ pands to h ll the time avai 1ab1e," and other sardonic, accurate, and funny perceptions about bureaucracies . $2.50 *THE PENGUIN STEPHEN LEACOCK. #41. A wonderful collectlon of many of the funniest pieces by one of the great comic writers of the 20th (or any other) century. $6.95 *THE POCKET BOOK OF OGDEN NASH, #45. A co1­ 1ectlon of hlS funnlest and best poems. $3.95 ROBERT FROST ' S POEMS. f. 1B. Even people who don' t Il ke most poetry wi ll enjoy many of these pl ain-spoken and powerful poems by one of America's greatest poets. Illustrated with ma ny beautifu l wood -cuts . $4.95 THINK GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT A PUSSYCAT, George Booth. #31. A col lectlon of cartoons, most from The New Yorker. The characters and situa­ tions make you laugh no matter how often you read it . $5.95 WELL, THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM, E. Korben. #33.

One of my favorlte cartoonists. Lovely mi x of the gently satirical & the absurd . For an older audience. $3.95 A ZOO IN MY LUGGAGE, Gerald Durrel . #15. True story of a ca lam l tous trip into remote West Africa to col l ect rare birds and animals.

Funny and exciting. $3.95 SCIENCE FICTION

BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORI ES OF H.G. WELLS. #16 . Superb st orles showlng how ordlnary peop l e would react in extraordinary situa­ tions. Inc l udes "The Invisible Man." $4.95 A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ, Walter Miller . #15.

Can f ut ure generatlons, after our civilization i s destroyed by nuclear war, learn from our mistakes? $3.50 THE DISPOSSESSED, LeGuin. #2B. A physicist s ln g1e-handedl y att empts to reconcile another pl anet with his home l and . Another book trans­ cendi ng t he l abe l "scie nce fiction." $2.95 THE LEFT HAND OF DARKN ESS, LeGuin. #25. Anoth­ er great story by one of today's best writers.

An ambassador tries to persuade a planet to

join a big federation. $2.95

OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET, C.S. Lewis. #22. A human meets lntel Ilgent beings on another plan­ et. Fascinating story. $3.95 ROCANNON'S WORLD, LeGuin. #31. Invaders with superlor techno logy attack a peaceful planet.

Rocannon, an anthropologist, rallies the natives to fight back. $2.25 THE TIME MACHINE, H.G. Wells. #16 . A great

classlc of SClence fiction, about a man who

travels millions of years in time to look at

the future of the human race. $1.50

THE WORD FOR WORLD IS FOREST, LeGuin. #lB. Ruthless explorers try to enslave the simple forest people on a planet. A powerful and mean­ ingful story for older readers. 52.75 SHORT STORIES

FAMOUS GHOST STORIES, Ed. Bennett Cerf. #lB.

Some of the best ever, whether light-hearted,

eerie, or terrifying . Includes "The Monkey's

Paw" and "August Heat." $3 . 95

FIVE STORIES, Willa Cather. #lB. Gentle, beau­ tlful storles about farmers and other ordinary people, living and working in the Nebraska plains and the Southwest desert. $4.95 GHOST STORIES OF AN ANTIQUARY, M.R . James. #16. By the greatest of a II ghost story writers; a must for those who like truly scary stories. Don't read them alone at night ­ these are not friendly ghosts ! 53.50 *THE LITTLE BOOKROOM, Eleanor Farjeon. #45.

Fantasy, romance, love, and humor fill each of these tales for younger children. Good for reading aloud. $5.95 o. HENRY STORIES . #lB. A collection of clever,

sometlmes sentlmental stories about life in

New York City and elsewhere. Includes "The

Gift of the Magi," "The Cop and the Anthem,"

"Municipal Report," and more. $3.50

ORSINIAN TALES, Ursula LeGuin. #2B. Poignant stones of courage, love, and loyalty, set in an imaginary East European country, from medie­ val times to the present. $2.95 A POCKET BOOK OF SHORT STORIES, Ed. by Edmund Speare. #18. Every story a classic - great to read aloud. Includes some special favorites: "The Procurator of Judea," "Disorder and Early Sorrow," and "A Lodging for the Night." $3.95

dous intrigue and great unrest. $2.75 THE KING MUST DIE, Mary Renault. #16. The young Greek hero Theseus in adventure in ­ trigue, and war. Vivid picture of cla~hing cul­ tures; one of my favorite historical novels. $3.95 THE LEOPARD, Giuseppe de Lampedusa. #42. One of the great comic novels of this century, the story of a 19th century Sicilian nobleman written by a 20th century Sicilian for hi~ own amusement, and only discovered after his death. A classic. $6.95 MANY DIMENSIONS, Charles Williams. #31. A fan­ tastlc novel about an ancient religious relic, which gives its possessors the power to travel freely through time and space, and which, appearing in the England of the '30's, pro­ foundly changes many lives. $4.95 SHAWNO, George Dennison. #43. Dogs and their re1atlonships with people have inspired many flne books, but this is the finest and truest.

By the author of THE LIVES OF CHILDREN, this short book has the content, the weight, and resonance of a large novel. $10.95 SWAMI AND FRIENDS, R. K. Narayan. #37. Funny

eplsodes about a child in India during the

'30's. Like TOM SAWYER, sure to make you

laugh. $6 . 95

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Harper Lee. #lB. Two chlldren, growlng up with their lawyer father in a small Southern town, encounter prejudice, hatred, and injustice. One of the most moving American novels. 53.50 VERY FAR AWAY FROM ANYWHERE ELSE, Ursula LeGuln. #20. A teen-ager, torn between being "normal" or being himself, falls in love with a talented, self-possessed musician. $2 . 25

BY JOHN HOLT

HOW CHILDREN FAIL,1964. Revised 19B2. The ori­ glna1 best-seller about how even the "bright­ est" kids in the "best" sChools are made stu­ pid by their fear of humiliation, by school's separation from life, and by the assumption ki"ds wi 11 only learn what they're taught PLUS 20-25,000 words of new writing. $5.95 HOW CHILDREN LEARN, (1967) Revised Ed, 19B3.

How Ilttle klds flgure thlngs out for thelr

own satisfaction with little or no help, be­

fore their intelligence and curiosity is

crippled by having to learn under orders, for

praise and reward. The original text, plus

much inpor tant new material. $7 . 95

THE UNDERACHIEVING SCHOOL, 1969. Many popular

NOVELS myths of educatlon exposed and exploded, in­

cluding some of Piaget's theories and the idea

A.J. WENTWORTH, B.A., H.F. Ellis . #29. The hil­ that poor kids can't learn. ~4.50

arlOUS mlsadventures of a well-meaning but FREEDOM AND BEYOND, 1972. 1) What freedom

bumbling British schoolmaster. One of the means ln dally Ilfe, and some of the tensions

funniest books I have ever read. $4.25 it creates; and 2) why schools can't cure pov­

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN, Ernest erty, and on ly make it worse. $4.50

Galnes. #13. Llfe of a memorable black woman *ESCAPE FROM CHILDHOOD, 1974. The case for

in Louisiana, from Emancipation to Civil treatlng chlldren Ilke real people, not pets

Rights days. History made human. $2 . 95 and slaves, and for making available to them

adult rights & responsibilities. The original

BACHELOR OF ARTS, R.K. Narayan. #42. A col ­ text recently reprinted in paperback. $4.95

lege-age Indlan learns about life in colonial Ind i a. By India's finest writer. $6.95 NEVER TOO LATE, 197B. #3B. How, after a non­ muslcal chlldhood, I came to love music, and THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY, Thornton Wilder. began to play the cello at age 50. About #29. Poetlc, beautlfu l short novel about the music, teaching and learning, and above all, interwoven lives of a group of people in lBth­ struggling to overcome self-doubt . $4.50 century Peru. An American classic. $2.95 TEACH YOUR OWN, 19B1. How and why many people HERLAND, Charlotte Perkins Gilman. #22. A fan­ have taken their children out of school, and tasy about a hidden world populated entirely by women. Amusing, interesting utopia. Written how they have helped them learn at home. in 1915 by a feminist, it is thought-provoking Answers to most common objections . Legal ad­ vice, court rulings. The home-schooling hand­ and years ahead of its time. $3.95 ­ book. SB.95 A HIGH WIND IN JAMAICA, Richard Hughes. #36.

Chl ldren captured by pirates - exciting, and ********************************************** one of the great studies of the minds and "I'd 1ike to te 11 you how much we have enjoyed hearts of young children. $2.95 the art materials we have gotten from GWS . .. " -Madalene Murphy (PA) THE IDES OF MARCH, Thornton Wilder . #19. Fasci­ "John Holt's Book and Music Store has been in­ natlng recreatlon of Julius Caesar, an extra­ ordinary leader, and of Rome, a city of tremen­ valuable'" -Carolyn Lucento (NC)

4

ON CHILDREN AND LEARNING

THE ACORN PEOPLE, Ron Jones. #13. Inspiring and movlng story by a camp counselor who helped severe ly handicapped children do what was considered impossible. $2.25 THE AF~ICAN CHILD, Camara Laye. #2 9. A young Afncan tells the story of his happy childhood in a pre-industrial tri\)al cu lture, showing us a very different world from which we have have much to learn. $2.50 ANYTHING SCHOOL CAN DO, YOU CAN DO BETTER, Malre Mullarney. #40. An Irlsh homeschooler write s about teaching her eleven children un­ til they were eight or nine (and later wished she had done so longer). $5.95 BETTER THAN SCHOOL, Nancy Wallace. #35 . The best book we have had about how home schooling has worked and what it been like in one family. Their story is a textbook case of how to deal with difficult school boards.

Hardcover. $14.95 THE BOOK OF SMALL, Emily Carr. #19. Well-known palnter, born ln 1871, reminisces about her childhood in Canada. Touching, true-to-life picture of how a child sees the world. $4.95 BORN TO LOVE, Joann Grohman. #1 4. An excellent book about the importance of natural ch ild rearing, especially breast-feeding. $6.50 COMPLETE GUIDE TO TAKING TESTS, Bernard Feder. #10 . Best book around on I) why standardized tests don't measure anything important about learning; 2) how to do well on tests if you have to take them. $4.95 *THE CO MPLETE HOME EDUCATOR, Mario Pagnoni. #42. Explalns how computers work and how families can use them at home. Also how and why the Pagnonis homeschool. Mario is himself and has been for years, a regular public ' school teacher. Cle ar, helpful, and very funny. $10.95 DESCHOOLING SOCIETY, Ivan Illich. Why we need a soclety wlthout compuls ory learning, and what it might be like. $4.95 *DISCIPLINE WITHOUT SHOUTING OR SPANKING, Wyckoff &Oneil. #45 . Practlcal, effectlve, non-violent options for correcting temper tan­ trums, whining, sibli ng rivalry, etc. $4.95 EQUAL RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, Howard Cohen. #24.

A thoughtful, carefu ll y-reasoned argument in favor of making available to children the rights and responsibilities of adults. $4.95 THE FACTS OF LIFE, R.D. Laing. #13. A doctor and psychlatrlst makes a powerful attack on the ignorance and crue lty of much modern medi­ cine, especially relating to child-birth. $2.25 THE FAMILY BED, Tine Theveni n. #18. A stro ng argument ln favor of having babies and young chlldren sleep ln the same bed as their parents. Another good book on alternatives to modern child-raising methods. $5.95 THE FIRST HOME SCHOOLING CATALOG,. Donn Reed. #3 1. A huge 11 St of books, materials, and re­ sources, put together by a home schoo ling family. $10.00 GENERALLY SPEAKING, Ronald Macaulay. #32. A short, c lear, and perceptive description, by a linguistics professor, of how chi ldren discov­ er and master language. A powerful argument for freedom in learning. $9. 95 GNYS AT WRK, Glenda Bissex. #2 4, 25 . How a chlld, starting at age 5, became a skilled wri­ ter by inventing spe llings and correcti ng his own mistakes. Opposes conventional view that everything must be taught. $17.50 GROWING UP ABSURD, Paul Goodman. The most seri­ ous problem of the young is the lack of a world they can trust and believe in, and of worthy work to do. $4.95 THE HEART HAS ITS OWN REASONS: Mothering Wis­ dom for the 1980' s, Mary Ann Cahlll. #41. A supportlve, practlcal book for mothers who choose to stay home with their chi ldren. Good advice on how to cut costs at home. $6.50

HOME EDUCATION AND CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTIES,

Wh1teneaa & Blrd. R40. One of the most valu­

able leg al resources, tools, or weapons for

home schoolers to have appeared in some time.

It sums up and argues the historical and legal

case for homeschooling. $5.95

HOW TO BEAT THE S.A.T., Michael Donner. #34.

Clever tactl cs t o outwit the S.A.T. and other

standardized tests. $3.95

HOW TO SURVIVE IN YOUR NATIVE LAND, James Hern­

don. #1. A very perceptlve and hl larious

account of daily life in a suburban junior

high, in which a te ac her discovers one of edu­

cation's basic mist aken assumptions. $5.95

HOW TO TAKE THE S.A.T., Marcia Lawrence. #20 .

Learn how wrlters of the college board exam

think when they make up questions. Many sample

te st s and answers, with good advice . $6.95

KIDS: DAY IN, DAY OUT, Elisabeth Scharlatt .

RIO. Huge collectlon of imaginative, practical

ideas about how to l ive, work, and play with

young children. $12 . 95

THE LIVES OF CHILDREN, George Dennison. #6. A

profound, movlng book about kids - poor, non­

white, disturbed, public schoo l rejects - grow­

ing and learning in a small school that

treated them like people, not problems.

Es sent i al' $4.95

MINDSTORMS, Seymour Papert. #24. How chi ldren

are learnlng programming by teaching a com­

puter to draw pictu res; plus many useful ideas

on learning , math, and the mind. $6.95

*NONE OF THE ABOVE, David Owen. #45. A

bn III ant examl nati on about the myths,

problems, and stupidities surrounding the SAl

and other standardized tests. Hardcover. $16.95

OH BOY' BABIES, Herzig & Mali. #24. Boys learn

to care for real ba bie s in class. Minute-by­

minute account captures all the excitement,

tenslon, and humor. Amusing photos. $6.95

PETERSON'S INDEPENDENT STUDY CATALOG, 1983-85 .

#20. Where to flnd hundreds of academlc

courses-by-mai 1 (hi gh school, college, or grad

1eve 1). With general info on home study. $5.95

PHILOSOPHY AND THE YOUNG CHILD, Gareth

Matthews. #21. A phl losopher shows us, from

charming.examples, how much important meaning

lS ln chlldren's questions and remarks. $3.95

THE SELF-RESPECTING CHILD, Allison Stalli­

brass. Rl. One of the best books about the

growth and learning of very young children . A

must for day-care center and nursery related

people. British edition. $5.95

SHOULD I TEACH MY KI DS AT HOME? A workbook for

parents, Kate Kerman. #38. Thls book shou ld

make many new friends for home schoo ling, per­

suade many people to undertake it, and help

many of those who do undertake it, to do it

better. $4.50

SOCIETY, STATE, AND SCHOOLS, Calvin Center.

The rellglous, phllosophlcal, and legal issues

ralsed by compulsory schoo ling. $9.95

*TEN SATs, The College Board, ed. #45. The

actual and complete test s plus advice on how

to prepare for them. $8.95

TOTTO CHAN: THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE WINDOW, Tet­

suko Kutoyanagl. #31. Dellghtful story of an

irrepressible litt le Japanese girl (the

author) in a schoo l run by a wonderful

teacher. Best-seller in Japan. $4.50

WALLY'S STORIES, Viv ian Paley. #39 . A brash 5­ year-o ld lnvelgles his kindergarten class into

creating and acting out stories. Perceptive,

charmlng, and revealing. Hardcover. $12.95.

THE WAY IT SPOZED TO BE, James Herndon. #5 & 6. Osed coples of t hlS out-of-print classic about a teacher's struggles in a difficult school. Funny and important. $3.00 YOUNG CHILDREN, NATURAL LEARNERS. Our first GWS supplement lS letters from parents of children (from birth to 6) and various articles about how learning goes on before school. $2.00

FILM

"We Have To Call It School". By Peggy Hughes.

About the Ny Lllle Skole (New Little Schoo l ) in Denmark. A vivid, touching, and true film portraH of children in a meeting, living, and dOlng place. 16mm, B/W, 45 min. Please write ror-greater description. Rent: $75.00 per day of use, plus UPS charges.-rurchase: $350 plus postage.

---HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

*GEOGRAPHIC JIGSAW PUZZLES. Besides being wei I-made (the cuts between the pieces are so accurate you can barely see them), these are a pleasure to work with. A good way to learn the shapes and relative positions of the various continents, countries, provinces, and states that make up the world map. All puzzles are 9x12" except the US which is 14x19". United States, 51 pieces, $27. Canada, 14 pieces, $15 . North America, 13 pc., $14. South Amer­ ica, 13 pc., $14. Europe, 27 pc., $18. Africa, 36 pc., $19. Asia, 24 pc., $16. Set of 5 continents, $73. The World, 14 pc., $14.

GIVING UP THE GUN, Noel Perrin. #3 1. The astonlshlng story of how the Japanese, having developed firearms by the year 1600, then gave them up for almost 300 years. $6.95 GOODE'S WORLD ATLAS, Rand McNally. #22 . Over 200 pages of beautlfully colored maps showing towns, roads, mountains, climates, population, etc. Wonderful to browse through. $16.95 HIROSHIMA, John Hersey. #18. Matter-of-fact re­ port of the devastation and horror following the bomblng of Hlroshlma, and the survivors' courage. This important book makes you grasp the real tragedy of nuclear warfare. $2.75 PENGUIN ATLAS OF MEDIEVAL HISTORY, Colin McEvedy. #27 . 3d maps show Shlfts in power, trade, and religion from 372 to 1478 A.D. Un­ usual portraya l of the "Dark Ages." $5.95 *THIS IS THE WAY IT USED TO BE IN THE EARLY 1900 ' s, MarJorle Kahl Lawrence. #43. A dellght­ ~ample of a kind of history we like: a book about how ordinary people lived their daily lives. The author writes as if telling these true stories to children, which makes the book ideal for reading aloud. $4.50 FACTS AND SCIENCE

ALL NEW DINOSAURS, R. Long & S. Welles. #31. A hundred or more dinosaur pictures to color in with much information about their lives. $2.95 THE AMATEUR NATURALIST'S HANDBOOK, Vinson Brown. #33 . An expanded and revlsed classic.

Make the outdoors your classroom! $9.95 ASIMOV ON PHYSICS, Isaac Asimov. #20 . Delight­ ful essays on many aspects of physics by this famous popularizer of science, who shares his wonder and excitement - and knowledge. $3.95 BEGINNLNG DICTIONARY, Scott-Foresman. #15. By far the best Chl Idren's dictionary I have seen: clear, sensibly organized, handsomely printed, richly illustrated. A pleasure to look at and to use. Hardbound. $17.95 BLOOD AND GUTS, Linda Allison. #2 1. Same ser­ les as I HATE MATH! Lots of suggested activi­ tles to get acquainted with your own body: muscles, lungs, heart, eyes. brain, etc .. $6.95 CASTLE, David Macaulay. #14 . A beautifully TTTUStrated book about how medieval castles were built, lived in, and defended . $6.95 CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS, Paul Hewitt. #40. Written for col lege students who want or need to know something about physics but don't plan to be scientists, and good enough for anyone who wants to understand physics. $23.95 A FIELD GUIDE TO DINOSAURS, David Lamber·t. #35. More lnformatlon than you would believe possible about hundreds of dinosaurs. THE book to turn to. Many drawings. $8.95 ­

*FOUR SEASON GARDENING, Sherrie and Norm Lee. #44 . Thls lS lssue 45 of the Homesteaders News, and it is also the shortest, simplest, most practical manual about intensive (doub1e­ dug, raised bed) gardening we've seen. As Norm says, "Forget the myth that gardens grow only in warm seasons. You can pick some 2 dozen crops fresh from your garden in January.

That' s in the northern states, U.S.A." $2.00 GARRETT WADE TOOL CATALOG. #22 . The lovely ll l ustratlons &photos l n this fat catalog are like those in expensive art books. A pleasure to look through, besides having much good info on using tools . $3.00 KON-TIKI, Thor Heyerdahl. #16 . Exciting, fasci­ natlng, and funny story of how (and why) six men sailed across the Pacific on a sma ll balsa raft. A great true adventure. $2.95 LIVES OF A CELL, Lewis Thomas . #14. Short, Wltty, and surprising essays about the mystery of life and the strange ways of living creatures. $3.95 MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE INDIANS OF THE SOUTH ­ WEST, Dutton &Olln. #38. Many fas clnatl ng stories and plenty of Indian art for children to color in. $2.95 NOMADIC FURNITURE, J. Hennessey & V. Papanek. #30. Plctures and plans of many kinds of furn­ iture that are easy and cheap to build, and easy to take apart and take with you if you have to move. $9.95 OXFORD PICTURE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN ENGLI SH, Parnwell. #17. Plctures of 2000 everyday objects with their names printed below them.

Designed for people learning English as a new language, but very useful and exciting for any beginning reader. $3.95 PHYSI CS EXPERIMENTS . FOR CHILDREN, Muriel Man­ de ll . #15. Many slmple expenments about air, water, heat, 1ight, sound, etc, us i ng common household objects. $2.50 POWERS OF TEN - On The Relative Sizes of Thlngs ln the Unlverse, Phl I & Phyl lS Mor­ rlson . #37. The most lnteresting, imaginative, far-reaching, mind-stretching book on sc ience we have seen . Great color photos ; hardcover. $29.95 *REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS: A Golden Nature GUlde, Howard Zlm. #44. Thls has plctures, text and range maps all on the same page. It's illustrations a1 50 show the animal against a natural background, providing valuable infor­ mation about the way the anima l behaves, eats, lives and so on. It covers all of North America, and inc l udes advice on the best way to catch and care for the animals. $2.95 REVERENCE FOR WOOD, Eric Sloane. #18. The im­ portance of wood and trees in American history back to the early settlers. Tools, techniques, uses of different kinds of wood. Many i 11us­ tration s. $5 . 95 A SAMPLER OF LIFESTYLES, Mary Bakke. #40 . A record of women and men in pre-1800 New England collected from diaries, documents, newspapers, etc. that bring to light some interesting and surprising things. $6.95 A SAND COUNTY ALMANAC, A1do Leopold. #32. A natural 1St ' S dlary - a pl ea to cherish the wildlife around us, on which we all depend. A classic of eco l ogy. $2.75 SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS YOU CAN EAT, Vicki Cobb. #26. Learn about crysta ls, col l oids, microbes, and more, by cooking real food . Easy directions, common ingredients. $4.95 SMITH AND HAWKEN'S CATALOG OF GARDENING TOOLS. #40. Fun to look at and from whlch you may learn some useful things about gardening - you may also want to purchase some of their fine tools. $1.00 SPOTTER'S HANDBOOK: Flowers, Trees & Birds of North Amen ca, Ml chae I Ruggen o. #33. Idenb fy the wlld llfe in your neighborhood and on trips with this colorful pocket-size guide - a natur­ al introduct i on to science. $3.95

SQUARE-FOOT GARDENING, Mel Bartholomew. #41. ~y tOllowlng thlS very simple method, anyone with a 4'x4' space, even in the house (under lights) or on a roof or patio, can have a prod­ uctive garden. $11.95 THE STARS, H.A. Rey. #38 . Published in 1952, lt has been in print ever since, and deserves to be . Informative, friendly, and very under­ standable, astronomy is made accessible to all. $8.95 UNDERGROUND, Macaulay. #14. A beautiful book about what lies under city buildings and streets, and how it got there. Amazing pen and ink illustrations. $5.95 USING A LAW LIBRARY, published by HALT, a legal reform organlzation. #38 . Anyone wanting to do legal research on any subject, and par­ ticularly home sChoolers who may face court action, should not be without it. $5.00

ci ties would not be desirable or even possible. $3.95

FOOD FIRST, Lappe &Collins. #2 6. The real reasons why people allover the world are starvi ng; why our aid programs make thi s worse; and what we could do. $3.95 GOOD WORK, E.F. Schumacher. #11. His last bOOk, about imaginative, practical, smal1­ scale ways people can work to reduce poverty and suffering in the world. $5.95 IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE: Lessons From Amerlca's Best Run Companles, Waterman and Peters. #42. A rlch mlne of arguments against most co nventional practices of school, especially their main thesis: if you treat people as human beings rather than as replace­ able c09s in a big machine, you get better results. $8.95 MUDDLING TOWARDS FRUGALITY, Warren Johnson. #18. How our soc lety lS Changing to live with­ in its natural means, and why these haphazard MATH changes are the best and only way to go. Con­ vincing and comforting. $3.95 AHA! INSIGHT, Martin Gardner. #19. Dozens of braln-teasers with the answers clearly dis­ PAPER MONEY, Adam Smith. #27 . A warm, witty, cussed. Gives you first-hand experience at cre­ wel l-wntten explanation of inflation, the ative mathemati ca l thinking. $9.95 energy crisis, and housing market. $3.95 ARITHMETIC MADE SIMPLE, Spe rling & Levi so n.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL, E.F. Schumacher. Why small #15. The tradltlonal arithmetic curricu lum for human enterprlses are more efficient and hu­ Grades 1-8 all in a si ngl e book, with exer­ mane than big ones. $3.95 cises and answers. Why pay more? $4.95 SMALL IS POSSIBLE, George McRobie. #28 . How we *ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA, Harold Jacobs. #44. ca n and are maklng human organizations and Reader-frlendly, thi s textbook defuses algebra societies that work in harmony with nature and terror and exp 1a ins math in such a >Iay that with true human needs. $5.95 you can browse through, looking for things STEADY STATE ECONOMICS, Herman Daly. #12. This that interest you, entering into the subject serlOUS thoug h c lear and readable text shows at different place s, instead of feeling you how a conserv ing, stable economy could work. must plow grimly along in a straigh t line, Demolishes argume nts against it. $9.95 "understanding" everything perfectly before you can look at anything new. $17.95 THEORY Z, William Ouc hi. #28. How to bring the best elements of Japanese business management HOW TO LIE WITH STATISTICS , Darrel Huff. #16. to America. Shows clearly that what we take We are surrounded by mlsleading figures and for granted in an industrial society is not graphs; this book shows you how to spot them. necessarily so. $2.95 Entertaining, easy to read - and vitally important. $1.95 THE I HATE MATHEMATI CS' BOOK, Marilyn Burns.

FOR A CHANGING WORLD #13. Lots of ldeas relatlng real math to the real world. Cartoons, jokes, activities. Infor­ mal and fun, for children and adults. $6.95 DRIVE IT TILL IT DROPS, Joe Troise. #39.

That' s one plece of advice this mechanic THE LADY OR THE TIGER? AND OTHER LOGIC gives. How to own and run a car with the least POZZLES, Raymond Smullyan. #35. An enter­ possible trouble and expense. $4.95 talnlng series of paradoxes, brain twisters and more - all related to important concepts GUIDE TO HOME ENERGY, Mother Earth News. #18. of mathematical theory. $13 . 95 Valuable artlcles on bio-gas plants, wood­ stovl!s, trees, solar & wind energy, etc. In­ MATHEMATICIAN'S DELIGHT, W.W. Sawyer. #19. credi ble bargain. $3.95 Readable, senslble lntroducti on to the true spirit of mathematics, as opposed to school *MAN'S SEA RCH FOR MEANING, Dr. Viktor Frankl. drudgery. Includes explanations of such topics #45. After 3 grlm years at Auschwitz, this psy­ as calculus and trig . Many diagrams. $4.25 chiatr ist gained his freedom only to learn that almost his entire family had been wiped­ MATHEMATICS: A HUMAN ENDEAVOR, 2nd Ed., Harold out. But during, and indeed partly because of, Jacobs . #31 . Our favorlte book about not just those harrowing years, he developed his famous the techniques but the sp irit and beauty of theory of l ogothe rapy. $3.95 math, for chi ldren or non-expert adults. More than just a superb te xtbook. $18.95 OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY, Stanley Milgram. #13. frlghtenlng eV ldence, based on well-known ex­ MATHPLOTS 2, K. Kerman . #38 . Written out of periments by this Yale professor, of people's her home-schooling experiences, this book is willingness to inflict pain under orders. $4.95 packed with interesting and practical ideas and rare common sense. $3.50 OUR VANISHING LANDSCAPE, Eric Sloane. #27 . The SURVIVAL MATHEMATI CS, Williams & Cohen. #42. A author of DIARY OF AN EARLY AMERICAN BOY and REVERENCE FOR WOOD takes a loving look at the math book that shows you, by photographs of buildings, tools, and land of ear l ier days. different kinds of legal and financial docu­ $4.95 ments, how numbers are actually used in daily life. It makes arithmetic much more real and SHADOW WOR K, Ivan I11ich. #22. How the modern helpful. $7.95 lndustrlal world has replaced productive work with a kind that produces nothing, not even money - yet is sti ll comp ulsory. $5.95 ECONOMICS WEAP ONS AND HOPE, Freeman Dyson. The most orig­ lnal, reallstlc and helpful book that has been CITIES AND THE WEALTH OF NATIONS, Jane Jacobs. written about the prob lem of war and nuclear #42, 44. A bold, refreshlng, and wholly uncon­ weapons in many years. A must for all con­ ventional book about how cities contribute to cerned with peace. $10.95 economic growth and health. One of the best *********************************************** books about economics . $4.95 "We got our violin and we're thrilled with it.

ECONOMY OF CITIES, Jane Jacobs. #9. Why cities The tone is beautiful." began, how they work, and why a world without -Mary Stone (OR)

6

HEALTH

ANATOMY OF AN ILLNESS, Norman Cousins. #13. A layman, dYlng of an "incurable" disease, chal­ lenges the medical establishment's advice and wins. $6 .95 CANCER AND VITAMIN C, Linus Pauling. #40 . One of the most lnteresting and understandable books on a scientific topic ever written. It should take some of the mystery and terror of what has become a "Black Plague" of our time. $5 . 95 CONFESSIONS OF A MEDICAL HERETIC, Robert Men­ delsohn. #38. Why you should be extremely skep­ tical of doctors, hospita ls, and modern medi­ cine, and what to do instead. By an experi ­ enced physician. $3.95 HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY CHILD ... IN SPITE OF YOUR DOCTOR, R. Mendelsohn, M.D. #4 1. How to take advantage of necessary available medical care, and mostly how to avoid common practices that can be harmful. $13.95 *WHOLE FOODS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, Roberta Johnson. #44 . 900 reClpes contrlbuted by La Leche League members from allover the world.

Simple and time - saving family meals for anyone interested in whole foods cooking. $10.95 WORMS EAT MY GARBAGE, Mary Appelhof. #40 .

Tel Is how you can use worms to eat your organ­ ic garbage and convert it into the most fer­ tile of all growing mediums. $6.95 BIOGRAPHY

ANNE FRANK: The Diary of a Young Girl, #20.

Famous Journal of a glrl hldlng wlth her family from the Nazis in World War II, reveal­ ing the strength and patience she developed in the midst of dangers. $2 . 95 BLACK FOREMOTHERS, Dorothy Sterling. #36.

Brlngs allve three heroic women whose stories, in the words of Margaret Walker, "every woman, man, and child should know." $6.95 DIARY OF AN EARLY AMERICAN BOY, Eric Sloane . #13. True story of a year ln the life of a boy on a small farm in the early 1800's. Many beau­ tiful pen and ink drawings. Good companion to the Wilder books. $5.95 HELEN KELLER, the Graffs. #15 . Story of a woman born deaf and blind, and the teacher who gave her words to learn about the world . For younger readers. $1.95 THE MAN WHO PLANTED HOPE AND GREW HAPPINESS, Jean Glorno. #30. A slng le shepherd, plantlng trees by hand, changes the ecology of an entire region and enriches the live s of hun­ dreds of people. $2.00 MARTIN LUTHER KING, Ed Clayton. #18. The life of a great and hlstory-making American, simply and directly told for young readers . With many penci 1 ill ustrati ons. $1. 95 MY CHILDHOOD, Carl Nielsen. #34. Imported from Denmark, thlS is a beautiful memoir of the great Danish composer. $5 .95 SELF-PORTRAIT: TRINA SCHART HYMAN, T.S. Hyman. #30. An arbst's story of her I1fe, illus­ trated with her own lively paintings. $8.95 WOMEN OF THE WEST, Cathy Luchetti. #32. 11 pio­ neer women's tales (1830 -1910), to l d through their letters, diaries, and photos. $17.00 FOREIGN LANGUAGES

*BLANCHE NEIGE ET LES SE PT NAIN S. #44. Made by the French Canadlan branch of Walt Disney, this is a French-language storybook of "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs." Also included is a cassette tape with a French-speaking narrator and several actors. Every page has scenes from the cartoon movie and a page-turning signal.

An easy way to learn a new language . $5 . 98 CAPERUCITA ROJA, Hannah Hutchinson. #37.

"Llttle Red Rlding Hood" told in Spanish , with amusing cartoons. As in her other books (list­ ed below), the story is told entirely in Span­

amusing cartoons. As in her other books (list­ ed below), the story is told entirely in Span­ ish, but the pictures make so clear what is going on, and there is so much repetition of key words, that child ren will be ab l e to figure out what most of the words mean; for any you can't get, there's a Spa nish-English vocabulary in the front of the book. $2 . 95 *LOS CUATRO CANTANTES DE GUADALAJARA, H. Hutch­ inson. #44. Ihls l S a retei llng of "The 5 Musicians of Bremen," from the same series and format as CAPERUCITA ROJA. $2.95 LOS TRES OSOS, H. Hu t chinson. #35. A Spanish verSlOn of "The 3 Bears' Tale," with the same humor and format as the two above. $2.95 OXFORD PICTURE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN ENGLISH, Engllsh-Spanlsh Ed l tlon, E. Parnwell. #39. P1C­ tures of 2000 everyday objects with their names printed below them in English (in black) and Spanish (in blue). $4.50 *OXFORD PICTURE DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN ENGLisH, Engllsh-Japanese Edltlon, E. Parnwel I. #44 . Same concept as above, except with Japanese characters . Though no explan­ ation is given how to prono un ce the Japanese, it is interesting to figure out what the sym­ bols mean. An easy way to take a peek into the mental life of a culture very different from ours. $6 .95

MODERN DISPLAY ALPHABETS, Paul Ken nedy. #25.

Who says there's one correct way to make the alphabet? This collection of 100 actual type­ faces, from formal t o whimsical, will i ntrigue and inspire children of all ages. $4.00 PENTEL WATER COLORS, Box of 12. #3 7. Colorfu l, creatlve, non-toxlC paints in tubes. $3.50 (Inc . post.)

PRINTING KIT, #36. Contains a rubber type alphabet, tweezer s and ink-pad. A great way t o learn spelling and design. $11.00 (Inc. post.)

Extra-large letters for small hands: $21 . 00 *QUADRO CONSTRUCTION SETS. #44. Each set con­ talns dlfferent lengths of plastic pipes and a large variety of corner pieces, plus square panels that can be inserted t~ create walls, floors, slides, seats, etc. The f ini shed models wi ll support up to 220 lbs. The sets come with instructions for building all sorts of structures: houses, slides, para llel bars, tunnels, shelves, tables and chairs, beds; all kinds of climbi ng stru ct ures and frames.

Prices below include UPS charges.

ART AND MATERIALS

ALPHABET ART, Leonard Fisher. r3 7. 13 alpha­ bets used ln the world today, beautifully drawn and interest i ngly described. $10.95 CRAY-PAS. #16. You and your children will love the brllliance and versatility of the se pastel crayons. Much more colorful and sa ti sfying than ordinary crayons . Box of 12: $2.50. Box of 24: $3 . 50. (All prices inc l ude post.)

THE DOLL BOOK, Karin Ne ush utz . #33. Wonderful lnslghts on children's play and the importance of simple toys, and how to make a number of dolls . By a child psychologist & mother . $8 .95 DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN, Betty Edwards. #T7. Why most peop le flnd l t hard to draw accurately, and how you can quickly learn a better approach. We've tried some of the sug­ gestions, and they work! $9.95 FACES OF GREECE: A Permanent Calendar , M. & J. saddoway. #38. Want to flnd out what day of the week you were born on? What day of the week Christmas will be on ten years from now?

Thi s calendar will tell you. Many children with a mathematical or scien tifi c bent will love this. The wonderful photos of Greece are alone worth the price of the calendar. 5!" W x 11" L. $3 . 50 FINE POINT COLOR FELT PENS, #38. Artists call these the best medla for the unskilled; points that stay firm, vivid co lor s , snug -fitting caps, a wallet-like holder . These handsome sets will invite much use. Set of 12 colors: $6.00 . Set of 24: $12 .00 *GOOD IMPRESSIONS CATALOG. #43. A terrific collectlon of rubber stam ps that can be used to personalize and embellish correspondence, labels, memos, etc . or to illustrate work created with our Print Kit (see below). $2.00 THE GRAPHIC WORK OF M.C. ESCHER . #16 . Collec­ tlon of beautlful and extraordlnary prints, de­ servedly famous. Impossible buildings, tricks of perspective, interlocking crea ture s. Introd­ uctory notes by Escher. $10.95 THE GREAT COMPOSER CALENDAR. A 1985 calendar, ln ful I co lor. Has a falrly easy musical con­ test with prizes. $6.95 INDIVIDUAL CHALK BOARD. #37 . No frills, kid Slze - 9i by 13, durable, long lasting, excel­ lent for use in math, handwriting, spelling, language, and drawi ng. $3.50 (includes postage) MAKING THINGS: The Handbook of Creative Dis­ covery. Ann Wlseman. #38. Over 100 craf t pro­ ~for children, many which can be done with materials and tools that are around the hou se . Plenty of drawings and well-written directions. $7.95

Starter Kit, 74 pieces Junior Kit, 110 pieces Univer sa l Kit, 133 pcs.

Wheel Kit, 1 pair

$127.00

$179 .00

$239 .00

$59 .00

MUSIC

BEST LOVED SONGS OF AMERICAN PEOPLE, Denis Agay. #30. Near ly 200 famous bal lads, spir ­ ituals, folk and show tunes, with piano accom­ paniment and guitar chords. Wonderful co l­ lection. $11.95 A COLORING BOOK OF COMPOSERS, David Brownell. #28. A co llectlon of very lnteresting and in­ formative short biographies of a number of fa­ mous composers, each one with a black and white portrait or sketch of the composer. Vol. 1: $?95 Vol. 2: $3.50 CONCISE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF MUSIC, Michael kennedy. #33. Thousands of lnteresting fac t s about music in one very readable volume . $12.95 FOR CHILDREN, Bela Bartok. #41. A collection of pleces, at first very simple but becoming more difficult, written for beginning pianists by one of the great 20th century pianists and composers. Fascinating music. Vol. 1 $4.25 HOW TO PLAY THE PIANO DESPITE YEARS OF LESSONS, Cannel &Marx. #21. Common sense & ~hat will banish anxiety over making music . Simp le techniques for playing popular songs. Enormously encouraging - for beginners, too. Hardcover. $17.95 MIKROKOSMOS, Bela Bartok. Advanced studies for those who have mastered the FOR CHILDREN reper­ t oire. $4.25 MRS. STEWART'S PIANO LESSON: 25 Lessons for Be­ glnners. #2 1. The most senslb le, loglca l and easy lntroduction to piano playing I've seen.

Can be usefully combined with Suzuki in­ struction. Book 1 ("Lessons"): $8.95 Book 2 ("Reader" ): $8.95 THE NUTCRACKER, Warren Chappell. #33 . Picture book based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffman.

With themes from the music by Tschaikovsky.

Beautiful illustrations. $5.95 PETER AND THE WOLF, Warren Chappell. #3 3.

Another plcture book, with themes from the music by Serge Prokofieff . $5.95 READ BY EAR - An All-In-One Recorder Book, Rlchard Perry . #39. An exce llent beglnner's

lnstruction book for all recorder s with a SU l uki approach. $3.95 STE~ART PRE-SCHOOL PIANO . #31. Stewart piano for the pre-school chl Id - with clear and prac­ tical advice for teachers.

STUDENT BOOK: $4.50

1EACHER' S BOOK $4.50

SUZUKI MUSIC BOOKS. #32, 37. The first books In the world famous Suzuki teaching method.

See "Record" section as well.

SUZUKI VIOLIN, Vol. 1 $5.25

SUZUKI VIOLIN , Vol. 2 $5 .00

SUZUKI PIANO, Vol . 1 $5.95

$5.95

SUZUKI PIANO, Vol. 2 SUZUKI CE LLO, Vol. 1 $5.95

~OMAN COMPOSERS, Bellerophon. #38. From the t·hddle Ages to today. A coloring book with de­ lightfully told stories by a renowned soprano. $3.50 THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO PLAYING THE PIANO, Sldney Harrlson. #35. "The flrst thlng lS to fa ll in love with the piano .. . " Fascinating in­ sig hts on studying, playing, and performing. $5 .95 INSTRUMENTS

AULOS RECORDER. #33, 38. Sturdy plastic & easy to learn. Comes with its own bag, cleaning rod and fingering chart. (Price includes postage.)

50PRANINO RECORDER $9 cOPRANO RECORDER $10 AL TO RECORDER $15 CELLOS. #40. Inexpensive but with surprisingly gooa-sound , these are perfect for growing children. Price includes fine tuners, bow, case, rosin, and postage.

1/ 10 or 1/ 8 $379.50 1/ 4 or 1/ 2 $399.50 3/ 4 or 4/ 4 $429,50 HEARING PROTECTORS . #39. These do not give abso lute sll ence, but cut down noise (by 20 decibels) well enough to ta ke a nap in a noisy house, work with loud groups of chi l dren, etc.

Not eleg ant, airport worker s wear them, but they are effective. $16.00 (Inc. post.)

KOLSTEINS VIOLIN AND CEL LO ROSIN . #40. The best r OSln for maklng your plaYlng easier and better sounding. $6.95 PIANICA. #33. A combinati on of a piano and har­ ~ You can control dynamics and intona­ tion with your breath while playing as many notes as your fingers can hit at once or indi ­ vidually. Durable, 32 key instrumen t with case. $49.95 (Includes post.)

PITCH PIPES. #39. We have three types: the Chromatlc pitch pipe contains all the notes from "C to C," which makes it especially good for sight - singing. The other two are smaller and give the pitches for tuning a violin (A-G­ O-E) and Span i sh guitar (E -G-A-B-D -E ) .

CHROMATIC WINOTE SEL ECTOR $9 .40 VIOLIN $5.00 SPANISH GUITAR $5.50 SEIKO ELECTRONI C MET"RONOME. #33. This pocket­ Slze devlce glves a beep and / or flash of light anywhere from 40 to 208 times per minute. It can als o be set to give a different tone or flash for the first beat of two (or 3, 4, 5, or 6). Very helpful in le arning music with tricky rhythms. Comes with 9 v. battery. $69.50 (Inc. post.)

VIOLINS. #37. These ins truments, made in ~don't l ook very elegant but sound as good as much more expensive instruments. Excel­ 1ent for begi nners, t',ey come with bow, fi ne tuners, chin-rest, case, and rosin. 4/ 4 & 3/ 4 sizes cos t $11 0; 1/ 2 and 1/ 4 size are $100.00.

Shoulder Pads: $7.50 (All prices inc. post.)

music book. 2 record set , $19 .96 THE JOHN PAYNE MUSIC CENTER STUDENT SAXOPHONE CHOIR. #43. A studlo -recorded 45, featurlng over-30 student saxo phone players backed by John Payne's professional quartet. 20's Big Band is represented by Bennie Moten's "South" on side 1; the f li p side features a sax choir origina l. Inspiring proof that anyo ne, of what­ ever age, is capab l e of making music . $3.00 *KOKKONEN 4th SYMPHONY, performed by the Fi n­ nlsh Radl o Orch. under Okko Kamu. #43 . A beau­ tiful and original work by Finland's greates t living composer . Also includes hi s 2nd Sym­ phony, less outstanding but stil l interesti ng. $1 1.98 PLATERO AND I . #39 . The story of a little Span­ l sh boy and his pet burr o, sensitively to ld by Ray Sealey, accompanied by two very talented teenage guitarists. $11.50 *RESPIGHI / MAHLER / BIZET, performed by the Great­ er Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, under Eiji Oue. #43. The GBYSO, one of our finest youth orchestras, here plays fine performances of "Pines of Rome" by Respighi, "Symphony 11" by Mahler, and "Carmen Suite #1" by Bizet. A two record set. $15.00 *Schwantner's NEW MORNING FOR THE WORLD, per­ formed by the Eastman phl Iharmonla under David Effron. #45. A powerful new piece for orches­ tra and speaker on texts by Martin Luther King. On side 2, Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" and Walker's "Eastman Overture." $8 . 98 SUZUKI RECORDS . #32, 37. The music that goes wlth the Suzuki le sso n books.

512 . 00 CELLO SC HOOL PIANO FAVORITES (C assette tape only) $15. 98 VIOLIN VARIETIES(Cassette tape only) $15.98 TAPIOLA CHILDREN ' S CHOIR . #30, 31. Almost un­ bellevably beautlful slnging by one of the greatest choruses (chi ld or adult) in the world. $9.95 SOUNDS OF FINLAND CHRISTMAS MUSIC $9.95

FOR CHILDR EN, Bela Bartok. #43. The so ng s are performed by the famous Hungar ian pianist Zol­ tan Kocsis, an expert on Bartok's music, in the same order in which they appear in the

Constitu ti onal Ba sis of Home Schooling , by John Ho l t. Statement

on parents rIght to control theIr chlldren's education . legal

arguments useful when dea ling with courts and officials. S2.OO

GWS INDEX FOR ISSUES I I -3D, R. Solem . All subject listings give

Issue, page, and co lumn f or locating your inf ormation quickly .

S2.50 Issues 31-4 4 : S2.S0

Home Sl.hooling Resource lis t. Up- t o-date addrE'SS l i st of

correspondence schoo l s and mater ia l s, private schools enrolling

home study students, and national and local home-schooling

organizati ons. SI.OO

KAHN FAMil Y HOM[ SCHOOL PROPOSAl. An excellent, and successful,

homeschool proposal to a school district. Another useful model

for all pa r ents. S4 .00

lEARNING MATERIAL S liST. Addresses of over 150 sou rces for booh, games, l'Iagaz1nes, products, organizations , E'tc. Ho st were recommended in GWS. Includes supplles f or art, computers, languages, math, music . science , wr iting. Updated regularl y.

S2.OO letter t o Schools. A famlly's successfu l home sc hoo ling

proposa l . Ouoted in Issue '12 of GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING as a

good mode l. Includes legal r eferences. SI .OO

fla ss. ~lemo. Written by the l ega l counse l for the Ma ssachuse tt s

rrepr.--orrducation, for school officials. Discusses what

procE'dures and standllrds must be used i n cons ider i ng home

education. S1. 00

MOTHER [ARIH NEWS, Issue 64, 1980. The complete issue con­

talnlng Nleach Your Own Children . .. At Home,- a six page Inter­

view with John Holt. Co lor pho t os. The laS-page magazine also

includes many articles on r aising food , buildi ng shelters , etc.

S3.00

MOTH[R EARHl NEWS, Issue as , 1984. 140 . Con t ains John Holt· s art1cle, 50 You Want 10 Home School" and e_cerpts fr om Nancy Wallace's BETI[R THAN SCHOOL. The comp l e t e issue. S3.00 Perchem l ides v. Frizzle. Photocopy of Judge Greaney 's dec i si on 1n Rassachusetts Superlor Court favoring home education. Has been called "the most thorough and well-reasoned decision on this issue to date in HA or any other state." S2.OO · SPEAKERS BUREAU. A listing of people willing t o travel and

address audlE'nces regard1ng all aspects of horneschooling. 8rief

biographlCal descriptions, fees, and areas of expertise are

not ed. Include a SASE t o receive thIS for FREE.

Statement to Minneso t a Legisl ature. Joh n Ho lt's testimony

before the leg1s laf, ve COIIITll ttE'e considE'r ing Changing the home

education laws. S2.00

SURVEY OF WASHINGTON STATE HOHESCHOOL[RS, Jon and Wendy Wartes.

Ih ls survey, made l or the use of legIs l ators, Is not on ly a

splendld pIece of research but perhaps the bes t portrait of

homeschoolers yet in print. Should be a model for many other

s tates. S7. 00

WHO OO[S WHAT WHEN, KatE' Kerman . An e_cel le nt guide to curricu­

lum p la nnIng and record keepi ng in the home schoo l. S2.50

REPRINTS

A set of repr1 nt s tone of each) is S1.50.

TAPES HOME SCHOOLING AT THE HOMESTEADER'S GE1 1OG(TH( R. '29. Oelight­

4

f u ll y In f orma l and WIde-rangIng

d1!.CuS!.lon~

at the home school ­

ing workshops of the 1982 Homesteader's flews Good life Ge t­

Toget her. You wi l l feel you ar e there. Vol. 1-3, \6 pe r

c assette. 60 min, each.

' JOHN HOll '5 1983 INTERVIEW. '44, Covers much ground,

including: how JR came to his ide" .. about children and l earn­

ing; why wa s the free schoo l movement not more success ful; what

about hO/lleschoolers & socialization; how and can schools co­

operate with homeschoole r s; etc. 60 min. cassette, \6.

JOHN HOLT AND CULO Al HOH[. John invites us to Joi n him for an

everllng 50 pract,ce, durIng which he plays the cello and t ll lks

about it and the music he is playing. 60 min. cassette , S6.

JOHN HOLT'S IN TERVIEW IN ENGLAND. 128. John Ho lt discusses a

WIde vanety of subjects relatIng to ch ildren, learning,

schools and their problems, education and its true social pur­

poses, youth violence, and home SChooling. voh. 1-3 , S6 per

casse tte, 60 min. each .

JOHN HOLT TALKS TO SWEDI SH TEACHERS . 128. A speech in Gothen­ burg, plus answers to queshons, about how children really l earn and how we can bes t help them. 60 min. cassette, S6.

JUKE STRI NG BAND. 141. An exciting and beautifu l co ll ection of

blues, cou ntry , and jazz music, made in the 60's by some

astonishingly t a l ented high sc hool students whom I had the good

luck to be t eaC hing. Mar velous music! 60 min. cassette, \6.

PAT FARENGA PLAYS IN PUBLIC! 138. Side 1 features Pat, our Ranaglng [ d,tor, on hIS fI rst night as a member of the John Payne Mus ic Center Student Saxophone Choir. Side 2 features a small enselilble wHh Pat and Steve (our Subscription Manager) making their pub l ic debut in a Cambndge juz c lub . 90lllin. cassette, SB, ·ROSS CAMPBU L PLAYS SWEDISH FOLK VIOLIN, 144. The music i tself

is fa sc1 na t1ng, more somber or mournful i n f ee ling than mos t of

our fi dd l e music, and expertl y played by our former co lleague .

60 min. cassette, $6.

UNIVERSAL MUSICAL FAMilY. I2B . Darlene and Steve Lester and

theIr boys Nathan (101, Eli (7), and Damien (3) , play and sing

a. delightful and beautiful collection of origi nal songs ,

1O¢ EACH (1-2 pages): • "Why Teachers Fail," by John Holt; The Progressive, 4/84.

• "Home-Schooler at Harvard," on Grant Co lfax : arbcles frOftl

GWS I)S & 36.

• "How Ch i ldren lellrn - Rev i sed Ed . , " a review by Susannah

Sheffer in P.E.N.C.I.l.

• "Same 'cure~ schools" and "Home Schoo l in g let s a

~~;~rs mlnd grow." Twn articles by John Hol t i n USA Today,

• ~Unschooling - A learn-As-You-Go Expe ri ment" by Nancy Mullin,

Chr istian Science Monitor.

a~~r~G~~:~~! w~~~~:f S~~oo~~n~c~o~~~t~!rJ~~~w~~!~t ~~ ~;wO~~~~

s Richoux in [ducat ion Network News.

• "First Bost on f am1 1y and Successful Curricul um" by lynn

Kapplow, GWS 127.

• "legis lati ve Proposal" by Joh n Holt. GWS 130.

• "Joh n Holt on GROWING WITHOUt SCHOOLI NG " fr om Radcliffe

II~o a~~y~~~~ I ~~e~a~~~ ~~;!~! ~:~,,, r E' viewonrorr 's • " Imagining the Future - Ihe LearnIng Society" by John Holt in

Christ ian Science Mon itor; and "Holt Replies," II letter on

pun1shment In Br ll!sh schools.

• "Though ts on Counting" by John Holt.

• "Sens ible Phonics," GWS 17 , and "Spelling Self Test ," GWS 113 . By John Holt.

• "Excerpt s f r om INSTEAD OF EOUCATI ON" by John Holt.

?R£UOM

IS¢ EACH (4 pages): • "Schools & Home-Schoole r s - A Fruitful Partnership" by John

Holt in Phi Delta Kappan.

• "To the Rescue, reVlew by John Holt of George Dennison's

LIVES OF CHILDREN.

• "Big 8ird Meet Dick and Jane," by John Holt. A critique of

Sesame StreE't.

• "ThE' Cuteness SyndrOllle," excerpt frOll1 ESCAPE FROM CHIL DHOOD

by John Holt.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN QUANTITY: • "John Holt's Book and Music St ore Ca tal og , " S/SI. • "What i s GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOllHG?" 20/SI.

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING

including Oanllen's unforgettable version of "HOllIe on The

Range." 60 min . cassette, S6.

WAllACE FAMILY CONCERT. 12g. Nancy and Bob Wallace and the ir

Ishmael \ to) and Vita (1) play piano, ce ll o, viola,

violin, and SIng in a conce r t of classica l music , at al l l evels

from ski llful (Ishmae l ) t o just beginning tBob). A delightful

fiW11i ly portrait. 60 min. cllssette, S6.

JOHN HOLT'S WR itER'S WORKSHOP. I2g. John Ho 1t and a group of

peop l e at the 19u2 Homesteader's Get-Together talk abou t

writing and how to do it better. Voh. I & 2, 60 min. cassette,

S6 each.

ctn fdre n

SPECIAL OFFER! Buy any three tape s for SS.OO E'ach!

RECORDS

SPECIAL DOCUMENTS

GIFT CERTIFICATES . We'll send anyone you wish our latest cat al og and our handsome gift cer­ tificate that identifies you as the gift­ giver. We can issue a gift for any amount you wish above the minimum. The minimum gift is $10 .00 plus 50¢ postage.

A bi-monthly magazine, started by John Holt in 1977. An eXChange between people who have taken or would like to take their kids out of school. What to do instead; shared i deas and experiences; legal information; a directory of "unschoolers"; many other helpfu l ideas and re­ sources. Back issues available. Single issue, $2.50. Subscription: $15 for 6 issues, $27 for 12 issues, or $36 for 18 issues. Group sub­ scriptions avai lable .

If you'd like more information about our

violins, Quad ro sets, or anything els e in our

catalog, please send a se lf-addressed stamped

envelope with your request and we'll promptly

reply. For complete book reviews, see p. 8.

8

Holt Associates 729 Boylston St. Boston, MA 02116

BULK RATE U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 59100 Boston, Mass.

This catalog contains our most recent books for the whole family's enjoyment. Many of our books come from Europe, others from American small presses, so most of our books are un ­ available in local stores. These books are for everyone concer ned with l earning and growing in our society.

THE COMPLETE HOME EDUCATOR, by Mario Pagnoni. lhl s clear, helpful, encouraging, and often very funny book is in fact two books. One is a book about computers - how they work, how parents and chi ldren can use them at home, and how Mario Pagnoni and his two boys are using them in their home. It is by far the clearest explanation of this difficult subject that I have seen. Indeed, it is one of the best ex­ planations I have ever seen of any sc i entific subject. Mario is a superb exp l ainer - if the schools only had more people who were as good as he is at making things clear, and wh at is more important, cared as much as he does about making things clear, they would be in much better shape . ..

The other and main part of the book is about homeschooling ... Among the books that have been written about this increasingly important subject it is in one sense unique, for Mario is himself and has been for years a regular public school classroom teacher. In principle, he be l ieves in public schoo l , believes, as indeed I do, that, good or bad, they will be with us for a long time and that most chi l dren wi ll be going to them. But out of his first-hand experience he has come to believe, like many other public school teachers and administrators before him - the Spring /Summer 1985

Up to $10.00 $10.01-$19.99 $20.00-$29.99 $30.00-$39.99 $40.00-$49.99 $50.00-$74.99 $75.00 -$99.99 $100.00 and over QUANTITY

GWS T-SHIRTS

THE COMPLETE HOME EDUCATOR and how to order it 1s on page 4 of thlS catalog. This review by Joh n Ho lt is excerpted from GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #42. We'll send you a copy of any review you wish if you send us a self­ addressed stampe d envelope and 50¢ for the first review you want, 25¢ for each additional one.

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ranks of homeschoolers are full of these ­ that the schools ca nn ot possibly give his children as g.ood an education as he can give them - or rather, help them t o get for them­ se lves . His list of reasons for doing this is as good a condensed argument for homeschooling as one ca n find anywhere, and his list of ways in which parents can decide whether or not they are well-suited to do this is every bit as helpfuL . ..

I should make clear that Mario Pa gn oni is not writing here another indictment of schoo l s. Quite the contra ry; he goes out of his way to be chari tabl e to them . .. The con­ c l usion is inescapable nonetheless - the schools are to an astonishing degree unintelli­ gent and mean-spirited places, and there are no signs that th ey are goi ng to get better ...

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Item #1: Hanes 50/50 Youth T-shirt ~2/4, 6/8, 10/12, 14/16 Co l ors: Light Blue, Red, Kel ly Green . $4.75 Item #2: Hanes 50/50 Adult T-Shirt ~S, M, L, XL Colors: Light Blue, Red, Kelly Gree n. $5.25 Item #3: Hanes 100% Cot t on Youth T-Shirt ~6/8, 10/ 12, 14/16 Colors: Light Blue, Yellow. $4.75 Item #4: Hanes 100% Heavyweight Cotton Adult 'I-S'fi'1'rt Sizes: S, M, L, XL Colors: Light Blue, Yellow. $6.00

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21 CONT I NUE D FROM PAGE 12 the lives of the characters, and in order t o do it in the most realistic manner possible, I did countless hours of research in the library . To this day, courtesy of my fascination with the character of Ilya Kuryakin, I remember more Russian history than I ever could have learned in school, and because of Garrison's Gorrillas and Rat Patrol, my grasp of the caus­ es and history of the Second World War far exceeded my peers'. I read Dostoevski ' s major works before I had graduated from high school, devoured the epic RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, and oddly enough, all the re­ search I did myself for those stories I can still remember' It did more for my writing ability than anything I ever learned in school, and it gives me hope that even the apparently time-wasting things children can be­ come interested in can be vehicles of important learning . ..

REVISING ONE'S WORK From Lynne Thunderstorm (BC): .. . 1 enclose copies of two book reviews that Leaf (13) wrote . .. I had asked her if she could tell me what about the books she liked so much.

She kept saying she just plain liked them, that's all. We have been doing the WRITING THE NATURAL WAY course [GWS #39] and I asked her to try and "cluster" on these books. First, one, then the other book review just seemed to flow right out of her pen . .. She is pleased that she was able to articulate some of what she liked about the books.

A problem she has always had was rewriting. She thinks it all has to be perfect the first time around, even though she sees me write and re­ write things many times before I am satisfied . It has been the same with her artwork.

Something that has helped lately is seeing sketches and rough drafts that famous writers and artists have done. We have gotten books from the library that simply fascinated her.

For instance, the huge one called CHRISTINA'S WORLD by Betsy James Wyeth about Andrew Wyeth's involve­ ment with the real Christina. All the sketches, partially finished paint­ ings, experiments he did to come up with that famous painting' Leaf begins to believe me now, that it is better to keep on writing and drawing and working on her music and dancing than it is to haltingly search for professional perfection ...

MNEMONIC DEVICES From "Six Keys to Quicker Learn­ ing" by Patricia Skalka, reprinted in the Colorado Homeschooling Network Newsletter, 2/85: ... When I was 8 and couldn ' t spell "arithmetic," a teacher taught me a sentence that has remained locked in my mind for decades: "A rat in Tom ' s house may eat Tom's ice cream. " The first letter of each word spell "arithmetic." This technique is called mnemonics . Other first-letter mnemonics include "Homes" (the names of the great lakes - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), and "My very educated mother just served us nine pickles" (the planets in order, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) .

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

. .. In studies at Stanford Univer­ sity, students were asked to memorize 112 words. These included names of animals, items of clothing, transpor­ tation, and occupations . For one group, the words were divided into these four categories. For a second group, the words were listed at random. Those who studied the materi­ al in organized categories consistent­ ly outperformed the others, recalling two to three . times more words .. .

Tolkien. . . . Heather is scheduled to take an achievement test which is given to all 2nd graders every April . I insist­ ed on seeing a sample which arrived last week. No sweat. She is already a year or more ahead in math, many years ahead in reading, and average in spelling, etc. I suspect that in a few more years she will be 2-3 years ahead in everything, and that without much formal "schooling" going on at home. (But lots of learning, of course) . . .

ON WRITING AND SPELLING From Kris Hallberg in Illinois: ... When I ' m feeling unsure of what I ' m doing, I refer to past issues of GWS. I was thrilled to read John Holt's comments on handwriting in GWS #19 and #20. Basically he said that writing cursive is not faster or more legible than manuscript printing (in fact the reverse is true). These passages also referred to the prob­ lems of "ligatures" (where the join­ ing marks sometimes look like let­ ters). These revelations freed me from having my ll-year-old son use cursive at all.

When he began third grade, cur­ sive was demanded for all work. I went to his teacher to explain my son was not yet a competent printer, and therefore I thought he should not begin cursive . I was told cursive solves writing problems' Well, by the end of fifth grade, I hadn't seen the solution yet!

We began homeschooling this year and decided to go back to printing.

Now that eight months have gone, I'd venture to say he'll never become the White House calligrapher, but I can read most of his writing. I feel some satisfaction that my gut feelings nearly four years ago were correct, but consider all the wasted time and all the shame he endured' . ..

From Lena Eversole in Colorado: ... Laura, who is now 9, only went through kindergarten and a few months of first grade . .. She seems to invent games to teach herself, at whatever level she is . For instance, she has her dolls take spelling tests. She gives the dolls some hard words, and some words that Laura just barely knows. Spelling is not real easy for Laura, so she gives herself practice this way. Also, she arranges "Treasure Hunts" for her older sister. These hunts consist of many directions, all written on various pieces of paper. You follow the direc­ tions, which lead you to a basket or something, which has another set of directions . It culminates in some old toy hidden somewhere .. .

And from Barry Kahn (ME): . . . 1 gave Heather (8) her first typing lesson today. Showed her where to put her fingers and gave her some words to copy and away she went. She recently overcame her reluctance to write without being able to spell cor­ rectly and began "The Latch and Key Mystery," an original story. My assumption is that the combination of her constant reading and her desire to write her own stories will cause her to teach herself to spell. One year ago she was struggling with read­ ing picture books and "easy readers."

Now she reads anyt~ing . She just fin­ ished THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R .

AN INDIAN ON READING From the autobiography of Tatanga Mani, a Stoney Indian, quoted in TOUCH THE EARTH: A SELF-PORTRAIT OF INDIAN EXISTENCE: ... Oh, yes, I went to the White Man's schools. I learned to read from school books, newspapers, and the Bible. But in time I found that these were not enough. Civilized people depend too much on man-made printed pages. I turn to the Great Spirit's book which is the whole of his crea­ tion . You can read a big part of that book if you study nature. You know, if you take all your books, lay them out under the sun, and let the snow and ' rain and insects work on them for a while, there will be nothing left.

But the Great Spirit has provided you and me with an opportunity for study in nature's university, the forests, the rivers, the mountains, and the animals which include us ...

SELF·TAUGHT READERS From Patrick Burns, who heard John speak in Bozeman, Montana: ., . 1'11 never forget your thoughts on teaching children to read. You said children can learn to read quite well without being taught.

I remember the two elementary school teachers who politely told you, "No way"; I even remember thinking that was a bit odd. However, our 4-year­ old daughter is reading up a storm, and we've never tried teaching her.

We do read a lot to her, and she can't get enough. She has naturally learned to sound out words; in addi­ tion, she reads well over 300 words and is adding to that list every day.

She read to me last night, and I'm not sure who enjoyed it more ...

From an interview with Betti Ridenour, parent of seven unschooled children, published in OAK MEADOW SCHOOL's bulletin Living Education: . .. LE: What is the average age at which your children learned to read?

BR: It varied with each human.

Kelly learned at 4. Quanah is learn­ ing now, and he's 14. The others fell into the usual ranges of 6 or 7. With Courtney, I told her at 10 that I Foreign Languages Through Song & Story Now Offers

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22 wasn't going to read to her anymore because I had the babies to read to at night. She had already been taught everything she needed to know . Two weeks later she was up until midnight reading ...

June Schulte wrote in Learning

At Home, VT:

... Of our five children, three are now reading. The two oldest began reading simultaneously despite an age difference of l~ years. The third began reading at age 5~ completely on his own (we had done all of two Word Families) . ..

I have a close friend, also home­ schooling, whose son did not ~eg~h to read until he was 9~ years 01. is is a very conscientious family, avid readers, and the boy quite bright. He was also usually to be found outside exploring, though he loved to be read to. When he began reading he started with the LITTLE HOUSE series, and books at an even higher reading lev­ el. At age 10~ he reads every bit as well as, or better than, his home­ schooling counterparts who began read­ ing at a younger age . . .

HOW JULI E LEARNED TO READ Howard Richman wrote in Western

PA Homeschoolers:

... l am collecting some evidence n ow #hich could statistically demon­ strate that homeschoolers eventually beco~e good readers no matter when the y begin. In order to give my study SoalE validity I am only including :hildren who are over 6~ and have not ye l learned to read. I was going to inllude Julie Schlereth (7) in my study but when I interviewed her moth­ er at the end of March, Julie had 31re ady learned to read. Let me tell y o u Julie's story.

L ~ ke other homeschoolers, Julie has always enjoyed hearing her mother read aloud. Even when she nursed, reading aloud would soothe her. She talked and walked early. By the time Sh E was 4, she could sing the alpha­ bet song, pOint out the letters of th e alphabet, and could write her name. Beginning at age 5, she has been writ:ng letters to her aunt.

When she doesn't know a word, she asks her mother how to spell it. How­ ever, until recently she couldn't or wouldn't read any books herself.

In many areas Julie is a perfec­ tionist. She doesn't like people to se e or hear her make mistakes. When she writes letters to her aunt, she doesn't want anyone near her looking o ver her shoulder. She never sounds out a word that she wants to write because she doesn't want to misspell anything. Now that she has begun to read, she holds the book between her and her audience so that they can't see if she reads a word wrong.

While perfectionism is not always a good thing, in many areas of life it is very important. I would hate to have my heart operated upon by a surgeon who wasn't a perfection­ ist. Similarly, I always appreciate the artistry of a craftsman who is a perfectionist. Julie helped her per­ fectionlstic father build their house from plans. She became very interest­ ed in the process of making plans and .then building from them . Once, she drew up plans for a baby-doll sled .

With her dad's help she put it togeth­ er out of wood scraps and it worked.

She also once built crutches which

she proceeded to use all around the house. ... She has been on the verge of reading for several months: (1) She has known how to read lots of words .

When she was just 6 years old, she wou ld play a word card game with her mother. Her mother wrote down on cards all the words that Julie knew, then they started to make sentences using the words . Some of the senten­ ces didn't make sense, sometimes the sentences were funny . Sometimes Julie wouLd ask for a word to be put on a card because she needed it in a sen­ tence. (2) When Julie was 6~, her mother began to work with her using the McGuffey readers. They got to Les­ son 5, and then Julie refused to go on. Her mother said, "Today we must do something. Let ' s read McGuffey reader." Julie replied, "I hate those books. I'm going to throw them away."

13) When Julie was 6 and 3/4, she read her first book. It was just before Christmas and she read a very simple book, THE CHRISTMAS SANTA ALMOST MISSED by Marion Francis (A First Start Easy Reader available from TROLL ASSOCIATES, Mahway NJ) ...

She also read a Sesame Street book that she had listened to at least 100 times. In January she read another rirst Start Easy Reader, WHO CRIED FOR PIE by Marion Francis. Despite these successes, she still did not consider herself a reader. As she approached 7, when her mother would say, "Let's read," she would say, "No \o;ay~"

There is a curious stage in a child's progress into reading when he appears to have all the elements together that he needs, but he still isn't reading. He may know lots of words, but something about all those words on a page in a book scares him.

Julie was at this stage for several months, then, as she turned 7, some­ thing happened. It began when other homeschooling families began to send tapes of their reading aloud. Julie's mother has a jaw disease which makes it difficult for her to read aloud for long periods of time, so she had appealed to other homeschooling fami­ lies to send tape record~ngs of read­ ing aloud. Some of those families' recordings included children reading aloud. After hearing the children, Julie decided to make a tape of her­ self reading A KISS FOR LITTLE BEAR, a book that she had practically memorized.

Then, one day, Julie's mother found Julie slowly reading a book that she had listened to hundreds of times. She came to the word Madeline that she must have known from context and her mother saw her sounding it out. Her mother wondered why Julie was sounding out words that she already knew, or at least could easi­ ly guess . .. I think she discovered that she could confirm her perception that the word was Madeline by check­ ing if the letters in the word went with the sound of the word . Julie found that she didn't have to vocal­ ize possibly incorrect perceptions, she could confirm them first . As she grows in reading ability, her initial perceptions of a word will become more often correct and she will learn to trust them without first confirm­ ing them . Already she is starting to like to read . Just after she turned 7 she was talking to her grandmother on the telephone and she said, "Grandma, when I come over, I'm going to bring a book to read to you'" . . . 1 just talked with Patty Schlereth on the phone. She says that in the month since our interview,

Julie has really taken off into read­ ing . She has read many news books including LITTLE BEAR books, DANNY THE DINOSAUR, and AMELIA BEDELIA (which she had heard on a tape sent by the Beam family). Julie now choos­ es to read at all times of the day .. .

HOMESCHOOL METHODS IN SCHOOL More by Howard Richman: ... At my job as a reading teach­ er in the schools, I have always been i nterested in teaching children who despite years of reading instruction have failed to learn to read. I have sometimes succeeded and sometimes failed. Never has one of my non­ readers reached the take-off point where he actually begins to enjoy reading and becomes a good reader. keep trying different methods . . .

This year I am teaching three non-reading special-education pre­ teenagers who according to IQ tests have "mental ages" of about 7 or 8 years old. They come to my classroom for about twenty minutes a day, five days a week. As the school year has progressed I have gradually evolved a sort of home schooling reading method with them. Each day when they come in I remind them that they have a choice of what they want to do . They can choose between activities on the com­ puter, activities with word cards, and activities with real books .

Increasingly, they have been chosing activities with real books.

When a student chooses to work with real books, he may ask me to read a book to him. When I have fin­ ished, he may choose to read the book himself, and can interrupt me, what­ ever I am doing, to ask me what a word is. Then if he wants to read the book to me I listen. I never correct him if he reads a word wrong, I just tell him a word if he asks me what it is. When he can read a book, I ask him if he wants to take it home for the night to show off that he can read it. These steps take place over several days. Each student is very proud when he can read a book himself .

One of my students was finding all the books to be too overwhelming with too many words he didn't know.

Finally I brought in RIFF AND TIFF, which only has about eight different words in it, and he mastered it in two periods. He was so pleased that he could read it, that he decided on his own to copy out the story on lined notebook paper . In the two weeks after RIFF AND TIFF he has mas­ tered two other books and copied them out, too. The students measure their progress by how many books they can read. I keep searching libraries for very short books .

I don't know yet whether they will ever become good readers, but I do know that these three students have more enthusiasm for reading than any other non-reading students that I have taught . .. I would like to say thank you to all those parents of homeschoolers who have shared with me how their children have learned to read ...

REAL-LIFE MATH From Jane McClung in Tucson: ... Michael and John are 6 and 2

3/4. One of their favorite homeschool purchases has been a cash register which we found at a local swap mee t for $60 . It's electric and like new.

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

23 They love to play store and Michael and I take turns being the cashier.

John is the "bagman" and is "tipped" if he bags the groceri es carefully.

That keeps him very busy while Mich­ ael carefully figures the amounts. I try to say nothing at all because, as you say, he has his own method of working things out. He is kindergar­ ten age and it is amazing h ow well he figures in his head. We use real money (about $70 which stays in the register all the time) and he can really make change' Our next project is to see if he can't h elp us work out a budget and manage our family finances. I have no doubt he'll do better than his father and I' . . .

From Ruth Matilsky (NJ) : . . . Sara (5) is really into num­ bers. She has a calculator (one of Terry's students left it in a class and never came back to reclaim it) and is having a great time learning what different numbers add up to . She is making up problems for herself.

She knows that she is almost three years older than Jake, so she will ask me, "When Jacob is 10, how old will I be?" and then she answers this herself. She'll go on with this for five or ten questions. She will be scrambling eggs and notice that there are nine in the box and tell me that after we have scrambled three there are six left. This is all unprompted by me and I am really enjoying thi s.

She loves counting and will do it when we are reading, when we are out­ side, or getting dressed. Yesterday she announced with delight that she had ten fingers and ten toes and that made twenty. Sometimes her calcula­ tions are complex ones involving two steps ... She was amazed when she learned that numbers never end and thinks about this a lot. She LOVES numbers - an amazement to me who vas ­ cillated in school between high marks and low marks and never UNDERSTOOD anything about numbers ...

And from Mary Van Doren (MA): ... Last week, at her request, Anna (almost 4) helped me balance the checkbook. She was truly helping. She read the check numbers - one digit at a time - so I could put them in order. Then she read the check num­ bers as I checked them off in the checkbook and on the bank statement .. .

As she was marking the checks ( her checkmarks ranged from very sim­ ple to ext remely elaborate), she was unsure at f,rst which digit to read first. Then, she devised a way to do it: she seemed to realize that there was always a 4 first. She startd put­ ting a dot under the 4, then under the next digit as she read it, then under the last. Toward the end, she didn't always use the dots.

After that was finished, Anna also helped figure the balance. She put the numbers in the adding machine as I read them to her and told her plus or minus. The only minor con­ fusion was occasionally switching 6 and 8. I started out by reading one digit at a time and waiting for her to push each buttton. Then, as she learned the keyboard, I read two digits at a time : 1-6, 3-5 for $16.35. I eventually went to three digits, like 1-0-3, 7-5 for $103 . 75.

Toward the end I even gave four dig­ its at a time . .. I was able to just let her do it without checking up on her as we went along, since the add-

GROW ING WITH OUT SCHOOLI NG #45

ing machine (a good sturdy one from a flea market) has a tape and we could double check at the end. . . . Our finances are a part of our life and affect the whole family.

We don't want to keep anything from the children. I nev er had any notion of my family's finances when I was a child. I don't know if my parents kept it from us on purpose or just didn't think of including us . If Anna (a nd later, Helen) is interested in helping us every time or some of the time from now on, I will be very pleased to have her help. It makes things easier for me - maybe slower, but definitely easier and more fun ...

ORGANIZED S PORTS Mario Pagnoni (MA) wrote in THE

COMPLETE HOME EDUCATOR (available

here, $10.95 + post.):

. .. "H ow can you keep your kids out of school? Don't you want them involved in the sports programs?" I hear this quite often. People know me as a high school and college athlete who jogs eight to ten miles a day and still enjoys baseball, basketball, and football with the neighborhood kids. They assume that I want to steer my children into the organized sports scene. The truth is that though I would be delighted if my children turned out to be fine ath­ letes, it's not a priority. I've seen so much that is negative in sports that I'm probably overreacting - try­ ing to ensure that my children become "good sports" before they become "good athletes." There will be plenty of time for organized sports, if they want to play them, in the future . I see no need to start children at ages six, seven, and eight .

I didn't start playing ball until I was fourteen. When I discov­ ered that I was pretty good, I put in twelve-hour days, batting, fielding, and throwing the baseball; dribbling, shooting, and passing the basketball; running with, tossing, and kicking the football . When I wasn't practi­ cing to improve my skills, I was read­ ing abo ut how to improve them. I caught up to the other kids quickly and played throughout high school and college. Many of my friends who were Little League " superstars " were "burn­ outs" by age sixteen and didn't even play high school ball. ... You don't need school to par­ ticipate in organized sports. Most areas offer numerous tQwn leagues in a variety of sports ... Few children are skilled enough to playa high school or college team spor t anyway.

An even smaller number will receive college scholarships or make it to professional sports . This being the case .. . you should aim for the health benefits of a "lif etime " sport (a sport you can play all your life, like tennis, as opposed to a sport that most people stop playing after high school, like football) . . .

P.E. AT THE RICH MANS' Susan Richman wrote last yea r Western PA Home schoolers:

in

. . . 1 was pleased to see a few mentions of physical education in GWS #39, and I began wondering how fami­ lies in W. PA were handling this area while homeschooling. Seems a wide var­ iety of choices is open to us. We can enroll our kids in Little League type organized team sports, take specific

phys. ed. classes offered at communi­ ty centers (gymnastics, swimming, dance, sports skil l s, etc.), enroll child in gym class at public school, o r perhaps organize a small hom e­ sc ho olers gym class somewhere. Or we can evo lv e our own ways to encourage physical activity at home ... Many fam­ ily ac ti vities are active - square dancing, hiking~amping, jogging, bicycling, swimming. Taking long walks with our children is great for companionship and the cardiovascular system (also helps soothe a fussy infant homeschooler, if you hav e one.) ~ ome of you might be interested in reading some books on physical fit­ ness by Bonnie Prudden or her daugh­ ter Suzy. Bonnie was responsible for getting the President's Council on Physical Fitness going back in the early 60's, after presenting her strong evidence that American kids were far behind others in basic mini­ mal physical fitness . She castigates the phys. ed. programs of most schools, feeling the only kids who get any exercise are the ones who are already in great shape, while the rest sit on the sidelines feeling in­ adequate . They also give many ideas for fun exercises to do at home as a family. ( Doing the "wheelbarrow" is a great arm strengthener!) Also thoughts on ways to set up and make simple equipment at home - chinning bars, balance beams, "skin the cat " bars, gymnastics mats, weights to lift, etc. They include sample charts of children's progress, helping kids keep track of their minimum fitness, st r ength and flexibility . Their books give you confidence that maybe home is the best place for encouraging :real health.

Just this summer we've begun shaping our phys. ed. program a bit more . With Jess I've made a very sim­ ple chart to keep track of his pro­ gress in sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, rope climbing, toe-touches, back-bends, etc . He always enjoys see­ ing how he's improving, and keeps thinking of new things for us to keep track of. I'm starting to lea rn that an exercise session is also a real boost if he's getting a strained neck from close reading work, or if the three kids are at each otners' necks .

Just tonight Molly was crying because Jacob had roughly pushed her away from his play-dough creatio ns, Jacob was crying because Jesse was threatening to throwaway a bit of play-dough sc raped off an end table, and Jesse was crying because Jacob was pummeling him about the play­ dough . Visions of an early, peaceful bedtime vanished as three sweaty, screaming children pushed and shoved .

Somehow r remembered that we hav e readily available a great soother and energizer - the OUTDOORS. We all exited. How refreshing to be out of a hot, close house . Soon all our tempers calmed a bit, and a wonderful impromptu "gymnastics class" began. Jesse began climbing the rope we attached to our apple tree this summer, and for the first time made it to the ~ (repeated three times just for good measure).

Jacob a nd Molly dug happily in the sandbox . Jesse and I then remembered the young boy we 'd seen the day be­ fore at a food co-op in Pittsburgh, who turned expert, energetic calt-

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24 wheels all down the aisles, and soon we were cartwheeling all around our backyard . Then hand-standing, h ead­ standing, somersaulting and leaping .

Our 9-year-old neighbor came up and soon joined in . I suddenly saw our sandbox bench as a possible balance beam/walking board, and so a "follow the leader" game began, evolving into high leaps and gallops, jumps and toe-in, toe-out patterns up and down the IS-foot beam. Molly, of course, continually trying to climb up onto the beam herself, and so we ' d all crawl across, after her .

I did my best to cartwheel (quite wobbly, I'm told), I tried to climb the rope (no making it to the top for me), and Jesse critiqued my handstand (not particularly verti­ cal). I could feel what muscles were called into play, I could better appreciate what Jesse and Jacob were trying to do, I felt a bit less like a paunchy coach yelling orders from the bench (or the rocking chair?).

Mostly though it just felt exhilara­ ting to stretch, energizing to flip upside down, delightful to think of novel ways to cross over our barn beam bench. And the three kids all fell asleep easily afterwards, no longer enemies .. .

EXERCISES FOR PARENTS These appeared in the 2/85 news­ letter of ARIZONA FAMILIES FOR HOME EDUCATION; no credit was given for the author/artist:

Frog . " This kit can be ordered for $11.95 (includes shipping) and includes a small plastic aquarium, "stage one" frog food, a booklet of instructions and "fun facts," and a live baby tadpole that will grow into a cute little aquatic frog (scientif­ ic name is pididae - originally found in Africa and South America) right before your very eyes. After it changes into a frog, you'll have to invest in a "stage two" aquarium ($5) or move the little guy to a larger tank and get some "stage two" food ($2 for a package that will last at least four or five months). The tad­ pole is guaranteed to arrive alive and survive its metamorphosis. Its average lifespan is five years although I am sorry to say that Earl's first tadpole, Jim, died an untimely death after only one day due to our curious cat, Emma, trying to play with him. His second tadpole, Pele, is now a happy healthy frog about 3/4 of an inch long. It really was amazing watching the little guy change. You could see his front legs begin as little buds and open up, then grow. His tail disappeared in about five days. In fact, if you looked at him at bedtime, then again in the morning, you could often detect some change that had occured, literally, overnight. Anyway, Earl ( 10) really has enjoyed this "pet." .. . Kits can be ordered from THREE RIVERS AMPHIBIANS, PO Box 62, Farmingdale NY 11735 ...

And from Joyce Spurgin (OK):

.. . Here ' s a couple of exercises for a tired homeschooling mother' And you thought you felt bad before!

FOLLICULAR EXTENSION EXERCISE Assume kneeling position, with arms folded across chest. Keeping head per­ fectly rigid, extend hair vertically as far as possible. Hold . Release gradually, relax, repeat.

... GWS often mentions ~angeB Rick but I have never seen our ig BaCKyard mentioned. It is also pub I1shed by the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDER­ ATION (1412 16th St NW, Washington DC 20036) and is for ages 3-5. It is excellent. There are large, colorful photographs and illustrations . The text is simple and suited well for the targeted age group. It is the best "pre-school" magazine I have seen. Each issue includes a parents' newsletter, discussing specific ways to better use that particular issue .

It costs $8.50 for 12 issues ...

OPPORTUNITIES IN 4-H Beedy Parker (ME) writes: TARSAL CONTUSION EXERCISE Stand erect with arms held firmly at sides. Keeping muscles rigid, lean forward on toes and fall to floor.

Relax, repeat . If necessary have a friend bind your wrists with a leath­ er thong to keep you from cheating.

SCIENCE RESOURCES From Kim Schive (MA): . . . There ' s a company in New York state that sells a kit called " Grow a

. . . 1 think 4-H has been men­ tioned in GWS but never really empha­ sized. It can provide a perfect "out­ side contact" situation and teaching materials for special projects - just for the asking at a Cooperative Exten­ sion office . Our daughter has been working on sheep, different pets, herbs, sewing and cooking, gardening - all as 4-H projects, over the past few years. She could be an indepen­ dent member but she belongs to a local club . Some years they have monthly meetings and programs, depend­ ing on interest and schedules . Other years, the kids get together in spe ­ cial projects to work together. It's very flexible and self-regulated, but the kids like knowing that there are others doing the same work, they like the recognition when they win some­ thing, when they exhibit at the county fair in the summer, and when the club enters the town parade.

They're scared stiff of giving demon­ strations (they don' t have to) but terribly proud after they've done it .

The hardest thing they do is fill out yearly project records, very detailed forms that record goa l s, time spent,

money spent and earned, production figures, etc. Many kids don't bo th er but they are worth it for those wh o do .

4-H must vary a lot throughout the country, but it has a great open, unpressured structure in Maine - a n d kids who want to learn things under their own steam are really appreci­ ated . .. Subject areas include a n i­ mals, mechanics, plants, natural re­ sources, economics, careers, outdoor education, hobbies, energy, heal t h, home improvements, public speaking, photography, computers ...

JUST PLAYING THE PIANO From Jane Flemer (NJ): . . . To Denise Hodges (GWS #43, p .

23), I wrote a long and tortured let­ ter (which I've discarded) immediate­ ly after reading her article about her daughter and the piano. Now that I am calmer, perhaps I can be more succinct' I am a pianist turned piano teacher. I have had many students of many ages, including university stu­ dents and teacher trainees . I have spent countless hours at the piano and remained a nervous and indiffer­ ent performer as a soloist even though I have had great moments in the practice room. I am not much dif­ ferent from most people who were trained in the music in the accepted Western academic manner. I would love to be able to just PLAY the piano, but I can't .

Like Maia Hodges, as a tiny child I could sit happily engrossed at the keyboard for hours doing this and that. This attitude soon gave way to the idea that what I played was somehow not as valid or real as the pieces my mother or teacher played.

(They were both trained "academical­ ly," too.) Thirty years later, this wonderful talent I had as a child has to be dredged up and developed with considerable difficulty. The few min­ utes I can spend at the keyboard are a mix of pleasure and extreme frustra­ tion.

To express oneself through a com­ poser from another time and another place is a reasonable pursuit, but it can be much less fulfilling than expressing oneself through oneself.

Needing to read, work out, and then play the notes put together by others in order to make music is directly analagous to needing to find a pas­ sage in Shakespeare or Browning or Doctorow to read in order to express a thought like, "It's a beatiful day." Shakespeare may say it with more poetry, but it is his expres­ sion, not ours; and the method of locating the appropriate lines too cumbersome to be practical for conver­ sation.

Of course, we do want to be able to play the works of our favorite com­ posers, but inside each of us is real music, too. We will never hear it unless we play it. We will be become better at playing it the more we play it.

It was Charles I ves, I believe, who asked, "What do notes have to do with music, anyway?" Music is not ink and paper. It is a spirit u al quality made of vibrations and time and love.

It is probably obvious to most homeschoolers that t h e tradition al American Way of passing the musica l cultural heritage to the next gener­ ation is exactly rela t ed to t h e way "education" has been handled by schools . One is not encouraged t o be

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLI NG #45

25 origi n a l . On e is graded on perfor­ mance in public rather than for effort. One is forced to put long hours into preparation for perfor ­ mance, some of which would be better used in improvisation or learning a broader repertoire . Many teachers feel threatened by the idea that a student might learn on his own. (This is not to indicate that teachers are not useful: they serve many functions and have much knowledge and experi­ ence to share . One can choose a teach­ er from whom one has something to learn . ) Mildred Portnoy Chase gives a workshop on improvisation for stu­ dents and teachers and has written a book called JUST BEING AT THE PIANO. She worries about the total lack of emphasis on personal expression at the keyboard in favor of "estab­ lished" composers and also finds a great deal of reward in being able to sit and play. Her book is a journal made while she played during a period when she was studying Zen. And so, Denise Hodges, for Maia's sake, I beg you to re-read your own line, " .. . From the moment we got the piano, Maia has been the one who most often sits down and plays it - creating really quite lovely melo­ dies using both hands simultaneously.

She rea~lt wants to play and play well. . . would like to suggest that you tell her how absolutely beautiful and interesting her musical ideas seem to you. Tell her that this is how all the great composers began forming their own personal styles.

Tell her that she can learn to read what Chopin or Mozart or Bach invent­ ed when she feels she is ready to branch out beyond Maia Hodges. Tell her how much you love hearing her musical ideas. Point out that you were so glad she played those things you would otherwise never hear. If you keep the teacher, insist that he take this approach, too. He can offer continuity, suggest ideas for advan­ cing and learning through improvisa­ tion, and help her when she encoun­ ters technical obstacles. In this way she can develop, not lose, the very valuable gift which is trying so hard to assert itself at this point .. .

REWARDS FOR PRACTICE From Amy Barton, mother of Rachel (10) who won the Chicago Sym­ phony Young Artists Competition, and of Sarah (8), a cellist: ... 1 feel that I must respond to Denise Hodges' remarks (GWS #43) about reluctantly adding treats to piano practice sessions.

Seven years ago, my oldest daugh­ ter began violin lessons; her younger sister began the following year. From the beginning, they truly wanted to practice and to do it correctly. But, being very little, they didn't always want to practice when I had time, and when I knew they were in a good state to work (not too hungry, not too tired). So we had calendars and we marked off each day's practice with a sticker. This was a big ritual for a while. When there were a lot of pieces to keep current, we made charts and added shiny stars to the name of each work as it was completed each day . At times these things were ceremoniously shown to teachers.

When Sarah was 2, I "paid" her shiny pennies for each correct comple­ tion of any hard part of a piece.

Wh en I ran out of pennies, she gave them back and we started over . My bag

GROWING WIT HOUT SC HOOLING #45

of tricks had a l ot of other rewards, but you get the idea.

I've had a lot of time to think about what I was doing, because I also do not believe children should be paid to do things . This is what I came up with. Most efforts that child­ ren make result in something tan~ible - a scribbled piece of paper, a ent nail imbedded in wood. Practicing music does not leave a child with something tangible. Often, after hard work, a new piece doesn't sound good yet, so even the music isn't a natur­ al reinforcement. A calendar full of stickers or a pile of pennies makes concrete accomplishments that are often abstract and invisible to the beginning musician. As the child matures and gets an understanding of the practicing process, and as the musical accomplishments are more dis­ cernible, the props are forgotten.

Props like these are really no differ­ ent than treats adults give them­ selves when they're working on some­ thing hard ("I'll get this far in my report and then take a coffee break.")

I have also found out that real bribery doesn't work. When Rachel was still playing little songs, I'd think, "Oh, five more times and this measure will be learned forever." But she would announce that she was done for the day. If I prevailed, with a help of sugarless gum or something like that, the next day I would dis­ cover that the part I'd "paid" for had completely fallen apart' Someone studying the biology of learning could probably explain how I'd over­ loaded a brain circuit or something.

It was always "Let's mark off calendar days," or "Let's make a pile of pennies," not "If you do X, I will give you Y." I don't think anyone was ever practicing in order to earn these things.

Of course, as I was handing out tokens, I was also giving more abstract reinforcement - pointing out improvement, mentioning the patience and concentration required to master something. I think both girls have internalized this and the whole practicing process has become self­ reinforcing.

I think homeschooling parents are sensitive enough to know when a payment is being made to motivate a child who doesn't naturally want to work at music and when a token is simply shoring up a child who does want to master his/her instrument. In the latter case, I can speak from ex­ perience, the tokens are well worth it. They fall away in good time, and no one should feel reluctant about them. I ,should also add that I've met many families whose children are paid to practice when they really would not otherwise. It doesn't work ­ those kids may seem to get somewhere for a while, but the results never sound like music ...

And from Kathy McAlpine (TN): ... Nathaniel (7) has been study­ ing Suzuki violin for about eight months. His teacher recommends a "pos­ itive reward" system for daily prac­ tice . I was uncomfortable, however, with doling out candy (for several reasons'), gold stars, stickers, or using any method that involved evalu­ ation on my part. Who am I to decide whether it was a "good" practice ses­ sion? It did seem reasonable to me, though, that a small child, especial­ ly a beginning music student, might need some extra, more tangible motiva­ tion before discovering for himself

the joy of music for its own sake .

My solution was to offer Nathan­ iel a penny for each time he prac­ ticed a song all, the way through.

(This was in addition to his recent­ ly-begun, 50¢ weekly allowance.) It would be entirely up to him when he practiced, for how long, and what songs he would work on . I stopped par­ ticipating in his practice sessions (it was making both of us nervous wrecks), but remained available for questions and asked-for advice.

I was a little worried that the penny system might encourage him to race through as many songs as fast as he could, without attention to cor­ rect notes, tone quality, or posture.

To my amazement, the opposite has proved true. I often hear Nathaniel muttering to himself as he works ("Oops, wrong note . .. No, down bow ...

Play softer here ... ") and stopping to repeat a difficult passage over and over until he's mastered it. He has made fantastic progress, practices ~ to 1 hour a day (plus special "con­ certs" for me and the stuffed ani­ mals), and has recently asked if he can learn to read music. His teacher tells me that Nathaniel's enthusiasm and motivation make lessons with him a de light .

We still use the penny system, though it becomes increasingly inci­ dental. And there was a bonus I hadn't expected' Nathaniel quickly became adept at handling money, chang­ ing pennies for nickels for dimes for quarters for dollars; figuring how much he'd need to earn in order to buy a desired book or toy; making eco­ nomic choices - all without any in­ struction from me . I must admit I was tempted, at one point when he seemed utterly obsessed with vending mach­ ines, to start delivering mini­ lectures on economics. Somehow, though, I managed to keep my mouth shut, and he soon decided for himself that those cheap plastic toys weren't worth a quarter ...

NEW RECORD AVAILABLE HERE NEW MORNING FOR THE WORLD by Joseph Schwanter, narration by Willie Stargell, text by Martin Luther King .

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Many of you will already know A LINCOLN PORTRAIT; it is one of the most famous and most often played pieces of American classical music.

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26 are spoken, drawn from the sayings and writings of Abraham Lincoln .

Joseph Schwanter, some of whose other music I already knew and like very much, decided to try to do a more or less similar piece on words

by Martin Luther King. It would have been easy to fall into the trap of making the piece sound like a not very good imitation of A LINCOLN PORTRAIT, but I think he has avoided the trap. I find the music fascina­ tion, moving, and exciting in its own right, very different from Copland's, but with the same epic quality. As music, I think it is if anything even more beautiful than the Copland piece. The text is also striking, a central part of the recent history of our country, and Willie Stargell, a star with baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, is an e xpressive and power­ ful narrator. All in all, a wonderful piece, which I think deserves to be much better known and which I hope soon will be . --- John Holt

NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE HERE WE LEARN AT HOME by Katharine Houk ($2 + post). Katharine, a fre­ quent contributor to GWS, told us, "There are so many books on the ' school experience' for children, I decided to make a booklet for my kids about their own 'homeschoo l experi­ ence.' They love the booklet so much ... " We loved it too and asked Katharine to reproduce it so we could carry it in our catalog. Each page has a simple line drawing and a sen­ tence or two, showing Ben (6) and Emily (3) playing, being read to,

) making music, painting, shoveling snow, etc. The drawings can be col­ ored in - in fact, Katharine herself neatly colored in the first copy she sent us, which startled me a little because I think of coloring with cray­ ons as a child activity. What a simple way-ro-make an attractive book.

The importance of books in which children can truly identify with the characters cannot be underestimated.

In READING AND LOVING, Leila Berg, an Englishwoman who wrote a series of easy-reading stories about working­ class children, describes what hap­ pened when she first read the stories to city kids whose main exposure to books had been middle-class "Dick-and­ Jane" type readers. The children laughed, wept, jumped, and hugged each other uncontrollably. "For the

first time with a shock of delight those children . . . had seen themselves portrayed in preserves that hitherto were middle-class and alien." I'm not saying all home school children will have such a vio lent reaction to Kath­ arine's booklet, but still I think many will find a special pleasure in seeing and reading about children just like themselves . - DR THE MAGGIE B, by Irene Haas

($3.95 + post). This adorable book for younger children is about a lit­ tle girl who before going to sleep one evening makes a wish on a star that she might have for her own a ship named after her, to sail wher­ ever she wanted for a day. Next day she wakes up on her little dream ship, not much bigger than a small child's playhouse, with her much loved baby brother for company. The book is the story of her day at sea.

The Ma~gie B turns out to be very much t e kind of ship that a young child, above all if she had never seen a real s hip, might invent for herself - all her favorite things from the land, packed into a space not much bigger th an a child's room.

Thus, on the ship's tiny poop deck, Maggie has a farm, with flowers and vegetables, an orange and a peach tree, and a goat and chickens. While she busies herself with various chores and pleasures, the ship steers itself, as if knowing where its lit­ tle owner wants to go.

The illustrations, in lovely water colors, are perfect. The art­ ist's name is not given. Could it be Irene Haas herself? If so, she has a wonderful double talent . Just to glance at any page of her book makes me feel good; I hope there will be many more t o come. - JH THE LITTLE BOOKROOM, by Eleanor Farjeon ($5.95 + post . ) This book, first published in England in 1955, is a collection of fairy tales, fables, and stories, and is my favor­ ite of all such collections that I have read. Some of the fairy tales are in the classic vein, set in a mythical world, with k i ngs, queens, and so on . Others are set in the mod­ ern world we know, sometimes with a touch of the magical and supernatur­ al, sometimes without. Many of them preach, but very gently, a moral les­ son, usually a little more subtle than those of the traditional fables.

All the stories are delightful and some made my eyes sting.

It is hard to say, even to my­ self, why I love these stories so much. It may be partly because Far­ jeon writes so simply and beautiful­ ly, and partly because she takes the fairy tale form so seriously. Most modern writers of fairy tales seem to make a little fun even of their own stories, as if to reassure their read­ ers that of course, we don ' t really believe in any of this old-fashioned stuff. Not so with Farjeon; she takes them completely seriously, and so enables us to do so . In any case, of all the many books on our list that I love, this is one of those I love the most . - JH A LITTLE SCHUBERT, by M.B. Goff­ stein ($6.95 + post). This charming book, perfect for young children who love music, and above all for young pianists, is little in every way. The line drawings in pen and ink take up only about a 2" x 2" square in the middle of each page . The very short text that goes with them tells us in essence that Schubert was a young man

who loved music, heard it in his head

all the time, and wrote down as much

of it as he could; that he was so

poor that he often could not afford

to buy wood to heat his little room;

and that sometimes, when his hands

became so cold that he could not

write any more, he would do a little

dance around the room to warm himself

up. The very simple pictures of this

endearing young man express very

clearly that he took great pleasure

from his dancing even though he was

not very good at it . Following this

little story are simplified versions,

suitable for young players, of six of

the dances that Schubert wrote for

piano. I can well imagine that young

pianists, having learned to play some

or all of these dances, would get

great pleasure both from playing them

and from imitating Schubert dancing

them. A delightful little book. - JH

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, by Ingri and Edgar d ' Aulalre (Hardbound, $11.95 + post). This is an excellent short bio­ graphy, for children of roughly eight years and up, of a man who was in many ways most truly the father of this country. To Washington we give that title because he won the mili­ tary victories that made indepen­ dence, and later the nation, possi­ ble. But Franklin was in many ways more typical of the many Americans whose energy, industry, resourceful­ ness, and imagination laid the civic and economic foundation for that nation.

The text of the book draws heavi­ lyon Franklin's own autobiography, and the authors have chosen well the incidents that give the best idea of his very busy and productive life .

Each page of text carries one of his many witty and useful proverbs. The pencil illustrations, some in color, some in black and white, are no great shakes as art, but they convey very well the sense of those energetic, bustling, and confident times, when in this new and uncrowded land all things seemed possible.

Of particular interest to GWS readers is the matter-of-fact treat­ ment of Franklin's education: When Benjamin was eight years old, his father sent him to grammar school. He rose to the head of his class in reading and writing ... But he was poor in arithmetic . . . So, when Benjamin was ten years old, he was taken out of school to learn his father's trade of candlemaking.

Benjamin hated dipping candles and cutting wicks the whole day long . He read and he dreamed .. .

Hoping to find Benjamin a trade that he would really like, [his father] took him to call on joiners and braziers and cutlers and brick­ layers in their workshops. Benjamin learned much about these trades but he did not want to follow any of them . At least his worried father persuaded him that, since he was so fond of books, he should become a printer's apprentice . . .

The authors have written similar biographies of Washington and Lincoln; if these are as good as this, we will soon have them also in our catalog . - JH ROBINSON CRUSOE, by Daniel Defoe, lilustrated by N. C. Wyeth (Hardbound, $18.95 + post) . Everyone knows what this story is about - a man cast ashore on a deserted island, and how he survives there for twenty­ eight years. What I have to confess

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

27

is that until I read it for this review, I had never read the book, thinking - wrongly - that a story of one man alone on an island could not be very interesting. Well, it is interesting, and beautifully told . I would think it would be fascinating to many children of around ten or so, who, living in busy crowded worlds as they do, tend to love stories about aloneness and wildness, as much as they need and yearn for stories about true courage, resourcefuln ess, and heroism. How sadly and dangerously deprived are all those children who, asked to name their heroes, can think of nothing but pop entertainers.

Why, after all these years, did I decide to read it? The reason is that when I was a boy this was one of a series of children's classics pub­ lished by Scribners and illustrated by the great painter and illustrator N .C. Wyeth (whose son Andrew and grandson Jamie we r e both to become famous painters). These were some of the most beautiful children's books ever published; a child who took one of th ese from its wrappings at Christ­ mas knew that she or he had acquired a real treasure, and I have often wished that I could have all myoId copies, which lik e so many of the things of chi ldho od disappeared over the years . So when I heard that Scrib­ ners was bring ing many of these books back into print, I decided to add them to our catalog .

What really makes these books so special, aside from the beautiful paper, printing, and binding, is the illustrations, original ly painted in oil, by Wyeth himself. I have always liked Andrew Wyeth's work, and it has been phenomenally successful, but for me his father is a more powerful and or iginal painter. When, as a boy, I looked for the first time at his illustrations, it was not out of interest in them as paintings, but o nly to get an inkling of what th e book was about, and it only took about two or thr ee of them to make me feel that I just had to re ad that book. Today I would and will be happy to get these books just for the paint­ ings. I have recently read that in his life he did more than 4000 paint­ ings; I would l ove someday to see an ex hibit of the o riginals.

Most of Wyeth's paintings would be considered realistic, though high­ ly romantic. They are full of action and danger, or the promise of th em .

In ROBINSON CRUSOE th e paintings are more about the island itself. The ways in which Wyeth conveys the remoteness and st rang eness of this landscape are very far from realis­ tic; his clouds don't look like "real" clouds at all, more like clouds in a dream, and they convey very powerfully the feeling of Crusoe 's isolation and loneliness.

The last picture in th e book, a very moving depiction of Crusoe's rescue, is also an astonishing study of sky and clouds, and of sunlight and s hadow on water . And the story it­ self, as I have said, is a well­ deserved classic, wonderful fo r read­ i ng aloud, and not to be missed. - JH TREASURE ISLAND, by Robert Louis Stevenson, iIIus. by N.C. Wyeth (Hard ­ bound, $18.95 + post). Our long­ awaited back order of this Sc ribn er 's classic came in just in time for me to get a review in this issue. About the story itself, I wrote in GWS #13, "What a marvelou s teller of tales Stevenson was, how varied and vivid are his characters, what rich and won­ derful speech he put into their GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

mouths. Even his villains were real people, three-dimensional and worthy opponents, in some ways even admira­ ble. What fun to read this for the first time, or eve n for the first time in a long time." About Wy et h's illustrations and the book itself, I can only underscore what I wrot e in this issue's r ev iew of ROBINSON CRU­ SOE. Wyeth was a truly marvelous painter . Just look at the picture of Jim leaving hom e , or of blind Pew staggering down the road at night, or of those two pirates on the cover.

How cou ld anyone l ook at those hard, bold, wicked men and not want to find out more about what they were up to?

Truly a treasure' - JH 50 CARD GAMES FOR CHILDREN by Vernon Quinn ($2 + post). As a child I enjoyed this book, which in fac t ha s remained the same since it was first printed in 1933, only the cover photo changing from time to time. It contains 20 games for two or more players, 12 games of solitaire, 12 magic tricks, and several " Games that Grown-Ups Play" such as rummy, casino, and bridge. Some very well known games are included (Concentra­ tion, War, Hearts, Go Fishing, Round the Clock, Idiot's Delight) as well as more obscure ones. The explana­ ti ons are thorough and very clear.

If you, like so many others, learned to hate math in school, you may wonder how your home schoo l ed children could learn to love it. A deck of ordinary playing cards is such a simple device that can allow you a nd your children to learn pain­ lessly about numbers, addition, sequence, matching, logic, and so on, while having a good eime . And just think of the cost of a sing l e board game, which only does one thing, com­ pared to the price of a deck of cards' (Hetter to have several decks, one for the baby to mangle.) We may later add to our catalog another very good book by these same publishers, 150 WAYS TO PLAY SOLITAIRE. - OR NONE OF THE ABOVE, by David Owen

($16. 95 , post).T1lTS carefully and thoroughly researched book is a devas­ tating expose of the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), the Educational Test­ ing Service which makes and sells them, and by extension of the whole idea of standardized mulLiple-choice tests. It is by far the most reveal­ ing and important of all the many books o n testing that I have seen dur­ ing the past fifteen or more years, and is and will be for some time an absolutely essential piece of informa­ tion and ammunition [or all home schooling families and organizations.

It is of the utmost importance that until standardized tests have been generally discredited, or at least lose their present monopoly over waY3 of keeping track of learning, we make sure this book stays in print, and becomes known to as many as possible of the public, to educators, to the media, and above all. to legislators.

As I will say elsewhere, one of our chief educational and political tasks for the next ten years or so will be to wean l egislators away from the idea, which most of them now prob­ ably hold, that children ' s (or any­ o ne's ) learning can be accurately reduced to a number, and that stan­ dardized multiple-choice tests are the best or even the only way to do it. It looks more and more as if most legislatures, and perhaps before too long all of th em , may be ready to say that parents should have the right to teach their own children; the danger

is that they may then insist that all such parents must use the teaching and testing methods of the schools .

To persuade them to change their minds on this point will take much time and patience, and to help us do thiS, Owen's book will be an invalu­ able resource.

In the next issue of GWS I plan to discuss in greater detail some of the many things we can learn from this book. For now, a small but sig­ nificant detail. The mailing address of the Educational Testing Service is and for some time has been Princeton, N.J.; in news stories it is often referred to as "the Educational Test­ ing Service of Princeton N. J ." But the institution itself is not located in Princeton at all, but in a town called Lawrence . One can only ask why ETS should go to the trouble of main­ taining what is in effect a false address. The obvious answer is that, without ever actually saying so (which would get them in a lot of trouble), they want to encourage peo­ ple to believe what many do believe, that there is some connection between ETS and Princeton University. In fact there is no connection whatever. As Owen clearly shows, most of ETS's dealings with the public are on this ethical level. They are probably sin­ cere in believing that college admissions officers really need to be able to rank their millions of appli­ cants in some simple numerical way, and that the SAT's are the best or at least the easiest way to do this. But that is as far as their honesty goes; in defending their by now extremely profitable monopoly, they are habitu­ ally uncandid, unscrLpulous, and untruthful.

I wish that Owen Lad said expli­ citly what his book strongly implies, which is that what ETS does so badly could not be done well by anyone, for the simple reason that it is not and never will be possible to reduce all the complexities of a human being's knowledge, understanding, and skill in learning to a single number. To make this clear to the g e neral public is one of homeschoolers' biggest and most important tasks of the next decade . The first step is for as many of us as possib le co read, and get others to read. this splendid and indignant book. - JH TlN SAT ' S, by the College En­ trano:e Exam Board. \$8 . 95 + post).

This book is just what it says it is, copies of ten actual ScholastiC Apti­ tude exams. As such, it is a great improvement on most previous books about prE'piHing high school stude nt s for che SAT . Those books all had sam­ ple questions : the trouble with them was that these questions had not been taken from accual SAT exams, but had been made up by the writers of the books . They may have been ingenious

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28

enough, but, as David Owen pOin t s out in NONE OF THE ABOVE (reviewed this issue), they were often very differ­ ent from the kinds of questions that SAT's actually do ask, and so were often quite misleading.

Some will ask, isn't there a danger that by the time we start using these old exams to get ready for the SAT's, they will have switched to quite a different kind of question? No, because, since part of what they are selling is the claim that this year's SAT scores are com­ parable to scores for all other years, they have locked themselves into a fairly fixed pattern of ques­ tions. They may change them in detail from one year to the next, but the general kind of questions they ask must necessarily change very little .

This would be a very good book to study along with Owen's NONE OF THE ABOVE. When he talks about how the tests are made and organized, or about ways of beating them, you can check his ideas against the actual SAT tests before you. And you can also check to see whether, as Owen claims, Michael Donner ' s ideas in HOW TO BEAT THE SAT [ available here, $3.95 ] apply to one version of the test but not all of them, and whether you can find other rules that work more consistently. A very valuable tool . - JH MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING, by Victor Frankl ($3.95 + post) . This is the most inspiring, encouraging, and important book about psychology (in its broadest sense) that I have ever read. I first read it many years ago, not l o ng after it was first pub­ lished, and had I not wrongly assumed that it had long since gone out of print, I would have added it to our catalog long ago .

It is in no sense a technical book; there is no psychological jar­ gon in it of any kind . It is instead the story, very plainly and directly told, of how the author, then a man in his twenties or perhaps early thir­ ties, endured and survived one of the most cruel and altogether horrifying and disgusting inventions in the entire history of the human race, the German extermination camps of World War II. The question he asks, and ans­ wers out of his own experience in the death camps, is how can human beings find a way to live with courage, decency, dignity, ar.d even a little hope, where to most of us these things would seem impossible. Very briefly, his answer is that when all the normal reasons for living are gone, when nothing seems left but unimaginable degradation and suffer­ ing, and then death, we can find some meaning in the way we choose to endure our sufferings . Of course, it sounds an easy enough thing to say; to read about people, like Frankl and others, who were actually able to put it into practice, is very moving.

One could easily fill a book the size of an encyclopedia with incident after incident of horrifying brutali­ ty and cruelty, but Frankl has not done that; if anything, he down plays the horror of the camps. He is not trying to sicken us or to make our blood run cold; indeed, his book makes far less of an appeal to sadism than almost any modern crime novel or film. The book is not, as it easily could have been, about human depravi­ ty, but abou t human courage and vir­ tue . It may give great streng th to any of us who may have to face diffi­ cult times in the years ahead. - JH

anything else) is damagi n g t o t h eir self-image. What we need to deal with is the behavior, not the child - when a c h ild does something inappropriate, we can say, "I don't like for you to h it the baby, and I will no t allow it, " rather than " Be a good gir l a n d be nice to the baby," or "Don't be such a bad girl."

The alternatives to spanking and shouting that the authors pro pose for unacceptable behavior are preventing the problem and "timing out." The child is timed out when the parent puts him/her in a special chair or ot h er place for a specified amount of time . The authors suggest one minute for each year of your child ' s age.

The authors also stress that we as parents must be consistent. Children need to know their limits and we shouldn ' t confuse them . Also, a child learns from his parents - if we can show that we are able to control our­ selves, it will be easier for our children to learn control. At first children tend to resist time-outs very strenuously and need to be kept in the chair by a parent . After a few times, when they know you really mean it, and will not give in, children accept the time-out. It takes t h em out of the situation and allows them to calm down.

We time Anna (3) out now for var­ ious infractions - hitting, cutting things she knows she ' s not supposed to cut, etc. We try to give a warni n g first. I'm a firm believer in offer­ ing a second chance whenever possi­ ble . Sometimes she really doesn't understand things. But when she hits Helen (1), for example, she is taken straight to the porch (or to the green chair when it ' s cold). Some­ times she even puts herself on the Suppose it was the fourteenth century and you were in an alley in porch before I get a chance to .

Florence at 2 AM and at the other Of course, prevention is best whenever it's possible, and the end was Cesar Borgia . authors have very sensible and work­ And he was coming torgia. able ideas on preventing difficult situations altogether. The main thing He wrote only a few non-comic is avoid conflicts, not to make some poems, all of which I like, some very kind of point. much . One of my favorites, called Some of the behavior difficul­ "Listen," begins: ties discussed in the book are: bed­ There is a knocking in the skull, time, food problems, temper tantrums, An endless silent shout,

whining, aggressive behavior, taking things, sibling rivalry, interacting Of someone beating on a wall

And crying , "Let me out . "

with strangers (this is a very straightforward, sensible chapter on a difficult subject), demanding free­ A wonderfu l collection, and only a small part of all he wrote . Per­ dom, and traveling problems. Eac h haps, with luck, we may someday have chapter is divided into short sec­ more . - JH tions on defining the problem, pre­ venting the problem, solving the prob­ lem, and a sample scenario.

DISCIPLINE: WITHOUT SPANKING OR There is nothing in this book SHOUTING by Jerry Wykoff & Barbara Unell ($4.95 + post). This book has that you couldn't figure out yourself or hear about elsewhere, but for me been very helpful for our family. It deals with behavior problems in young it's very important to see all the ideas presented clearly and concisely children, ages 1- 5. I was a little skeptical about it at first - I in a very useable format . Mark and I wasn't convinced that a book could don't quite agree with some of t h e problems presented by the authors help me learn not to shout at my (bedtime difficulties, for example ­ children; after all, I've had several our children sleep when they are years of practice and grew up with tired). But, we can take what we need it, too. But I am delighted to find and leave the rest. that Wykoff an d Unell's techniques I feel this book h as muc h to really work . They don ' t cure every­ offer to those who find themselves thing all at once, of course; parent­ punishing and shouting at their chil d­ ing is never easy, and it takes time ren more than they want to . As t h e to change. au th ors say, we have to remember There are several very important that, for the most part, wha t we do points made in this book: treat your to our children is what they will do child as you would treat a guest in to our grandchildren. - Mary Van Doren your home; do not spank your child, [JH:] When this book first even for dangerous behavior (if they arrived at the office I read it eage r ­ are punished for going out into the ly , since I totally disap prove of street, for example, children will spanking and like to keep s hou t ing most likely learn to watch for ~, down to a minimum . But my first not for cars); do not judge your thought was not to add t h e book t o child, t hat is, do not la be l him /her our list. I onTy decided t o a dd i t - sayi n g children are good or bad (or THE POCKET BOOK OF OGDEN NASH ($3 . 95 + post . ) This is a very good selection of the comic verse of Ogden Nash, certainly the greatest American comic poet and very possibly the fin­ est in the English language (though some might argue for Lewis Carro l l or W. S. Gilbert) . Nash began writing these verses in the mid-1930s, when he was a young man working in a New York office. Soon he was able to give full time to writing, and this col­ lection includes work of his through the late 1950s . The world he writes about is the world of middle-class New York and its suburbs, and his reactions to that world. His poems are a kind of social satire, but of the gentlest and most affectionate kind; unlike Don Marquis (of THE LIVES AND TIMES OF ARCHY AND MEHITA­ BEL), Nash thought most of the time the world he lived in was for all its flaws and oddities a great place, and he was happy to live in it .

Some of the poems are in conven­ tional rhymed and metered style, of which he was a master; his lines seem as natural as s peech. Surprising that more composers have not set them to music (the only one I know of who has is Ishmael Wallace). He never had to strain to make a rhyme or rhythm come out right, but always found just the right word to do it.

But most of his poems were in the form which he invented and which made him famous - unmetered lines, often of greatly different lengths, rhymed in pairs, often with outrage­ ously far-fetched rhymes. Thus the preface of this book quotes two lines from one of his early and most famous poems: o

GROW ING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

29 when Mary Van Doren, in whose house I had spe nt some time and whom I knew for a very intelligent person and a very lovi ng and (mostly) patient and unde r standing mother, told me first of all that she liked the book, and more important, that it had actually helped her very much in dealing with a child who, much as I loved her myself, I had to admit was going through an exceptionally difficult time.

What tr oubled me about the book was this . Many books and articles about disciplining chi ldren have been written during recent years, and most of them say in effect that we can solve all our problems with children if we simply make enough ru l es govern­ ing their behavior. all the things we want or don ' t wa nt them to do, estab­ lish beforehand an appropriate punish­ me nt for violating each rule, and instantly apply the correct punish­ ment whenever a rule is disobeyed.

What is wrong with this, aside from the fact ( as Mary knows ) that it is never this simple, is that it threatens to turn the home into a courtroom, and indeed [ have been in some houses that seemed much less like homes than courtrooms, where the talk aLways seemed to be about what the rule says, and do you understand the rul e , and did you obey the rule, and why didn ' t you. and what the pun­ ishment is going to be . Even in as hi ghly disciplined an organization as a submarine operating in wartime there was very li ttle of such ta l k.

More than 99 % of the time we operated as a cooperative SOCiety of reason­ able hu man beings, and this, rather than rules and punishments, is the goal we should be striving to reach in our homes .

A smal l example . If vou say to chi ldren, "Have you brushed your teeth?" and they say they haven't, the sensible thing to sav is. " Please go brush them now," (and ' no " Okay " " at the end'), rather than begin talk of rules and punishments. In the real world of adults, much of what we do, we do because some other adult has politely asked us to . Why not, as much as possible, deal with chiLdren the same way?

A further problem with punish­ ments is that if the child feels that she has not been able to tell her sto ry, or that the punishment is un­ fair, we may turn a small problem into a much bigger one . Children, at l east until they come to feel that it is hopeless, demand to be treated justly, and we should be glad that they do . Some parents and "experts" argue that children should never be allowed to tell their side or-tne story, and that all punishments imposed by adults are by definition reasonable and just . (Sounds like school') Every now and then I read a letter saying, "I never permit my child to expre ss or show the slig ht­ est resistance o r objection to any­ thing I say ." Suc h talk makes my blood run cold . It is tyranny in its purest form . I ca n still remember the helpless outrage and fury I felt when, as a child, having been unfair­ ly (as I saw it) scolded, shamed, or punished, I was th en told, "And wipe that expression off your face' " Were not even my expressions my own? Did not eve n my face belong to me?

I can r emember saying ofte n to my fift h gra de students, "The law says you have to go to school, but it doesn't say you hav e to like it, or even pretend to like it." I tried to run and gene r ally was able to run a mi nimally coercive class, but there GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

were times when I felt I had to tell students to do or not do something, and when I did, I made it stick. But I never denied them their right to make it plain to me that they did not like what I had said or done .

Let me say finally that a shout, a sharp vocal expression of warning or disapproval, is not always a bad thing, and if not overused (which is really the point of this book, not to make shouting a habit), may often be the quickest and most effective way of dealing with a situation . The danger is, of course, in thinking that if one shout works two will work even better, three better yet, and so on. Not so. But o nce in a while, and always and only when an eXRression-Df true teellng, they may be elptul. I am happy to say that such shouts have not altogether disappeared from the Van Doren household, and 1 might be a little worried if they had . With these slight reservations, I join Mary in recommending this book.

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ADDITIONS TO SPEAKER BUREAU

For more listings of people willing to speak about homeschool1ng and related sub ­ jects, see GWS "43 and "44. Or, send a long self-addressed stamped envelope for a free copy of all "Speaker Bureau" listings.

To arrange for speakers , contact them direct ly . We shou ld make c lear that being on thi s list does not constitute a recommenda­ tion. Pl ease write us about any exper1ences, good or bad, you have with the speakers.

To be listed, send us your name, address, phone, a brief self-description, and any other important information (dis tance you're willing to travel, fixed fee if any, specia l programs) .

THOMAS ARMSTRONG 1428 Hearst Av, Berkeley CA 94702; 415­ 849-1430 .

Director, LATEBLOOMER CONSULTING SER­ VICE . Writing a book tentatively titled THE LEARNING DISABILITY LIE. ... 1 should emphatically point out that I am not an expert on homeschooling. However, I coura-t al k to homeschooling parents about the-T$Sues of learning disabi li ties, label­ lin g, etc., in relation to schoo lin g/home ­ schoo 1i ng ...

BARBARA LAWSON WINOSONG LIFESCHOOL, 10070 S Gilbert #114, Anah ei m CA 92804; 714-991- 0479.

Pub li c speaker on home education.

Appeared on TV in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona .

Published artic l es on home education, inclu­ ding a long art i cle in the Mensa Bu llet in, Mensa's worldwide mQnth ly journal.

Wi ll ing to travel anywhere as a speaker if my expenses are paid and if my children can come with me and are provided for as we ll . ..

NORM LEE Box 517 - 25, Naples NY 14512; 607 - 522 - 3324 Presently editor/publisher of Homestead ­ ers News, a bi-monthly self-reliance magaz1ne, now 1n 1tS 8th year. Also creator/producer of HOMESTEADERS GOOD LIFE GET-TOGETHER, an an nua l festival of se lf-reliance workshops . Author of many published articles. .

Taught high school and college. Author of "Paperbacks in Schoo ls" (International Read­ ing Association.) Combined homeschoo ling of two sons with their campus school experience . ... "Teachi ng Your Own at Home: How to Get Started, How to Proceed" is an all- day sem ­ inar designed for those considering homeschool­ ing, for those looking for ideas and activi ­ ties on how to carry it off, and for those feeling inadequate to the task or intimidated by the authorities . Topics emphasized include : (1) How to raise happy children responsibly without punishment; (2) dealing with reading "problems"; (3) Community resources - where to look; (4) How to deal with schoo l authorities; (5) Study techniques for maximum mastery in minimum time; (6) How you can get more out of your readi ng; (7) l~ethOdS of research for kids; and more.

This is a listener-friendly seminar l ed by one who has been through it as a child, a parent, a teacher, and a teacher-trainer; one whose experience during the past 25 years has . kept pace with John Holt's assessme nt of the educational establishment ... Indeed, empathy with the Holt philosophy is what led to my break with the industrial / economic / educational complex .

WILL GO ANYWHERE IN THE U. S. Two major tours scneduled annually in November and March. Will serve the Northeastern states April through October, Please write for de ­ tailed seminar descriptions and tour schedule.

Fee : S200 for 6-hour seminar. Expenses, S40 / day + 20e / mile.

SANDY SAPELLO MADKIFF 207 C0ar1 Av, Minotola NJ 08341 .

I started homeschooling my children in 1974. I wrote the "Legi slat i ve Round - Up" for the NJ LWV for two years and worked for SCHOOL ­ WATCH informing, parents of their rights in edu­ cating their children and of legislation that affected them . I have taught in private and public schools from preschool to community col­ lege and I am currently teaching a 6-credit college course about public education to par ­ ents in Atlantic City . I have spoken to groups about the legal and educational aspects of homeschooling.

I am willing to travel, but I would need expenses paid plus 550 .

JAMES O'TOOLE ~~,

King George VA 22485; 703­ 775-4867. .. . 1 would be happy to talk about the educational arrangements for a 10-year-old girl who has alway s been taught at home, a l3-year- old boy who has been taught at home for the last 6 years and is now going to 8th grade, a l6 -year - old girl who has always attended public school, and an l8-year-old boy who just graduated from col lege.

I could also talk about the legislative process, how it might be approached, how the current law in Virginia is working, assorted views on how to get along with the educational CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

30

ADDITIONS TO DIRECTORY

bell 95008 --- Linda LUEBKE & Don CASTRO

VOLLETTE (Lauren 10, Marisha 6, Jenna 4) 115

(Quincy/82, Theodore/84) 1200 Gra . . enste i n Hwy

Herndon St, Shreveport 71104 ME - Crystal CHARlY (Wetamo 12. Kehneeta

S, Sebastopol 95472 --- Jayanthi MALLEY. MAGIC MEADOW SCHOOL, PO Bo, 29, N San Juan 95960 - - This is a SUMMARY OF ADDITIONS AND Wendy MARTYNA & Bill LELAND IBryn 5, Miles 2) {; HANGES that have come ins i nce the 1ast COM­ 50 Rustic Ln, Santa Cruz 95060 --- Adrienne folLETE Directory was printed in GWS #42.

NEWMAN IDamodara 14, Govinda 9, Nimai 7, Syama Our Directory is not a list of all sub­ scribers, but only of tMse who ask to be list­ 5, Jayananda 4) 980 E 7th St, Chico 95926 --ed, so that other GWS readers, or other lnter­ Moira NOBLES, YOLO COUNTY HDMESCHOOLERS, PO Box 305, Esparto 95627 --- Sharon & Steven ested people, may get in touch with them. If PLYlER (Jeremi/80, Jennah/83) )4906 Donner Dr, you would like to be included, please send us San Jose 95124 --- Linda & John SCHMIDT (Monithe information. ca 9, David 4, Steven 2) 1214 Auburn Dr, Davis Please tell us if you would rather have your phone number and town 1 i sted instead of a 95616 --- William & Patricia SCtlWARZ (Jennifer [;1ai1ing address.

--2) 2128 Vallejo St #3, San Francisco 94123 --Marshall SERWITZ, SERWITZ ACADEMY, 3373 MiddleIf a name in a GWS story is followed by an abbreviation in parentheses, that person is field Rd, Palo Alto 94306 --- Naima SHEA iTehya / 82) 136 Mainhart Dr, Grass Valley 95945 in the Directory (check here and in #42). We --- Jim & Suzanne VAN FLEET IMontara 6) 2955 are happy to forward mai 1 to Wose whose Kilkare Rd, Sunol 94586 addresses are not in the Directory (mark the CO - Willy & Larry FENSKE (Sela/81, outside of the envelope with name / description, Robinfgj) 420 E 57th 155, Loveland 80537 --~and page number).

H. O.M.E., PO Box 543, Denver 80236 --- Bob & When you send an address change for a Jaelee JONES (Boo178, Jaeme/80) 3 Stonemoor subscription, please remind us if you are in Dr, Pueblo 81005 --- Bill & Connie KREIDER the Directory, so we can change it here, too. (flelinda/76, Nathan/79, Laura / 82) Rt I Box AL - Charles & Lee Anne LYNN, BIRMINGHAM 209, Fow)er 81039 --- Paul & Kar)a PUMPHREY SUPPORiGROUP, Rt 4 Box 29-C, Trussville 35173 (Clinton & Kristin179) 3401 Morris Av, Pueblo --- Ed & Sharon PANGELINAN, PARENTS FOR EDUCA- 81008 --- Randy & Beth STEVENSON (Gracie 3, TIONAL AWARENESS, PO Box 168B, Decatur 35602 Emnie 1) RR 2 Box 467, Pine 80470 --- Ti9he & AK - Elaine FENTON (Tzeite1 11, Tasha Kurt YOVANOFF (Brenna 5, Madalyn 3) 602 N Cali10) GenOel, Kotzebue 99752 --- Jeff & Debbie fornia Av, Loveland 80537 TURKINGTON (Jaron 4, Jorai 1) PO Box 3534, SolCT - Steve & Rebecca CORWIN (Brook 4) dotna 99669 --- Judy & David WALLEN (Kesia 7, Greenwoods Rd E, Norfolk 06058 --- Cheri Serenity 4) Box 8733, Port Alexander 99836 ELLISON (Julian 10, Trevor 9) 13 Oak Pk Av, AZ - Michael & Peggy AHERN, 4437 N 47th Darien 06820-4007 --- HOME EDUCATION LEAGUE OF Pl, Phoeni, 85018 --- Tom & Kenly GOONAN PARENTS IHELP), PO Bo, 203, Abington 06230 --(Rachel 16, Elizabeth 14, Ruth 13) 6815 E Vic- Nancy WILLIAMS, CONNECTICUT HDMESCHOOLERS ASSOtoria, Tucson 85730 --- Steve & Jackie JOHNSON CIATION, Box 464, Chester 06412 (Toby 6, Levi / 84) PO Box 596, Wittmann B5361 FL - William & Gail JORGENSEN (Brent 4, --- Chris & Susan JOHNSTON (Alicia 13, Kate 71 Lance 2805 S 27th St, Ft Pierce 33482 --PO Box 1523, Eagar 85925 --- PHOENIX SPECIAL Jan & Charlotte McCANN (Michae) 10, Sarah B, PROGRAMS INC, 3132 W Clarendon, Phoenix 85017 Katy 7, Polly 5, Mary Margaret 3, Robbie 2 .

--- Bernie & Mary TUCKER (Tamara 12. Cheyenne David / 84) 7149 Fitzpatrick Ln, Jacksonville 4, Willow / 84) c / o 5735 N 61 Dr, Glendale 8530) 32218 --- Billy & Fran SPARKS (Stephen 11) --- VENTANA OPEN SCHOOL, 825 N 3rd Av, Tucson 1127 Gerona Av, De)tona 32725 e.5705 GA - Nancy & Perry GOODSON (Wendy/80, AR - Mary COWAN (T.J. 10, Nathan 7, Derekfgj) PO Box 1»0, Tybee Island 31328 --Josh-Paul 4, Jake 3) Rt 9 Box 93-0, Jonesboro Wade & Deena JOHNSTON I Clarissal76, Jay / B3) Rt 72401 --- Elizabeth & John HILL8RAND IRose 9, ) Box 556, Cataula 3)804 --- Robert & Peggy Anna 5, Selena 3) Bass 72612 --- Bruce & Susan TRUETT (Joshua/81, Isaac/83) 8137 Tyree Rd, HOLLISTER (Hudson 3, Hadyn 1) 1605 Washington Whitesbur·g 30185 Av, Conway 72032 HI - Tim & Kim BRIGHAM IJobiel76, JeniCA, South (Zips to 94000) - John & ca / 77,Jory/79) 4701 Kawaihua Rd / 36, Kapaa, JeanneAfl1lIl<Sllfl (MollyI75, Kennyl78, Charlie/ Kauai 96746 --- HAWAII HOMESCHOOLERS ASSOC1A81. Maggie/84) 3476 Louis Or, Newbury Park TION, PO 80x 591, Hanalei, Kauai 96714 --- Mon91320 --- Karen & Bruce BAKER (Aron 7, Ben 5) lca McCAULEY (Marcellus / 8D, Peony/84) PO Box 12568 Bryant St, Yucaipa 92399 --- Kevin & lOll, Hanalei, Kauai 96714 --- Michael & Karla Judy BRITTON (Daniel 6, Michael 4, Elizabeth ROWAN (Keoni / B2, Makana / 84) PO Bo, 1001, Hana2) 10368 Kenyon Ct, Riverside 92505 --- Ross lei, Kauai 96714 --- Kent & Penny STRYKER CAMPBELL & Marianne AALL (Aragorn/83) PO Box (Brad 3, Megan 2) 47-745 Akakoa Pl, Kaneohe 108. Friant 93626 --- Peter & Alane DENIET 96744 --- William & Debbie WONG (Megan178, (Danielle 3, Julia 6 mol 1034 S Anza St, El Keola / BO, Kona / B2, KaiNoah / 83) 4633 Apopo Rd, Cajon 92020 --- Allard & Kit OEU (Benjamin174, Kapaa, Kauai 96746 Joshua/n, Marissa/80, Micah/83) 191 Kevin St, 10 - Orlando & Bonnie GONZALES (Michael Thousand Oaks 9)360 --- Roger & June DOMINGO, 13, Matthew 10 ) THE LEARNING CONNECTION OF SPREE DECOR SCHOOLS, PO Box 1709, Ramona 92065 IOAHO, HCOI Box 70-E, White Bird 83554 ----- Bob & Mona FIERRO (Becki 8, Nick 2) 213Jeff & Barbara KEELER, EAGLE'S STAR FOUNDATION 662 -1 762, L.A . 90039 --- John & Lorraine (JasonI76, Jeffrey/78, Kyle/811 W 2225 Hwy 53, FOSTER (JasonI77, Stephenl79) 208 Tennyson , Post Falls B3854 --- Heidi & Jim READ (Tobias/ Thousand Oaks 91360 --- John & Patti FRANKLIN 75, Hannahl79) 5531 Lynwood PI, Boise 83704 (Amy176, Daniel!78, Christopher / 8l) 907 Raven- --- David & Barbara STOUTNER (Soren 6, Camille wood. Newbury Park 91320 --- Dave & Christy 5, Thora 3) 211 Annie, Coeur d'Alene 83814 --GERBER (Terri172, Lisa/74, Kevin/77) 243 DorCherie WRIGHT, IDAHO FAMILY EDUCATiON ASSOCIAena Dr, Newbury Park 91320 --- Steve & Marsha TION, Rt 1, Eden 83325 GIBSON IChe 14, Trina 13, Miriam 4) 226 ~illIL - John & Lois DOLL (Sarah 6, Mandy 4) view Dr, Goleta 93117 --- leslie & Hank HEINTZ- 1515 Main St, Crete 60417 --- Nancy & Martin BERGER (Amber 9, Land 7) PO Box 1307, Carmel FAKO (Lisa 18, Laura 16, Nancy Lee 13, MargarValley 93924 - -- Lucy HUNT-PIERSON & Robert et 8, Robert 3) 337 Ridge, Elmhurst 60126 --PIERSON IChantel 7, Monique 5) 47517 RD 200, THE LEARNING EXCHANGE, 2940 Lincoln Av, Chica0' Nea 1s 93645 - - - Fred & Kath i e JDBLI N {Teddy / 90 60657 - - - Jerry & Margaret PARTLOW (Jeff 82) 11 Academy Rd, Palos Verdes 90274 --- Kent 10, Mark 8, Matt 6, Jonathan 3) 1924 S Holmes & Mary JOHNSTON (LucasI75, Evanl78, Dillon/BO) Av, Springfield 62704 --- Van & Sue RADOSTI, 109 E Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks 2814 Townway, Danville 61832 91360 --- Jill LITTLEWOOD & J . KAHN (laura) IN - linda & Mark BAIR (Hilary!76, 4600 Russell Av. Los Angeles 90027 --- Mary WhitneY779. Jordan / 82) 219 Jackson St, Hope 47246 --- Mark & Gretchen BLACKWELL (Caitlin !

LOIBL (Cadelba 3. Yara 1) PO Box 1376, Avalon 90704 --- Julie LOYD (Charlie 1) 6300 Stephens 77, Emmy/81, Hannah!B3) 821 E 11th, BloomingRanch, La Verne 91750 --- George & Donna ton 47401 --- Crystal CARTMELL (Skyler17B, MILLER (Jennifer 4 ) 3559) Ave B, Yucaipa 92399 Jerod / 82, Lake / 84) 5931 E St Rd 46, Blooming--- Dwight & Theresa NEEDELS (Thea 3) 2563 ton 47401 --- Tom & Andrea DAVIDSON I Tonvny/75, Elden Av #C, Costa Mesa 92627 --- Sharon & Andrew!76) 133 W Jefferson Av, Chesterton Martin NELSON (Sarah 6, Virginia 4) B15 Shel46304 --- EAST CENTRAL INDIANA HOME EDUCATORS, ter Cove Way, Oceanside 92054 --- Phil & Nanei Rt 1, Daleville 47334 --- Sherry & Dick PATTON (Tad 15, Loyetta 13) PO Box 313, Ramona HAMSTRA (Jamie 7, Joey 5, Katie / B4) 2723 Pomo92065 --- David & Kaye Lynn PETERSON (Cecily / na Ct, Indianapolis 46268 --- Tom & Pam IRVIN 75, Colleenl79) 115 N Janss St, Anaheim 92805 (LauraI78, Ira/Bll RR 1 Box 85-A, Merom 47B61 --- Madelyn REAOMOND (Bret 15) 6111 Shannon --- William & Lynnae McCONAHA (Daisy/n, AnnahValley Rd, Acton 93510 --- Kathy RILLING lee/79, Elisha / Bll RR 2 Box 237, Lynn 47355 (~hane 5, Evan 1) 192 Valley Rd, Oak View --- MIDNORTH INDIANA HOMESCHOOLERS, 926 N 19th 93022 --- Linda & DeWitt RUSSELL, 5423 Annie St, Lafayette 47904 --- Gerald & Mardee PAGAC Laurie Ln, Bonita 92002 --- Ellen & Bill (Brook 7, Zachary 5) RRl Box 215A, Pittsboro SHIPLEY (Billy / 83) 23007 W Tupelo Ridge Dr, 46167 Valencia 91355 --- Eileen & Bob SNIDER ( Dov 8, KS - Betty JONES, KANSAS CHAPTER/NAT'L Stephanie 5, Casey 2) 1671 Richert, Clovis COUNClcOF PARENT EDUCATORS, PO Box 3366, Shaw93612 --- Philip & Evella TROUTT, CHRISTIAN nee Mission 66217 --- KANSANS FOR ALTERNATiVE HOME EDUCATORS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, PO Box EDUCATION, 19985 Renner Rd, Spring Hill 66083 lB8B, Norwalk 90651-1888 --- WINDSONG L1FE- -- Jean LAFFERTY (Ron 17, Aaron )0, Travis 9, SCHOOL. 10070 S Gilbert Av 114, Anaheim 92804 Jonathan 6) 609 Brownie St, Rose Hill 67133 --- Vicki WOOD (Douglas 4, Briann 2) PO Box KY - David & Marta CLARK (Elena179, Bene491, Yucaipa 92399 --- Linda & Michael dict/BTI Rt 1 Bo, 174, Murray 42Dll --- E)aine WORDINGER (AdamI79 , Karen/82) 609 N "B" St, DIGGES & Terry ELLIOTT (Nathan/81) Rt ) 1 Box lompoc 93436 164, Elizabethtown 42701 --- Susan & Doug CA, North (Zips 94000 & up) - Margaret & HOLMES. 9007 Trentham In, Louisville 40222 --MichaeT1i1ITGHl(Louis 5, William 2) 6015 Mauri- Ruth McCUTCHEN (015, R 13, A 11) 3310 Illitania Av, Oakland 94605 --- Jill & Greg BOONE nois Av, Louisville 40213 --- Gary & Linda (CristieI78, Paul/80, Curtis / B3) 2414 Marcelyn TEETS (Geoffrey 13, Denise 12) 924 Todd St, Av, Mountain View 94043 --- Jim & Jan BRADFORD Columbia 42728 --- Kevin & Patti VAN BUSKIRK IJason 10) 17941 Robin Rd, Twain Harte 95383 (Luke/79, Hannah/82, Caleb/85) Rt 3 Bo, 335, --- Michael & linda BUTLER, PO Box 439, Mt Mt Vernon 40456 Aukum 95656-0439 --- Debbie & Terry BYRD LA - Vicki BARRON & Joe BURDICK (Joy 2) (Megan/77, Ca i t 1 i n/8D) 53BO Hesse 1 Av, Sebasto- 4301 loerv i 11 e, New Or 1eans 70119 - - - Wyatt & pol 95472 --- Carolyn LUCKIE (Lisa 9, Merrow Valerie CHANCEY (Laurie 5) 1605 Clover Dr, 5) c/o Laurie Baine, 855C Sharmon Palms , Camp- Lake Charles 70605 --- Nancy & Richard

n

6) PO Bo, 9, Porter 04068 - - - Oavi d & Karen DETTERMAN IBrookl76, Andreal78, Sha"",an/Bl , Emily/B4) PO Bo, 450, Kennebunkpor t 04046 --Andrea & Rob KELLY - ROSENBERG (NoahI79, Lau r a/ 82) 1859 Congress, Portland 04102 --- A. MYERS, RFD 3 Bo, 2550, Watervi lle 04901 ---

Donald & Linda WISMER (Sarah 5) PO Box 207, Kents Hill 04349 MO - Danny & Sandra GROVEMAN (Alycia 9.

Israe1-S, Johannah 7, Judah 6, Daniel 4, Abraham 2) 2650 Cory Ter , Wheaton 20902 --- Barbara & Richard KLEIN (Alison, Caleb) 110 Shiley St, Annapolis 21401 --- Judy & Alan ROBERSON (Emily / 82) 985 Nottingham Rd, Elkton 21921 MA - Diane COFFEY IMatthewl7B) 5 Susan Dr, HojiKin t on 01748 --- Linda & Art FASCI~.NI ISeanl79, Eric/83) 1 Meadow Rd, Townsend 01469 --- David & Camille FOSTER (Daniel B, Rachel 7, Nathan 4, Laura 2, Emily 1) 20 Cetrina Dr. Marlboro 01752 --- Karen & Richard FRANKLIN (Adam177, Jessica/80, Christopher/83) 26 Noyes St, Needham 02)92-1818 --- John & Carolyn JORDAN (Alex/75) Phone 617-529-6246, Upton --Carol & David KRENTZMAN (JennyI78, Nellie/81, Sam/83) 97 Woodland St , S Natick 01760 --Karen McALLISTER (Beav/74, Amyl76) PO Box 562, 195 Webster Av. Brant Rock 02020 --- Peter & Maryann MciNTYRE (Linsey/81, Philip / 83) 22 Salina Rd, Dorchester 02122 --- Gus & Beatrice MEDEIROS (Betty-Ann 5) 146 Irving St, Fall River 02723 --- Patti & Don MURPHY (Shawn176, Jer emiah / 80, Sarah / 82, Johannah / 83) 7 Horton St, Newburyport 01950-2901 --- Ron & Susan OSTBERG (Emily 9, Elizabeth 6, Christopher 3, Mary») Bo, 246, Harvard 01451 --- Joy PEARSON, 40 Fo, St ,3, Dorchester 02122 --- Robert PHILBRICK (Jacob/75, Joell77, Jared / 84) 73 Metzler Rd, E Bridgewater 02333 --- Rob PIERSON, 29 Matherly Rd, Brighton 02135 --- Frank & Gayle SWEETSER (Frank / n, Victoria / 81, Sean/83) 154 High St, N Andover 01845 --- Valerie VAUGHN (Gabe 71 Star Rt 1 Box 194, Ashfield 01330 --- Raymond & Karen WALL (RaymondI79, James/82) 55 Gold St, Whitman 023B2 MI - David & Rebecca FLAGEL IBenjamin / 78, Sarah/80) 136 Church St, Coopersville 49404 --- Jo HINSDALE & Loren SWENSON (Robin/ 79. Jenny/82) 2279 Hemlock Ct. Ann Arbor 48104 --- Patricia KRAMER & Ron ZANG IAhja/80, Adam/ 82) 7727 Sharon Hollow Rd, Manchester 4815B --- Nick & Carolyn NELSON (CatiI75, Nicholas/ 79. Nathanael/83) 433 Cherry St, SHaven 49090 --- Margo & Thorn STEADMAN-JERSEY (Heather 15, Josh 71 41B5 Dallas, Holt 48842-1735 --- Lee & Anndy WHIPPLE (Mo/77, Robinl79) 403 Lawton, Mason 48854 MN - John & Michelle ICE (Jennifer 13, Aletheall, Joey 7, Erin 5, Sunshine 3) 15500 lB2 Av, Elk River 55330 --- Jeff & Julie MELBERG (Noah!78. Jonathan / 80, Christopher/82, Jacob/84) 11026 Terrace Rd NE, Blaine 55434 --- TEACH, 4350 Lakeland Av, N Robbinsdale 55422 --- WESLEY ACADEMY, 9825 Aquila Rd, Bloomington 55438 MS - Jeanine AITKEN, ASHLEY'S HOME TUTOR KITS, 1'1l Box 566, Byhalia 38611 --- Robert ALLEN, MISSISSIPPI HOME SCHDOLERS ASSOCIATiON, 119 Bryant St, Ocean Spgs 39564 --- Larry ESTEP {Timothy 16, Kellie 15, Steven 13, Amy 12, David 71 RR 2 Box 121-B, Mendenhall 39114 --- Philip & Kim McLEMORE, 206 Orville Wright, Biloxi 39531 --- Martha & Bobby PENNEBAKER (leigh!78, Seth / 82) PO Box 160. Star 39167 MO - Joseph CIANO (Michae1172, Christiaanffi) Rt 5 Bo, 120, Ava 6560B --- EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY HOMESCHOOLERS, 1525 W Lexington, Independence 64052 - - - Steve & Donna FORT NEY (Jonathan 3) 1525 W lexington. Independence 64052 --- Karen & Taylor FOSSE, Star Rt Box 82, Washburn 65772 --- David & Candy KEMPF (Justin 6, lindsay 3) 1002 laurel Dr, Jefferson City 65101 --- Steve & Ellen MICHEl (Patrick 6 , Mandy 8) 611 Roberts, Washington 63090 --- David & Sandra MOUNTJOY (Tabitha 10. Ama ry 7, Kalista 5) Rt 3 Box 50, Peculiar 64078 --Jim & Mary SHEPARDSON (Debbie 12, Timny 9) 12169 Fox Pt, Maryland Hts 63043 --- Jim & Marsha WILSON (Christopher 7. Corey 4) 402 Meier Dr, Jefferson City 65101 NE - Emilia & Dave CLEMENTS, NEBRASKA HOME SrnOOLERS NETWORK (Samantha 11, Edward 10, Rebecca 8) 8010 Lillibridge St, lincoln 68506 --- Linda STROH, LINCOLN AREA HOMESCHDOLERS, 1821 Oakdale, Lincoln 68506 NV - NEVADA HOME SCHOOLERS, PO Box 1230, Carsoncity 89702 --- NEVADA HOME SCHOOLS, INC, Scott & Raylene KEATiNG, PO Bo, 21323, Reno 89515 NH - David & Rosemary ARMINGTON, Box 190, Kearsarge 03847 --- Christopher & Sally EMBER (Merlyn / 80) 406 Court St, Keene 03431 --- NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME EOUCATDRS ASSOCIATiON, 9 Mizoras Dr, Nashua 03062 --- Dennis & Barbara PARSHLEY (Sean 11, Jason 10, Nathan 8) RFD 7 Box 16A, Gilford 03246 NJ - Edward & Julie ALLEYNE (Themba 1) 254 7t1\St, Jersey City 07302 --- Malcolm & Sandi DOUGLAS (Vanessa 5, Brandon 3, Corey 2) 71 Wellington Rd, E Brunswick 08816 --- Ma1colm & Diane ROBERTSON (Bryce179, Morgan/83) 691 Carlyle Pl, Union 07083 NM - Gary & Cindy HEATH (Se th 12, Faith 10, Ben8, Nathan 7, Luke 4) 11601 Signal Ave NE, Albuquerque 87122 --- Darryl & Susan STORRAR (Lizzy 13, Jenny 11, Mike B) PO Box 27524, Albuquerque 87125 NY - Cindy & Jim BARNETT (MatthewI79, Beth/8U'; Joe 1/84) 213 Melbourne Av, Syracuse 13124 --- BUFFALO HDMESCHOOLERS, 573 South St, E Aurora 14052 --- Karen & Mike BUSCH {Richie

9, Morningstar 7) 5077 Federal Rd, Hemlock

14466

--- Skip & Barbara GUERIN (Joshua 11,

Elizabeth j) 2105 West side Av. Sche nectady 12306 - - - HIGH MEADOW SCHOOL, 60 Gatehouse Rd, New Paltz 12561 --- Ken & Phyllis MONSEY IKen­ ny 10, Bobby 6, Peggy 3) 87-13 96th St, Woodhaven 11421 --- Phil & Kathy NEETZ (Joshua 6, Caleb 4, Naomi/85) 87-13 96th St, Woodhaven 11421 --- Terry & Vinc SCHOMMER (Adam 5, Joseph 2) 30 N Main St, Monroe 10950 --- Ar & Steve SHAKO, RD 2 Box 202, Schoharie 12157 --­ Kathleen & John SMEE (Ryan/B1) PO Box 52, New Woodstock 13122 --- Rick STEINBERG , 310 Baynes St, Buffalo 14213 --- Linda TAGLIAFERRO & Frederic THORNER (Eric/8l) Phone 718-423-0928, Douglaston --- Gerry & Rosemary WEINBERG (Jona­ than 3) 335 Barton Av, Patchogue 11772 --­ Brad & Jan WINSLOW (Bobby/73, Ben/77, Luke/83) PO Box 1755, E Hampton 11937-0795 NC - NORTH CAROLINA HOME EDUCATORS, PO Box 51'82", Emerywood Sta, High Pt 27162 -9998 OH - Larry & Patty ARNOLD (Heather/80, Gabr;eTIe/82) 38000 Shaker Blvd, Chagrin Falls 44022 --- Ed & Joyce CONWAY (Bill 14. Wayne 13, Michael 3) 8310 Cloveridge, Chagrin Fa lls 44022 --- Mark & Dol)y FISHER (Cory 9, Audrey 3, Stefany 1) 843 Oneida Tr, Jamestown 45335 - -- Irwin & Mary GEMLICH (Ann Marie 5) 10036 Ravenna Rd, Twinsburg 44087 - -- George & Diane HORRIGAN (Adam 4, Seth 2) 8731 Camelot Dr, Chesterland 44026 --- Jack & Lyn KISTLER (Scott 5 , Kari 3) 13881 James Or, Novelty 44072 --- Susan & Mickey RICE (Janet176, Mi ndy /80, Steven/83) 16261 Soltis Rd, Garrettsvi lle 44231 OK - Dan & lee FAUST (Jud 6) Rt 1 Box 155, MuTdrow 74948 --- Cindy & Gary ROBINSON (Anisa/75) PO Box 130, Mounds 74047 OR - Chris ANDERSON (Billy 6, Sissy 5) Rt 1 BOx 100-A, Oakland 97462 --- The CHERSON­ SKY (LYNCH) Family, PO Box 99, Selma 97538 --Steve & Kay GOODSELL (Kim 11, Kelly 8 , Lindsay 5) 8121 SW Seminole Trail, Tualatin 97062 --­ Steve & Oebie GURZI 15201 Hoerster In, Rogue River 97537 --- Ralph KRUMDIECK & Lynn COATES (Chad/69, Emily/77, Alice/82) 1440 Linco)n, EUgene 97401 --- Mike & Kathy DPPEDYK (Shawn 13, Lisa 6, Becky 3) Rt 1 Box 3665, Nyssa 97913 --- Laura PRITCHARD IDaniel 71 PO Box 5345, Oregon City 97045 --- Anna QUINN-SMITH IKristin 14) 2338 NE 15th, Portland 97212 --Brian & Betsy RAY, 434 S Atwater St, Monmouth 97361 --- Leslie REDPATH (AU9ust/76 , Brooke/ 78) Rt 2 80x 113-A, Monroe 97456 --- Sally SHUMAKER (EchoI78, Jasper/Bl, MarVi/83) PO Box 895, Port Orford 97465 --- Gay1a & Richard SLATTON (Cord 3) 2729 SE Malcolm, Milwaukie 97222 --- Mycall SUNANDA , OREGON HOME EDUCA TION NETWORK, 90 Thornton Ln, Cottage Grove 97424 --- Dennis TUURI. PARENTS EDUCATION ASSO CIATION. PO Box 1482, Beaverton 97075 PA - Joli & Ron BAKER (Vanessa 5, Stua rt 3, Nora 1) 2401 S Queen St, York 17402 --John & Linda BINDE (Melissa!76, Kristen!79) 1347 Turner St, Allentown 18102 --- Jeff & Harriett DILLER (Adam/8D) 44B E Grand Av, Tower City 17980 --- Linnette & Jeff GANAPOSKI (Alia/76, Kaganl79, Mica/B4) 85 Dillon St, Wilkes-Barre 18705 --- Len & Sue LAURITO, PARENT EDUCATORS OF PENNSYLVANIA (Jen niferI72, Sarahl73, Jeff/74, Davidl76, Elizabethl78) 3334 Disston St, Philadelphia 19149 - -- Adam LEVINE, 507 Woodland Ter, Philadelphia 19104 --- Anne & William O'BRIEN (John 6, Cather ine 2) 1342 Monk Rd, Gladwyne 19035 --- Sharad & Mary PATEL (Kerani 5, Kyle 2) 421 Cricketwood Ct. Canonsburg 15317 --- Jay & Janet PINSKY (Max/81, Dorsche/84) 1117 S 2nd St, Philadel phia 19147 --- Josette & Mark WARFEL (Jacob 6)

RD 1 Box 395, Henrysville 18332

RI - Tony & Bea TERCE I RA (Chuck i e 14,

Matthew1ll Central Pike, N Scituate 02857 SC - HOME SCHDDLERS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 138 Jean Wells Dr, Goose Creek 29445 SO - SOUTH DAKOTA HOME SCHOOL ASSOCIA­ TION, lIT" 2 Box 45, Garretson 57030 TN - June & Allan CONLEY (Craig 19, Frank 1"5") 2700 Priest lake Dr, Nashville 37217-4116 --- Kathy McALPINE (Nathanie1178) 2220 Ashwood Av, Nashville 37212 --- Janie & Butch ROSE (Richard/76, Christopher/78, Daniel /81, Holly/83) 3817 Island Home Pk, Knoxvil le 37920 TX - Kim & Ginger 8ECKSTEAD (Jason!72, Talitha774, Christopher/76, Johannal78, Tat i­ ana/83) 6306 Spindrift, San Antonio 78239 --­ Brian & Melinda CRAIG IJason/81, Allison/83) Rt 1 Box 705, Henderson 75652-9722 --- Vicki DENNIS (Matthew/79, Andrew/84) PO Box 67, Gorman 76454 --- Diana & Joseph LEHR (Patrick 5, Nicholas 3) EL PASO HOME SCHOOLERS ASSOCIATION, 10097 Quebec St, El Paso 79924 --- Nancy LOTZER IJonathan/77, Benjamin/82) 2973 Lavita Ln, Farmers Branch 75234 --- Alicia LOWN (Joseph B) PO Box 8B8, San Angelo 76902 --- Chuck & Suzanne MORTENSEN (Stewart 15, Reagan 10, Garrett 5, Ashley 5, Andrew 4) Gen Del, Skid­ more 7B389 --- Ed & Jean RODRIGUEZ (Timothy/ 78, Benjamin / 81) 3003 Tang1ewood Dr, Conmerce 75428 --- Bob & Paula SINGLETON (Stephanie 4, Jordan/84) 507 Aqua Dr, Dallas 7521B --- TEXAS ASSOCIATION FOR HOME EDUCATION, PO Box 835 105, Richardson 70583 -- - Peter & Arlene WANNEMACHER (Lyana/81 , Ariel/84) Rt 19 Box 3510 , Conroe 77303 --- Jim & Lynn WISDOM (JamesI79, Michael /81) Star Rt Box 379, Burnet 78611 UT - JOHN HOLT LEARNING CENTER, PO Box 520794--;-Salt lake City 84 152 --- Ken & laurie HUFFMAN, 160 S 600 East, Salt Lake City 84102 VT - Seajay & Steve BRICK (Zachorayi a/ 83) POtso, 217, Warren 05674 --- Celine CLARK (Ben B) RD 1 Box B10, Starksboro 05487 --­ LEARNING AT HOME: VT, RD 1 Box 303, Waterville 05492 --- Martha OSHUM (Meadow 8) RD 1,

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45

31 Bristol 05443 --- Jean SHARP (Adair 8) 2590 Shaker Hill, Starksboro 05487 --- Patti & Greg SMITH (Jennille 6, Eli 4, Ashleigh 2, Averi/ 84) PO Box 7, Charlotte 05445 --- Laura & Fred SNYDER (Phillip 10) 71 Alpine Haven, Montgom­ . ery Ctr 05471 VA - Caro lyn & Donald MALIN (Julia 8, Levi 6~Joseph /8 4) 2505 E Main St, Box A, Wytheville 24382 --- Barbara & Howard ROBINSON (Alan 6) Rt 1 Box 230-A, Floyd 2409 1 --- Jenni­ fer SEIP, Rt 2 Box 113-B, Floyd 24091 --- Pat & Ky le SHUMATE (Ryan' 8, Ashleigh 5, Kelsey/83) Rt 2 Box 177-E, Copper Hill 24079 --- Ed & Linda WILHELM (Bob 10, David 7, Mark 5) Rt 1 Box 30-C, Floyd 24091 WA - Don & Lois COLTON (Larissa/77, Jos­ eph/78~Ben jamin/80, Daniel/83) c/o Microsoft, 10700 Northup Way, Bellevue 98004 --- Glen & Lorena ELLENBERGER (Lisa/70, Sunshine/73) Rt 1 Box 264, #10, Cashmere 98815 --- Linda & Leon­ ard GOOD (Nancye 17) PO Box 131, Langley 98260 --- Deborah & Rusty McMULLEN (Dam ion /72 , Juda/ 75, Mia / 77, Tobias/80) CIRCLE ROUND THE SUN, Frontier Box 120, Northport 99157 --- Richard & Rose MARSHALL (Paul 6, Jon 4, Claire & Barry 4 mol 635 NW 195th St, Seattle 98177 --- Peter & Megan NORDLUND (Philo/77, Asiyih /84) 916 Blue Heron Rd, Bow 98232 --- Karl & Ellen THOMPSON (Samuel 5) 4295 Deming Rd, Everson 98247 --- Margaret TOFTE (Jesse 4, Erin 2) PO Box 1299, Oroville 98844 --- Dusty & Leslie WILLIAMS (Jesse 5, Rachel 1) 1889 H St Rd, Blaine 98230 WI - CHRISTIANS FOR FREEDOM IN EDUCATION IN WIStoNSIN, PO Box 86, Neillsville 54456 --­ Peter D'AGOSTINO & Linda HUGDAHL (Devo n 4) 6027 Sunvalley Pkwy, Oregon 53575 --- Dan & Riley HOWARD (Trevor/76, Tristan/80, Noah/81, Brandon/83) 312 E Wabash Av, Waukesha 53186 --- Ed & Mary PETERSON (Julia/81, Elyse/83) Rt 1, Box 183, Alms Ct r 54611 WY - Susan SWAN (Fraser 5, Erin 3) 1392 TwentyffiTl e Creek Rd, Lost Springs 82224

NOBLE (Sam/73, Forrest/77, Eden/80) Box 213, Soufriere, St Lucia, West Indies

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

establishment, and how to arrange for children to go to school later if they desire to do so.

Edwina and I have both been trained as mathematicians and we both work in that area (most ly using computers). Edwina works part­ time out of our home and I work full time at a Navy research laboratory. We were both very much interested in prepared chi ldbirth during the time we were having children and Edwina was always associated with the La Leche League as a LLL leader .. .

If a group wou ld li ke me to speak it would only have to provide expenses. I prefer not to go very far ...

FOR.LANG.TAPES THE LEARNABLES - Span. Ger. Fr. Eng. & Russian taught by audIo-picture system.

From GWS 131 " ... promotes the fastest learn­ ing ... most enjoyable." Also excel. Eng. read­ ing prog available . From International Linguis­ tics, 401 WB9th St, Kansas City MO 64114 HOME SCHOOLING from Prof. Baer School. Flexi­ bility, l ow cost. Send S.A.S . E. 245 Gruene Rd., New Braunfels, Tx. 78130. (512) 629-3372.

FROG MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE offers the most creative software to GWS readers at substantial dis­ counts from normal retail prices - all major programs available. This issue we recommend 3 imaginative home schoo l-te sted programs, all with excellent graphics, that expand with your children: DELTA DRAWING (age 4-adult) & ROCKY'S BOOTS (age 7-adult) for IBM, APPLE & others: retail S50 GWS reader s $40 & READER RABBIT (age 5-7) IBM, APPLE: retail $40 Gl<S $32. Write for our other recommendations for non-violent qual­ ity software for all ages or for specific pro­ gram you wish. Se nd check for retail price minus 20% + Sl.50 for shipping to FROG MOUN­ TAIN SOFTWARE, 1442A Walnut St #227 , Berkeley CA 94709

LAURA SNYDER Cultural Ctr, 71 Alpine Haven, Montgom­ ery Ctr VT 05471.

I'm a homeschooling parent; author (pub­ li shed books on homemaking and I'm working on one for homeschooling); developer of over 80 hands-on socia l studies and science exhibits for which I received a federal grant; founder of the Cultural Center; and creator of biology board games.

I've researched various areas of home­ Forming play coop K-l, Berkeley, 415-525-9399 schoo ling - soc ializati on, time management, character development, creativity, teaching Will babysit and homeschool children for par­ with variety, community resources, developing ents who must-wDrk. Will also help students who curricu lum with flexibility, reception to need occasional help on basic subjects or would learning. like to spend 1 or 2 days a week with others. M I'll provide your choice of an exhibit Readmond,6111Shannon Vly Rd,ActonCA805-947-1988 from the 80, and conduct a knowledge treasure hunt on it for children. Also, I'll bring my HOW TO BE YOUR CHILD'S BEST TEACHER ­ 10-year-old son's homeschooling materials and use TEACHING GUIDES written in everyday games to be exhibited . language with expandable lessons. Matching The fee is: travel expenses for my son CURRICULUM GUIDES show the schoo l that you know CANADA

Phillip and me; accomodations in a hostess' what to provide. More information $1. The best ---ALTA - Carol & Garry KEHLER (Am ika 8,

home; 530 to cover the exhibit.

Galen ~eenie 1) 1005 Varley Dr NW, Calgary Send SASE for list of the exhibits (from help for your money from LEARNING AT HOME Box 270 -G45, Honaunau, HI 96726 T3B 2V5 --- Gay MENTES, ALBERTA HOME SCHOOLING China to Civil War to Dinosaurs to Echino­ INFO SERVICE, 16 Fonda Cl ose SE, Calgary T2A derms). Most contain posters, collections, pic­ 6G3 --- Lynn & David MIDDLETON (Andrew 14, Jon­ tures, books, slides/fi lmstrips/videos, tapes, PROFESSIONAL CURRICULUM GUIDE, 13 sUbjects,many supplemental&resource ideas cited.Format can be athan 11, Benjamin 7, Katie 4) 11415-43 Av , games. copied for local school board submission. 55 .00 Edmonton T6J OY2 each grade K-6 . S.Ashcroft, 13 Gloucester Cour t BC - Frank & Helen CAVE (Ru th 11, Margar­ BARBARA STOUTNER Mt. Holly, NJ 08060. et 9, marla 6) 23 Chancellor Av, Victoria V82 21 I AnnIe, Coeur d'Alene ID 83814; lRl --- Jan & Marcus HUNT (Jaso n 4) 606 ~ary 208-667 -6215.

HOMESTEADERS NEWS - How To Live Sim ply & Sanely St, Victoria V9A 6Y9 --- Beth & Art SHAW (Rob­ Homeschooling parent of four children .

In A Troubled World. "Sherrie & Norm are doing Direc tor of home business FOREIGN LANGUAGE yn 13, Amy 9, Emily 8, Mary 6, Eva) Gen Del, extremely important work" - John Holt. Send $10 THROUGH SONG AND STORY. Seche It VON 3AO (6 iss.)or $2 sample t o B517-25 Naples NY 14512 NB - Lesley BARTON & Burt COHEN (Amy/82, Topics: Foreign Languages in the Home Micah/E4) c/o Morrill, RR 1, St Louis de Kent School. How to Teach Your Children to Enjoy Be­ HOW TO READ MUSIC by Roger Evans 511.95 inclds .

EOA 2Z0 --- Mary Ann COLEMAN, RR 4, Sussex -- ­ ing the Janitors of Your Home School I Home shpg. E. B.Kelly Co P.O.Box 39, Penndel,PA 19047 Susan PITMAN & Paul JACQUES, RR 3, Norton EOG Businesses and Home Schools . The Follow-your­ 2NO --- Don & Isao SANAMI/MORRILL (Benjamin interest Curriculum.

10, Kai 7) RR 1, St Louis De Kent EOA 2Z0 Fees: Travel and lodging costs and baby­ LIVING HERITAGE ACADEMY: K-12 Teach your child at home. Diagnostically prescribed, self conONT - Karen DIXON (Caro line 5) 143 sitter provided for my children.

Berner-rrail, Scarborough M1B lB5 --- Barbara GAUTHIER (Brett 9, Simon 6, Lewis 4) Vankleek Hill KOB lRO --- Gord & Cathy GILHULY (Brian 7, Sean 1) King St, Frankville --- Deborah & ENTRY FORM FOR 1986 DIRECTORY Norman GOLLEDGE (Jamie/83) Box 178, Brace­ As we said elsewhere, the all-new 1986 Directory will be made up only of those who tell us bridge POB lCO --- Mary & Alex MOLNAR (Nicho­ las 10, Emily 7, Rachel 4, Martha 1) 23 Dill in 1985 that they wish to be listed. So fill out this form and ma~t today, or use a St, Kitchener N2L lL2 --- ONTARIO HOMESCHOOL­ separate postcard or 3x5 card (on ly one family per card).

ERS ASSOCIATION, Box 60 York-Toronto 1833, 260 Adelaide St E, Toronto M5A lNO --- Frederick ADULTS: SCHUELER & Aleta KARSTAD, Bishops Mills, RR 2 Oxford Sta KOG lTO QUE - Sue & Tony BEAUREGARD (Gunnar / 77, Frieda]7g, Lief /8 4) Gen Del, Como JOP lAO --­ ORGANIZATION (if applicable): Pat WALSH & Stephen MORRISSEY (Jake 6) 4359 Rt 138, RR 2, Huntingdon JOS lHO CHILDREN, NAMES/BIRTHYEARS: OTHER LOCATIONS- ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION RE­ SOORCE GROUP, 24 Wakefield St, Hawthorn 3122 Australia --- BRISBANE HOME SCHOOLING GROUP, 148 Henson Rd, Salisbury 4107 Austl'alia --­ Marlene STROM & Mark WEBER (Ange la 4) 51 Roder­ ick Rd, London NW3 England --- Brian & Miriam COOK (Tomas 3) Chem~idasse, 06550 La ADDRESS: Roquette sur Siagne, France --- William & Lor­ etta STAPP, 68 Gilmor~Lockwood Terr, FPO San Fran, CA 96630, Guam --- Suzanne & Richard ALEJANDRE (Niko 8, Lee-&) Artesa de Segre, 3, 08022 Barcelona Spain --- Geoffrey & Theresa Have been in Directory before: Yes No _ _

G _ R~IiING

WITHOUT SCHOQ.I)NG (45

32 horses, ballet, llamas --- Becky BLAIR (8) RD Back issues: We strongly urge you to get the back lssues of GWS, especially if you plan 1 Box 303, Waterville VT 05492; skiing, nature, rabbits --- Lisa OPPEDYK (6) Rt 1 Box to take your children out of school. Our rates 3665, Nyssa OR 97913; reading, ballet, compu­ for back issues: any combination of back iss­ ters --- BOONE, 2414 Marcelyn Av, Mountain ues, mailed at one time to one address, cost 75¢ per issue, plus $2. For example, GWS #1-44 View CA 94043; Cristie (7) reading, acting, SCIENCE equipment labs at reasonable cost, piano; Paul (5) drawing, cars, books --- John would cost $35. (44 x 75¢ is $33. $33 + $2 = $35.) These rates are for subscribers only; grades K-8. Manual of experiments included.

TZANNES (7) 529 E 6 St, New York NY 10009; Send for free brochure. SCIENCE Unlimited, 1902 fish, stickers, Narnia --- Rebekah FREEDMAN non-subscribers pay $2.50 per lssue.

Padre Dr., West Covina , CA 91790 818-962-8358 (14) 3310 Illinois Av, Louisville KY 40213; The index to GWS #1-30 costs $2.50; to #31-40, $1 (these prices include postage). reading, mUSiC, writing --- Brian JAMES (7) MICHAEL OLAF - THE MONTESSORI SHOP Book - toy ­ 16401 Stone Jug Rd, Sutter Creek CA 95642; Address chanaes: If you're moving, let tool source for parents, schools &homeschool­ drawing, horses, bicycles --- Jud FAUST (6) Rt us know your new a dre~s as soon as possible. ers. For our "suggested age 9uide"/catalog send 1 Box 155, Muldrow OK 74948; bikes, baseball, Please enclose a recent label (or copy of Sl to: 4284 Gilbert Street, Oakland CA 94611 fishing one). Issues mi ssed because of a change in address may be replaced for $2 each.

Group subscriptions: all copies are mailed to one address. Here are the current WHEN YOU WRITE US RENEWALS group rates (IX means you get one copy of each Please - (1) Put separate items of bus i­ At the bottom of this page is a form you issue, 2X means you get 2 copies of each ness on separate sheets of paper. (2) Put your can use to renew your subscription. Please issue, 3X means 3 copies, etc.): name and address at the top of each letter. help us by renewing early.

1 year 2 yrs.

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(3) If you ask questions, enclose a self­ How can you tell when your subscription 6 iss.

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18 iss. addressed stamped envelope. (4) Tell us if expires? Look at this sample label: it's OK to publish your letter, and whether to $15 $27 $36 1X use your name with the story. $20 2X $34 $45 12345 JIM &MARY JONES $25 $45 3X $67.50 27 01 46 ADDITIONS TO RESOURCES $30 4X $60 $90 16 MAIN ST Certified teachers willing to help home­ PLAINVILLE NY 01111 5X $37.50 $75 $112.50 sChoolers : Bonnle BILLEB, PO Box 219, Philips­ $45 $90 6X $135 burg MT 59858; 406-859-3919 --- Sal ly EMBER, The number that is underlined in the 406 Court St, Keene NH 03431 --- Brian RAY, example tells the number of the final issue 7X, 8X, etc: $7.50 per person per year.

434 S Atwater St, Monmouth OR 97361 --- Patri­ for the subscription. The Jones' sub explres cia HOUSER, Box 88 RD 5, E Stroudsburg PA with Issue #46, the next issue. But if we were Please send in the' names and addresses 18301; 717 -421-3705 of members of your group sub, so that we can to receive their renewal before we sent our final account changes to the mailing house keep in touch with them. Thanks. (early August), they would qualify for the Editors - John Holt & Donna Richoux free bonus issue.

PEN PALS WANTED Renewal rates are the same as for new Managing Editor - Patrick Farenga Children Who Want Pen Pals should send subscriptions: $15 for 6 iss~es, $27 for 12 Subscriptions & Books - Steve Rupprecht us name, age, address, and 1-3 word s on inter­ issues, 536 for 18 issues. If that number in Sandy Kendall ests - NOBLE, PO Box 305, Esparto CA 95627: the third line of your label is 45, 46, 47, Office Assistant - Mary Van Doren Samantha (6) sewing, flowers, dancing; Chris ­ etc, please renew now - rates will never get Editorial Assistant - Mary Maher any cheaper. topher (4) He-Man, bikes, Legos --- Krisy CARDILLO (7) 4 Spring Va lley Rd, Park Ridge NJ Copyri ht Holt Associates, Inc. 07656; c lothes, inventing, art --- FAKO, 337 FLASH - The N.C. Supreme Court ruled in favor Ridge, Elmhurst IL 60126: Margaret (8) swim­ SUBSCRIPTIONS of the Delcontes' homeschool, 5/ 7/85. ming, music, gymnastics; Nancy (13) music, swimming, boats --- Rebecca BARTLETT (10) 6749 Our current policy starts all subscrip­ E Lime Lake Rd, Cedar MI 49621; horses, ani­ tions with the next i ssue published. Rates mals, camping --- Amelia WINGER-BEARSKIN (6) are: $15 for 6 issues, $27 for 12 issues, $36 2605 WLittle Rock, Broken Arrow OK 74011; for 18 issues. GWS is published every other pony, Barbie, animals --- Tina DASCALOS (12) month. A single issue costs $2.50.

1530 S Columbine, Denver CO 802 10; violin, For all subs or orders of GWS (not sports , drama --- COWAN , Rt 9 Box 93-0, Jones­ books), please send check or money oreers pay­ boro AR 72401: Nathan (7) fishing, sports, ani­ able to GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING. Ul r> mals; T.J. (11 ) nature, rocks, reading --­ Foreign payments must be either money :J: o Phillip SNYDER (10 ) 71 Alpine Haven, Montgom­ orders~funds or checks drawn on US o r ery Ctr VT 05471; chemis try, breakdancing, mag­ banks. We can't afford to accept personal :z ic --- Becki FIERRO (8) 3411 Glenhurst Av, Los checks on Canad ian accounts, even if they have G) Angeles CA 90039; cats, drawing, stickers --­ "US funds" written on them. Outside of North CHAPMAN, PO Box 80672, Fairbanks AK 99708: America, add $10 per year for airmail (other­ Nell (6) horses, cats, gymnastics; Chelsea (9) wise, allow 2-3 months for surface mail). tained, self instructional, continuous progress curriculum, high achievement results, permanent records kept, diploma issued, low tuition rates LIVING HERITAGE ACADEMY-GWS P.O. Box 143B, Lewisville, Texas 75067

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GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #45