Growing Without Schooling 57

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING

57

John Welss. Executtve Dlr€ctor of thc National Centcr forFairand OP('l Testlng' crlttclzcs stmdardizrd tc:rts ln an lntcMcw, pagc l9

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENTS P. 2-3 Welcome, Norna Rlchoux Ross SubscripUon Drive 1988 Directory

ApprenUceships Available

NCACSDirectory

p.3-6

NEWS & REPOK|S MAKING CONTACT

Helptul Official in Ontario Ttouble in CermanY Newl-awturWV Victory in Texas Court CF{ALLENGES StressfulYear Unschooling

& CONCERNS P'7-8

Feeling Isolated

"Where'sYour School?"

WATCHING CHILDREN LEARN

P.

Rethinking NormalitY John Holt on Correcting Mistakes Math History, Reading

OLDER HOMESCHOOLERS P. 12-13 CHILDREN IN HOSPITAIS P. 13-14 BOOK REVIEWS P. 15-18 FOCUS ON TESTING P' re-22 The Uses ofTests Testing Experiences

p.23-25 ''winners" RESOURCES p.25-2a Abacus Beads Tapes Books

ADDITIONS TO DIRECTORY P. 2

Foryears, we have been telllng people who asked us about college admisslon requirements licr homeschoolers that although a htgh school dtploma was not necessary, scholastic Aptitude Test scores (or scores from other college Board exams) usually were. "lnsututlons say they want somethlng normatlve, standardized, some way toludge everyone equalty," we:d explaln, almost as lf colleges could be excused for thinldng that the SATwas the way to do thts.

Of course it isn't. and we all ought to become fluent ln the dlscussion of why it isn't.

The SATbears directly on all of us, iven those of us who have already taken it' never thought about taklngit, orwon't have to think about taklng tt foryears. As I talked to p.opi. about the SAi tn preparatlon for the sectlon on testlng In thls lssue of GWS' I ieattzea that it has become s)monymous ln this country wtth the idea that testlng is sensible and, even more basic, possible. When we hear people talk about how much they can learn about someone's lntelligence from a sin$le SAT score, we are hearing the same thinking that makes people decide that requirtn$ homeschooled children to take a yearly stan-dardlzed test wtll reassure ev€ryone that those chtldren are learning.

In ottreiwords, believing that standard?ed tests measure somethtng important-or can be used to inform irnportant decisions is just as erToneous, andJust as potentially harmful, whether the decision is about a college applicant, an 8-year-old hoping to be

allowed another year of homeschooling, or any one of the many-people who lind themselves in situailons in which thesi tests matter. The belief ls essenllally the same.

Part of what this means is that we should see the testing issue as awhole' Readers with young children should not dismiss the discussion of the SATin this issue of GWS as irrelevant to them. Readers with older (or no) chtldren should not thtnk the testing ofyoung children ls somethlr:rg that no longer concerns them. Agaln, lt's all part of a p.ltt"rri-". *ay of looking at tnleligence and its measurement which. if we want to challenge, we have to challenge in its entirety.

We"should applaud and Jncourage whatever supportive research and news on the subject we find. Specifically, homeschmling parents who ar€ negotiating testing .rrJng.-..tts wit'h their sihool districts can use the news that some colleges havestoppEa requiring the sATas important information about current use of standardtzed tests. (see story, page 2l) Parents can also use other research that the National Center for Fair and Opeir fesUng (lnteMew, page l9) ls collectlng to back up their ar€Uments. We're not alone in our criticlsm and questioning of standardized tests.

FailTest is working to make the testing industry more accountable, and parents, too' can demand accountability of the verylesters who are askln$ homeschoolers to be accountable to them. We shouldn't let so many important declsions about our children be made on the basis of tests which are as flawed as so many standardized tests are

turning out to be.

Rt this point, many parents may be thinliing, "But what about meanwhile' when our children do have to take these tests?" To thii I say, while your children have to take these tests, learn everything you can about them' Find out how they're made, discover the tricks and ways ofttri.rt ing *hlch make lt easy to score high onthem' and help your children unierstand theJe trlcks. At tle same time, quesdon thelr value and l""rr-"y. The saddest consequence of our belief in standardized testing i:s that our children come to share it, and makeJudgments about themselves which they might never otherwise have made. At the viry least, children who have to take standardized tests should see them as necessary but basicalty tnstgniflcant hurdles or games'-lt's unfortunate that so often these hurdles stand between us and somethingwe really want to do (continue homeschooling, enter some instltution, take part in some work)' we should know enough about them so that we are able toJump them easily, but we should also knowenough about them to distrust them.

David Owen, in hislmportant book None oJThe Above: Belindthe MythoJ scholasticAptth-rde (avail. here, 7.95 + post.), wrltes: 'Uust as war ls too lmportant to be left to the generals, testing is too important to be left to the test-makers' We all owe it to oursehel and especially-our childien to swallow our anxieties and take a look at what actually goes on behdd the facade of scientlfic lnfallibtlity that the Educational Testing Servi"e [wtrictr sells the SATI has erected between itself and the society it helps to shape... The scientific mystique on which their powerdepends is an illusion." thi more we know about standaidlzed tests, the less subject to this illusion we will be.

--- Susannah Sheffer

2

OFFICE NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS WELCOME, NORNA! I'm delighted to say that my daughter, Norna Richor:x Ross, was born on Friday, May l. "Nonra' is the Kung Bushmen's nickname for Lorna Marshall, an elderly anthropologlst friend of Frank's.

As I sald tn OWS #81, we planned a home btrth, and all tndlcadons were excellent.

However, after many hours oflabor, the baby dtd not descend, even though I was fully dllated, and the mldwlves detected "fctal dlstress" (low heartbeat). So, we had a 2 a.m. ambulance rtde to Malden l{ospital, some tcsts (whlch lndtcated lt was OK to walt a little), and finally an 8 a.m. declslon for a Csectlon. The baby's posterlor position plus a uterlne lnfectron appear to have been the cause of the problcm.

We have no regr€ts - Norna is beautiful (of coursel) and we got excellcnt care. As we kncw beforehand, Malden Flospital has the most liberal matemity pollcies around because other alternative-minded lamllies and pr-actlUoners have paved the way. Frank, Noma and I had complete rooming-ln and were able to rest and relax for llve days instead of lighung an lnstitution, and we felt fortunate.

Norna is two weeks old as I write, and a Joy to hold and to tend. I am recoverlngvery quickly from the surgcry and am loolidng forward to what the comlng weeks and months wJll bring. --- Donna Richor:x

SUB DRIVE: UPDATE We continue to appeal to you for help with our subscription drive. Since the last issue of GWS wcnt to press, several of you have offered help for which we are very grateful.

Neil Brick of Brighton, Mass. is taking out a $lOO classified ad for us in the magazine Mother Jones - all we have to do is wrlte the ad copy. We're excited about reaching Motler Joness audience, and hope some others ofyou can follow Neil's example with other

publlcations.

Several ofyou have offered to distribute flyers and catalogues for us at homeschooling and I.a kche kague confercnces. This ls always a big help to us, since we cannot possibly be at all these events. We've printed up a l2xl8" stgn that says GROWNG WITIIOUT SCHOOUNG in block letters. lf you'd ltke to use ttris to ldentlff a display table at a conference, let us know.

We've realizcd that people will probably flnd it easier to represent us at big events if they have some llterature whlch summarizes our philosophy and activities. Tom Maher has found a way for us to prlnt up brochures at very low cost, and we are going to take advantage of this over the summer. We'll print two brochures, one focusing on Holt Associates and one focusing on homeschoollng ln general. We'll let you know when these are avallable.

Ftnally, we've seen several gift subscrlptions in the matl recently, and we appreciate ttrls indivldual response to our drlve very much. After a[, if the person you give the gift to ltkes GWS, he or she rnight tell someone else, who mlght tell someone else and before you know lt, our circulatlon wlll rtval that ol Paple magaztnel Thank you for conunulng to think of how to help us. - SS

RECENT PUBLICITY An excellent artlcle ln the April l4th Woman's Day called "Does Homeschooltng Pass the Test?" brought us over 60O requests for ireformation. Many of these tncluded orders ficr our "Homeschooling Resource Llst," whtch was mentioned in the article, and at this wrlflng (early May) our stalT i,s stlll busy fllling these orders.

We were also part of an Aprtl 24th Chrfst{an *bnce Monllor supplement on educatlon, which turcluded artlcles on Summerhill, Montessori schools, and homeschoolingl, all very thorough and interestlng. Thls and several other talks with regional r€porters and radio inteMewers have kcpt our "publicity department" (whose staff members look very like those in our edttortal, buslness, and child care departments) quite busy.

Pat Farenga and I led two sessions ofa workshop called "Evaluattng the Ellectrveness of llomeschooling" at the Ninth Arrnual New England Test Measurement and Evaluation Conference in Plymouth, New Hampshire on March 25th. We spoke to school princlpals, superlntendents, guldance counselors and teachers, and were able to talk not only about "traditional" methods of evaluatlon but also about how parents and ctrildren mlght Judge whether homeschooling was effective. We found our audlences overwhelmingly sympathetic; one wom:rn who was in charge of homeschooling requests ln a New Hampshire district stood up and told the other members of the audience that she thought they all ought to be helpful to homeschoolersl - SS

1988 DIRECTORY Once again we will be discarding all names Ar the Directory, and we ask that lf you want to be listed in the next complete Directory (GWS #60) you send us your entry.

Deadline is September 30.

We're dolng this for two reasons.

Discardtng and re-compiling seems to be the only uray to keep the Directory reasonably correct, and tt was two years ago that this was last done. Also, our switch to the Maclntosh means that everyone from the old Directory would have to be re-typed anyway, so we mlglht as well be entering current lnformatlon.

The last time we compiled an all-new Dlrectory, we were delighted that it tumed out to be nearly as blg as the old one that had been accumulating names for seven years. So please use the entry form ln the back of this issue, or send us a separate 3 x 5 card or postcard (one card per famlly).

The on! people who do not need to tell us again to put them in the Directory are those who already told us in 1987 - that is, those whose additions or changes appear ln the summaq/ of changes in this issue.

Also, at the request of pc.ople lnvolved with the GWS Travel Dlrectory, we are addtng a new code letter to Dtrectory llsttrgs. Ifyou would be willing to host other GWS readers who are traveling, lndicate so and we wlll put an "H" at the end of your lisdng, What rvould lt mean, to be a host? It muld mean anythlng from puttlng up one person overnlght to hosting a fanrily or group for a long stay. The maJor rule for visltors ls, all arrangements

must be done in writ@, irr aduonce. No showing up unannounced at the last mlnute expecting a place to stay - the "hosts" tn such a case MUST be free to say, "I'm sorry, we cannot put you up now." Hosts should also be able to spectS certaln requlrements ln the advance arrangements - no srmldng, no stays longer than a certaln length, etc. We do not have room to lndlcate such detalls tn GWS, so you wlll have to express them dlrectly to potential visltors, - DR

DIRECTORY ON LABELS LEARNING AT HOME, PO Box 27O-G, Honaunau Hl 96726,ls selltng our Dlrectory in computer label forrnat. They have comblned names from our old and present Dtrectory and have vreeded out the ones that the post olDce has returned. Organlzatlons or companles wantlng to do dlrect matllngs rnight ltnd these labels useful. LEARNING AT HOME is selling them for $75 per thousand; mlnlmum order is 35O names or $25. Holt Assoclates receives loolo ofthe pro0ts on each order.

APPRENTICE WITH US We have two apprenflce posttions avatlable at Holt Assoclates. Apprendc.es must enJoy rrrcrldng ln the company of children and be able to travel and live on thelr own. Anyone ofany age may apply. The length of the apprendceship is flodble - tt could be a two-week vlslt, or a year of regular work, or anything ln between. We cannot pay appr€ntices. In the past we harr sometimes been able to an:ange for out-of-town workers to stay wlth a local CWS farnily ln exchange for some chlld care, but lf you have friends or relaUves ln thls area, that makes lt even easier. The two apprendceships are: EDTTORIALASSISTANT: You will see how GWS is put out from start to finish, and wlll participate in all stages of the process.

Good typing ls very much preGrred, as we do all tlTing ourselves. The more comfortable you are with writing and ediung, the more such responsibilides will be added. Write to Susannah Sheffer lf lnterested.

OFFICE ASSISTANT: Ieam the details of our mall-order book business. Tlpfu:g ts less necessary here, but it will open up more possibilities for you. We're mainly looking for enthusiasm and comfort wtth oltce tasks.

The work includes shipping and recneivlng books, keeptng irrventory records, ans',rcrlng phones, working the copy machine, and many other olllce skills that are transferable anyvhere. Wrlte to Patrick Farenga tf

lnterested.

WHEN WE DON'T WRITE We sometimes get letters here which say somethlng llke, "I wrote to you a while ago and haven't received a response." I'd llke to take a little space to ansu/er all of you who may have felt frustrated at not r€celving an acknowledgment or reply from us. Some explanation may make our sltuadon clealer.

CWS ts ln the funny posltron of literally deWrdiw on your letters and at the same ume being unable to acknowledge many of them. Thls rnav leale the wrlter of the letter GROWING WTNIOUT SCHOOLING #57

wonderlng whether it was rcc'eivcd, and if it was reccfied who read lt, and did the person who read tt thlnk about tt or mer€ly toss lt

NEWS & REPORTS

astde?

LIVING NEAR HOMB.

The truth ls that we read and think about each plece of matl that crosses our desks.

Oftenwe show letters to one another. Some letters demand a response, and ln those cases we respond. Many letters are lnter€stlng, informadve, and thought-provoklng. They tell us somethtng we didn't know, or they conflrm somethtng we had suspected. In either case, they enrich our sense of homeschoollng-and helP us trnagine the lives of people we cannot actually visit. As you, know,-letters often get prtnted l-n GWS. Those that don't rntght tnsplre an artlcle of our own, or remlnd us to prlnt another letter on the same toplc.

But the dllltculty ls this: we have to choose between answerlng your letters as fully as they deserve - gving acknowledgmcnt to those of you who suggest books for us to read, responding to the stories you tell us about your lves - and dolng the rest of our work. There are only a couple of us here tn the ollice, and thousands ofreaders. In my case, of cpurse, the choice ls between answering all lctters and putUng out CWS, I beLeve that if glven that cholc.e, most of you would choose GWS. In fact, GWS ls our way of answcrlng

your letters. If you watch closcly, you rnay se€ a concernvou ralsed ln a letter addressed ln an lssue oi the magaztne! even though you did not rec€ive a personal resPonse.

Plcase know, then, that your letters are always lmportant to us, They are never Just Iiled auray. You contribute to our thinking, our lnformatlon, and our understandlng.

When we do our dally urcrk at Holt Assoclates, I ltke to thtnk that we are, ln a very real sense, responding. - SS

DIRECTORY OF SCHOOLS The Nattonal Coalitlon of Altemative Communlty Schools has recently published an excellent dtrectory of lts member schools, and most lmportant for us, they have tncluded for the llrst tlme a sectlon called "Home-Based Schools and Resource Informatlon." There are 35 listings, some familtar to homeschoolers but most not.

Many are schools that lnvite homeschoolers to use thelr resources. Anyone ln need of this lnformaUon should send $lO to NCACS, RD I Box 378, Glenmoore PA 19343 and ask for the 1987-88 Nattonal Dlrectorv of Altemative Schools. If you use the tnf6rmation ln this dlrectory, please write and tell us about it.

REVISING BORN TO LOVE Joann Grohman, author of BORN T0 LOVE, which we scll here, wrote recently: "l plan to revise the book, and I'd like to gct the word out to my readers that I will welcome suggestions and commentary." Joann's addrcss ls: 6O N. Beretania #3802, I-Ionolulu HI 996817.

REMINDERS Christmas shopping ads are due Septcm-

ber lsth (cws #59).

We

will be maldng the {lnal selection of

books for our fall cataloa in-Julv, so if vou've bc€n \ratdn{ to hear whEther a-particular book wtll be avail-able, that's the time-to ask.

GROWING WITHOTIT SCI{OOLING #57

SCHOOLERS Lauren McElroy

(M

usrites

uith neus

oJ

the MAKINO COMACT rettwrk: There are now 37 families in MAKING CONTACT, coverlng a wlde range of lifestylcs and living ln many different gcographic areas. The two things we all have 1n common are that we allow our chlldren to grow without schooling and that wc are tntercstcd tn ltving

near other famllles who sharc this outlook.

These families usc MAKING CONTACT as a ktnd of bulletin board for letting others know about themsclvcs. Fach family Puts together a one-page descripUon of themselves and the ktnd of llvtng situation they would Itkc. They then scnd thls to a ccntm.l address (PO Box 626, Booncvllle CA 95415). As new famlies Join, the pcrson handling letters scnds ncw lettcrs to famlllcs already DErrtlcipatinA, and sends the new families the ietters'alrealy on ftlc. The network is nonprofit and volunte.er. Five dollars covers the lopying and poslage costs. Contributlons above-Ge five dollars go to advcrtising, which ls how we collecti'rcly rcach more and morc familics, and at a cost much lower per famlly than lf we were cach to place our own ads.

In thls way, by rcadtng cach othcr's "introductlons, " MAKINC COM ACT families have been beginning to get to know each other. Some have begun to develc.P friendshrips by corrcsponding with familics they'd like to gct to know better. Some have also visitcd cach othcr. There isn't an establtshcd "reporting back" system, so we don't always know what happcns when families do "make clntact," but two farnilics that I know of arc currently sharing a pic.ce of rural land. llere ls a sampling of some of the letters, shoMng thc range of what famllics arc lntcrcsted in crcating: "For now wc would love to create a neighborhood of support and friendshlp... have at present two rental possibilities next door to us." (rural town, CA) "Our idea is to subdivtde land accordlng to individual necds." f\fD "A land trust (or other cois essential." (NY) operative ' 'Wantventurc) close but flexible tles, tf that's possible... A common business would be idcal... also like the ldca of owning expensive things in corilnon, like VCIls, word proccssors, etc." (MA) "Gradual cooPcration is Lcst for us. I'd like to have somc sort of communlty centcr/school owned togcther, but probably that ls all." (lL) Wriling about this Process of making contact wlth a vtew to crcating conditions t}rat bctter suit our necds as famllies learning togcther, one mothcr wrote, 'We want to thank you for being the lnitiators of MAKING CONTACT. Even lf we don't connect with any of thesc families on a pcrrnanent basis, it's bcen heartening to know that thcre are others in the world who think as we do."

As a participant ln this Proccss myself, I feel it's important to kc.ep a balance bctwecn my focus on what I want for my family, ideally, and on bcing comfortable in the present. I want to balance thc process of discussing possibilltics wlth enjoying the setUng in which our family currcntJy ltves' If I begin to place heavy expectations_on a speCific end product, lt secms to take thc zcst oirt of, and evcn to lessen the posstbilities for,

cr€aflng what we wish.

Whether familles will eventually live near each other, creating the kinds of ltving situations they'd like - a netghborhood with corrununity felling, a commrlnity land trust, etc. - is up to the famihes themselves and will probably iepend on a combinaUon of factors.

Such living sltuatlons may come together tn ways that have [ttle or notlrlng to do with thls network specifically. MAKING CONTACT slmpiy lncreases possibilifles for farnilies.

RAISING ENTRANCE AGE Flom an arlble tnThe Boston Globe, 3/ 26/ 87: More school districts across the nation are ralstng the entrance age for ktndergarten and flrst grade because of concems that too much ls being demanded of youngsters academlcally at too early an age. ...Nancy l,auter-Klatcll, professor of earlv chtldhood educatlon at Wheelock Collcge ln Boston, which spcciallzes ln programs on young children, said the lssue ls programs, not age. "Bccause of the big push for acadcmics and basic skills, schools are trying to Act klds at 4 and 5 to do things apProPriate fo{A-, z- and 8-year-olds," she said.

Rather than hold childrcn back so they can perform better in overly academic lilndergartens, she said, kindergarten currlculums should bc made more "devclopmental" - with an emphasis on discovery, rather than workbooks.

The Boston School Committee T\resday raised the entrance age for kindergarten and first grade by four months, changing the cutoffdate to Sept. I from Dec. 3l' ...James K. Uphoff, professor of

cducation at Wright State University in Davton, Ohio... and coauthor of "Summer Children: Ready or Not for School," said vesterday that "school after school after lchool h'as been tinding that children cannot cope with the curriculum as

it

now exists in K

thi.ough 2. Upwards of 4Cf/o of children at 5 are not ready for situng still, for paper and pcncil work, for extensive eye-hand ioordination, for the hcavy academic curriculum which now edsts."

HELPFUL OFFICIAL IN ONTARIO oJ

Cotole Smith wrote in the Sumner tssue C anadion tame schnltrtg

Recess, a

nWaztne: Homeschoolers in Onlario fall under the section of the provincial education act which r€ouires that'satisfactory education' be pr,j"ia"a for chlldrcn whb are not attending school. The questlon of what custitutes GROWING WTHOTITSCHOOLING #57' Vol. lO No. 3. ISSN #O745-5305. Publlshed bl-monthlyby Holt Associatcs, 729 Boylston St, Boston MA O2 I I 6. $2O/)'r. Date of Issuc, June I , 1987. Semnd-cla-ss postagc paid at Boston MA. POSTMASTER: Scnd address changcs to GWS, 729 Boylston St, Boston

MAO2I16.

ADVER:I'ISERS: Deadlines are the lSth ofoddnumbercd monlhs. Contact Patrick Farcnga for

currcnt ratcs,

4 'satisfactory education'has been to date, a matter of indMdual tnterpretation. As a result, rnany homeschoolers have been harassed and intimidated bv their local school boards - generally foi not having provided exactly the same education as the school system.

In June, Jake Rogers, the provincial school attendance oltcer, came to a panel

discussion on'The F\tue of Homeschoolfueg ln Ontario," sponsored by the Ontario Homeschoolers support group. In hts presentadon, he sa1d, 'The declsion you have made to homeschool your chlldren ls OK. It's bona$de. It's on the books. You're dl rlght to do iL I get the feeling that homeschoolers have been running scarcd, perhaps Justiffably co. My message to you ls: don't run scarcd. I want to work with homeschoolers in a conciliatory rather than a confrontaflonal way."

...Jake acknowledged that local school boards ar€ autonomous and that ifs not his Job to reprtrnarrd indtvidual school boards.

The problem oflnconslstency on the part of local boards across the province, however, is oart ofhis rnandate. There are various directions in which the govemment can move: l. Change the education act; 2. Change the regulaUons and pollcies app\ring to the law as lt now stands; 3. Leave the rules and reg;uladons as they stand and lnstead work wlth the people trrvolved to solve the problerns dlrectly.

The latter ts the dtrecdon Jake Roger prefers. There are currentl5r about zlOO reported homeschoollng farniltes ln Ontario, and while some are getttng har,'assed locally, none have been assessed as not provtding satisfactory educaflon. Rogers suggested that local superintendents who are acting inappropriately can be dealt with properly, and he encourages homeschoolers to keep in touch with him personally. Thlngs may not change quickly in Ontario, but with an honest and fair ally like Jake Rogers as "tmancy officer," I belleve they wtll charge for the better.

VISITING MONTREAL Mywife Dayworks as a freclanc.e producer of c€rporate mulU-lmage slide shows, and this usually means that after about slx weeks of productlon work at our home and at her client's ofrce, Day puts the show on at the conference site. Last month Day had a conference to produce ln Montreal and ure decfded *rat thts would be a great opportunlty for our liamily to travel, especially slnce none of us had been to lanada.

I used the GWS Directory (now available ;eparately, in large type, firr $5) to contact Theresa Tlttley who in hrrn used the Quebec Homeschoolers Tblephone Tlee to arrange several meetings, dlnners, and talks wlth Canadian homeschoolers for me. The hospitality and openness of all our hosts, not to rnention the beauty of Montreal, have left Lauren, Day and rne wlth wonderful memories and a yeamlng to vtsit agatn, One mornlqg Lauren and I rpent to hear the Montreal Symphonywith three famlltes who called themselves'The Independent Educators Assoclaflon." Sue Beauregard and her farnily, who had an:anged the outtng for us, then drove us to a homeschoolers plcnic t: Mont Royal Park. The chlldren played, the aduls talked. and the sun shone. It was an espectally tmportant day for l.auren slnce lt

was her lirst independent exposure to nature; she toddled eveqrwhere, examining and tastint every blade of grass, twig and piece of dirt she encountered. It was quite an experience for both of us.

A more formal meeting (i.e. it was held indoors and we all wore shoes) was arrangd the next day at the Borque family's home, where I was asked to address about thirtv homeschoolers about John Holt's life and work. When I uras finished, rnany pe.ople asked questions about GWS and howwe were getting on without John. The feedback and support I received made me wish everyone at Holt Associates could be there. because it certainly uplifted me. Most of those in attendance wer€ acfive homeschoolers and quesdons about motivadng teenagers, dealing wlth school authorities, and having proper credendals for llfe after school were among the most asked; ure spent little time on the usual bugaboo of socialization, which was a welcome rellef for us all.

What stmck me about both this mecfin6! and the earlier picnic was how often I heard folks remark to one another. "I haven't seen you in so longl" As it tums out, the Montreal homeschoolers are a loose-knit group. Since the govemment respects homeschoollng as a viable alternatlve to publlc school, there isn't a great need for frequent contact among homeschoolers except for social purposes.

Meetlng such a diverse, vttal group of famtltes, all homeschooling for a mulutude of reasons, with diJferent backgrounds and with children of all ages, makes me realize agatn what a wonderful patchunrk quilt homeschmllng ls. --- Patrlck Farenga

disobeying the law would set for the children.

But beyond the legal problems, one of the biggest difficulties here is that no one has any concept of unschooling. When we try to discuss it with anyone, whether a German or another foreigner, we might as well be speaking Chinese. It reminds me of the way it was in Indiana when we first took Dan out of school in 1981, only worse. In the past few years, homeschoolin! has become well enough known in the US that people who would never consider doing it themselves have come to realize that it is a viable alternattve to other schools, that for some children and some parents it may be a better choice. Here, people seem to be genuinely unable to comprehend anything we say - it's as though we're discussing some esoteric subject that they don't even have the vocabulaqr for, let alone the background to understand. ffhat's literally true: the fine nodce we received mentioned "home schools" in English, the idea being so foreign that they couldn't even translate it and have it mean anything.) It ma.kes it very dillicult for us; we had always taken our supportive friends for grarrted, and here there are none. We've come to really appreciate letters, phone calls, and visits from like-minded people - don't know what we'd do without them.

NEW LAW IN WV F}omtlle

Laut

whtchthe gowrnor signd.

on Maneh 28 ard- wldch utill take elfect Julg

Bc

1

:

it enactcd by the lcglislaturc of

Wcst Virginia:

TROUBLE IN GERMANY GWS reader

ClaudiaBarbr urote inher

fantlg's neusletter: Unschoollng ln Germany is practically unheard of - and pracflcally impossible. Last vear David and Daniel attended the local schools, David because he wanted to try school, Dardel because the principal

threatened to send the police tf he didn't come.

Thls year we enrolled them in Clonl,ara School's HOME BASED EDUCATION PROGRAM and hoped the school people, upon receMng the requests for records, would :ununrc they had returned to the US. Hal Thanks to the wonders of modern technologr (a computer lmows the exact whereabouts of every r€sldent at any g[ven moment), tt took Davld's principal three days to send someone looking for him.

Since September, we've been threatened with the police and actually had a fine imposed; we're appealing that and may wind up filing a suit. At first, rve only wanted to drag out all the paperwork and proceedings long enough to keep the kids home tlds year, thinllng we would be retuming to the US before next schoolyear. However, sta)'ing longer would make the whole thireg much more dtlliculL It seems there is absolutely no legal way for a permanent resident tn Bavaria to avoid unwanted schooling. It may be possible to enroll the lidds 1rr the US mtlttary svstem and then teach them at home - we've b-een told qre can do so, but the tulHon ls way beyond our means. It may also be possible to "uru€gstet'' them so the computer can't flnd them, and then lay low. However, that's illegd, and Garry and I hanre serlous r€seryaflons about the o<amPle our

Commencemerx arld termhotion oJ

ulsory schml afteruTance ; exemp tions : Exenptiort B: Instnrctiort in a lome or otler

cotnp

apprordplae:

. ..If such a request for home education is denied by the county board ofeducation, good and reasonable justllication for such denial must be furnished in writing to the applicant by the county board of education. ...It shall be the duty of the person or persons providlng the instruction, upon request of the county superintendent, to furntsh the countv board ofeducation such lnformadon and records as may be required from tirne to dme with respect to attendance, instrucdon and progress of pupils €nrolled between the ages of seven and sixteen years receiving such instruction. ...The person or persons providing home instrucfion lshalll present to the count5r superintendent or county board ofeducation a notice of lntent to provide home instnrction and the name and address ofany child of compulsory school age to be instructed. ...Ttre person or persons providing home instrucdon lshalU submit satisfactory evidence of (i) a high school diploma or equlvalent and {d) formal education at least four years trlgher than the most academically advanced ctrlld for whom the instruction will be provided or achlevement of a score on the Naflonal Teachers E:<aminailon sulficlent for teacher cerdllcatlon in thls state. ...The person or persons providhg home lnstrucflon lshalll outline a plan of lnstmcflon for the ensulng school year and the child receMng home lnstmction [shalll annually take a standardized test, to be administered at a public school in a count5r where the child resldes, or administered by a llcensed psychologist or other person

GROWiNG WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #57

5 authorized by the publisher of the test, or administcred by a person authorized by the county superintendent or county board of cducation. In no event may the chlld's parent or lcgal guardian administer the test... Each child;s testing results shall be made available to the person or persons providing home instructjon, the child's parent or legal guardian and the coun$r superintendent.

Deirdre

hrdg

Based Mttcation in Canado. which should be useful anywhere for people wanting to know more about homeschooling. Available frorn ttre CANADIAN ALLI-ANCE OF HOME. SCHOOLERS. I95 Markville Rd, Untonville Ontario IJR 4V8, $14.95 + $l postage and

handling.

Colorado: Judy Gelner of the COLORADO HOMESC HOOLING NETWORK

oJAL:IERNATTI/ES IN

EDUCATION conwlents:

While not getting all that we wanted, we job ln removing control and approval ofhomeschools from local superintendents and removing any curriculum or attendance requirements. The tests are, of course, a problem for people with learning disabled or otherwise impaired students, but we think we've given enough lccway in who can administer them to allow us to find sympathetic testers who will help us choose appropriate test levels - e.g. will not tcst young students who cannot rcad on tests that rcquire reading. Nonetheless, in hindsight we wish we had thought more about tcst rcsults.

We had many lobbyists from across tlte state, lctter writers, people making phone calls, all of these backing up two pcople (Don Fox and myself) who were close to full-tirne lobbyists. It was a tremendous effort, but exhilaraung since we succeeded. feel we did a satisfactory

LOCAL NEWS For od.dresses oJ state and' IeoI orgonizations, see GWS #54 or our I lomesclooling llesource Ust" at:ailabb Jor $1.

Alaska: Nanry Stitch of the VALLEY IIOMESCHOOLERS NffiWORK writes: "ln rcference to your article in GWS #55, 'Rating The States,' I was also very surprised to see Alaska score a 15. We are not aware of any current conflicts. Before last November's elections, our support groups and parents using the state correspondence course (CCS) met with legislators. In the past few years there had been (minor) legislative attemPts to eliminate CCS for'alternative' students and

only maintain the program for'remote' children. This is still up in the air, but all the le$slators with whom we met were Positive toward CCS. Homeschoolers in A]aska can also file as an 'exempt rellgious or private school' under Sec 14.45. IOO of the Alaska Slatutes. According to one parent who went this route, her attendance report states that 'life is a learning process and school is in session 365 days ayear'and she maintalns all the test results herself. This past year she obtained a $2OO grant from the state for a science project. So, it is quite easy to be legal here, and firr those folks who don't do anything about legalities, the authorities are certainly not after them (at least in our borough)."

Arkansas: Homeschoolers succeeded in defeating HB 1307, which wou-ld have made kindergarten mandatory in Arkansas, according to the April issue of Update, the newsletter of the ARKANSAS CHzuSTlAN HoME EDUCATIoN ASSOCIATION. The bill was defeated 55-35 on the house floor toward the end of the legislative session.

Canada: Wendy Priesnitz of the CANADIAN ALLTANCE OF HOMESCHOOL-ERS has written a book called Schod Ftee: Home GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #57

writes that SB 138 was "Dostpond indefi nitely" in the House' Education Comrnittee on April l. The bill, similar to Georgia's current law, would have made homeschooling a "legitimate alternative to classroom attendance... subJect only to minimal state controls which are currently applicable to other forms of non-public education."

The Independence Institute (14142 Denver West Parkway, Suite

lOl,

Golden CO 8o4ol) published a l9-page paper by John Eidsmoe called "Home Education in Colorado: Clari-$'ing Parents and Children's Rights."

The paper is available from the Institute for $3.

Florida: The May newsletter of the FLO RI DA PAIIENT- EDUCATORS

that HB 2l l, which would extend the Florida Home Education Act of 1985 (originally scheduled to erpire this year) passed lO2-12 in the llouse and now goes on to the Senate. The FPEA newsletter adds: "Attitudes of House members in 1987 are much more positive, as reflected in the many pro-home education comments made by members of the House K- l2 Education Committee. Most legislators voted for us in 1985 but had ltttle mnfidence in us."

The Florida Association of Schml Administrators proposed an amendment to the bill which is actually acceptable to homeschoolers: they proposed that homeschoolers be allowed to satisfr the state's compulsory attendance law by "noU-$ing a parochial, religious, denominational or private schol of their intent to establish and maintain a home education program." In other words, because public school admlnlstrators do not want to be responsible for overseeing the growing number of homeschoolers ln their counties, they proposed that this altemate means of notification be available.

Michigan: Pat Montgomery of CL,ONIARA tells us that SB I16, introduced in March (with a companlon introduced in the House at the same time), would elimtnate the need for private school teachers to be certified. If thts bill passes, it will have significant implications for home schools as well. Pat says that rnore than IO,OOO people rallied in support of this bill in l-ansing on March 26th.

ASSOCTATION reports

Missieaippi: Homeschooler Connie Ball told us that a House bill which would have severel5r restricted homeschooling by allowing the Board of Educatton to require

testing, to speciS the number of hours of teaching, and to have control of the curriculum of home schools died tn comrnittee in March. Connie says that homeschoolers are getung ready to oppose the bill iftt is introduced again nextyear.

Nebraska: Homeschooler Rose Yonekura writes that the bill which would have eliminated homeschooling in Nebraska (see GWS #56) never made

it out of committee.

Rose writes. "We are elatedl" and adds, 'The

State Department of Eclucation does not seem to be encouraging county superintendents to

carry out the recently-added requirements

which say they must visit each home school wery four months and require parents to submit a copy of a test in each of five subjcct areas monthly. Linda Stroh, coordinator of the Chrlsdan support group in Lincoln, is meebng with the Board to try to work out a

better râ&#x201A;Źqulrement."

North Camlina: Carolyn Winslow of NORTH CAROLINANS FOR HOME EDUCATION writes: "On April 16, a bill was introduced into the House which would severely restrict home schools in this state. If the bill becomes law, homeschooling parents would be required to hold a bachelor's degree from an instituflon accredited by the Southerr. Association of Colleges and Schools, or its counterpart. The members of our organization are busy lobbying against

this bill."

Orcgon: The May Homeschalers' Voice Washington state publication) reports: "At the request ofthe Confederation ofOregon School Admtntstrators, a bill lntroduced in the state's House Education Committee would tighten the strlngs on homeschoolers there.

The bill would change the word "notification" to "registration" and would require homeschoolers to go through a lengthy registration process. It could put the homeschoolers at the merry of the arbitrary ludgments of local superintendents by eliminatlng testing and leaving the local superintendents to determine a student's (a

progress."

Pcnneylvenia: HB l3&l was

introduced into the House Educatlon Commlttee on Mayl2, according to Susan Richman of PENNSYLVANTA HOMESCHOOLERS. The bill, like the one introduced in 1985, requires homeschooling parents to submit an allidavit to the state Department of Education. This version of the bill includes an amendment which allows three methods of documentation and evaluation: testing, keeplng a portficlio, or having a yearly evaluatlon by a psychologist or certified teacher. On the day that the bill was introduced, 56 legislators attended a breakfast ln Harrisburg at which Howard Fllchman spoke about the bill and six children spoke about their homeschooling.

Tenncsacc: Sury Dodd of HOMESCHOOLING FAMIUES writes that three repJonal meedngs concerning the rules and regulatlons for nonpubhc schools in Tennessee were held in late April. Both school and homeschool representatives attended. funong the subJects discussed were the August I deadllne for registering to homeschool, whlch parents ffnd tm restricflve, the locadon at whlch the required achievement tests wtll be administered, and homeschoolers' particiPatlon in school acuviues.

Vcrmont: The bill which would allow homeschoolers to keep records of children's progrâ&#x201A;Źss by one ofseveral methods of assessment (see GWS #55) awaits the govemor's sispature at GWS's press time, according to June Schulte of the VERMoNT HOMESCHOOLER^S ASSOCIATION. The bill soon to be law - requlres parents to submit only a brief description of their plans for the upcorning year, and does not speci$ anything

about methods or matedals. about nature, ecology, adventure, language, history, math, space, world problems & more,

ALL

AGES

- ALL SITUATIONS

New, expanded catalog,

25C

Family Pastimes(GS),Perth,Ontario,Canada

K7HlC6

6

YICTORY IN TEXAS COURT On April l3th, Judge Charles J. Murray issued a ruling in the class action suit of Leeper vs. Adington Indprdertt *hrrrl District (see GWS #53, 54) which ends the months of uncertaint5r about homeschooling in Texas. The judge ruled that homeschools are private schools under the law, and thus operation of a home school is not a violation of the Texas Education Code. For a state which appeared to have no legal provlsion for homeschooling, this is quite a victory. This decision, and the other good news breaking across the countqr at our press time, suggests that homeschooling is indeed coming into easier times.

From the ruling:

Sectlon 2f .O33 (a)(t) of thc Terae Education Code reade as fo[ows: "(a) The following classes of children are exempt from the requirements of compulsory attendance: (l) Any child in attendance upon a private or parochial school which sha-ll include in its course a study ofgood citizenshio."

The Texas legislature has not defined "private or parochial school" in tJ.e Education Code or in any other legislative enactment.

Additionally, the Texas legtslature has not given the Texas Education Agenry or the State Board of Education any authority to define "private or parochial school," because such entities have authorit5r only over publib school and public education. There ls no constituUonal provision or stafute in thls slate which requires a child of school age to attend a public school.

Plaintills ca-lbraith and Wells and a substantial number of the plaintill class of home school parents have ilready sullered actual injury as a result of being prosetuted because of teaching their school-age children at home schools whlch are Drivate schools within the literal and historical meanireA of Section 2 I .O33(a)( l) of t}Ie Te:<as Educa-don Code. Other plaintills have been threatened with prosecution a-long with others in the plaintiff class they represent... These prosecutions are contra4r to the meaning of the language of Section 21.O33(a)(l) as both originally enactd and as currently understood by persons ofordinary intelligence.

The evldence establlshes that from the

inception of the first compulsory attendance law ln Texas Ar l9 l5 it was understood that a school-age child who uas betng educated ln or through the child's home, and in a bona flde nanner by the parents, or those standing in parental authority, a curriculum consisting of books, workbooks or other written materlals deslgned to meet basic education goals of readlng, spelling, grarnmar, mathematics and clvics {a study of good citizenship) was considered to be trr a prtvate school. The dictionary ln use ln Texas at the time of the passage oi the llrst complrlsory attendance law contalned dellnldons of the words "private" and "school" whtch encompassd ctrildren betng taught at home.

Educating a chtld by a pdvate tutor was rare because there were so few of them and thev were avallable only to those few tndMdualJ who could allord them. The tutortal wstem was not consldered syron5rmous witti educatlng a chlld ln the home of the parents.

The 1923 amendment ellmtnadng the private tutor exempdon was not understood at the time to be elimlnattnt chtldren betng taught at home by their parents. The Te:<as

Education Agency and the public school districts havE been aware ofchildren being taught at home from the incepilon of the -

compulsory attendance law to the time when the agenry changed its interpretation. The evidence further establishes that at the time of the 1923 amendment approximately t'wen$r percent of the school-age population in Texas was being taught in public schools.

Therefore, the vast majority of school-age children were being taught at home becluse there were only a fEw pivate academies and parochial schools and these were available only to those who could allord them. This, considered in light of a lack of a road system in many parts of the state up to the beginning of World War ll, necessitate<i school-agE children being taught at home. The legislature had to be aware oflhese facts and woirld not pass a liaw which would place the parents of over 7Uh of the school-age population fu:r violation of it. ...On April 12, 1986, the State Board of Education passd the following guidelines which are contrary to the plain language of the statute and the historical evidence heard by this court: [The glridellnes asked the legislature to dellne "private and parochial" or to allow the Board of Educadon to do so itselfi, and suggested that an enflty may be defined as a school f lt meets flre and sanitalion codes, has a written regular plan of lnstmction, has its students take a nadonallvnormed standard achievement test annuallv and submits the results to the local school district on request. The ruling condnues:l These guidelines were passed in spite of a challenge by the Texas legslattue council... A school attendance ollicer has no authorifu over the conduct of private and paroctrii schools. While the school attendance ollicers do check with private and paroctrlal schools from time to time to determine whether students are in attendanc.e, thev never tell those schools the qualificadoniteachers employed there must meet, the curriculum that must be followed or what testing to do of the sfudents. Therefore, lt ts essendal fior this court to descrtbe the acflvltv whlch falls withtn the scope of the language of the statute ln order to prevent the deprtvaflon of rlghts protected by the Consfltudon and statutory law.

Erddence before the court further

establishes that there ls no record from l9l5 to 1981, a period of 66 years, to lndicate that

the Texas &lucadon Agencv-home considered children being educatil at not to be in compliance wittr the compulsory attendance

law. Therefore, an unreasonable and

arbitrary classillcadon of private and parochial schools ls belng attempted by the

To<as &lucation Agency. The essence of this

unreasonable and arbttrarv classillcadon is locaflon and regulation, not actMty wlrtch consdtutes a school. Under the Aprll 12, 1986 resoluUon of the State Board of &lucailon. the only perons who have been prosecuted or threatened are horne school parents. No parâ&#x201A;Źnts of chtldren enrolld Ar prlvate or parochtal schools outslde the home bave been prosecuted. The leglslature has made no dlstlnctlon betwcen prtvate and parochlal schools away from the sfudent's home and those Lx the home. Yet, the only sults wtrlch school distrtcts harrc brought through thetr school attendance olllcers have becn against parents of children at home. ,..As noted, the State Board of EducaUon gutdelines of April 12, 1986 were challenged by the Texas kgtslaflve Councll. The Board conceded lt rnlght not have legal authorlty to

promulgate them. It then declared them nonbinding though some of the school districts have declared they consider them binding and will follow them.

Article 7, Section I of the Constitution of Texas authorizes the legislature to establish and maintain public education, but it is silent on private and parochial education. Section l O4 of the Texas Educaflon Code states it applles only to educadonal instifutions supported etther wholly or in part by state tax funds... The State Board, according to Section I1.24, ls the poliry forming and planning body for the public school iystem of the state.

The Texas trgislative Council was correct.

There is nothlng ln the Constitution or statutes that authorizes the April 12 resolution by the State Eloard of Education.

Therefore. it is void.

Texas lnmeschder Vicki futt commertd on thejudge's d.ecision:

A lot ofpeople express confusion about

what this "good c'itizenship" course is, but we've found it's really quite simple. "Good

citizenshtp" apparently Just means that you talk, at some point, about govemment, !!story, laws, citizens' rights and obligations. (lf you_stop at the red light, you're teaihing your child good citizenshipl) As of this wridng, the state's attomey _ hasn't decided whetlier or not they'll app;al.

Perhaps ,t'll go to the legtslature and they'll de\dse some gu.idelines for us to follow. We'Il deal with that when we come to it. [.ast vear when the State School Board tried to issue râ&#x201A;Źgulaflons on private schools, they were immediately descended upon, in Austin, by SOOO angry and eloquent private and homeschoolers. We found the private school c-ommunity to be, by and large, extremely suppordve of unschoolers.

CALENDAR July 18. 1987: Chrlstian Home Educators Associadon of California statewide cuvenflon. At the Pasadena Conventlon Center in Pasadena, all day. For brochure and reglstradon form, wrlte CHEA of CA, PO Box 2ffiM, Santa Ana CA 92799 -ffi44.

Aupust 14- 16: Clonlara Homeschool Jamboree, "Better Education for Tomorrow," at Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI. Keynote speaker: Pat MacMillan, educatlonal consultant. TVro davs of workshops. For lnformadon: Clonlara, l28g Jewett St, Ann Arbor MI 48104; 313-7694515.

Septemler 12: Mlnnesota Basic Learning Network's Eclucaflonal Extravaganza, wlth Marva Collins as the kwnote soeaker. For information: Sharon Hillestad,'S66S p tZg St, Hastlngs MN 55O33; 612-437-3o,49.

Tentative Plans for Holt Associates Open Houses:

August "Not going back to school: A workshop for new or prospective homeschoolers. " At our ofBce, phone 437-1550.

September: "Rememberlng John Holt," We will mark the annlversary of John's death thls year as we dtd last year, wlth a gathering of olil and new frlends at our ofllce. Fhone +521550.

We are happy to run notlces of maJor homeschoollng events, but we need plenty of noflce. Deadllne for GWS #58 (events ln September or later) ls July 15. Deadline for CWS #59 (events in November or later) ls September 15.

GROMNG WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

CHALLENGBS & CONCERNS YEAR OF UPHEAVAL of

KIn Jelfery unote ln tle Sprfng '87 tssue Pennsylvanla Homeschoolers:

Thds, our fffth school year at home, has been lllled wtth upheaval and transltlon. Due to the children's ages fNathan ls nearly 12, Adam is nearly lO, Blythe is 6, Jordan ls 4, and Anne is l), theA various needs, mY

husband David's back-breaking work schedule, trying to teach three grades simultaneouslyusing a curriculum and trying to steer a path through the usual farni$church-work-schooling pressures, I have felt that I am hanging by a slender thread. One evenlng ln the early fa-ll I was reading a teachtng rrlagazlne while nurslng the baby (one ner-rr does fewer than two or three things simultaneously) and I came across an article on teacher burn-out. The article listed ten symptoms of burn-out and to my surprise I had nine of them. The tenth, aimlessly staring into space, I would have loved to have if l could only have found the tlme. It soundcd so attractlve to mel I didn't really take the test seriously for several months. At that tlme it dawned on me that I wasn't the only person tn the family rvho was burned out - we all were. None of the children seemed to be enJoying any of the schooling with the exception of Blythe who was forever clamorlng ficr more because I had so littJe time to do things with her. Nathan zrnd Adam were whlrdng and listless and hated everythtng, even thtngs they had former\r enJoyed very much.

At that time, I realtzed somethtng about the dlfference between home educaflon and school educadon. When I was the age of Nathan and Adam, pertodtcally the pressure of schml. the boredom of subiects that were required but had httle meanirig for my life, the lure of wridng which I found irresistable, all would c'ombine to cau.ce me to just ignore school. I c.ertatnly vras physically present for each class, but l'*ent through the barest mlnlmum of work to scrape by wtthout fatllng. Unless I found a subJect lntensely lnterestlng, I spent my tlme doing other thlnos. I read books that were interesdng interesdr to thtngs. lively me, I wrote storles and plays, I kept up a liv and coplous coplous correspondence with a variety of fi-iends, and essenttrally school Just flowed on around me.

Ttris brings up the dillerence - I was ailDud to do that. My parents never knew about lt until report card flme, and slnce I nwer actually fiailed any subJects, they Just encouragd me to work harder. My teachers general$ took ltttle notice of what I did, not because they didn't care but because they seemed genulnely to feel I was old enough to know the conseouenc'es of what I dld and to pay the piper atihe approprlate ttme. Also, because I was always Just one out of thirty, it was dlfllcult for them to monltor my acdvlfles six hours a day.

My own chlldren, on the other hand, get away wlth vlrtually nothlng. I know every day whether they've been dlllgent or derellct and when I'm feellng parflcularly pressured by the currlculum, the neamess of the end of the quarter, or my owrr fears about the school dlstrict's reactlon if rpe don't look ltke Harvard University ln each quarterly report, I can lean on them qutte heavlly.

Recognizing the dimtntshlng amount of GROWING WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

choice I rvas allowin{ my children to have lr. how they spent their days went a long way to helptng us make schooling changes. I saw that I had shackled us to a currlculum wlth whlch I was less and less sausfied and whlch was often meaningless to the chrtldren. As I looked back on oul most sads$ing months of horne education, I reallzed that there had been several factors present at that time: l) The children a-ll worked at essentially the same projects at the same dme. We were not broken lnto grades. Instead, the children studied the same subjects but worked at them according to each child's maturlty and sklll level. 2) Because the children were doing the same studies, they were able to effcrtjvely help one another and to encourage and challenge one another. I was not required to be all things to all children at all times. 3) My dme was less fragmented because I was not preparlng thrc'e lessons for three children in each subject covered by the curriculum. The research to keep up with our curriculum was making me old before my time.

We're still feellng our way along, but I've lnsdtuted several changes for the remainder of the school year. I'm attempting to be much more fledble, I'm striving to take advantage of teachable moments instead of cramrning a day's worth of currlculum down weryone's throats. We are still following plans, but I'm not trying to measure the worth of a day by how much \rvr get done. These are all thlngs I used to do as a matter of course, but they had become lost ln the pressures of trying to make sure t}re school distrlct approrred of us. I'm also in the process of revamplng much of the science, soclal studies and grammar, so that all the children can once again be studytng the same subjects at the same dme, regardless of thelr "grade." Already there has been a notlceable dillerence ln the atmosphere around here, and I'm astonlshed that such an obvious solution could have bec.ome hidden for such a long dme. /SS;J R@orters oJten ask ne what halmesrhcrrltng parents do wlen theg st{fer burn-ouL I teL tlam what tlts story tllustrotes so tiuldlg - that parents ore ghsen strchregular and. imntdiateJedback n the things tleg do t]rrrl tleg can ee when somethlng is not u:orking ard decde to W somethtng else. As lorE as chlldten can tell the a,lults amwtd. thent (outisht or tlvottgh ttelr bhnt;lor) tlnt a pottbular apptunch ls rat unrking, ra one will b srl'touslg larmed

bg whateuer the Jamilg d-ies.

LEARNING TO''UNSCHOOL'' Jofut Kane oJ Flalda wrltes: For the flrst few weeks of horneschoollng, Jesslca (l l) Just played. Accordlng to everythtng I had read, that was a perfectly normal way for Jesssica to learn. She played dillerent roles - teacher, mother, store cashier, waltress, dress maker. She played with an electri$lng energ/ I had nerrer seen in her before.

She also took the lnlttattve to search out Jobs ln the neighborhood that would pay her fakly good wages, especially for an I I year old. She babvsat for a friend of ours and worked with another friend who was a fashion designer and seamstress. The work was not steady, butJessica took advantage of

anv chance to work there was. Whcn shc rrrinaged to save a tidy sum, she proudly boasted that she wanted to treat the rest of thc family fior dinner - in a restaurant o[ hcr chooslng, ofcourse.

During this timc, I saw how skilllul Jessica was In business dealings. She woulcl go to the finest dress shops, find a drcss wtth some imperfection in the sewing, and pro<:ccd to demand a discount if she was to buy it. Shc would then mend it at home, having marnagcd a considerable savings. I couldn't hclp but think of myself at her age, not having the courage to question adults, much less b:rrtcr with them in their own stores.

I was quite pleased with the situation until I realzed that tt had been monlhs sint:c Jessica opened a book. I tried to cncoura{c more school work. but it had no cffcct. I a.skcrl Jessica why she hadn't done any of thc s<:hool work that we had planned for hcr, and would she perhaps lke to rearrange thc schcdulc herself. She rcphed that books did not interest her, nor did schoolwork ofany kind.

I kept cool at this point, though p:rrt of mc could not condone this complcte dcterchrrtcnt from schoolwork.

I decidcd to set tlme asidc with Jcssic:r to lecture her on subjects, as my collcge professors had done with me. I fclt this process had taught me more than iuty tcxt, and I was determined. So aftcr scvcral lectures to a yawning I I year old, I bcg:rn oncc again to realize the futility of my eflorts. My frustration was growing. To make matters worse, a soc'ial worker from the county callcd and sald she was cornlng in two days to chcck on Jessica's progress.

When we met with the social worker, I was quite honest. I explained my frustrations with homeschooling. I told her that Jcssica couldn't answer a slmple question like 'What ls the count4r of the rising sun?" The soci:ri worker became quiet, and I was sure it was because she could not beliwe what I had just told her. Instead she shrugged her shouldcrs and admitted that she couldn't answer tlult ouestlon either. After some lauEhter, tensions dased and the socia.l worker told me that my experlence was quite corunon, and there was no need for alarm. She informed me that if I Glt Jessica would not be able to pass a standard achievement test, a psychologist's evaluadon would be an acceptable a.ltemaUve to thc coungr. Both my wife and I decidcd that a psychologist would be more appropriate, and needless to say, Jessica did quite wcll on the evaluation. We all breathed a sigh o[ relief.

I can't help but feel that I leamed as much about myself during that yeâ&#x201A;Źrr as I learned

aboutJesslca. I realized that despite whatevcr progresstve vlews I shared with nry generation, there was still, deply buried in my subconsclous, someone who is shacklcd by deep-rooted traditions and cr.rltural taboos.

For Jessica, hourever, homeschooling has given her a chance to prepare for and deal with the real world, not some insdtudonallzed fabricaflon in which she spends her dme sharpening pencils and requesttng permisslon to attend to bodily funcdons. In her vear ofhomeschoolinA she developed rnore self-confidence and uscful skills than she could have hoped to accomplish by .tty other means.

Jessica decided that she wanted to rcturn to school thds year. My wife and I honored hcr decision and enrolled her. She secmed to

8 retum to school wtth much more enthusiasm than she had left wtth. Unfortunately, after the frst two weeks I could recognlze the

glven at the end. He read the llbrary books, some comlc bm.l<s, fun gazturc, and by the end ofthe year he was reading at grade lenel.

concem for thls w€ephg chlld. WhIe the rest of the older children left. Jesslca calmed the young boy down long enough to ftnd he had gotten off at the wrong stop and was lost.

Jesslca stayed wtth the boy unfll hts fi:anttc mother shou/ed up, thanldng Jessica and taHng the relterred boy home. When Jesstca told me thts story, I reallzed that the seeds of frecdom ln her sflll rematned, and as I had suspected mtght happen, Jessica is now

Morc tmportant, lt was hts favorite thlng to dof He read The Wlzad. oJ h, ar:d conflnued with rnore novels after that.

Durtng the third year, we spent about one hour wery 2-3 days on language and math.

Then nrc discovered Frlends School, a Quakerbased prtvate school, and he flt rtght tn. Thetr atmosphere and philosophy oflearntng and growtng has been a natural extension ofour homeschoollng orperience and Todd has really enJoyed having filends to work with.

He has done beaudfully tn all the courses and excels in classes involvtng reading comprehenslon and wrtflng. He reentered school with self-conffdence, knowlng that he can learn anythlng. Hts spelling ls weak but he has declded to focus on that thls summer.

We both know that he can do that to whatever

farrdllar stgps of dlscontent. I wondered lf Jesslca rpould sltde back lnto the rrt she'd been ln before homeschoolr4. Tlre answer came for nE one day when Jesslca got olf the school bus at her usual stop and saw a younger chlld standtng !n the crourd, crylng as the bus sped away. All the mothers at the stop ptcked up thelr ctrtldren and rushed off, showlng no

homeschooling again.

I.JNLEARNING THE " DUMB"

LABEL

Frrolrl.Palnelrr

Catdha:

St John

oJ North

When we bought our house, we chose the one we dtd rnatnly because of the reputatlon of the schools tn that distrtcl They were constdered the best pub[c schools ln North Caroltna. So tt qas with conlldence that we sent our son Todd, to ldndergarten. By second grade the school labeled him "learntng dtsabled." He began to rneet wtth a special teacher and a few other ldds about once or hvice a week. He never heand the label, but uras deltnltely gatning the self-tmage of "dumb."

By thls tlme he had no lnterest h leamlng to read, had already begun to cheat on tests, and

was angry much of the ttrrr at home. He was not leamtng to read and was clearly unhappy.

About the tlme t}is was happentng I read an lntervteur with John Holt tn a local magazlne. It was very tnsptrlng and convlnced me that homeschoollng would be the best thlng for Todd. I went to the law books, determtned the proper procedure, wrote the aPProPrlate letters, took Todd out ofschool, and was then tnformed that we urculd be prosecuted lf Todd dld not return to school tn a certaln number of daysl It had dl looked legal to me, but publtc oplnlon was not on our slde (hence the law was being tnterpreted tn a non-obvlous fashlon), so tt took slx montls to find and Jump through the legal loopholes to form a non-publtc school gu-lse under whlch we could homeschool Once we formed thls school, we were also able to help otlrer famlltes who wlshed to homeschool. Fortunately, the lqtslaturc saw the ltght and homeschooltng was legaltzed here ln May of 1985, Todd spent the next three years at home.

We dld not try to taach htm at all, belfeving that "unschooling" unuld be best to allow selfdlscovery. If I was not tempted to struchrre hts learntng out of tlre fear that these theories

level he desires.

He is now l3 and spends hls allowancr and babysittkrg mon€y on books. We contlnued to read to trtm undl recently: he alwavs has 5 or 6 boob now that he is trrvolved tn r€ading himself, and Just doesn t have flme for us to read to hlm at our slow pace anymor€l lt's hard to believe thatJust a fewyears ago I thought (and the school thouglr$ that lt would be a mil'acle lf Todd errer read at all.

ISOLATED IN PORTUGAL Rosematy Hdt oJ furtugal wrltes:

I would llke to respond to Patt Bdstow

("Feels Isolated tn Suburb," GWS #54). I am

lrt

the same slhraflon. My detatls are dtlferent, but the feeltngs are tdenHcal.

I am a mtlttary wife, lMng ire Portugal with my husband and 5-year-old daughter.

She wlll be old enough for ldndergarten ln September, but I sdll don't know what ure are going to do about tt. I have becn cnnsiderlng ttre opdon ofnot sendlng her, but I am very carefirl about who I talk about ttrls wtth.

There are rp llke-mtnded people tn our Amerlcan and Brldsh cornrnunlty, whlch ls qulte small, so any devladon from the norm ls readtly apparent to all. Most people thought I was crazy because I didn't send my daugfrter

to hdndergarten thisyear. It uras 6rtng explatnlng to people, answerlng the same quesdons over and over, but it was the rtght declslon for us, We had Just moved to a new country, and I felt that our daughter had had enoug;h stress. We also had not been able to check out the school and urc dtdn't think she was ready to be auray all day rn any case.

I thlnk lt ls wonderfi:l that Patt ls homeschmling her children desplte the pressures to do differently. I have not yet decided tf homeschoollng ls for us, and would welcome any suggesUons for ansu/ering all those ques-

tions that we wtll get asked tf we choose lt,

mlght not work, the realtty of two nurstng

bables preircnted mel The onV thlng we dtd v/tth regulartty was to read to hrm each nlght as a speclal together-time. About one year passed wtthout htm talang an lnterest ln nndtng (at that tlne, age 9, he could only read a few'brlght and early" level books).

Ttren over the summer he was attracted to a spcclal readbg program that trvoked checktng out books from the llbrary and 0!tng out a record sheet on each one. He would get llttle surpdses as he read a certaln

number of books, and there was an award

"WHERB'S YOUR SCHOOL?" ISS;I f aslced aJeu; Itplneschcid ctTfldtp.nto desqtb u:ll,r.t theg sag b pryle ula osk t]vm wlvre they go to sclpol or ushy

tleu arcnt kr schol I *-pe tle* onsurers uiJ/I ghn rew ltrrtesr'loobrs ldeas Jor haradlfu these sltuations.

klomJanle

Smflth(MD):

It seems hke most adults I meet can on\r say, 'What grade are you tn?" I guess lfs elther

because adults have spent half thea lives in school, or because they can't communicate wlth chlldren. When I meet people who ask me where I go to school I tell them that I am homeschooled (but what fd really llke to tell them ls that I'm only here temporarily and I'mJust watttng for Scotty to beam me upl). Adults usually respond by saytng, "Oh, I've heard of tt," when I tell them I'm homeschooled. Kids,

on the other hand, usually ask me what it ls, and what I do all day. Then, when I tell them a little about tt, thcy often say, 'You're luclryl" When I was 6 I had trouble with some nelghborhood kids.They said I was shrpid because I didn't go to school. But it didnt botlrer me because I knew they were angry about somethirg that happened to them, so they wanted to take lt out on somebody smaller than themselves.

Ftorn Varressa Syrnan-@ler {OR):

I have been asked wtry I'm not in school, or where do I go to school. Adults don't ask these quesdons as much as other kids do. Our famfly and another famtly have put together a name and we get together for field trips and stuff We live in Lane Counfu and tlle other famtly lirrcs ln Benton Counfur, so we call ourselves Benton-Lane School. Whenever somebody asks me where I go to school, I Just say, "Benton-Lane," and tlren usually they say th.y'rrc never heard of it. And then I say, it's a prlvate school, and thafs that. But sometimes they ask where my school is, and I tell them my house, because my mom teaches me.

FtwnMkeDodd(fN): People don't often ask me where I go to school an5rmore. It used to happen more, but not much ln the pa.st year or so. When I started volunteer w<rrk at the Oak Ridge public Itbrary, some of the stalf asked why I wasn't tn school. (I urorked ln the mornlngs.) When I told them, most passed tt olf completely, wtrlle a few expressed some mild lnterest, asktng what I studted and how we did tt.

It ls easier to explaln it to adults than to ldds. Althouglr it has been rare that kids ask me, they almost alurays have an incredibly dt{Ilcult ttme grasptng the concept of not gotng to publtc school. Adults, on the other hand, seem to understand what I'm talking about more quick$. I have talked to a few adults who haven't heard of homeschooling,

but sren they could understand it. Although I did have to explatn it more, it was still easier than oglaintng lt to another lrdd.

Jo-Anne Ebirne (Australtra) sent us a buslness-card wtrich adults in her area (and ctrildrcn too, I frnagtne) are uslng as a quick way to an$ver questlons about homeschool ing.The card reads: "I am a homeschooler. If you would llke to know more about the homeschool assoctratlon of NSW contact (address)."

Undemeath these words ts the followlng ltst: 'A legal alternaflve to cornrendonal schooltng," "Encouragtryl and supportlng parents and ctrlldren," "All enqutdes welcomed and answer€d,"''A Newsletter Atraflable."

Thls seems to be a convenlent way to let people know that homeschooltng ts an acceptable alternatfrre and that there are ways to flnd out more about tL You ndght list the address of Growirtg Wttlaut *hotug, tn addltton to or lnstead of the address of a local group. - SS GROWING WTTTIOUT SCHOOLING #57

9

WATCHING CHILDREN LBARN RETHINKING NORMALITY A homeschooler wrote to me recently: "l c:rn't irnagine that it is normal for 4-year-olds to write voluntarily." I was taken aback, as I have been by sirnilar cornments others have made. Wc seem to have forgotten that "lcarningi at one's own pace" can Just as easily mean that a child will do something at 4 as at 12. It's a curious bhnd spot, and it worries me.

I think I can understand where such thinking comes from. For many CWS readers, the idea that children should not be pushed to do things at early ages is the overriding concerrr, along with the corresponding desire to Drove that "lateness" does not constitute a handicap. Ilut the key word here is "pushed."

It's a sad truth these days tlr,at if you mc'et a 4 vear old who ca-n read, he may well have been iubject to early schooling, or drilling an-d tcsting at home - some manifestation of his oarculs' concern that he not fall behind.

bften, he will not read voluntarily or with

much enjoyment.

We oftcn print stories in GWS which oppose e:rrly academics, in this sense of early stress, early teaching, early coercion. But wc'rc opposed to stress, unwanted teaching, and coercion no rnatter how old the recipient is. None of thls has anything to do with the chlld who, for example, comes to reading willingly and delightedly at 4, in the same tolerant atmosphere in which her sister first rcads at 12. Such a 4 year old has been no more forced into reading than has her 12 year old sister, and both of them - or neither, if we want to rcject the word entirclY - are "normal."

In school, people tend to suffer if they read before or after the magic age of 6. A 4year-old reader keeps her ability as secret in school as a 9-year-old nonreader keeps her inability. Outside school, of course, there are no such norrns, but 'gain, we tend to think that "no norms" will always mean "later than the school norm" rather than "sometimes earlier and sometimes later." But doesn't it stand to reason that both possibilities edsf?

Perhaps because we have so rrumy models of children being forced to do things and so few of them doing things voluntarily, we forget to see uncoerced action for wtrat it is.

People are always asking me how I "got" a child to do a particular thing, when the fact is that I didn't "get" anyone to do anything at all' One reason that I wrote ln such detail in GWS

#56 about my writing arrangement with my friend Amanda was to show exact\r how such volunta4r associ,ations between children and adults can come about. We need to do more of this close looking at voluntary actlvitles, at their stn-rcture and process, so that we and those even more skeptical than ourselves will Iind them believable.

It might help here, as it does so often, to think of the age question ln relaflon to the thinqs almost no one tries to teach children walklng and talking. (l have to say "almost" because I have seen, to my horror, a couple of books called Hotu To Teach Your Bobg To Talk on the market.) Greta Van Doren, whom we were seeing a lot of in the oflice some months ago, walked when she was 9 months old. I didn't watk until I was l8 months old. Was Creta early and I late, or is there simply a preat range of ages at which walking can Eeeinz wE have no model in our heads of coirced walking, so we don't suspect that a 9GROMNG WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #57

matter of running across the street, that his life is not endangered in the learning. But in rnatters intellectual, I adrnit no exception to this rule. In the flrst place, what he figures out he remembers better. In the second place, and far more lmportant, errery time he figures somethirrg out he gairrs atSdence in his abtlity a jgure things ouL case.

5. We are fooling ourselves if we think If we're really going to trrst children, we that by being nice about it we can Prevent have to embrace the full spectmm of .o....-tio.t" fiom sounding like reproofs. It is possibilities which thry offer us. Children irt onh in excepsonal circumstances and with general are a much more varled group than the g5eatest-tact that you can correct an adult school would have any ofus suppose. One wlthout to some degree hurting his feelings' child rn particrlor may walk or read or sing I{ow can u,e suppose that children, whose or dance within such a wide range of time that sense ofidentity or ego or self-esteem is so it becomes uninteresting to talk about ruhen much weaker, can accept correction equably. I something happens and much more would say that in 99 cases out of IOO, any interestin€l to talk about hotu. By Paylng child will take correction as a kind of reproof' attention to the "hows" in children's lives, we and this no matter how "enthusiastic, can give each other new models of pleasant, relaxed, stimulating," etc. we may "normality" which may in time become vivid happen to be. I am ready to be about as enough to replace the old ones' - SS dogmaUc about thls as about anything I know of: I have seen it too often with my own eyes.

MISTAKES CORRECTING 6. It ts true, ln a way, and misleading, in a Parents oJten ask us wlether @r@ttg a way, to say tlnt children want to learn. Yes, chld's mistokes cc.r:. etar b helpfuL or latu they do, but in the way that theywant to chiLdlen wiil stop naking rnistaftes td adults breathe. t€arning, no more than breathing, is 1967 don't correct them- Inaletter '':.lrittenirr. not an act of volition for young children' to sonlEone tuho asked srch quesfions, John They do not think, "Now I am going to learn Holt wrote (reknirlq to ott incident te this or that." It is in their nature to look about descriful rr llow Children t eam): them, to take the world in with their senses, and to make sense of it, without knowing at to learning The incldcnt of the child, Just all how they do it or even that they are doing talk, who at first called all animals tn flelds it. One of the greatest mistakes we make with "cows." even horses and sheep, ts crucial. is to make them self-conscious about children There are a number of important reasons why learning, so that they begin to ask their I fcel very strongly that not "correcting" this themselves, "Am I learning or not?" The truth child was the proper thing to do: is that anyone who is really liutngt, eKposing visitor l. Courtesy. If a distinguished himself to life and meeting it with energy and from a foreign country was visibng you, you enthusiasm, is at the same time leaming. It is would not correct every mistake he made in worrying about learning that turns off English, however much he rnight wa'nt to children's leaming. When they begin to see learn the language, because it would be rude. the world as a plac.e of danger' from which as or courtesy We do not think of rudeness they must shut themselves o1r and Protect being applicable to our deallngs with very thehseFes, in short, when they be$n to live llttle ctdldren. But they are. less freely and fully, that is when their 2. The child who lirst lsolates a class of learning dies down. obiects and labels them has performed a 7. Even when children reach the age ftrst feat.

Our coisiderable intellectual when they Eue, some of the dme, selfreaction to any such feat should be one of consciously and deliberately learning acceptance and recognition. Without maldng somethlngwhich they want to learn, it does a great to-do about it, we should by our actions not follow that they always want to be told. A make clear to the child that he has chtld wtll alrnost always rather healthy-somethtng ac.complished something good, not that he out for hirnself. A veteran Bgure hls in has made a mlstake. Put vourself teacher not long ago summed tt up beautifully. position. If you were Just learning, in a 'A word to the wise," he said, "1s iafiuiating." foreign country, to speak a for€tgn language how would you feel if everyone around you [SS:l I agree wholeheartedty with what corrected every error you made? Unless yolr John says here, but fear that it may be taken ane a most exceptional Person, the eflect of as support for a pracUce which I don't suPPort this would be to rnake you so careful that you at all. Sometimei a chtld - usually in the would wind up saying little or nothingl like a middle of reading somethlng - will ask an man I know who, after six or seven winters in adult what a certaln word says. I have seen Mexico, cannot speak twenty words of adults respond to thls sort ofquestion by Spanish because^he can't bring htmself to say saytng "Sound lt out," or "Look lt up," or "\Mhat anythtreg unless he ls sur€ lt ls right. do vou think lt savs?" Thls se€rns to me 3. You say, '\{/e do not help if urc do nothing or say nothing to factlitate learnin$"' But that is the point. Just by our using the tr*'rsh l"ttgr"ge oursefues, we give the child all the I{RKIll6 M|IIRCI help hJneeds. Because other people called is a nalionuidc ncluorh lor fanilies inlertsled "horses" "sheep" or animals of these some in findinq Bach 0lher. Elch flrnilg uriles I Pagt instead of "cows," this little child learned, and were cboul lfiemselves r thc hind ol living silualion very quickly, that this is wtrat they calied-. In short. we do not need to "teach" or theu'd like, c,q. neiqhborhood, coanunitg land "correct" in order to help a child learn. frusl, rlc.lor riore inlo, slnd SflS[ lo: 4. It is always, without exception, better P,0, Box ?'1, for a child to figure out somethlng on his own tX $}15 l{idprnes, the tJ.an to be told, provided, of course, as ln

month-old walkcr has been forced into it. But a 3-year-old reader, a 5-year-old painter, an 8year-old playwright lnsPire our distrust. We thlnk "pushy parent," we think "prodl5r" - all to avold the posstbtllty thatJust because another child dtdn't dt the iame tlring at the sarne age doesn't mean it's abnorrnal in this

_

**-*t -

*'"t *-

10 equally infuriating to the child who is in the middle of a story and has specifically asked to be told the particular answer. In such situalions, the adult is trying to find an opportunity for a lesson wtthtn the child's simple question, and thls is not what the child asked for. As in John's example, it's helpful to think of how we would treat another adult in the same situation. When I ask someone in the ofhcr how to spell a word, I'm usually in the middle of wrifing or editing a story, and all I want my colleague to do is spell the word for me - nothing more. If the person I've asked doesn't know, I'll go to the dictionary without complaJnt, but I won't have been given an unasked-ficr lesson.

This may sound opposed to the idea that children like to ligure things out for themselves. The point is, tf I ask someone to tell me somethdng, I do so because I've alr,eady done eveqrthing I could to figure it out for myself, or because I don't urant to flgure it out for myself right at that moment I may be more intent on tJle story ltself than on the partlcular word). This is my declslon, and no one ouestions me about whether lt was the rightbne. (My colleagues don't say, "Are you sure youVe done all you can to flnd the spelling yourselP") Just as we should not glve answers when they are not asked for, so should we girr answers when they are asked for. This too is courtesy.

HELPING THEM PRACTICE F-rom Andre

o KeUg

-

Ro se

nbrg

(M E) :

I wrote to you last year about how I let my kids be in charge of their own practicing, while pursuing my own violin studies. This worked quite well through last spring and into the surruner, but then Noah (8) in particular began to peter out. I was busy with baby Annie, so my pracdcing dropped off to nearly nothing.

It was real hard for Noah to get back into cello in the fall. He'd forgotten a lot, but he started again and so did I. I resumed my freedom-based approach to his practicing, but it didn't work an5,'rnore. Not only was he practicing very little, he had lost his old enthusiasm and sparkle. I'm not quite sure what made me do it, but I decided ln November to put us on a loose general schedule. We had an hour of somethlng called "school" - me telling a story, or us telling one together, or Noah doing a little writing or drawing - and then snack, practice time, and outdoors. I had to oush Noah to institute all this, but I had a gui G.litrg that it was right, so I persisted. The results have been remarkable. Noa.h ls calmer, happier in general, and the old sparkle has reh-rrned to his cello playtng.

I still have to insist on his practlcing. He still occasionallv "refuses." I have decided. with some hesiiation. that it is not a refusal based on a real dlslike of practiciqg, but on a need to test me. He needs the regularity of playmg, he needs the security of my insisting, he somehow needs me to make the decision that it's going to happen. How do I know t}ls?

By watctring him. No rnatter how much he protests, when he actually picks up the cello he ls clear$ h"ppy, and often condnues playing after the mlnlmum that I set. (I give him a mtnlmum number of songs, not a ttrne.)

Il by watchlng hfm, I can s€e that he ts not having a good tlrne (this can happen lf he's not feellng well, or f he's itchlng to get at some*ttng else) then I call t-he w-hole thing off.

Durtng this same fime I made an tnner

decision to learn to be a better pracdce coach.

I really worked at listening attentive$ to Noah, making honest but encouraging cornments, knowing when to speak and when to be silent. (l am now much more often sllent.) In a way, I feel I earned the prlvilege of lnslsdng on pracdcing by maldng the sessions more fun and fruitful.

DISCOVERING MATH TTISTORY Wlvrt Nanc1y Wollace usrcte abut malh rn Gl,t4S #54, she lncluded part oJ a lener jom the mrrtt'e.maticfc.nBiU HoyL Nour Susarr Rlctvnan respnds:

I think Bill Hoyt may have mlssed a chance to open up math thinldng in another way ficr Nancy. He never mendoned the hlstory of mathematics as being a sourc.e of interest to a non-math type of person, a way

of beginning to look at mathematics with new eyes. It's an approach we have always used around here wtth Jesse and Jacob, and I have learned so much right along wtth the kids.

Suddenly math, and wen Just "simple" arithmedc, bec,omes a long time-ltne of fasctnaflng peopb whro trted, and tried hard, to make sense of their urorld with the best of thelr minds and the best tools of tlreir times.

It's no longer Just stulT put ln textbooks and

achiwement tests.

We began very simply with books that talked about probable first uses ofnumbers cave men making drawings on cave walls to show how many elk they had caught, shepherds tallying up sheep as they ran through a primitive gate (onc€ when Jesse was 6 or so he helped us tally up our sheep during some rrnnuever, and we were surprised to realize that, with sheep running about, tallying is indeed the only way to count tJrem.)

We looked into other earlier svstems - the Eg?tian, the Babylonian, thd Mayan and Roman"

Many of these wer€ actually much easler for young Jesse to grasp - he seemed to have a mental block for a good while about our pardcular numeral system. Although he could think wonderfullv well with numbers in his head, he Just .ouldn't remember a written 5 from an 8, let alone 6 and 9. I often thought how painful arlthmeflc in school would have been for him, wtth tts emphasts on numeral recognldon and good "penmanshlp" tn writing those numerals. It was reassuring to Lrim to find that many other peoples of the world, at diflerent flmes, had come up with dtfferent inventions for writing down numbers - our present system wasnt God-given and set for all flme, but was just the latest in a long line of tries.

It's even been intriguing to learn about the htstory of standard math operation symbols. My lidds were deltghted to hear stories about how the "x" slgn was first used for multiplication, and all the various ways of showing decimal notadon through the centuries. The equals stgn has a history: a certaln mathemaflcian felt it was the best symbol to use (others had been trled before) because what could be more equal than tun parallel llnes? And there was qulte a hullaballoo over how to wrlte out fracflons for a long ttune - we found, too, that the Greeks dldn't even want to conslder fracdons at all because thry felt only the whole, natur:al numbers were perfect.

Now that Jesse is 9 and Jacob ls 6, we've moved a btt farther ln our math h1story. Jesse was Just worlidng on a secdon ln hls Miquon

Math book tntroducing simple coordinate geometry, and I can't understand why textbocks don't mention that these ideas have a story behind them, people who struggled to come up with these ldeas. So we've just today read about Descartes and how he came up with his way of translatlng Euclid's geometry tnto algebra with hts graphtng system. Now we're not dolng fabulously advanced work here, Just graphtng slmple lines, but Jesse is grasping the ldea that there is a lot more to it, that Descartes graphed circles and elllpses, and that these methods paved the way for Newton to develop calculus. Jesse lsn't doing calculus of course, but he's alrcady hearing the word in non-scary conte)ds (we've Just completed a good btography of Newton), and I know when he comes to study it in later years he'll irnmediately remember the good story of Ietbnitz and Newton's "feud" over who really invented the idea in the flrst place.

Studylng math history is indecd one of the ffne ways to vtew history (maybe better than the war-rulers-vanqutshed approach) it is not separate from the rest of the problems, or ldeas, of the people of its time.

We love reading about lythagoras and his mystic group of students inventing numerolory lore along wtth their concrete dlscoverles of trlan$e and square numbers and prime numbers and hypotenuses of right trtangles. We're touched reading about Archimedes asking a conquering Roman soldier, about to n:n him through with a sword, to please waitJust a minute so that he can finish the geometrical proof he was worlidng out in the sand with a pointed stick.

I love Nanry's stortes of her kids' mathematical thinking, stull ttrat was going on around her without her even noticinE at ffrst that it was lirst-class mathemalicalthinldng. Jacob is the one who is surprising me lately with hts mathematical ruminating.

Jac.ob is a daydreamy sort, who often wanders about apparently doing nothing. He's now letflng me ln on his world a bit more, and more often than not, he's been wondering about some math pattem he's been playing around with ln his mind. Math thinking is indeed one of Jacob's favorite playthings.

He'll shrmble into the kitchen to announce h"ppily that he knows how many hundreds there are in 2OOO. ['ve checked the first grade curriculum for the district - they aren't supposed to get to such big numbers until the next year.) He tells us that he knew there were ten hundreds ln one thousand, so tlterc must be twenty hundreds ln two thousand.

I remember another dme, last winter, when we were drMng home late at night from Ptttsburgh and I was sure all the kids had peacefully fallen asleep in the back seat.

Suddenly Jacob's shy voice piped up out ofour dark with, "Do you know that ten hundreds is the same as twenty Ilfties?" I often wonder what a school would harre done with Jacob he still writes numerals backwards as often as forwards (though with chalkboard work hes getdng betterat tt, and getting proud of his abillty rather than bal}y about even bilind. The type of problems he's lnterested in wouldn't come up in the usual first grade textbook, and daydreaming ts rar€ly tolerated ln schools, let alone encouraged. Ofcourse, he never rpould have let hls teacher know that he was daydreamtng about numbers, of all thlngs.

Someflmes as we play wlth geoboards or culsenalre rods or geodesic buildtng sets, I thlnk how Archimedes rnlght have loved to use such toys. The great mathematlclans were indeed playfrrl - and perhaps that's one of the GROWING WTIHOUT SCHOOUNG #57

11

most important tdeas I hope to pass on to my kids ln our math history leaming. /DRJ Snsan reommends Mathemaflcs and the Phystcal World b9 Mo"r{s Kine (hvertuks, 1981) as agd.fukutthe histont of mot}emotbs. KJ.he, ulv has

-rind &me erce\ent atd percePtte fuks onmathedrrcotiut blleves, as does Susarl thAt the fust tuag Ju t!le general publb to

abut math [s thuottgh t]E studg pople and situa/ions that creatd tle learn

oJ

t]e

ldeas.

Mathematrcs and the Phystcal World ls wriltenJor adults, br'-tt lt Is cbar en9rghlor parcnts to read or retell parts to children- Yott unlulnd, other fuks onthe deuelopment oJ mallanatical Alir:1refu tn the chMren's

departnenl

oJ ong

gd.library.

CONT'USING PRONOUNS Ftom Ellen Bqker oJ New Mefico: My oldest son ls now 8. When he was 2, he used to make parallelograms out of his pancakes and trapezolds wtth his shoelaces. He did not talk until he was almost 3. He dtd, however, know the alphabet, and would make words wlth them, correctly spelled, with his letter blocks. He knew colors such as liavender and ollve. When he did begln to talk, he never used babv talk or construcdons like "me wants." Fie did, however, revers€ "1" and '!ou" irr thls way: when he wanted Jutce, he would say, 'You want someJulce." If he saw me eattng a pear, he would say, "l am eadng a Pear."

Thls was unusual, but I could understand it tn a way, since thts was how he heard the words spoken.

Shortly before he was 4 we took hlm to a Child Derreloprrrnt Center for an evaluadon.

He was asked to build a tower of three blocks. ffien he was 2O months old his all-flme re:cord was a tower of 22 blocks.) He thought thls was so stlly that he tnstead took all the blocks and constructed an elaborate vlllage, explalnlng to the testlng lady all the varlous components. Lucldly she was tntelltgent enough to realze that hls failure to perform her task was not due to a dwelopmental problern He was asked to write wlth a pencil and couldn't do tt very well. I then reallzed that I had ne\rer gven htm a pencil to write wlth - we had always used rnarkers or thick pens. The lady nonetheless thought thls shourcd that he was somewhat handtcapped in hls motor abtltty, though trls other skllls were on a secnnd-grade level. Hls l"tguage pecultartty, she satd, was due to a dlsorientadon about hls sense of self and confuslon thereof. He shorped sigrrs of havtng a communlcaflon dlsorder.

The upshot ofthls: two days later he began ushg pronouns correct!, and never once lapsed tnto h1s old uray of spealdng. It's as lf he realged at that qraluatlon that OK my u,ay makes sense to me, but everyone seerns to be havtng such a hard drne wlth it, so I'll do it their way.

BECOMING A READER it

Dusty greu/ up wtth many books and daily readtng tlmes. He sat and llstened as long as anybody kept readlng. When another 4year-old repeatedly carne over to play but spent dme readtng Dusty was trritated. He wanted to play, not readt Readtng wasn't fun.

Llstenlng to good storles was fun, and Play|ng GROWING WTMOUT SCHOOLING #57

ren's librartan who knew the collectlon personally. I loved the hours we spent llndlng books to read with Dusty. He still didn't want to read by himself or even go to the library, really, but he loved those storles. We took paper bags with us ln order to carry enough home. We checked out books on tape, especially Roald Dahl and Mark T\valn. We read all of the Thomton Burgess serles, mor€ than once, I remember. Every week ure listened to Tte Sptder's Web on Natlonal Publlc Radto. Storles, storles, storlesl Dusty could read when he had to, by now, but he never wanted to.

About the dme he was 9, he wanted more readtng than he was getting, I guess, for suddenly he took up readlng. I went to work one mornlng, leavlng trtm ln a "nothlng to do" mood. When I retumed at noon, he was ln the mlddle of a book, and he hasn't stopped readturg slncc.

Next thing I knew, a teacher was telllng me that Dusty read too much. He wasn't staying back with the class when they read toqether, and besldes that, he was obvlous! spendtng too much dme reading at home, she sald. (Not the same school that had sald he couldn't readl) Isn't it amadng what limits are set for chlldren?

Dusty is now homeschoollng. He reads well over a hundred books each year. He laughs at the bg change and poetically conments, "l urent to the library wlthout any brtberyl" Historical ficdon is his favorlte. We are regulars at three local libraries but mlss our former metropolltan libraries where we could be more selective. Cettlng the "right" books ls what makes reading right for Dusty.

Just any old thlng won't do. Some authors are more lnterestlng and sads$rlng than others, he says, and once he llnds a good author, he uses lnterllbraqr loan to flnd dl of that author. Frlends with similar lnterests are good resources, also.

I ^"t year, when Dusty was13, he took an achievement test and scored above l2th grade ln reading. The boy who had to repeat Grade I because he couldn't pass the readtng test is now olf the chart.

''I

DON'T TEACH THEM'' Ftomkckg OIson(AZ:

Rachel's (lO) readfng lerzel ls very close to "grade lerrel" now. In September she was stumbling over what are considered second grade books, and now in May she ls readlng some of the BIACK STALLION and LITILE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE books. She has leamed to just skip over words she doesn't

know' rather than lettlng them slow her

l'tont Nancy Klng (NH): 'When ts he gotng to read?" Here's how happened for us.

with a friend was even better.

In Dusgr's public school, they used the look-say method. After ffrst grade, we moved to a phonlcs method dtstrict, but they placed him ln Crade I again because he couldn't read I.e., didn't know hts phonics.

We lived Mthin waldng distance of a large public library with a wonderful chlld-

down. Joshua (7) is reading any and werything he wants to. He worked his way through a srnall set ofreaders and now picks

out words he knows in all kinds of printed materlal. If he ts stumped, he works lt out to the best of his abtlity. A teen-age friend has been worldng with Amanda (5) and she ts readtng well, uslng the same readers that Joshua used. Zachary (4) sdll looks at a lot of books and asks a lot ofquesdons. Micah (18 months) has recently developed an interest in

-

plcture books and likes listening to thc itortes that are betng read to the other kids' Math sktlls 1'tsvs sssalated reccntly as Rachel had a birthday arrd received $20, wtrich led her to go through a lot of, "lf I buy this, how much money will I have left?" computadons. And because children are such great lmttators, the rest of them bcgan thinking of stmilar questions.

When a parent with cLrjldren at an altemadve school discovered I was a homeschooler of flve children, she said, "ls that what you do all day?" She was even morc surprlsed when I said, "No, I don't teach them at all. I do my thlngs, they do theirs, and somedmes we do thlngs together. I answer questlons, provide transportation and nesources, and 'away they go'l They teach themselves." It was very easy to see thls was not a conc€pt that had ever occurred to her.

She was a llttle taken aback and I'm sure took me for some kind of kook.

''HARD'' WORDS ARE EASY F)om Marya Anlo-Roudsepp (OnI.) : I^aine (8) ls a "late" reader compared to her schooled older brother and sister who each began to read at 6. Because she's never been to school she's been spared the endless worksheets, "sentence builders," dittos, spellfng tests and drills which force many children into "early" readlng. She cannot rgcognlze many of the so-called basic words whrlch schoolcfrildren have drilled into them and know on sight. She m.ainly deciphers words by soundhg them out.

I found it interesting, therefore, that when reading something aloud to me this evening, she eastly sounded out the word "sympathedc," only to stumble on and mispronounc.e the following word, "ear." I irrunediately recalled how I, as a sfudent and later as a teacher, was conditioned to think of wonds as being either "easy words" or "hard words." Usually, the longer the word, the "harder" tt was viewed to be. I rine has no such preconc.eptions and looks at all words equal$, nerrer being lntimidated by their length.

Taken syllable by sllable, a word Iike "lnconsistentl5r," for example, is quite easy to pronounoe, whtle "two" is impossiblel Yet I'm sure the majority of teachers would call "inconslstent\r" a hard word and "two" an easy onel As a child, I remember, when a teacher introduced a word as "hard," immediately gearlng up to llgure out a way not to let the wond defeat me (in a spelling test, for e:<ample), thinldng there had to be a trick to it. Someflmes, especially when therepas no trick - when the word was simple and straightforwand - I got it wrcng for trying too hard. I'm so glad I.ine isn't a stereotypical (another "easy" wordl) school-programmed 8-

vear-old.

BASIC GUITAR INSTRUCTION ON VIDEO CASSETTE Anyone ages 6 to adult can

learn to play the guitar while watching TV. Send $24.95 to F.N. Video Instruction' P.O. Box 144' Union, IL 60180. Allor^i 4-6 weeks for delivery.

t2

OLDER HOMESCHOOLERS LOOKING BACK

Flom an article tl:vlrt Tamara Knger (Saslc) wrotc In tle Surrurter'86 Isste oJ Recess, an ercellent mogazb'e put ottt bg Canodton flr,meschders ($ 1 2 / 4 issues..from hx3076, Courtenag BC VgN 5N3):

It is llonic that my parents and I orlgtnaly didn't approve of homeschooling.

We only started because I had severe allergles and asihrna. SLrce I was only able to attend school for 72 days ln Grade I, my superlntendent suggested I take Grade II by correspondencc, My parents thought tt was posstble to educate me at home but urere afrald of the consequences... Finally I became so sick that my parents had no other choice.

Although relleved, they were worried about wbat lay atread.

The superlntendent had only wanted rrre to take correspondence coursles for one year, but I was so much healthier at home that we decided to condnue. We had to get a doctor's certlflcate every year stating that I was not strong enough to attend school. Permlsslon was given grudglngly, provtded I went to school'\rrhenerrer I was able." When I wasn't "able" often enougfr, the superlntendent phoned mv mother. ' I weni to school enthusi,asflcally each time, hoptng for the best. Each tlme I came home ln tears wtth an asthma attack because of the way I had been treated. My teacher, who was also the prtnctpal, would try to make me lose marks, such ail once when-she refused to allow me to revlse a math test that dl the other chfldren were allowed to revtse' She threatened that I would fatl the gr:ade if I didn't come to school more often. My mother said she was blulBng but I was so afrald of her that I pressured my mother to Iet me go more often, no rnatter how slck tt made me' One dme, ln art class, I suggested a dlllerent way of rrnklng a mask. The teacher became enragd, shoutlng, 'Well, ffne, If you're so smart, you can do tt by yourselfl" Thowlng my mask on the floor, sheJumped up and down on tt wlth her htgh heels untll tt was aII crumpled.

After I started my correspondence courses, I was supposed to hanrc access to the textbooks at school but I was tnformed that 'Ttres€ books are for the chlldren who come to school all of the ttme. You'll have to get your mother to let you come more often." My mother trled to help by vlsttlrtg the teachers, but tt onV preJudiced them more agalnst me.

There seemed to be nothing we could do.

In Grade V, we dectded not to take it any more. I concentrated Just on mY correspondencc cour5es. I never darkened the door ol a school agatn, except to write my trigh school flnal exams. Orlgtnally, my mother made up a tlmetable with a dfferent subject for errer hour. but I soon abandoned it. Once I started vnr}Jng on a project, I threw myself tnto tt wholeheartedly and dtdn't stop unfll it was llnlshed. Generally, however, I would work on math or soclal studles one day and then switch to a "fun" subject, like English' the next day. I practlced the piano for about a

halfan hour every day.

Alter I "quit" school, Arlzona for

pirt

of

ure were able to go the winter. (l just took

to

along rrry co-urses.) The change in climate and surroundings, allerry-wise, Produced a

dramattc lmprovement tn my physical cpndldon. Thts prompted us to incr€ase our

time there to about live months of the year.

We lVed in a condominium setting where I was able to meet people from all rvalks of life.

I even met a retired high school principal from Alberta. He didn't say much, but hls wife was suitably impressed with my schooling.

Homeschooling has been legal irt Aitzr.na for sweml years. I found Americans to be much more open-rnlnded about it and I made many friends, some of them homeschoolers. One day, when I was ln my ear\r teens, we listened to a talk show on whLich John Holt was a guest. We subscribed to Groulttg Wttlout *horl@ and a new door opened for us. We realtzed we were not the oruv - ones.

Homeschooling has saved me from becorntng a part of the conformist herd of sheep whlch rnake up a large percentage of the populaflon. In school, you are forced to ttrink, act, look and learn in a way that ls ldendcal to that of evervone else. Ralsed awav from thLis tnlluence] I learned to be creatiie and to thlnk for myself.

Soclalizadon is no longer a problem now that my peer group ls maturing and enterlng college. We now flnd that we have more 1n conunon wlth each other. (Young teenagers often found it dtfncult to communicate with me because I didn't go to their school.)

Homeschooltng parents should not worry about sociallzadon because most real soctralizadon occurs ln weryday l|fe through church, 4-H clubs, volunteer acHvides, umrk,

and slmilar ordtnary situadons.

Chtldren do not have to be thrown together constantly wlth thelr peers in order to derrelop. Inner development t€qulres some solltude too. I spent rnany years ltvtng art tsolated Me and I have no trouble maldng friends. By socializtng with people outside my peer group, I've leamed to speak to people of all a3;es instead of regarding people a few younger as aliens. or a few years vears -all " Ifolder over, I 6uld choose I had to do it the same route but I would opt for a less structured approach. I feel tt is extremely tmportant for chdldren to have flme to work on their own projects and to explore their ovvn lnterests. They sirould not be rushed ahead or forced to put tn long hours the way I had to.

Desptte the general idea that lt is school that prepares ctrlldren for the "real" world, I feel qufte prepared for whatever undertaklng I choose. I'm not sure yet tf I uant to go on to c-ollege but tf I do, I have the diploma I would need to galn entrance wlthout dolng any "make-up" rpork. I want to be elther a commercial ardst or a radio broadcaster. I have had cartoons, storles and sketches published in the Youth section of the 'Western Producef'and a cartoon series ln a smaller bimonthly paper. In Regtna, I co-hosted a talk show for one rnomjng. The regular host let me handle most of the calls all by myself. It was a great experiencel

TAKING COLLEGE CLASS Al furt Hofutt (MO)

letter he wrcte to

sent us a caPg oJ a

aJ*n&.

Did I tell you ttnt Robert (Ifl is taldng an Amerlcan History course thls semester at the Unlversitv of Missouri-Rolla? So far he seems to'be doing well. We're really pleased about thls because we dldn't know how easily he could make the switch onto the educadonal matn track after having learned

at home for all these years (where he had no tracks at all).

We've never ollered Robert anything like the kind of education most schools offcr their students - formal instruction, assignments, textbooks, tests, etc. So this course, taken mostly by college sophomores, is Robert's ffrst school experience, and he seems to be enjoylng it - more so, in fact, than most of his traditional$-schooled classmates.

I'm pleased to say that the admissions director at UMR seemed open-minded about home educadon. UMR has a reputation for being one of Mlssourl's most dilficult public universides, so much so that many graduatlng htgh school seniors in this state prefer to attend less demanding schools in other parts of the state. But the admissions director accepted Robert slmply on the basis of a short inteMew. He told me later that he could tell Just by talldng to Robert that he was well-prepared, something I hadn't been so sure about myself. At my request he even waived, at least for now, the usual entranc€ tests UMR glves to all its incoming students.

So much ficr the argument I often hear from friends and acqualntances that colleges will be reluctant to accept a homeschooled student. Of course, Robert is only Part-time, whtch suits him fine, but he was given a chance to prove himself, and that's all anyone needs.

I rnfght menflon that when Robert decided to take this course, I didn't think he was fully prepared to compete with college students. So when his teacher lnformed the class during tts flrst meedng that he would gtve them four tests durlng the semester, each consisflng of three l5-minute essays, I suggestd to Robert that he write a l5-minute practlc€ essay every day, selectJng his topic from the study questions his teacher gave out from ttrne to dme.

Robert has done this, and sometimes I've gone over his essays with him afterwards, helping him improve his writing. I'd do this sort of thing a lot more often if Robert wanted me to, but hls lnterest ln serious academic matters ts reladvely new, and he isn't completely commttted to it. (Perhaps he never will be.) But even so he's been relatively wellprepared for all the tests, and his writing abtlity has lmproved considerably. Of course, he has dme to do this sort of practice since

he's only ta.ldng one oourse.

I have the lmpression that the course itself ts somewhat less demanding than the American History course I tmk at Yale, but I'm not unhappy about this. At Yale I was deluged with so much work (during one semester I remember writing more than thirty papers), I nerzer had flme to leam anything'

Right now Robert knows more about American hlstorv than I ever learned at Yale, and I'm wondeilng if super-selective schools are reallv worth the ellcrt.

Fortunately, Robert enjoys talking about his lechrres and his reading, so I've had a chanc.e to leam now what I didn't leam before. What a bargainl Tlro educations for the price of one.

FAVORABLE COLLEGE F}omAmeliaAcleson (WN:

In a recent Seattle paPer a family of homeschoolers were interviewed. As a sldebar, the reporter interviewed the admissions departments of serreral universities in GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #57

l3 the area about whether they would acccpt homeschoolers. Most were vague and negative "We've never had a homeschooler apply, but we think it would be dilficult." One school, the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, was firvorable. Thev said, as a rnatter of fact, they have one hom-eschooler tltere now who's doing well.

The one homeschooler they referred to is our son, Alazel Acheson. TWo years ago, when we first approached their admissions oflice, they weren't at all favorable. Alazel had already taken the ACT (Amerlcan College Tcst) and the SAT (Scholasttc Aptitude Test). lle was tn the 99olo-ile on the ACT and a Nzrtional Merit seml-finalist from his score on the SAT. But that wasn't enough: "We necd a high school record," the board of admissions insisted. I sent a list of the subjects he had covercd at home, but they wanted more.

'Wtrat about the GED?" they asked.

We looked into that. Because he was only 17, state regulations wouldn't let him take the GED without perrnlsslon from the local school prlncipal, even though Alazel hadn't spent even one day In the local schools. With some difliculgr, we were able to talk the prlncipal into giving permission. Alazel's GED scores werc arnong the highest in the state that year - the only lO@/o in math that the local testcr has ever seen.

At 19, Alazel is now a sophomore, with a 3.7 average, holding down three jobs and bicycling two miles to school. So now U[)S is suddenly "very favorable" toward homeschoolers. I think the arlswer to which colleges are favorable to homeschoolers will boil down to this: any college that has exoericnce rvith homcschoolers and savs "ves" to'wen one of them will become a collcge Gat active$ a(,'cepts homeschoolcrs.

COMPUTER PROGRAMMER Mike Md {TM senl us this articleJrom

llte Tervtessee Oak Ridger, 4/24/87:

Oliver Springs resident Mike Dodd has been selected as the president of the K-Town 99/4A Computer Users Group, of which he is also co-editor of the newsletter. The creator of two widely-used computer programs, Dodd contracts wlth several computer proga-rnming companies and attended the second annual New England 99 Fair in Boston. Dodd is 15 years old.

Dodd is a homeschooler, as was one of the other young computer programmers. Sury Dodd, his mother, said her son's second-grade vear was the last time he attended a school.

Since then, his mother taught him and his three younger siblings at home, which she said has seemed to work to her son's

advantage.

"Homeschooling has given him more Ume to devote to computer programrning, and through it he has learned more advanced math," she said. Admitting that programming is alien to her, she and Dodd credit his

grandfather with much of tris interest in comPuters.

Back in 1982, when Dodd was lO years old, another homeschooling farnily visited his farnily. The family had an Apple computer that Dodd said he felt compelled to "play with." Dodd then took a programrning course at the children's museum, and his Erandfather bouEht a computer. ."l went over-there alrnost all the time," Dodd said of his grandfather's home, "to play with his computer."

GROWING WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

KIDS IN THE HOSPITAL: TRUSTING OURSELVES These two stories remind us that society's disnust of children is evident even in situations in which the child's health is at issue. In both stories, parents challenged hospital authorities to provide what they knew their children needed.

Ifs perhaps hardest to trust children under trying circumstances, but it is at these times that they most need us to be able to.

SAYING NO TO SURGERY FtomMary Maler (MN: A few years ago, Mandy was scheduled ficr

been a damagtng emotional experience for Mandy turned out to be very Positive, and gave her a sense of her own porver ln knowing what was right for her.

minor day surgery. (She had to have an extra

tooth removed from the rmf of her mouth.)

She had never been in a hospltal and she was morc than a little worried. I told the doctor more than once tltat I expected him to explain things to her beforehand, and he kept reassuring me that he would.

The day of the surgery arrtved and 'ere took Mandy to the hospital at 6:30 trr the mornlng. The surgical day care unlt was very cold and uninvlting for an adult, let alone a child. Mandy changed lnto a hospital gown and got into bed. The nurse was trying to be very nice, but she had no understanding of Mandy's mounting arudeties.

I wanted to be with her while they put her to sleep, but this was not allowed (l found out later that it actually irs,l. By now, an hour had passed and Mandy was in tears, not knowingl where she would be Laken or wlnt would happen to her. No amount ofreassuring had any effect on her. Flnally, in, for her, a very uncharacteristic move, she Jumped oI[ t]re bed, ran into the bathroom and emerged ten minutes later with all her clothes on and announced that she was leavingl My husband and I looked at each other, and I said to Mandy, 'Yes, we're leaving." The nurse ran down to get the doctor, who was very angry that we would dare to allow a child to decide her own fate. He accused me of not lending her any supportt Of course, wtrat he was really saying was that we, as her parents, should Jorce her to undergo the surgery, since it was for her own good.

The best part happened as we wer€ waiting for the elevator. Evidently, the doctor had gone to enlist the aid of the Chief of Surgery, and I'm sure he had told the surgeon that we were so overprotective that we wouldn't even let our daughter go to school, because when the surgeon approachd he smiled warmly and took my hand, saytng, "l'm so happy to meet you. Dr. R tells me that you teach your children at home. So do I." The look of astonishment on the other doctor's face was one

I'Il never licrget. He vralked away.

The surgeon told Mandy that surgery is indeed frightening and not to worry that she was leaving. Maybe she'd feel stronger another dav.

-

As it turned out, urc found a wonderful oral surgeon who took Mandy's tooth out in his oflice. He invited both me and my husband to hold her while he put her to sleep and then let us sit beside her and hold her hand throughout the surgery. We were the first people she saw when she woke up, and she never shed a tear. She thought this doctor was

the most wonderful man she'd ever metl It is so lmportant to listen to our own and our children's feelings of what ls right for them. Well-meaning frtends and professionals often glve the wrong advlce. It's important to listen to your own lnner wisdom. which we all have. Wtrat could harrc

STAYING WITH HER Ftom Nancg Wallace (NY: l-ast fall Vita became severely ill, sufferlng from lnternal bleeding caused by a birth defect in her stomach. Holding her in my arrns as ',ve mshed her to the hospital, all I could think was, "What if this is it?" As we carrled her lnto the emergency room the faces of the hospital stalf seemed instantly to hold the same fear. Never have I seen doctors appear so fast. Nurses hovered over her. In no dme the woman from the front desk showed up. "Come with me," she said to us. "l need to get your billing and lnsuranc€ informadon." What co'.rld she be thinldng? How could we leave Vita, even for a minute? The woman was uncomprehending. So were the nurses. They looked at us as if to say, 'Vita's in the hands of proGssionals. There's nothing nrore you can do."

An aide wheeled Vita into the x-ray room. Bob and I followed. They stood her up on the tile floor and pushed her chest against the x-ray machine. Bob barely rnanaged to catch her as she fell, uncuscious. I rushed out of the room. I was furious at the hospital. I

was even more furious at myself because, selfconsciously, I almost hadn't followed Vita

into the x-r€ry room. From the minute I stepped into the hospltal I was made to feel as lf I urere merelv in the wav. I had almost belleved it. I t6ld the doctor what had happened. I said, 'Thank God Bob was there.

From now on Vita irs not to stand up and she needs a nurse with her at all times. You can't iust send her lnto an x-rav room to a iechnjcian who has no id6a of what is going on." The doctor said, "What were you doing in there? Don't interfere with our job."

Fortunate\r he never went near Vita again.

Other, rrnre specialized experts, had now

arrtved on the scene, During the next two days they gave her tests. Rarely did they let us stay with her. In the hallways as ttrey wheeled her from test to test we tried to comfort her. She was terrified ("Have they found out what's wrong yet?") and her brain was c.onfused by all the dnrgs they were gving her. She knew tt and she needed us to help her ffght her mental confusion. But even in the halls I could feel the lmpatlence of the doctors and nurses.

On the afternoon of the second day Vita had an operaflon. When the doctor came out ofthe operadng room three hours later he was exhausted. "We finally found it," he said.

"She'll be fine now." Then he fell lnto a chair.

'You folks were really great throughout this whole ordeal. I knowJust how traumatic somethlng like this can be. My son..." Well, the doctor had Just saved Vlta's Lfe. I will always be grateful to him. But I knew ttrat

T4

HIGHLIGHTS OF BACK ISSI.JES We want to remind you of the material in these back issues, which we do not plan to reprint elsewhere. Please tell others ihat thbse issues are srill available. (Prices for subscribers: $l per issue, plus $2 per order.

Prices for non-sirbscribersi $3.50 per issue.)

GIISI #13: Young Explorers.,. Mail Order Games... Chooslng a Career... Stardng To Read.., Adoption..l Spelling Self-Test...

Greenhouses GWS #14: Celebritv Unschoolers... Musltm Family... Math ExchanAe... Using Calvert...

Teaching ldeas... College... Baby-on - the job...

High School at Home... Dominoes cWSt #15: Bamstable Schools... British

Unschoolers... Hosoitals... Continuum Concept... Ja-" ffis11t-tg... Buying Texts...

Exploitng College... Supreme Court Action GWS #16: Readins at 3... Workin{ at Home...

Crime l-n School...*Little Helpers.. IToneDeaf... Effects of School... l,earning Piano...

Bootleg Math... Hiding Out

#17: Babv at Work... Iraring ExchanAe... JH on Altemative Scliools... The Process-of Work... Father as Teacher... t earning Disabilities. .. Iawsults... C'etting Approve"d... Tape Recorders GWSI

GWS #18: UnschoolinE Co-Op... Unusual

Sctentist... Alaska Horte Studv,., Tesflnp Compromlse... 4-w-old Carpehter... TooTs vs.

Toysl.. Supertnteident's Fears... College at Home GWSi #19: Learning Swap... Portfolios...

Astronomy... karning ltalian... Saying "l don't knoiv"... Woodwirking... Imp-rovirg Schools... Shakespeare and Math... Growing in the Countrv

when he told us that ure'd been great what he really meant was, 'You qulckly learned to stay out of my hatr. You let me do myJob." I didn't leave Vlta's bedstde for 0ve days.

(She insisted ttnt Ishrnael carry through wtth a recltal that he had planned to glve ln Vermont so he and Bob were gone for much of that flme.) Friends brouEht me food and Bob left rne with a shopping L.g fril of apples and carrots, the staple of my diet anyway. I saved Vita from the respiradon therapists, called the nr.rrses when she needid patn klllers and helped her wlth the bed pan. We sang together to keep the pain away when the shots dldn't help. The doctor was gentle and attentlve, but on the thlrd dav he tumed to Vita and sald.

'Tell your morn to go home. You're a big grrl.

Sure! you can spend the night without her."

All around me in that hospital I felt the same pressur€ to "let go" that I wrote about ln CWS #56 - pressure that I hadn't felt, consclously, for years and years, simply because ordinarlly, we lead such happi$ iresulated Ilves.

Slx months have passed, but every day I still think about that hospital e<perience. I wonder how I could have made it dilferent, or g[I could have. And often, as I go over all the events of that week, I a n stnrck by the lrnages that kept coming back to me as, helplessly, we

sat outside those closed doors, wonderlng lf Vlta would be wheeled out alive. What seemed so odd, even then, is that although I have experienced the deaths of three r-f my bables, I nerrr relived those scenes in my rnind during that week with Vita. Rather, what kept cornlng back, in all its vivld dstall, \Mas ths school board meeting where, over eight years ago, rnre asked permission to teach Ishmael at home - the strange men and women sitdng around the long table discusstng Ishmael's fate (my childl) as if it was perfectly natural for tlem to be maldng such a crucial decision about hls ltfe, and €is lf it was a decislon that didn't involve love or care but simply cold, logical calculaflon. For me, the horror of that meetlng was the realizaflon that Ishnael, by virtue of being school age, was no longer entirelv our own. I felt that same horror continually while Vita was in the hospital.

KIDS & HOUSEWORK I4rve discnssrbn

DohI oJ CaIIJonna a,tds to

abut tunhntg chMren ln

tousework (see

#22: Homeschoolers on Radio...

Maverick LD Expert... Skeptical Husband...

Instead of Kindeigarten... ''Bad" parents...

Home Buslnesses... "Free WritinA"... Nuclear War... Stewart and Suzukd GWS

GWS #23: KeepinA Records... "School Phobta"... GiminicT<s vs. Real Lffe... Math from Llvins... Familv tn the Woods...

Continuuri in Chkra... Homeschooled Blind

chtld... Photography

#24: Re-Irarnlng Independence...

Responsible at 6... Ktds ln the News... Hidin{ fn:ri School... Consdtudonal Basts... GI{YS GWSI

4TWORI'L.. Helping the Hungry... plylng

All back

Multl

issues of GWS are kept in print.

GV[4S

tlv

#54, #56):

We have three chtldren, ages l, 4 and 6, whom we are homeschooling. The work

situation and the children's atdtude towards

it is cn-rcial to my husband and me since we

are both self-employed potters and our studios are at home - we tnr$ need thelr cooperatlon. Even at thelryoung ages they already asslst us well tn our buslnesses.

We've set up a sltuadon ln whlch the older chlldren have chores that they do errery momlng before they can go anywhere or have any friends over. There are otherJobs that they do tlroughout the day that may be regular chores or ones appropdate to the moment. We've trted to watch and see what the

children enJoy dolng to flgure out the approprlate Jobs for each. Still, there are those tlmes of total reslstanc.e, as wlth my daughter and one ofher favorlteJobs, putting awav the sllrrerware. It ls at these ttmes that we lind lt most tmportant to be conslstent and lnsist she do her work when it needs to be done. Now, the potnt is not to work a poor 4-

year-old to death or ficrce her to do thhgs that she's not old enough to do. It's to show her llrntts so that she doesn't waste her tlme trjrtng to manipulate me. One of the beneffts of homeschoohng i;s that the chlldren have so much drne to do the thtngs that they enjoy dotng that I really don't feel guilty making tJ.em do housework when they could be playing.

As IVe mendoned, I think the appropriateness of the chore is cmcial to the success of the chlld actually performtung it with anv enthuslasm at all. That is one of the main pxitnts of our efforts: to help the kids see that work well done ls lncredibly satisfoing, and can be fun. 7-achary (6) loves to draw storles, especlalty with ducks as characters, and he's always uanted to make money (he's tried selling wooden boats, paintlngs, and brooms that he's made out of dried weeds and bamboo, but was not very successful). Thereficre, we assigned him the care and feeding of the ducks, geese and chlckens. He loves the ducks and gets to sell the chicken eggs. The money realy made a dillerence in his attitude.

Weve made it a policy not to buy the kids gifts exc€pt on special holidays, so it's been really excidng for 7-,achaty to save up enough money to buy Tln Ttn comics (which he adores), models of fire engines, or Fimo clay.

The children's dalfu chores are to make thetr beds, put their clothes away, put their toys away, and take tums setting the table.

The routine of dolng these things day after day helps them happen without begging and wlth a mtnimum of lnsistence. We also use the ldea of nahrral consequences. If the kids won't put their own laundry away then I just leave it out. After not belng able to lind any clothes in the morning, they start putting things away.

Courtney (4) is still pretty young and of course has her days, but the ocample of Zachary is so good tlnt she's much more capable and truty helpful than he was at her age. We've always stressed how important it ls to help one's brother or sister and they're remarkably responslve to tils. 7acbary has recently oflered Courtney 25 cents from the $1.25 he gets for a dozen eAgs, to help trim feed the chlckens and basically keep him ctmpany.

He thought thls up himself and she's thrilled tl.at she's rnaking some money and is needed by her big brother.

''PHYS ED'' AT HOME F-romMary Walters (CT):

For tl.e past year I have been wondering how I cor:ld provlde physical education for my children, wlthout having to drive them to afterschool sports, Little kague, grmnastics class, darrce class, etc. (unless these things were a special ,nterest of theirs, and not my idea). I came upon the answer by accident when I took up Joggfng for my own health. My oldest, Zachary (6), begged me to take him along on my morning mns. I started to take hlm along fcr 20 minutes of walk-Jogs (Jog from one phone pole to the next, walk to the next), He now mns for a continuous 2O minutes ssreral dmes a week. Emily (3) also wanted to go with us, so I take her wlth us for part of the Jog or take her separately (her run is my fastest walk). The chlldren enJoy this very much, and look forward to someday runnlng road races wlth me.

As humans, the one thing we are biologically gmd at is learning new

things. -lrwisThomas GROWING WTII{OUT SCHOOLING #57

JOHN HOLT'S BOOK AIIID MUSIC STORE FYank Smith's Learters' Manifesto 0) Te bralnis alwags

Learning. We learn exactly

what is demonstrated by people around us.

Schools must stop trJdng to teach through pointless drills, acUvities, and tests.

(2) Leaming des not requlre cercion or ineletnnt reusard. We fail to learn only if we are bored, or

confused, or lfwe have been persuaded that learning will be difficult. Schools must be places where learning can take place naturally.

(31 Leaming must be meaningfitL If we understand, then we learn. Schools must change thernselves, not try to change us, to ensure we understand what we are expected to learn.

(41

Leaming is lrtcldental We learn while doing things that we find useful and interesting.

Schools must stop creating environrnents where we cannot engage in sensible activiUes.

New

ffi

Book

Ins'lt To Intelltgence bv Frank Smith $ia.gs

(Hardcover)

Frank Smith larows that children are good at learning. He krrows that schools don't beh-ave as if thev've recopnlzed this vet. When I meet someone who believe5tne thlegs ttrat Frank Smith believes, I tell them that trylrg11o convince schools that children are good learners ls a waste of energr.

The only thtng that keeps me from saylng this to Frank Srntttr i"s the hopb that becausti hi5 writing is so powerful, hfs examples so vlvid, his voice so patlent. he may be the one schools listen to. ' If we believ-e the polnts Smith's l,earners' Manifesto (see above), then schools - which do not follow even one of them - cannot help but be tnsults to our inlslllgence. Frank Smith has written for years about how people become llterate [EssaUs nn Hfuacu. Readirw Willnut Nonsense, both avaflable h6re). and [r thts latest bmk he looks at all the allronts to our capaclty for literacy which fill the schools - ln particular, the nefarious "r-bbit."

The r-bblt ts-a slmple fill- in- the-rnisslng-letter questlon from one of the new computer programs *trtch are deslqned to "teach llteracv," but for Frank Smith tihas come to stand for all that is bad about drttting and testlng. He says, The r-bblt teaches children nothtng about the way people employ spoken or written language.

Learning is cohoboratur. We learn by apprenticing ourselves to people who practice what they teach. Schools must stop trying to deliver lnstruction mechanically. If teachers cannot teach. there must be better teachers. not more tests and programmatic instruction.

(6) The conseqtrcnces oJ u:orthwhile learntng are obuious. We demonstrate the worthwhile things we learn by engaging in those activities. Schools and parents should not have to rely on marks, scores, or tests to discover lf we have learned.

(71 l-eaming aLwags intnluesJeelurgs. We remember how we feel when we learn and when we fail to learn. Schools must not treat learners like battery hens or llke machines.

(8) Icarning must be Jree oJ risk If we are threatened by learning, then the learning will always threaten. Schools must recognize that continual testtng ls intellectual harassment.

(51

Fllling ln blanks is not the way anyone uses lanquage, spoken or written. No one ever says and we'll go to the to a-child, "Put on your game as soon as you gue,ss the -missing Jvord." There are easier wayslo learn the alphabet, and - "skills" of literacy, any other of the so--called than the dr'rlls and tests dictated by instructtonal programs. Many children, and teachers and parents, too, think that reading and writing o;rethe exercises done in the classroom... The r-bblt ls irrelevant and misleading.

In place of the r-bbit model for learning lanquage, Frank Smith offers his own theory, which tre 6attJttre "Can I have another donut?" system of lanAuaAe leaming: "Every child learns to say'Can I have another donut?' not tn order to sau, 'Can I have anot}er donut?' but ln order to get another donut. The language learning is inc-idental, a byproduct of the child's attempt to achieve some bther end." Whv bother with r-bbits when children's metliods make so much more sense?

For readers who might not be able to think of teaching and learning as anything o-ther than a child tellinq a computer that "a" is the missing letter, Smlth devotes several chapters to a discusslon of what these activities are really about' He says, Forget the misleading myth that children learn to talk because adults deliberately set out to teach them lanAuaAe. Parents, like other family members and l-rten-ds, may tndeed be teachers

729 Bovlston Street

John Holt'g Book and Mugic Store

of chtldren, but this ls because of what they demonstate about spoken language, not because of any organlzed tnstructton thty frovide.

Teachers, then, are people busy dolng things ln thts case, talktng - and learners are people who happen to be around and want to do what the other people are dolng. Smlth has a lot to say, too, about hou learners become "spontaneous apprentices" to the teachers thev want to ioin.

I hope people tn schools will listen to Frank Smtth. They have a lot to leam from him. let's do everythtrrg we can for Insult ta Intelltgerrce - ask bookstores to carry it. revlew it for other publlcattons, tell our ftlends - so that as many people as possible will read this critically important book.

- Susannah Sheffer

In Search of Excellence

by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman $f O.95 Thls reuieu; bg JotnHott origirwW appared in CIYS #42. TtE currqtt tnlk oJ raisirg educatlonol stnndards and- mr:kirtg teachrttg more "proJesslonol" ad.d.s euenmore weightto f}.fs fuk and reuiew than wten It appeared in 1984.

Thls ls a book about the management of buslness corporatlons, a book which-like THEORY Z (also ln our catalog, for S3.95), may be directly useful to many partfcular homeschooltng families and to homeschoolers ln general. .&s a result of the recent Areat interest tn Japanese methods of corporate-nranagement, so dllferent and often (as we have learned to our dismay) so much more successful than our own, many people have begun to ask themselves whether some American corporatlons may not have lnvented what mtght be called an Amerlcan verslon of Theory Z,ways of rururing a large corporation whlch are on the one hand unorthodor and on the other hand unquestlonably successful. This book ls the result of the elforts of two men (and the oliganlzation they work wlth) to flnd â&#x201A;Źrn answer to that questlon. Their answer ts that yes, there ls an American style of corporate nranagement whtch has much ln common wlth what we have come to thlnk of as Japanese methods, and that yes, lt has been and ts outstandlngly successful, tn corporatlons as well known as IBM. Hewlett Packard, Proctor and Gamble, and others. Put very stmply, lt ts thts, that tf you treat people as human beings rather than as replaceable cogs tn a btg machlne, you get better results.

What the book does for homeschoolers ls to Alve them a powerful answer to the schools' soiamlttar argument that lf chtldren are not subJected, for all the years of thetr growtng up, to the harsh pressure of most schools, they wtll be unready for the "real world" ln whlch they are gotng to have to ltve and work as adults, a world whtch ln the mythologl

Boston. MAO2I 16

of schools is for the most part heartless, ruthless, and cmel. The book shows clearly that these tdeas about the Real World are wrong, and wtth them, vlrtually all of the schools' ideas about how to deal

with thetr own students.

Thus to take one example, almost all schools assume that the way to get the best work from students is tb raise standards so high that only a small minority of students can feel that they have done really well. Teachers and schools that do otherwise are contemptuously accused of the terrible crfne of 'grade lnflation." But the successful corporatlons studied tn this book know better. They lmow that to be judged a failure, by others and oneself, does not spur people on to do better work, but demoralizes them and makes them work less well.

Success breeds more success: f,atlure breeds more failure. As a result, when they have to set standards ofJob performance, they try to set them at a level such that the great majodty of their people can feel they have done good work.

In short, the book ts a rlch mine of arguments agafnst most of the conventlonal practices of schools, and by contrast ln favor of the ways in whlch numy homeschoollng parents deal wlth their own children. It also shows us what some of us might not have suspected, that great corporations do not have to be heartless, that even lrl business nice guys are as likely to flnish lirst as last, and that running a large corporation can be not only a highly creative acilvity but one which at least to some degree serves the higher tnterests of humantty. Along wtth all of thls, ft is a very clearly written and fasctnating book, whtch deserves to be the best-seller it has been.

New

ffi

Book

On \trrlttng Well

by William Zinsser $1o.95

We looked a long tlme for a book that would talk about wrfthg well wtthout being pedanttc, slmpllstlc, or borlng, and Wlllam Zlnsser's ts the one we chose. Zinsser proves he ls qualifed to discuss the topic because hls book is such a pleasure to read A man who can write well about wrlilng well ls someone to pay attention to.

What comes through most powerfully tn the book ls how much Ztnsser obviously cares about language.

He says, "Clutter is the dlsease of American v/riting.

We are a society strangl4g ln unnecessary words, ctrcular constructlons, pompous frtlls and meanlnglessJargon." In case hls readers thhk he attrlbutes thls "disease" to lnadequate schoollng of wrlters. Zlr:sser adds.

[Weak elements of a sentencel usually occur, trontcally, tn proportton to educatlon and rank. Durtng the late 196Os the prestdent of a maJor universlty wrote a letter to mollt$ the alumnl after a spell of campus unrest. 'You are probably awatâ&#x201A;Ź," he began, "that we have been CIrperiencing very considerable potentraly explostve expresslons of dtssattsfactlon on lssues only partially related." He mearrt that

John Holt's

729 Boylston Street

Book and Music Store

the students had been hassling them about dillerent things. I was far more upset by the president's English than by the students' potentially explosive expressions of dissatisfaction.

For those of us who want to make our writing clear, straightforward and enjoyable to read, Zinsser provides suggestions, examples, and stories about his own work. OnWritIngWell discusses only nonfiction, but includes such varied categories as 'The Interview,"'The Ending," "Criticism," "Humor," and "Science and Technical Writing." Entire chapters are devoted to "Clutter," "Style,"'The Audience," and "Usage." All the advice Zinsser o{Iers seems to be toward maldng writing seem more possible, rather t}ran more difficult and mysterious.

Zinsser never lets us forget tJtat somebdg, somewhere, has written whatever we are reading.

Parents might like to show children the sample drafts that Zinsser includes in the book, complete with editing marks, or read them the passage in which Zinsser discusses his inJluences: My mother lwed good writing. and she found it as often in newspapers as she did in books.

She regularly clipped columns and articles out of the paper that delighted her with their graceful use of language, or their wlt, or their orlginal vision of life. Because of her I latew at an early age that good writing can appear anywhere, even in the lowly newspaper, and that what matters is the writing itself, not the medium in which it is published. Therefore I've always tried to write as well as I could by my own standards; I've never changed my style to fit the size or the presumed educaUon of the audience I was writing for.

OnWritW WelI is a useful handbook, a friendly guide, and plain good reading. GWS readers should welcome it into their homes.

- Susannah Sheffer

a

Boston.

MA02ll6

A$INOTJNCEMENTS Not many merchants will tell you where to get but that's what I'm golrâ&#x201A;Ź to do now. A glant toy-store chaln, Toys-R-Us, has struck a deal rvith the West German manufacturers of Quadro Constn-rction Sets, which we've been promoUng and a better buy,

selllng for three years, that undercuts our prices so much we've declded to phase-out our Quadro products. We sttll think thls ls a great gift since it enables you to create large-scale structures that can hold up to 22O pounds. The one I bought for the office has recently been made into a mail-cart, slide, tank, Jungle-grm, and most recently, a basketball hoop and backboard by our industrtous ollice children. We still have Quadro brochures and access to the complete Quadro line during this phase-out period, so we'll fill Quadro orders promptly as we receive them; but we will no longer be advertlsing them.

Other changes I want to let you know about: - OUR SPRING CATALOG IS SPRUNC!Updated to include all price changes since the fall. Yours free with a buslness-size SASE (use two stamps please).

- 50 CARD GAMES FOR CHILDREN ($2.OO) is finally back tn stock!

- BLIMPER STICKERS are now $2.25 each, POSTACE INCLLIDED. - STETHOSCOPES ($7.OO) You can now choose from ten colors: Ilght blue, red, green, black, royal

blue, pink, orchid, lavender, grey, and white.

- GEOGRAPHIC PUT,ZLF,S. Our latest catalog says that the continents can only be purchased as a set, but tts wrong (I'll whip myself urith a computer cable for all these errors!). You can buv anv of the continents individually for $20 each; $9O for all live.

There's been a orice decrease ln the Political World and Physical World puzzles: they're now $t6.OO each.

Many readers have suggested books and materials for our catalog and I want to encourage you to keep sending them in!

- Patrick Farenga

a

MasterCard and Visa Phone Orders Accepted Between IO - 4 Monday - Frlday $3.5O Mintmum Ca,ll 617-437- 1583

Send order to:

Quantity Title/Description

UPS chart: For orders totaling Up to $IO.O0

$lo.ol-$19.99 $20.oo-$29.99 $30.00-$39.99 $40.oo-$49.99 $50.oo-$74.99 $75.OO-$99.99 $ IOO.OO and over

Includ: $1.$ $2.e5 $3.e5 $4.e5 $5.95

$7.50 $8.25

$l l.oo

Price

Ship

via:_US mail (see below)

Subtotal:

(See left)

-UPS

Each

50z6

Sales Tax

(MA resldents only):

Postage charge: For l, 2, or3 bocksortapes: $1.5O; .5Oper additional item. Records: $l for l; add .5O per additional record.

OVERSEAS SUREACE MAIL: I, 2, or3 ltems, $2.0O; 4 or more, $l.OO per item. Please sendmoney in US FUNDS or checks drawn on a US bank. Outsidethe US UPS onlv delivers to Ontarto and will not dellver to a PO Box.

Postag, (See left

TOTAL Enclosed:

Amount

729 Boylston

.Nerv

ffi

Street

John Holtre Book and Muslc Store

Birth Reborn

bv Dr. Michel Odent

$-8.95 Book When I was growlng up, my maln source of tnformation about chitdbirth was the televlslon. I watched all those popular medical dramas in which pregnant women were suddenly strlcken with agonizing pain, screaming and wrfthing through various medical disasters, barely survtving to greet their newborn babies wlth weak smiles. My own mother never said anythtng to contradict this hideous portrayal of birth, only adding, '"The Paitt fs atl worth-it when you hold your baby for the first time." Somehow I wasn't convlnced.

Fortunately, I learned as an adult that the medical version of birth wasn't the only opUon. Casual references to home birth in GWS tnspired me to seek out informatlon about thls "innovation." and so I read all about the dangers of unnecessary medical interwention in birth, but more importantly, I discovered a vibrantJoY lrt the magazine artlcles and books available on home birth. I'd sit in the library with a huge lump fn mY throat as I read tl:e accounts of home births, and I slowly shed my own fear of birth, becoming a true believer in hom6 bfth for normal pregnancies. On December 20, 1986, my daugherAdrianna was born at home.

So nofu here t sit, writing a revlew of a book about hospital birth . . . possible only because Brth Rebomis about one speciflc hospital with a maternity unit unlike any IVe ever heard of. Dr. Michel Odent, the book's author, practtces some of the world's most innovative obstetrics at the public hospital in Pithiviers, France.

I read a lot of books before and durlng my Dreqnancy, but Brth Rebornwas the only one that ieaily pre-pared me for my labor and gave me confidence in my own individual labor pattern (which didn't match the I-arnazn, or Bradley "sta$es" at atl!), preclsely because Odent doesn't try to reduce birth to a predlctable Pattem.

I noticed a slmtlarlty between Odent's approach to obstetrics and John Holt's experiences a3 an educator. Odent recelved no speclallzed trafning tn obstetrics; hls posiUon as,head surgeon at Pithivlers colncidentally included duties as overseer of the matemltly clintc, and he approached the task with the healthy skepticism of a non-orpert.

Although the cllnlc was stalfed by midwlves, their training was quite mechantcial and tnterventtontst' and it was Odent's quesUontng of thetr practlces,- '\Mhy do you do thia? Can it be done more stmp$?

Whai worrld happen tf you didn't do it all?" - that gradually led to the Urind of obstetrics now peculiar

Boston, lvIAO2l 16

" UIce olt & stefilctans, w e at Pithiviss arc hantntd bA the ever-presert spter oJrisk. Ehtan eryeriences twse cleaitg slclnn that an approoch which " demdimlizes" birtl- restores dignitA andtumo;nity to the ptocess oJ childbtttlr- and rehtms co:rtrcI to the motter is alsp the sqfest apptwctu" Flom Birth Rcborn. p. 16.

to Pithiviers.

There are no births in the traditional deltvery room at Plthlvters; it odsts only to satisff state authoritles. The birthlng rooms bear no resemblance to their Amerlcan counterparts etther: there are no beds, but rather a low padded platform ln one room, and a shallow pool of water ln the other. Both allow for and encourage a laborlng woman to assume any posltton that feels comfortable to her. The pool ls used primarlly as a place to relax durtng labor, but occasional underwater births do occur, sometlmes by deslgn, but sometlmes due to the mother's reluctance to leave the comfort of the warrn water.

But the lntention at Plthviers is not merelv to be bizarre. Llke home schooling, birth at Pithiviers returns t}te cmctal choices to the farnily. Odent expresses a deep faith in a woman's lnsttnct to give birth "the right way''for her, and he and hts midwtves honor her impulses and needs throughout labor ratlter tltan dirbcting, "coaching," or instructing in any "method" of birth. It is this Ilerdbility, this respect for the natural flow of birth, that characterizes PtthMers more than do tts fixtures.

In that spirit, it is fittlng that the book features several first-hand birth stories from Pithtvlers patients and a host of photographs. The photos, ln fact, sold me on the book even before I read the text because they emanate the same irrtense Joy that I found ln home birth books.

I often thought durtng my pregnzmcy that I might have chosen to have a hospltal delivery rather than a home birth f all hospitals were like Pithiviers and all doctors like Odent. In retrospect' I doubt it. As I reflect on my daughter's blrth' I lrnow that Odent couldn't have improved tt. His hospital is stlll only "the next best thtng to home btrth" for me.

But as alternative schools may be better than a tradittonal publlc school, Odent's matemfty ward is much bettei than lts hrgh-tech counterparts: and for the maJorlty of women, who are more comfortable in a hospital setttng for btrth, PtthMers ls a crucial alternative and an unparalleled example of how btrth can be better approached by our interventlonminded medlcal generation.

Edlted & Destgned bY Pat Farenga

-

Sue Radostt

t9

FOCUS: STANDARDIZED TESTING THE USES OF TESTS SS: How did you get involved in that?

TALK WITH TEST CRITIC I$SJ Wtren Pat ard. I spoke at tIE 'Nirrth Arnuol TesL MedsutenTent atd D;aluattcrl-

Cuderene'inNeu Hanpshtrc this March

un leamd. tlnt tle Nalionol CenterJor Fair ard OpenTEstirg, or FalfTestJor sholt

operates fuhtnear us, hCanbridge, Mass.

Tltose oJ us wlo uant to oppose standatdizd testtng hiJed u:e lack the anntunitiort to do so ttillJUd. an allA in FallTest whbh puHislres a newsletter, The FailTest Exarntrrer, thar I reamntend highlg. ($ 1 5 / Vr fiomFaifTest, N bx 1272, Hartnrdfiuare Stot rn, Canlbtidge MA O2238; 617'A&l' 481O). InAprllI spolce withJotvtWelss, the

exauthte dirrctor: Sugannah Shefier: How did FailTest

JItr: A reportercalled us up and asked us to clrnment on the fact that 8O06 of the Nadonal Merit Scholars ln her district urere male. So we started ,nvesdgadng it and we lssued a report which went nadonal. We found that rnany tests discriminate against females.

For example, on the SAT, girls score 6l points lower than boys. The test is supposed to predict college grades, yet women's college grades are sllghtly hlgher than men's grades, so it lsn't very accurate there.

Some of Fai/featrs rccomrncndatione to thc College Board:

g ttorlp's

get started?

John Wclg: Fai/Test was formed turc years ago at a conference I organlzed in New York, at whlch ure brought together slxty cMl rights and education acflvists. Our goal was to try to flgure out what needed to be done ln the area of standardlzed tesUng reform. We found that there was a great deal of knowledge about testtng mlsuses and abuses, but the people with this knowledge are sca.ttered all over the nauon, so our ffrst goal ts to brlng them together. Our second goal ls to systematlcally educate declslon-makers - leglslators, school olftclals, the media - about these crifics' knowledge about standarrdlzed testing. We Bnd that it's not very hard, that most people a.re sympathedc to what we'r€ dotng.

The thlrrd area for us ts dlrect soclal change. We're 0ghung to get the federal goverDnent's clearlnghouse on tests and measurement to be run by someone other than ETS [SS: Educadonal Testing Service, wtrlch sells the SAT and hundreds of other

standardlzed testsl. The clearinghouse distrlbutes lnformation about standardlzed tests and other rnethods ofevaluation, so riglrt now ETS controls the flow of lnformadon that the government and the general publlc recefues about tests. They blatanly toot their own hom. We're trying to get a group Orat has a much more broader lxterpretaflon of "assessment" than a test company does to be tn charge of this clearlnghouse.

WeVe also worked to extend and stnenglhen btlls that open up the tesdng tndustry to publtc acmdrry - we lbnd that when the facts about what's golng on are dlsclosed, lt looks pretty bad, erren to the general public.

SNI:

What's an enample of somethlng you -

mght try to educate the dectston-makers abouf?

JW: Recently we\rc rvorked to publtcize the .Larry P." declslon, whtch ls a 1986 case in Caltfomla that barured the use of lQ tests to track black ctrtldren lnto classes for the mentally retarded. TheJudge ruled that these tests are culturally blas€d. Thls ourt case went on for l8 years, and urc're trying to bring It to publtc attentlon. WeVe also been worlidng to dlscover genderbtas GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #57

Collegee ehould independcntly

cveluatc thcir nccd for thc SAT. Right now, colleges rely on studies generated by the Educational Testing Service itsell whlch, says FailTest, is "like asking General Motors to evaluate what brand

ofcaryou should buy."

Makc the tcat ag fair as poesible.

Withhold SAT scoree from lnstltutions whlch miausc them.

Many schools and scholarshlp programs specincally violate the College Board's guidelines for proper use of the SAT.

Requirc collcgcs, not studcnts, to pay for the test.

Rcnamc thc Sl\T. 'Aptitude" is misleading, and no one has been able to define it or prove that thls test measures

it.

Study whethcr coechlng ectudly lmproves SAT scoreg.

Inform studcnts about the crlrcrlmcntal gcction. Each SAT includes a dillicult experimental section, and though itwill not count toward their final score, students are not told which sectlon tt ls. FailTest says that thts ls akln to experimenflng on human subJects without thetr lnformed, written consent.

tur a cqg oJ Fair?esfs @mplete letter, send.aSASE rlitho 39 entstamp toFailTest.

SSI: Are the btases inherent ln the quesdons, or in the style ofthe test?

.JY: Both. There are often biiases on pardcular exams - weVe found ocamples of class btas ln SAT quesdons whlch use words Itke "go[," "polo." The test pigeonholes people, too. Students who are unusually percepdve - ardsts, poets - tend not to do as urcll. Then there's the speed element - students who ane more thoughtful, who are tratned to answer bigger questlons, won't be able to ffnish the test. It's a test of how fast you can answer certain questlons superficlally. One of the things that coachlng schmls tell you is

"Don't think about the question." A Native American just called me and told me that it's against their culture to guess - you say something or you don't say something. So their kids don't guess, and that pen:lizes them.

That's certainlv true of

SSI:

homeschoolers, who are often used to dclving deeply into things.

JW: We also find that the SAT narrows the high school cun-iculum, directs it more towards regprgitation skills.

SSi: I'm very interested in the recommendafions that you submitted to the College Boarrd lan association of colleges which currently hires ETSI. Has there been any response?

.fW: Don Stewart, the president, has agreed to meet with us. One quesbon we are pondering is whether ETS is analogous to a nuclear plant, in the sense that even if you bring good people in and make some reguladons, you're still making nuclear power, a very centralized and dangerous method of making electricity. Canyou do a good job, can you make it safe/Z SiS: Yes, it's like John Holt's analory of the humane prison guard - if you're doing bad work, how humane can you be?

JW: And the question is, would it be better to try to be more humane? Maybe someone is using that position to try to do meaningful work, to create real change, but I don't see that coming. The testing industry is a well over a billion-dollar-a-vear business.

They won't reform themsetvei. I think changes that occur wlll take place outside the leadership of the College Board, through the membership - most colleges and many high schools are members of the College Board.

SIS:

What does that mean. to be a

member? .fW: They pay $lOO, and then they can vote. The College Board hires ETS, so

technically they could fire it.

SiS: That's irnteresting, because colleges ahvays sound so enslaved by ETS.

JW: Well, 9096 of the Board's money comes from ETS. But if the colleges were organlzd, they rnight be able to do somethArg. SSI: In your letter to the Board, you recommend that colleges independently evaluate thelr need for the SAT. How might they do that?

JW: Ernest Boye/s book,

Collqge, ficund

that some large perc.entage of colleges don't use the SAT at all in decision-maldng, they Just r€quire it to look pres.'glous. If they ask, 'Who would we have accepted or reJected if we had used the scores?" they flnd that they would have acc.epted

980/o

of the same

20 students. So they flnd that they don't really need tt. Jtm Crouse at the Urdrrcrsl$l of Delaware has also done cnnslderable research on thls subJect, and come up wtth slmilar concluslons.

The few verv selecdve colleges are reatly lmktng at a lot of other factors besldes the test a;w\av. When these lnsfltudons e:<amlne thetr uic oi the te.t, they ftnd that they are overtestlng the klds - that they dont need the SAT ant the achte'rrcment tests. So ufien they dectde to ellmlnate one of those, as some ha\rc recrcntbr dectded, [SS: see story belowl tt's a step tnthe rtght dtrecUon, but-they're not yet saylng that theY're oPPosed to standard,zed testfng ltr general.

SSI:

It seems tlnt Your other

recommendadon, havtng colleges pay the cost of the SAT lnstead of thC students, would have to go hand-h-hand here, because tf they don t beii the cost, thry have no krc€ntfirc to evaluate thetr need for tL .IW': Yes, rpe

thlnk tlnt that' and

changtng the name of the test - whlch umuliin'icost a dtme - are the two most tnportant reforms. The btggest problem wtth tes-ts, tlrc SAT fn parttcular, ls not the blases

or the narrowln{ bf the currtculum but the fact that people-fntemaltze the scores. They erroneouily belterrc they'r. dumb or smarL

SSI: Your proposal ls to r€mo\rc the word "apHtude" and rename it 'The test that attempts to predtct fr,eshman grades trt mllegi," but some people argue that tt doesn't

evendo thateffecdvely. .fW: We'd llke truth-tn-adverdslng. I achrally would call lt 'The test of how flst you

answei 70 quesilons ln 3O mlnutes." That's what lt ls.

I can't help thtnldng that people wtll contlnue to belicve that the SAT ls tmportant' even wlth some c.olleges rnaktng lt opflonal, as they have. What other steps can vre take to reducc lts tmportance?

SSI:

.IW: We need to publlcize our research' and we hanent yet sgstemattcally tnformed the declslon-makers. The test companles do tt systemattcally, but tfs rrcry- one-slded..We'd Uire to get lnto some sort of debate with the test coirpanles, because the facts are all on our slde. We also try to get them to sto-p uslng bad tests, as ln the l-arry P. case. We dont that werPant - we always push for

what rpe want wtth what we thlnk we can get. Rgfrt now we're worldng for a more accountable, more oPen tndustry' because we think that wtth a lot of thls lnformaHon they wtll hang themselues. I used hanrc-to-mesh

to rpork for a group called ProJect De-Test

(Demvsttfr the F:stablbhed Standardlzed

iestsi. .lo-hn Holt was on our advlsory board' Now we're FafTest, and thts ts a slgyr' of the Umes.

39: ds a tacucal apProach, t},at tdea of worHng for what you, thlnk you can get ts rrcrv like what many homeschoolers do when thev tobbv for favorable legtslaUon. And yet *nit fydu are opposed to tesung ln general?

What should vou do then?

.N: Some parents have reslsted !O tests, tests wtth resdls that are golng to follow the Th{ve

ratsed publtc consclousness by dotng thls, but we only have a few examples. If any more of thls ls going lidd around forerrer.

on, I'd ltke to hear about lL SS: Another orr

of Your r€com-

mendaUons ls that SAf scores should be wlthheld from tnsflhrtlons that mlsuse thern What Hnd of mlsuse tre gotng on?

JW: There are so many mlsuses, but we've been focustng on the most blatant one, whlch ls scholarshtp agencles awardtng moley solely on the basts of test scores. Tlrts ts tn vtor.t'don of test company reguladons about test use - thetr standards ane so minimal' and

It's hard to lmaglae exactly how bad standardized test questlons can be untll we actually take a look at them. These sample questions should convince us that these tests are measurlng somethtng other than "tntelligence" or "apUtude":

From thc Stanford Achievcment Test:

Wtrtch plant needs the least amount

ofwater?

'ffi"@., FailTest says that although the

cactus ls the'Vanted" answer, I in lO ctrildren chose the cabbage' saying that slnce ltwas apicked cabbage' lt wouldn't need anywater at all. Thls is the lilnd of sophlstlcated thtnking that such tests penalize.

From thc Cognltlvc Abiliticg Test: (administered to elementaqt-age ctrlldren): In NewYork City, lt is almost

tmpossible to ffnd a place to._Y_o!f car. a) drlve b) repatr c) wash d) park e)

hlde

From theWISC'R I$ Teet' currently the largest-selllng IQ test tn the countr5r:

What fu the ttrtng to do ifYou lose a ball that belongs to one ofyour frlends? d Buy htm a new one and PaY for tt (2 potnts); b) Look all over for !L try to ffnd it (t potnt); c) I'dJust cry, tell hlm you're sorry, apologlze (0 polnts) FaiI'fest comments: "If you're poor' It often is not possible to buy another one and lt is unlikely thatyou hav€ one to $ve. If the ball ls really lgs! looking forlt ts a waste of tlme. And if it is not reallv lost but could be found, wouldn't looking for tt be more'lntelltgent' than

anewone?" yet they're sflll belng vlolated' SlSl:

The guldellnes specrflcally protribtt

ttnt?

.ff: Yes, here's a statement from Greg Anrt€. president of ETS: 'Test scores should be uEed lrl comblnadon wlth other lnformadon and not as the sole basis for

important declslons allecflng the hves of

truiividuals." Then, a slmitrar statement from the College Board: 'Test sc.ores should not be the sole factor tn determining the admlssion of an appllcant." But if you're app$ng to the Universtt5r of Texas and You lfue ln Massachusetts, they wont everr look at your appllcatton lf vou don t have an I IOO on the S;\T. So that'i a vtoladon. But ETS says, 'We Just sell a product, we're not responsible for how lt's used."

SNI: What suggesdons do you harre for people who hrrue Lo take standard?€d tests?

.fW: F'lrst, vou should treat the test as a game, a hurdlel something you have to^do that isn't otherwise tmportant - this is true for any multiple-chotce test, Then, let a sample coPY of the exam.

Have the child take the exam and have them erylninwhry they gave the answersthey did.

So-metirnes children have perfectly logical reasons for gtvln$ an answer that ls not the wanted answer, and you can tell them that thelr answer makes sense, but is not the answer that the test wants' So, downplay the lmoortance of the test, and for homeschoolers, str€ss how particularly unsuited lt ts to the open curriculum you've been used to. Glve sPecific training ln how to take a test - all the strateg/ and games' Don't oretend vou're leamlnA math, think instead ihat youire learnlng SAT math. It's very dilferent.

SIS: Homeschoolers are often concemed about the test envlronment, and the familiarity of the person administering the

test. .JW: There have betn sfudies that show that black children do better on IQ tests when

thev are admlnistered by blacks, not whites, when both adrnini;ter the test ln the

erre'n

sarne way, SSI: Can urc

look to your organjzation for

help?

JW: We have llmited resources, but wlthin the limlts of our ability, we would like to correspond with homeschoolers, answer spectfic questions lf we can. If $9y havg p-roblems or vlctories, we would like to hear

those and turn them into case studies.

Wed like homeschoolers to se€ our newsletter, we'd like to prlnt their speciffc queries. Many people who are experts ln tesung s€€ our

lbout

-neursletter,

so th€y may be able to help.

COLLEGES MAKE SAT OPTIONAL In late APrtl, Mtddlebury Collegg tnVermont and Unlon College in New York announced that they were dropping the SAT as an admlssion requlrement. Students will now have the optlon not to subrnit these scores, but those who do want their s@res to be considered may submit them as usual.

Both of these colleges are small, and student Eutdebooks would describe them as "selectivJ." I spoke with l{athy Lindsey, an admissions dian at Middlebury, who said' '.\Ve think the whole system has gotten enslaved by the SAT. We're captives to the public penieption of lts lrnPortance." She said ihat Middlebury will make the SAT optional for the next two years, after which they will "look to see if weive attracted different ldnds GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #5?

21 of candidates." By "different kinds" she means students in parts of the countr5r where the SAT is less accessible, and those groups minorities and women, for example - against which some say the test discriminates.

Dean Jerry Weiner at Union College says that Union has suspended the SAT indefinitely, because "by denying ourselves the SAT, we lose no informatlon that we can't get elsewhere." Elsewhere, in this case, refers to the ETS-made Achievement Tests, which Union and Middlebury will continue to require, as well as the other information usirally considered (high school record,

interview, etc).

Weiner said he Gars that "because people thlnk it's a true measure of their ability, they wind up discrirninating against themselves they don't apply to colleges where they think they won't have a chance of getting in. l'd rather that they let us make that decision"' The SAT is apparentJy not as universally mandatory as many of us may have supposed.

Other colieges have for several years allowed submission of scores to be optional. William i liss, Director of Admissions at Bates College in Maine, which has not rcquirtrc the SAT since 1984, says, '\Ve wanted to send out a broad signal to young pmple and their families to use the high school years for lorward motion, for experimenting, rather than spending 4OO hours studying word analogies. What we're trying to measure is intelligence, zest, drive, humor - not skill at test-taking." Homeschoolers may argue about how accurately these elusive qualities can be measured, but it will surely be easier to make a case for homeschooling as effective preparation for college when "zest, drive and humor" are what colleges are looking for.

Bowdoin College in Maine stopped requiring the SAT in 1969, although onV I,/5 of the entering class chose not to submit their scores last year. "We made the decision for students who don't believe the SAT reflects their ability," sajd Mellssa Wa-lters, on the admlssions stall She added that a few of this vear's students have been home educated, one ihrough I lth grade.

In some ways even rnore interesting than the fact that some colleges have stopped requiring the SAT is the fact that even colleges which do require it may place less value on it than we think. Dean Weiner at Union told me that "colleges have been dis-counting SAT scores for years - we want to get thls out to the public." How trle ls thls? If it is true at all, the public should indeed know about it.

kt's

keep our eyes on what colleges decide to do about the SAT i-n coming years. - SS

STI.JDENTS PROTEST SAT About 70 students at Brown University

have formed a group called STUDENTS ACAINSTTESTING, which alms to "abolish the SAT, or at least have it reviewed by all colleges using it now," according to student uadlsafire.;l don't think people understand what the test is supposed to be predicting, and I don't think it's doing what lt's supposed to be doinA, either," he said. the Brown students have sent letters to college newspapers around the countrSr,

asking for the support of students at other schools. So far, says Mark, the response has been encouraging. He says that Students Against Testin-"g Jso has-the support of Theodore Sizer, author ofthe book Horace's

GROWING WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

Compromise: The DilenwaoJ the American

HighsrhoclMichael Salter, another student involved

with the group, says that the effort "ls not

directed at Brown, but at ETS. lt's a matter of supporbng something that is unjust, and we can't do that." He said Brown students plan to ask others to join them next year when representatives from student govemments meet at the annual "lvy Council." - SS

MEASURING INTELLIGENCE Flom The Magic Feather , bg Lort and BilI Granger (see CWS * 56), a fuk abut lean*1g disabrlries we ane consid.ering Jor our JalI

calaJq:

IThe IO testl was developed in l9O4 by Alfred Binet, who had been comrnissioned by the French government to lind a way to identifo children in need of help in schools...

He devised the IQ test as a series ofquesdons and tasks, graded in dilficulty according to the a{e of the average child presumed to be able io accomplish them. Th-e child proceeded through the tasks until he could no longer do them. At that point, his mental age was pronounced, and if it was markedly lower ihan his chronolo$cal age, he was marked out for special work. ...1t is important to se€ how the IQ test has changed in value since Binet's experiments. Binet himself never claimed he was measuring some tixed, inbom trait that amounted to menta-l horsepower. He believed, in fact, in chan$ng one's intelligence quodent through mental calisthenics that would get children off the rolls of the retarded. He also protested the idea that his test could be used to rank all children on a single scale to deflne the quality of their minds. He said that would be a dangerous use of his test.'The scale," hewrote in 1905, "properly speaking, does not permit the measure of the intelligence, because intellectual qualities ar€ not superposable, and therefore cannot be measured as linear surfaces are measurd."

Of course, what Binet wamed against is exact\r what has come to pass. The IQ test in the United States has always been used to measure literally a flxed ldea of intelllgence' That intelligence cannot be measured in this way does not stop testers from dofung so in millions of tests given wery Year.

Binet was terribty afraid his methods might be used by teachers and bureaucrats to j usti.ff creatin g "sel f- fu lfillin g prophecies" in children they wanted to Judge as ttladequate. "lt is really too easy to discover stgns of backwardness in an lndMdual when one is forewamed," he sald. ...At a child-guidance chnic in a Chicago suburb, a tester and waluator said blithely that lcl is "like a gas gauge. It tells you whether the tank is half empty or half full." Nonsense.

The IQ test is a bit of a fraud, and even a leader in the educaflonal use ofsuch tests to label kids admitted it once. Psychologlst E. G. Bortng allowed that "lntelltgence ls what intelligence tests measur€," but he went on to push for their widespread use ln the school. ...The IO test ls rlgorously defended in American society as an absolute judge of intelligence, and parents have tended not to quesbon its validity - wen though the fbunder of the IQ test had more than a few quesdons. Of course, IQ tests must call the s-ame children stupid that the teachers do. The

IQ test would not be any use if the kids it called stupid succeeded in school and the high scorers did not. So the IQ testers, over the years, have chopped and changed the scale to coincide with teachers' judgments.

WHAT TESTS WERE FOR Ftom Flank Smith's Insult to Intelligence (see review, P. 15)

It was througfi the testing movement that psychology gained its initial hold over education. At first, experimental osvchologists needed educational data for lh.it o*tt"..".arch, and then test results were used to make instmctional decisions concerning the placement of children and type of tnstruction they should receive.

Educadonal research was almost entirely a matter of testing children, until a decade ago when a few radical researchers began looking at the ecolory of classrooms and the betravior of teachers.

The systematic testing of school children

that began in Britain in the early years of the present century was closely linked with an inlluential eugenics movement... Some of the most hlstoric names in stati:stics and educational psychologr were involved in both

the eugenlcs movement and the mass assessrnent of schoolchildren's abilities' Germaine Greer recently documented the association in her book *x and' Destny in which she asserts that "modem society is unique in that it ts profoundly hostile to children." She points out that geneticist Francis Galton, who proposed that the state should dellberately breed its most gifted men and women to increase the genius of the race, was the flrst person ever to carry out a svstematic examlnation of a school frpuhtion. Galton dweloped methods of mathematical analysis that are the basis of con temporarlr testin g stadstlcs. ...Raymond B. Cattell, director of the Schools Psychologlcal Clinic in kicester, author of The F\ghtJor Our National Inlelltgence... was oflered an award by the Eugenics society in 1935 "for the inv6sdgatlon by tests of the intelligence of a

typical urban and typical rural population of school children with a view to determining the average size of the family at each level of lntell{lence." Cattell's teacher at Untversity College, London, was psychologr professor Cyrll B urt, who was knighted for his nineteen-year service as i designer of mental and scholasdc tests (and subsequently discredited for faking his data). Burt was convinced that the intelligenc'e his tests measured was inherited, and was lowest and declining in the "general population" which also tended to have more children, a fact that he was concnerned "might produce serious cumuladve elfects lf at all sustained."

It ls the desc.endents ofthese tests, predominantly produced arrd promoted in the Untted States since the dme of Sputnik, wlrich underlle the efforts to evaluate constantly the learning of children today, no matter how trvial and disruptve tlrat learnlng might have to be to facilitate the tesflng.

Mike Bennett (l 13 N 4th St, Ontonagon 49953), a GED Test E:<aminer, saYs ho have questions about GED regulafions rhich vary from state to state) rnay write to or call hlm at 9O6-884-4163.

22

TESTING EXPERIENCES NOT MEANT FOR FUN Flom Susan Rlchrnanr (PA):

I remember one year tn htgh school takinA an ofttcial IQ test - one of those aflalrs where hundreds and hundreds ofstudents were sitting at those awful "elbow " desks spread in rows and columlrs tn the school glmnasium, with instructlons r€ad over the

and I dtdn't know what teachers the glrls would harrc. I guess I Just assumed they would handle the sttiadon Seauttfully. I thrnli also that because we have had rrcry llttle cpntact wtth the school thts year I was tndmidated by the thought of dotng anything dilferent from what we were told to do - whlch was to brlng our chlldren to the school at 8:OO on Monday mornlng, leave them ln the prlncipal's offlce, plck them up at the appofnted tlme, and iepeat this process for the next four days.

Je-nnlfer frairaH the sltuaflon Just as I oqpected her to and by the second day was referring to "the way we do thlngs itt orlt , room." She loved wery mlnute of it and she loved her teacher whom she had never met

teacher beforehand.

fSS, What a dpld llhrs,'.atbn oJ tau ned adults to b pople, not abstactfgwes o;f autlaritg. tbmething as s{rnplre as a HeJ, genutrB €/rurP-]rsation made brgJeel con{ortable bt a sihtation that a short while ago lad. *emed tentfAW,

sfrorgla cMdten

STAYING IN THE ROOM loudspeaker system. I remember belng homMary Maher (MA): pleasantty surprlsed, even deli6lhted, by the iest. Why, it was actually full of lntrtgu-lng A fewyears ago when Mandy (now I l) pr:zzles and bratn-teasers, the sort of thlng was scheduled to take t]:e achlwement tests, vou miAht even choose to do on your own on a she was real\r newous about being left alone iritty d"V inside. l-ots of visual pr:zzles of the_ before. strangers. She ls always uncomfortable with type- "Aliof these shapes are blaeps, whlch of Dory was qutet as she left me the first wfth people she doesn't know. Her big concern t-he next Aroup of shapes ls not a blep." Belng and she got quleter each day. I mornlng ts that the person may be "mean." I kept a visualforiented ldd, thts vras a delightful remember asldng frlends about the teacher r€assuring her that I would stay with her change from the usual verbal, read a boring Dorv had been asslEned to she was new in the durlng the testlng, although I wasn't really paragraptr and answer the three boring buililing and I didni know anything about sure how I would accompllsh thts, as I had questions test. I was readily tmaginging to her. But I wasnt concerned enough to actually already been told by the princlpal that under myself howurll I must be dolng, how high my the test tlrne on through Halfivav do anvthlng. no circumstances would I be allowed to stay.

IQ must be. But then somehow I happened to Thurfray fiorning, [he teacler brought Dory The momlng of the test arrived and glance over at Michael Wolfe's ansurcr sheet in out to where I lucldly was waitlng. Dory was wari very nervous. I took her to the Mandy lhe next row. Now, I wasn't the cheaflng type' sobbln{. I bareh llstened to the teacher school to meet the teacher who would be and anyway he was too far away for me t9 tf wi: came back at noon she c'ould saylnA-that admtntstertng the test. She was very sweet to actually see zrny of the answers he'd lllled in gVe D;ory the rest of that day's test durlng her Mandv and trled to put her at ease. She told us on lris computer answer sheet' What I dtd see get of out to Dory lunch hour. I Just wanted how long the tests would last and then asked that shook me was that he was at least 6O or there. Yet I tried to stay Positlve for Dory's me to leave. Mandy put her arms around me so questions aleadof me, and I knew this lrdd sake. I knew that no matter how I hated it that began to cry. I asked the teacher tf I could and was not as 'bright" and certainly not as realtsdcally we would probably be going back. stay, but she satd tt was forbldden. fledble a thinker as I fancted myself to be. It praylng for wisdom all the way I rememb& I had to thlnk very fastl As mY eyes suddenly hit me like an lnon welght that the .home. And I remember tr5dng very hard not to scanned the room, I saw a table and chair tn test makers had not been trying to find a way ask quesUons but lust to be there for whatever the opposite corner. Wtthout sayhg anything for me to have a Jolly two hours tn the school Dorv'wanted to tef me. (She still hasnt sald a else to the teacher, I looked at Mandy and grrn doing delightful mental acrobadcs. They lot ibout what actually went wrcng - she says safd, "See that chatr over there? I'm gotng to were tesfrrg me. They dldn't care about my scared" and 'dldn't understand the she'Vas slt over there and you'll be able to see me"' almost laugbtng aloud when I dlscovered a work.'l Immedtately she stopped crylng and I walked solutlon to one of thetr problems' They cared Sornehow h lfst€nlng to her I felt that over and sat down. The teacher was surprised only about right answers, and not only that, Dory had lost her sensc of ldendty tn that at what I suppose she thought was my the/ carcd only about my sped tn marldng clasiroom and then I remembered a feellng I deflance, but lt was really done out of a loving those answers down on an answer sheet. I was gotten from the teacher when she brought had conc€m for Mandy, who only needed to know uslng a bad "test talOng strategr" to b€-taldng she was trcatlng her as though out that Dory that lf she looked across the room I would be time-to sanrcr and chuckle over some of the me not tt hlt she-was a ltttle btt slow. Then there. "good"questions, ursl you could readily do only dtdnt Dory know the teacher BUT the The lnteresdng thtrtg ts that there was curled up with a book of brainteasers at home Dory, She didn't know dtdn't know teather the teacher could do about my nothlng tn the ralrry day scenario, Thls was a test that Dory was an tntelltg;ent, lovlng chtld who it and we declston to stay, so she accepted scenario. I remember then feeltng only -which came from a "normal" famtly. is all I remained on frtindly terms, stress€d by the test, all sense offun stolen.

I went feel tf would how she Dory I asked wanted tn the first placc. Mandy was able wer the teacher back tn with her and rrye talked to to do the tests, and the next tlme we had to go' toAether and told her a ltttle btt about Dory Mandy uras wtlling to let me leave. But this aria founa out a ltttle btt about her' I could see time lt was her dectsion and she felt the teacher I asked When e1res. tn her the relef COMFORTABLE FEELING comfortable wtth lL lf I could come lrrto the room whlle Dory took Sha non Lereus (PA) urde In her Janflg's lt she said st(fen but her the test, I muld see neunletter. would be all rtght .

As we walked down the hall I began Dory's experienc.e wlth achlevement tests IJSING AN ORAL TEST taldnA. I was my normal, frtendly self and thls year brought home to me onc€ agatn -my Florn Sharon byd [L): [ttle about out a found She she reiponded. year I made resp6nsibilfty as a parent. Last Dory and about us. And we found out that she arrangements wlth the prtncipal in the fall so In response to the query ln GWS #55 from had- hvtn boys that were ln the flrst gfiade, too. that the girls would be assigned to teachers Llnda Hugdahl ("Which Tests are Besf?")' we I could see the teachefs Geltng about Dory that thevknew and were comfortable when lt chose to have our 8-year-old daughter changing. She brought her up from adesk came tirne to take the tests ln the sprtng. sat with and Branduin tested lasf September for the first room of the back at the separated she had grade teacher Jennifer had thelst see Dory dme. We wanted an oral test because we felt also I could test. the to flnish hei gone to for reading the year before when she that a written test would be very stressrelaxln{. attended kindergarten, and Dory had Jerury's producing. We do lots of oral math, etc. at Mf mouth sflll droPPed oPen when Dory old Ldndergarten teacher whom she knew "pacldng was Lome, bul we don't use workbooks or do she that dinner at years announced previous two for the wtth me from Aoing gotng stay pa.perwork much, and we wanted her to be on to was she too, because lunch," her weekly. when-l volunteered in her classroom ground. to fltpfamiliar able are Children on Frldav. dav all Actrievement test week urent smoothly; the I was fortunate enough to rlrn across a flop. 5o both girls ended the week with a good drls both had good experlences and whtle I wornan who has a one-woman ollice called feeling about school. iuesdon the results of these tests for children so adapt the t earnlng Cllnlc. She is an ex-pubLc to able betng thetr not take I-wlll glrls taldng enJoyed the I felt home at taught school teac6er who felt she could do more for I year, howerr.er. next granted again for easily had learned them and in the process as-they ldds bv helplnA "on the stde" (tutoring and long as year and tlrts wil rememUer something of takdng thls type of test. wlth thetr tesdn!, I guess). She suggested the Peabody meet will we the tests, to take have This year I made no early arrangements GROWNG WTIHOUT SCHOOLING

#57

23 Then some tests (Metropolitan and Callfornta are two) face the child wlth reading paragraphs that go way beyond the child's grade level - up to olficial flfth grade reading paragraphs for a first grader's test. The Stanford seems to Just gtrrc a child a whole bunch of (usually shorter) paragraphs rtght on the child's expected grade lerrel, or maybe one level higher. So the Met and the CAT for each grade level ln each category. would benefit a child who reads way above Branduin thoroughly .tjoy.d her ffrst grade level, because he or she would be able to test, and I was very pleased too. The entir€ test shour somethlng, but the poor ldd who ls Just took only about an hour, which included our doing fine would feel like a failure when faced lnforrnal conversaUon. I was there the endre wtth half a dozen paragraphs and what seem U.me and was welcome to speak as long as I did Itke dllions of questlons that are clearly too not gve ansq,ers. The testing ln each category goes on until the chlld mlsses Bve consecutlve hard. The Stanford rntght be better for not lntlmidating a slow reader.

Inswers. Fortunatelv. Brandv was tested in I also heartily recommend the Scorrng math ffrst - her favoite acadimic subJect.

Hrgh test preparadon books, sold by The woman administering the test was very LEARNING AT HOME (PO Box 27O'G, interested in and supportive of our Honaunau HI 96726). They really mimic the homeschooltng and laughed and had a great actual tests. I think doing too much of this dme as Brandy, who was her first ktnd of pracdce could be worse than a mere homeschooled subJect, made tt up to lOth "drag," but a little blt can help a lot in letting a grade lerrcl before she trad to qult (which child (and parent) know what to exPect. I iveraged out to a stxth grade lwel). That got know this spring Jesse really appreciated the the tesdng off to a fun start. chance to try out ln advanc.e what it will be Reading is Brandy's least confident area.

Because the test was oral and unpressured, she like to use a separate computer answer sheet (this usually h.pp.ns wtth the fourth grade scored in the second and thlrd grade levels in test: earlier grades mark their answers right the three areas lnvolving reading. Her score in the test booklet). If we can help nrake as would probably have been quite a bit lower many things as possible not totally new and had she taken a standard written and lengthy therefore stressful, all the better. It was also achievement test. useful for Jesse to try Uming himself on I suggest that you interview, at least by sections of the practic.e test, as this is telephone, ihe person who would be certainly something we don't do at all at administering the test. Wtrile the test itself is home. not lntimtdating, the person giving it could An interesting aside. I've heard from be. Slnce the Peabody Test was so much fun several parents this sprtng who have had to for Brandy and a real ego boost, ure will use it egain when we feel the urge to have her tested agree to have their children tested at the school along with a regular class of students. again and will use it for our other children as Thev found that their klds seemed to have a they get btgger. The fee was $25. pretty good tkne of lt, and especlally seemed We mailed the results to our local school to appreciate the chance to spy, as it were, on superintendent. I assume they felt it was schciol. We may forget that many adequate and acceptable. We have not heard homeschmled ldds may hterally never have anythrng to the contrar5r. However, tn Illinois had a chancc to step lnside a classroom, and we are not required to test, so lt was our choicc may be very curious (if also suspicious) about to send ln the results. It would be wise for what happens there. Some of the kids came anyone wanting to use the Peabody Test to back with rather distorted views of schools Ilrst ask the school oflicials if it is an lots of music, games, etc., as the teachers were acceptable test ln your school district or state. trying hard to make testlng days low-key and stress-free, But another boy was amazed to flnd how much tlme was spent tn waiflng: COMPARING TESTS 'They make you always do werything Just as MoreJrwn Susan Rtctanan (PN: fast as you can, but then lf you linlsh early, you have nothtng to do but sit at your desk It ls lnteresflqg that testsare dilferent, and walt for the others." For several it was a and parents really should ask to see exactly real reveladon just how much sitting is what skills are betng looked at. I Just looked expected in a day. At any rate, for families over a 4th grade Stanford test, and was who can't Ept out of group tesdng set-ups, the "spy" ldea might at least be a posiflve way to surprtsed to see two pages devoted to choostng the correct syllabtcadon of a g[ven word. The view the whole experience.

4th grade Caltfornta Achlevement Test has nothlng on thls "sldll," lt's not even mentioned oncc anywtrere on the test.

MOST OBJECTTVE Another difference: the Metropolltan AndJronJanHwt (BC): and the Stanford both trave soctal studles and sclence secdons at the flrst and second grade I worked as a psychometrlst for several lwels, tnvoMng no readlng at all, Just years in the U.S. The only lnteUgence test I plcldng out the rtght plcture to answer the quesdon. Most other tests (the Caltfornl,a, was wtllng to use was the Fiaven Progressive Matrlc-es @sychologlcal Corporation). As it and I thlnk the lowa) seem to Just focus on the was ortglnally destgned to ellminate racial or 'baslcs" for the Brst grade levels and Just test soctal bias, tt ts the most obJective test avallmath and redtng sldlls. I was always glad able. It uses noverbal tesdng, only designs, that Jesse had hfs sclenc€ and soctal studies whlch are more enJoyable and much less scorcs (very htgh, top of the test) to balance stressfirl for the chtld (at least lf it ls unout hls 2% readtng sc.ore. Hls r€sults ln these tlmed). I reommend ttrls test, lfit ts really other areas could show that he was a wellnecessary to obtatn an IQ, though I feel in rounded ldd who seemed to know a lot about most cases lntelltgence tesdng is unnecessa4r the uprld and how lt worked, even lf he was and meanln$ess.

Just a begtnnlng reader.

Achlevement Test, whdch is completel5r oral

and ls admtnlstered tndividually. The tester had a trtangle-shaped flip board on whlch she llipped cards wlth quesdons of increasing dilBculty. The test covers ffve speciflc areas: math, reading recogn-ltlon, reading comprehension, spelltng, and general in-ficrmaflon. There are Just a few quesflons

GROMNG WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

SCHOOL STORIES Though we t€nd to stay away from printing slories about school, sometimes it's important !o remind ourselves of exactlv what goes on there.

SCHOOL PHOBIA: ILLNESS OR REAL FEAR? The Winter 1986 lssue oJPennsylvania Homeschoolers reprhted this article Jrom the Sewickley Valley tlospital Bulletin:

Going to school can be an exciting, enjoyable event for some young children, but for others tt brings fea.r and panic. Parents have cause for concem when their child regularly feels sick from tension, "plays sick," or with minor complaints wishes to stay home from school. often the child five to ten years ofage who behaves this way is suffering from a paralyzing fear of leaving the parents and home. The child's panic is 'rery diflicult ficr parents to cope with, but these fears can bc treated successful\z with professional help.

The fi rst appearance of unreasonable fear of school is typically in nursery school, kindergarten or first grade, and it peaks in second grade. The child may complain of a headache, sore throat or stomachache shortly before it is time to leave for school. The "illness subsides" after he or she is allowed to stay home, only to reapp€ar the next morning before school. In some cases the child may simply refuse to leave the house.

Refusal to go to school be$ns following a period at home during which the child has become closer to the mother, such as sutruncr vacation or a brief illness. It also may follow a stressful occurrence, such as the death ofa pet or relauve, a change in schools or a move to a new neighborhood.

Children with an unreasonable fear of school rnay be unable to stay in a room by themselves and may display "clinging" behavior, shadowing the mother or father around the house. They often have difficulty going to sleep, and they maY show e:<aggerated, unrealistic fears of animals, monsters, burglars, or being alone in the dark.

The potential long-term effects are serious for a child who has persistent fears and does not receive proGssional assistance.

The child may derzelop serious educational or social problems if away from school and friends for an extended period. Since the panlc comes from leaving home rather than being ln school, frequently the child is calm once

fu:r

school.

Pennsf vania Homeschoolers p rintd Modalene Murphg's response to this article:

I have seen so often some Particular action or reaction by a chlld or parent immediately giiven some negattue label by a "professional" that I should stop being upset by it. But I stlll llnd myself muttering "l can't believe this" over and over when I read an ardcle ltke "Children Who Won't Go to School," put out by the American Academy of Child Psychologr, who should know about the problems of narrow interpretations of behavior, and even more dangerous [the fact that these interpr€tadons arel endorsed by a consultant to a school district.

Homeschoolers should be aware of a new "dlsease" that is taking its place arrrong

24 hyperactMty and varlous other leamlng disabtllfles and whose s)rmPtoms are descrlbed ln the above ardcle. A chtld who does not want to go to school ls now labeled "school phobtc." My tntroductlon to the term took plac.e ln our first year of homeschoollng in Co-nnecdcut. Durtng a break ln a class I was taldng I started ta[dng wlth another cLass memEbr. t: response to her quesflons about mv children's school, I told her that they were learntng at home and, when aqked w!ty' tol.d her lt wis tn respons€ to our oldest's less-thanpleasant school experience. She tmmedtately ist a, "Ofr, ts she-school phobtc?" and I, tgForant of what meanlrtg lurked behtnd- the tErm, said, 'Well, you nrlght say that." She went on to lnform me that "a lot can be done for that ldnd of chtld now," ttrat she had recetved her Master's degree tn counseling urlth a speciallzatlon ln school phobia and had lusibeen trtred by a nearby school distrtct to h;lp with the problem there' I remember srntltng polltely and mumbltng somethlng about our situaflon belng more comPltcatecl than that and belng very thanlftl when tJ.e class started aga1n.

For some reason, some people wlll not accept refusal to go to schoo-l as-a Pgtf.gtly reasinable response to a dilllcult school situation. The iact that "refusal to go to school be€lns following a brief period at home during *li.h th. child has bec,ome closer to the mothe/' or after a "stressful occurrence" should be recognlzed as a slgfr that somethlng the child needJis lacldng in school, but instead, as too often happens, tt ts the chjld who ts ludged to be wrong and not the school.

The arzument that "the ctrtld is calm once in school;and. therefore, school could not be tlre problerrl ts equally wrongheaded' In order to Iet their true feeltngs show, most people (adults and children) need to feel comfortable ln a sltuadon. Slnce all the "symptoms" descrtbed tn the ardcle tndtcate that the chlld ls not comfortable ln school, she would not be inclined to let her problems show there, but would lust trv to ehdure tt as best she could' 1'lie real-tmpact of the arguments errpressed ln the ardcle may be on Parents w6o a.e seeking to take thetr child out of a dtlllcult schooliituadon' When some schools don't know how to handle a sltuaflon, they may look for a label they can,put on lt, so-that "orofesslonal help" becomes the answer. Il parents know about the edstence ofthe i,chool phobia lab€l ahead of ttme and the arguments b€hind tt, th€y will more easily be able to develop their own counter-arguments.

And, of course, the ardcle says nothing about the posslbtltty that all the symptoms (notJust the iphony'' itomachaches, but the sleep fearsJ mtglt-t dfRorldei and exaggerated ;professlonal help" tf the disappear wlthout child is told he deJ not have to go back to school.

ISS:I Nothtng ls more frlghtenfng than b€ing told that your feeltngs are irradonal and unJusttfied. Most adults, havtng to endu-ne circumitances so stressfirl that they caused the qrmptoms descrtbed above, and twttdd thie.l theu ard rlrlt tIe cb'crttnstarlr'es upre at ,fadt, w6uld begin to feel that they were cmzry. imaglne golng datly to a place- ln wtrtch you were regularly humtltated or lrlghtened or confusd and then betng told by weryone around you that there was something-wrong wtth yoi for not wantlng to go there. We can at least do children the c'ourtesy of assumir4l that they are fttghtened of some-thing ttnt is' for whaGver reason, genuinely frtghtenrng to them.

fufula Krr'x utrcte In tle 2/87 issue oi Educatlon Otherwlse that tle " sll,ttool phobia' l;a;}rlllos caughtutlnDglatd as udll: In a school populatron ofalmost 9 million (England and Wales), approachlng 9OO,OOO children do not go to school. The maloriW of these are tmants. The others are

scliool phobic. Accordtng to "experts," school phobla aflects between .196 and 296 of the populaflon. Thts would gtve the number iomewhere betwecn 9,OOO and I8O,OOO. Undl recently, home background was blamed tn all cases of both tnrancy and school phobta. It was not undl 1985 that Ken Reid carried out research among truants in South Wales [truancy and School Absenteeism, Hodder & Stoughton), actuall5r quesHonin{ t}re tmants themselves to find out thetr re-asons for thelr absence. The reasons that tnrants gave for not going to school are chtefl5r negldve asP€cts ofschool, such as bullytng lntlmtdatlon, mrporal punlshment anii the stress of enormous depersonaltzed - ...Ken Reld,schools. however, did not quesdon

any sdrool phobtc chlldren, believlng the theories of 'bxperts." Accordtng to thesetheories, the acute an:dety which manifests itself as nen/ous breakdown, suicidal depresslon and varlous illnesses ls due to the child'" fear of pardng from the nrother and ls echoed by mother's fear of parflng from her chtld. De-sptte the fact that school phobla, occtlrtr tn one-parent famllies headed by the father, and ln famllies where the mother works outside the house on a full-tlme basis, the theorv that it is caused by an tmmature' over-prot6cflve mother who wants her child homi all day, has not been reYts€d.

The mitn center for research into school phobia bv psvchtatrists, in thts country' ls in i..a". ftte ..!.ar"h ls based on the premise that at all costs, the chtld should be separated from the over-protectirre mother... [In thls researchl IOO;hool phobtc children were taken lnto a psychiatrtc unlt for serren months. Three years later, 33 children had agoraphobla orservere psychlatric disorder: a furthCr 33 ctrildren sullered frrom mild neuroflc trouble. Thts ts 66% DISASTEF( but the researchers call lt succ€ss, presumably so that thw can be eltdble for a research grant.

Ttrere sliould have Seen school phobtc chlldren educated out of school, as a control.

Pa|;b!o sags tlrat she unuldLfJr.e to compile lnfa nrr;tion abrlut school plabic clililren n ggtana who ane educatd. outside oJ schaL to a unter tiese resulls.

,.THEY DON'T CARE WHO

I AM'' dlen

atd, Don Hudson wote in

c.omplalned of headaches and cramps. Her aftei-school anger was dreadful to behold.

She refused to rlde the bus because of the noist and lack ofdlscipline, and grew progressively more tlred and dtpressed. On confronting her

with the situadon and her reactions to it we discovered that she was grieving in a deep

ohilosophical way: ''The teachers don't care fhey Urlnk we are rocks and chip "i".all the sharp edges to make us all the away at same llttle smooth stones. Some days I come home and feel like a peach that has all the sucked out of it, leaving only the dry pit"' -luice Needless to sav, we arranqed an interview wtth the classrooniteachers to get to the bottom of the sih-raflon. The teachersi wer€ surprised to learn that there were any "pnrblems" and reGrred to her "excellent acadernic achlevement." On being prornpted, however, they were able to recall that her reading may

irn" I

have regressed a little, and that maybe she didn't seem to enJoy the company of the other chlldren. The suggesflon was that she should be sent to the purgatory of the resource pfttArarn, or tested for some malignant Personiliv disorder - thls for a child whose monthold report card showed excellent "achievement'tand "advanced" social skillsl After further inqurry, we were able to gain permission to homeschool Hilaire in Saskitchewan, and have been pleased with the depree of lnteAration she has achieved.

Ltfe hdi become iworthwhile venture for her a,qaln, and we have felt lt appropriate to continue homeschoollng again this year since we have iust moved into Manitoba and want to let oui daughter become integrated into the cornmunity on her own schedule. In thS regard we-have appreciated the assistance of the Department of Education which has oermitted us to continue to homeschool and ihe local elementar5r school principal who ha.s promlsed us access to classes and school funcflons on an informal basis.

WHAT "WINNERS'' LOSE FiomPqgg Rofurts (MN:

I verv much liked Susannah's words (in GWS 55)-on'Mnners" losing as much as losers. I blame much of my inability to take risks, my lack of conlidence Ln my own voice, on mv "iuccess" at school. Unless the teacher e'ives-me an A and praises me as the best in 6t""s. t don't even know how well I've done something. One of the things I want most to encourage my daughter Emma to feel is trust for her o'wn opinions, her own assessrnents, her own choices. That kind of self-tmst is, of course, the root of courage. My own very

tradidonal educadon, farnlly' and r6lgior.," Me somehow never insdlled that lidnd of courage ln me and lt ls the greatest struggle I facc in my adult life - I was always iust too Aood at recet'r'ing approval and workinp-toward awards so I missed practice at taking Ehances on my own.

Along those same lines, I hate this new "talented and $fted" label as much as I hate "leamtng dlsabled." Probably like all "Aood"

tlv

M arch Issrrc oJ the MAMTDBA ASSOCIAflON

FOR SCHOOUNG AT HOME newsletter:

Unknown to ourselves or the teachers, our daugfrter Htlalre had leen sglesgng two

lerrels of-readlng materlal from the library- to brtnE home. When thls was dlscovered, she wasiot permltted to brtng home the hlgher "it level of bboks she had been selectlng' slnce was rather obvtously beyond her abill$r."

After some dtggtng ourselves, we discovered that she had be€n taldng out the lower level because she was teachtng her ltttle brother to read, and needed the simpler books for that purpose. We so advtsed the school, but to no avall.

Matters were soon Ar crlsls. Htlatre

prograrrs, the TAG school Programs

iridnated out of good-heartedness, a way to rei6h ctttldr.n wlio would not respond to normal classroom organizatton. But ln the

schools here, even ln a Montessorl school I know, TAG monles go to Provide "enrlchment" and special acitivtfles as rewands to those children who excel at standardized tests, class assignments, all the usual success lndicators' Very intercstlng

GROMNG WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

25 special projects like a town's oral history fiImed on videotape are offered only to a handful of the 'best" students. A parent that I

know complained when her clearly bright and talented daughter ulas excluded from the prograrrl 'Why can't my ldd learn to weave, too, and go to the aquarium, llke these ldds why should she be rnade to feel NOT talented and gifted?'

I read a lot in GWS about parents who know their kids are gifted and it makes me cringe. Why is this label acceptable just because it is the positive, flip-side ofslow learner, LD, etc? I once sent a nasty letter to CiJtd Child. Montliy (except ficr its exclusiveness, probably a useful resource for actMties, ideas, etc.) because of a promo they sent me congratulating me on havlng a gifted child and ollering me support for thls exceptional opportunity life had alforded me.

I knew from the label on their mailing that they had gotten our narne from our Hghlrgfus subscription and they knew nothing whatever about Emma's so-called abilities. It struck me that they were playing on my vanity as a parent. I know my child, like all children, is special, unique, and they encouragd me to think of her as part of some super-race of children - the new gifted generation. I was outraged and told them so and never heard from them again. lt reminds me of another comment a friend of mine made, overhearing two mothers talking of their gifted children: ''They were really saying what gifted parents they are to have produced such exceptional children."

FEELING SUPERIOR Patn

KrapJel oJ Califania uriles:

Getting good grades wzrs easy for me. And since grades were presented as measuring the goals ofschoohng (and as prerequisites to success), I slid into the trap of assuming that getilng good grades meant I wa-s doing fine. I went through most of my school years in a coasting manner. I wasn't lazy; I was Just inexperienced at allowiqg an inner standard to inspire my activibes.

It was not really until after college tJ".at I started linding out how learning could be selfdirected, self-sustained, and accuratel5r selfevaluated. Not undl then did I begin experiencing the ever-maddening, ever-delightfu I interaction betv.rcen inner standards and outer performance. The performance is rarely equal to the standards. But striving to meet those standands improves one's performance better than almost any other form of leaming. But as the performance improves, one Iinds urays to improve one's standards so the standards always remain beckoningly ahead.

Erperiencing this and c.oming to love it is one of the most irnportant themes of my adult life.

And yet my 2-year-old daughter reveals hourly that thls experience is not reserved for adults. We are all capable of it. But I lost track of it for a long tlme when I settled for the modvation and assessment of grades.

The second bad effect is one I still struggle with. In school, I got the best gyades for miles around. Grades are so one-dlmensional and there ls such an atmosphere of erraluation about them. Sincc I was at the top of this method by which we wene evaluatbd, I came to thtnli of myself as superior to all the other students. Thls assumpdon crâ&#x201A;Źatd barrlers which prerrented me from seelnp others as thev reallv are. To this dav, I stru"ggle with ttnt horrible assumption that I iniflally took as an honor.

GROWINC WTTHOUT SCH@LING #57

RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS je*.lry materlals. This 3z!O page

USING AN ABACUS In GWS #55, K.P. aslce4 "Ifus atrpne br,ol.n

angthiry

abrc,ut

responses.'

tle ofucus?"

homAllsonMcKee

klan

ore tua

(WI):

In my eight years as a teacher of the blind and visually handicapped I was always teaching children to use the abacus. As you can imagiine, writing a long division or multiplication problem in brajlle or longhand (for a low vision student) can be quite tedious. I taught children to add, subtract, multiply, divide, work with fractions and decimals, all on the abacus. When I was teaching I found myself using the abacus as a tool for my own personal work (checkbook, etc.).

The abacus used by the visually impaired

catalog also

has leather craft, paper supplles, fabric dyes and a bunch more. I have no ldea how their pric.es compare with craft stores. But lf you don't want to leave horre to do your craft shopplng, thts catalog ts certainly a good start. Wrtte to NASCO, 9O I Janesville Ave., Fort Atldnson, WI 53538 and ask for a copy of their 1987 Arts and Crafts catalog. (Ifs free to schools.)

Ftoml4rvle Daln

oJ

Cal{omfa

What about making your own beads out of Fimo? It's a clay that comes kr many colors, you can bake it ln your oven and shellac lt. WeVe made some beautiful neckliaces out of our homemade beads (as well as dollhouse furniture, mlniature fruit and vegetables, birthday party fmd, small animals... it has endless possibiliUesl)

is slightly different from those found on the market, yet, in my opinion it is much easier to use and understand. I'm sure â&#x201A;Źrnyone lnterested in finding out about them could write to the American hnting House for the Blind and ask for informadon about the Cranmer Abacus. They harrc them for sale as well as books explaining how to use them.

Write APH, 1839 Frankfort Ave, lnuisville KY 40206.

F\omPeggg Rofurts (MA): For $6.95, plus $l.O4 postage, plus 50z6 Mass Tax if you live here, you can buy a beautiful wooden abacus with brass comer braces. It comes with an instmction book which puts computer manuals to shame: clear, easy to follow erplanadons wlth interesUng examples and practice problems.

My only regret is that the author is not named or credited any place in the booklet. ( I fantaslze that she was a Chlnese shopkeeper whose clear explanatlons have been handed down orally for centuries.)

The supplier, who will also send an lnteresung catalog of sclence and general learntng tools, is LEARNINC TFIINGS, INC., P.O. Box 436, Arlington, MA 02174. Phone

(6lZ

6216-0093.

GOOD SOURCES OF BEADS F}om

Jean Hurnphrtes oJ Massachusetts:

CATALOG OF SIjRPLUS ITEMS Ron &lmondson (ME) suggests JERRYCO, Inc. (60l Llnden Place, &anston IL @2O2) as

a souroe of good rnaterlals. He says: 'They carry surplus ltems, lncludlng but not lirnited to) rniLtary surplus, educational materials, electronic parts, radio spea.kers, motors, opdcal glass, even lasers. Their prices are low, refunds are prompt, and their free catalog is entertaining. They make bad puns, suggest possible uses for stmnge items, and often admit that they have no idea what to do wlth some iterns."

CURRENT EVENTS FOR KIDS In GWS #9, Azir::r Gillis asked f

there were any good publicadons that describe news in language that children can understand. We wrote about one, and now an Illinois reader tells us: "For about $2 a school yearyou can h.ave Weeklg Reader deltvered to your door every week. In lt you wtll flnd ctrrrent events someumes beficre vou would read about them in your adult news-paper. There are also stories on sclence, nature and citizenship.

One really nlcc bonus is tlle beaudfirl poster they include every few months on alrnost any subJect. Weeklg Reader is avallable in preschool through 6th grade level and you can order any lwel you want. You don't need to have a group order." Address 1s WEEKLY

READE& 4343 Equity Drive, PO Box 16626, Columbus OH 43216.

In response to the query from LB. ln GWS 55: You can purchase a good assortment of beads, some by IOO's, some by the pound, from: S & S ARTS AND CRAFTS, Colchester, CTO64I5. Delivery takes 2 - 7 days, dependlng on location, from receipt of order.

Other homeschoolers mlght be lnterested ln this catalog as there are craft ldts for leather, statned $ass, dltng, and real "crafty" do-dads. bts of ttrtngs to use for money makers. too.

homNanq

Sttch (AI0:

For "l.B." looldng for a source for beads, NASCO oflers an Arts and Crafts catalog that includes t'*/o pages of beads and 13 pages of

GOOD TYPING BOOK Ftom Noncy King:

I found a great typlng book at the Nadonal AssociaUon of Independent Schools Conference. KegfutdW Sk{lls. AU Gradesby Diana Hanbury Ktng, publfshed by EDUCATORS PUBLISHING SERVICE, Inc., 75 Moulton St., Cambridge, MA 02238. This book has been used very successful$ with learnlng labeled children, as I call them. It ls clearly and simply presented. Its streng;th ls in its alphabedc and soundlng approach.

Clever clues are gven to help you remember which letters are where.

26 Also. the CUISENAIRE CO. OFAMEzuCA catalog firll of math ideas especially fcr

counting, sorting, and playing with amounts and shapes. I bought some colorful, translucent "pattern blocks" (meant for use with overhead projector) which I thought . would be fun for geometry. My son started playing with them right away, creating designs and pictures, someumes tracing the picture on paper. He enJoys the feel of the pieces. The material lures him into using it. bther shapes we have - not translucent - do not'Vork' for him. Beautifirl material is irresistable, however, and he does not have to be enticed to do things with it. CUISENAIRE CO. OF AMEzuCA is at 12 Church St., Box D, New Rochelle, NY fO8O2.

''GRAMMAR HOT LINES''

The Aprtl issue of the US Neurs Woshington Bustness -Report announces that about 4O colleges around the c.ountqr have set up "Crammar Hot Ltnes" to answer quesdons from callers who may be tn the middle of writing something and unable to find helP elsewhere. For a free copy of the " 1987 Grammar Hot Line Directory," send a SASE (business-slze envelope) to Tldewater

Cornmuntty College Writing Center, ITOO College Crescent, Virglnia Beach VA 234rc'

FOR NEW HOMESCHOOLERS Mark and Helen Hegener of HOME EDUCATION MAGAZINE (PO Box 1083, Tonasket, WA 98855) have published two new booklets, Getting Stafted Wah Homesctrcilirtg and Resources.for Homeschalerc. The first has sections on "legal Aspects," "Social Change," "Homeschooling the Older Child," and several others. It's helpful for new homeschoolers and would also be lnterestlng to thelr ftends and relatlves who want to leam more about what they're doing. Each booklet costs $3'5O (tncludlng postage), and ln orders of ten or more they are only $2 each.

GOOD STORY TAPES F'ront Moggie

fudotuaa MN:

For about three years, Solon (Z has enloyed listenlng to stories and songs on his taiJrecorder afler he ls in bed at night. The bineffts are rnany: it's a rela:dng way to end an active day, his vocabular5r, already large, has increased notably, he has learned to sing many of the songs he's heard so often, and, belng a great storyteUer himself, he enjoys

learning more about the art.

Some of our tapes are recordlngs I have made of Solon's favorlte storles and books, others are ones he's made, most are ones we've purchas€d. We've found two sources for the ldnds of tapes we want. One ts STORY STONE, "a ouarterlv cassette magaztne which pre3ents sfodes whlch ilIustrate tradttional

wisdom and positlve vtslon, whlle Promotlng the anclent art of storytelllng." The taPes are avatlable by subscrlpflon ($34 for 4 lssues) and tndividually ($8.5O each + $1.45 PogtaCe and handling). Address ts STORY STONE' Another Place, Route 123, Greenvtlle NH 03048.

As an example, their Issue No. I contatned 'The Story Stone," a tradtdonal Nadve American story about the orlgtn of stories and the lmportance of storytelling' brilliantly told by Medicine Story, "a keeper

of the lore of the Wampanoag na$on of Massachusetts." (Solon and I cherlsh the tirrrc two years ago that we met Mediclne Story and were told a story forJust the two of us liate one

night.)

A verv speclal feature of STORY STONE ts

that Iisteneri are lnvited to send ln tapes of

thetr own storles for comments and consideraflon for future lssues. Wrlte your name and address on the tape. If you'd like it returned to you, send a SASE and $1. Also ask about their irnnual weekend, "Nanr Hampshire Storyteling Get-Together," for professionals, amateurs, and Just plain listeners.

Our second source oftapes is GENTLE WIND, Storles and Songs for Chlldren, Box 31O3, Albany l.iY 12203. Their tapes are less expenslve ($6.95 + $1.75 shtpplng per order) tlrin most placcs and are so good that we now own at least half of the 36 ln thelr latest catalog. Also very PoPLilar at our house are their four Samplers (only $4.95 each + shippin{) which are "audio catalogs" lssued once a iear wlth selecUons from each of thetr new caisettes. A great way to sample half a dozen fu ll-length tapes.

A thtd source ls CHILDREN'S RECORDINGS, PO Box 1343, EugeneOR9744O, which has a large selecdon of tapes and albums, mostly $8.98 or $9.98 plus $2 per order.

Homeschoolers mlght IInd use for a record called "lol Sound Effects" (no record avatlable). A good source for Rosenschontz, Ralfi. movle soundtracks, and children's Spanlsh and French lessons. Do thlnk carefuif before orderlng the abrldged versions of long books; they may be the condescending ones that try. to enc-ourage chtldren to read by havlng them "follow along ln the book" for a few chapters, then leave them hanging at an excltltrg polnt. Solon was bttterly disappotnted when a favorlte book of his, 'The Phantom Tollbooth," was presented thls uray. Fortunately I'd borrourcd it from the

library.

When wrttlng to any of these places, do GWS a favor by mendoning that you heard about them here.

We recently came uP wlth a successfrrl scheme to flnancc our rather exPenslve taPebuylng habit for a $lO 6-month membership fee, we let people borrow our taPes one at a time for a couple of weeks. I use half the money for new tapes; Solon, whose tapes thry are, €Fts the other halfto spend as he pleases.

Altho:ugh he wrltes very ltttle now, he got a lot of pleasure out of carefully letterlng and decuraflng posters to announc€ our Tape Library. We do thts through the natural foods store we ourn, but GWS readers might have other sources of customers'

BOOKS FOR NEW READERS In GIVS #55, J,P. wrcte, "I can't *emto trrrks tl:arrt hotr. allmfted rwnbr oJ ftnd, anu ltnrds "and. renainJrtn lnterestirtg,fuks hilre so mAnu u:rords that tlvu annutelnmA etu :f"lv raliamalbglmlng rcaders arc ddtculotts. " klow, sorn€ suggestfons.' homl4rueDaItL I'rrc found that when my son tines of the Mc€ulfery reader, he often enJoys readlng some of the books I read to hdm when he was a toddler, Le., GdntgtxM@\Tte Hurgry Caterpiltor, ffu runout;rra Bunng -and Arnold L,obel.s storles. There are many of these books that are geat for beglnnlng readers to read to

vounqer itblinqs or fiends. It makes them quitelroud of themselves. Zach adores TIn Tln comics and pours over them picklng out

qulte a few rpords, strtving to understand exactly what's go,ng on (although his sister, 4 l/2, dcrus a fatrJobJust looking at the pictures). CHINABERRY BOOK SERVICE, 3lm Ivy Street, San Dtego, CA 92104, Prints a! eicellent catalogue of books, ltsttng them by level and tras very accuriate, often lengthy descripdons ofeach selecdon. J.P. could pmba6ly browse through and find quite a few books for her son.

Mwlel Polko MD writcs: There does seem to be a lack ofgood readtng materlal for the "transidon flme" between very easy books and longer books.

When our son Simon first started readlng, he read ltttle books that my husband and I made for htm ourselves. Most of the grcrds \ilere easy to rcad, gvtng hlm c.onfidence, but some words were "hand" ones that challengpd hlm and tndtcated that we respected his intelllgence and werent beteg condescending.

The books rvere short and ranged from the utterly silly to the matter-of-fact. I cut out pictures from magazlnes or drew my own illustr:atlons.

Vtcld Scott of Texas recommends the K-6 catalog of LADYBIRD books, available from DIDAXInc. Educadonal Resources, 5 Fourth Street, Peabody MA O 1960, I -8OO-458-OO24.

She says: "I-adybtrd books are Engllsh and mclud6 varyrn[ readlng tevels frofi simplest to lunlor high level. The subJect rnatter ls qrrite dtt..i, from storles aira fairy tales to math, science, myths, anrd classlcs. They are tndivldually prlced at arotrnd $.3 or can be purchased ln s€ts."

Joge

Sptuglrt (OI9 writes:

The magaztne Yow Btg Backyard (fior 3 to 6 year olds) has a hrrrtted vocabulary and Iaige prtnt. I ffnd the material and the plcfures quite interesflng myself. Just today, hy 5-year-old discorrered she could read them herself (except for the "read to me" story which both of us ffnd borlng). I thlnk an older ctrlld could IInd these tnteresting too' Also, I've nodced wlth Cathy ttrat tf she is lnterested tn somethtng, she wlll try to read any books she has on the subject. She can rria at the long dtnosaur narnes and parts of the nather dtmcult books about dinosaurs that we have around the house.

Pat BercIer (lA) urltes:

Our ellorts at Plugglng along the phonics

tmil led us to a dead end when it carne flme to

apply'\vord attack sldlls" to more than one wbrd at a flme. Pre-readers didn't have enough words to make our Catherlne feel like a reader, but school-type readers were either too bortng or too overwhelmlng. So off we went to our local Lbrary, where Catherlne could choose from a verltable vrealth of interestlng series. The books she chose as her ffrst to realy read were THE TROLL FAMILY SERIES, by Adams Hartson Taylor (Chlcago: Follett Publlstrlng Co.).

I mfght add that fr€etng Catherine from textbook-readlng has contributed tmmensely to her freedom to sample books as a gourmet would sample foods. Nothing seerns to overwhelm her or block her deslre to ctnflnue

(andntdonpoge

28)

GROWINC WTIHOUT SCHOOLING #57

(adr:erttsnent)

SHOP TALK COLLECTION

OF

PARBNTING BXPERIENCBS

FRBE ISSUE OFFER As a parent, you can appreciate the importance of the experiences of other parents. there is a source of these valuable parenting experiences.

Introducing SHOP TALK Written by experts (you and other parents), this monthly newsletter will give you exposure to other parenting thoughts, views and experiences. It also gives vou an opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise.

FREE Issue Offer Give us a try. Accept a sample issue and see if you like it. If you do, you can receive an additional I I issues (12 issues in all) for just $24. ThaCs only $2 per month. If you are not satisfied, just write "cancel" on the bill and owe nothing.

The free issue is yours to keep.

Subjects of Interest to Parents Each month is filled with stories written by parents on a particular topic. One subject is presented each issue so you receive in-depth coverage of this topic.

Also included is an on-going dialogue from past issues. Breastfeeding, health care, nutrition, alternative education, birthing practices, and other parenting concerns

witl

be covered.

GROWING WIIHOUT SCHMLINC #57

Some Topics to be Covered . Breastfeedin g Toddlers

iitfr iiiil

. Tandem Nursing

. Homebirth . Homeschooling . Converting to Natural . Family Bed

i:f

Foods :i:t

.Immunizations

How to Get Your FREE Issue Just complete and return the order form to receive your free issue of SHOP TALK. Offer is for a limited time. so act now.

SHOP TALK 5737 64th Street

.

LubbockTX79424

FREE ISSUB ORDER FORM Elplease send mc a FREE issue of SHOP TALK. Bill me $Z for a one year subscription.

If I would like to continue receiving SHOP TALK, I will enclose payment with the bill. If not, I'll write "cancel" on the bill and keep the free issue.

NAME ADDRESS

CITY/STATEUXP Offer good for new sub'scripiqrs in U.S. crly and for limited time. Orders subjecr to publisher's ecc?urnce.

Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of fint issue.

r

28 sampllng. If the book she starts ls not to her sFe stmply puts lt down for another day and trles out somethlng fresh.

lrlonl

HOMESCHOOL ON A FARM I4rvle HotftnanoJ Neuado wrcte In resrpns* toN: atdK.F., wlo oslcdabl homes'c,FEr,;trg ullhoPrattg a "nrAt*g Jann(GWS*55): I ltrxd tt dtfrcult to tnaglne a more ldeal settlng than a famtly farm for educatlng children. Yes, ther€ are alurays marTl chores and rct enouEh tlmc, but therc ls rx) re€lson whv "educauJn'should be separate from Me's ac{vlues, no neason why there should be a dilferenc'e between work and play.

Here on our famtly farm, we dellght tn watctrlng the learnfng Proc€ss haPp..t e{/9ry . day. I see no problem tn compostrtg an oltrclal "curricr.rlum" for toddlers through htgh schoolers by keeprng a log ofdatly farm acdvldes, wtrtch rpould soon ver$ tlnt the lidds are spendlng plenty of ttme on sclencc, hlstorv, artthmeuc-and rnath, readhg and $rrltftis, etc. And eochfarrn proJect suggests furthei studles to broaden a kid's scope - at or "g;rade lerrcl." any - age I'ie draivn up a chart of c.ommon farm chores and checked offwhlch academlc sublects each suggests to me. ISS: Lynne's ctn?t tncludes "pEn garden"'"phn pond," and "camentry" under Aeometry, "make cheeses" andlfreeirng" undEr chemistry, and so on.l

HOUSE FOR TRAVELERS F\orrrDbk fuIltelr' Rt 2, Wlnsn MN 55987:

My farm house, wlth ffve bedrooms' two baths and attached gr€enhouse, overlool'dng thts 175-acre farm where two trout streanrs lotn and Canadfan gees€ nest tn llve ponds' ts i,mpty. Rather than-rent the house and cabln to ;r;a people, I hope to rnake thts a place where hbmi:schoolers can corE together.

There are some thlngls I trnagtne haPPenlng your addtflorral here, and I apprectafu -see tt asa place that umuld sugqesdons. i atuEys be open for traveltng homeschoolers, parttcularly-for older homeschoolers to stop

in and flnd s)meone who ls lnterested tn thetr sltuadon, It could also be a place for palents anC children to oqrerlenc.e the rural, homesteadlng Me, or where a dhrcrc'ed or

separated hoireschoollng parent could stay wlitle deddlngwhat to do next.

I would establfsh rent ufttch was wtthln your means. I'd egect everyone to spend some tlme dolng housework, gardentng woodcutdng or other constntcttve ProJgcts. Slncc I am often on the road, we urould need som@ne who was able to be here full dme and was wtlltng to share thfs tdeal setflng wlth thelr farnily and vlsltors. If you're interested, please wrtte.

ream (5OO sheets). The I-AKBSHORE catalog ts worth asking for - they have qulte a lot -naa4 and a lot of thtngs of-errcrythtng you

you'd like to hatxl

''YOUNG ASTRONAI.NS''

Homepath, tle newiletter oJAtaska's VN.I.EY HOMNHOOI,Ere NEIWORK

tlrlnllorcd a pt9gram calld Yourg Astorrauts' u,ldch use tlanght eurdd tnlrzesttp,. We wmte to

tle latnescders bt ilta use tle

Alaska asletng tlemlaw

pt9grarn oudPaulanely Young Asbonattts ls a natlonal Prcgram

wlth headquarters lnWashlngton DC. It-ts

deslgned for chtldren tn grades I through 9.

General\r, most chaPters a!9 rr,tadg uP ot one of the thrree age categorles wtrtch the-program ldendfies as frahees (grado l-4), Pllots (grades 4-6) and Commanders (grades 7-9).

The progr"m ts deslgned for chapters to meet oncsa month, and the natlonal olffcc sends materials such as sclence expertments to be performed, star uratch lnformaflon, contest nouces, etc.

Herc's how rpe use the Program. Not wantlng to burden ourselves and other familteJwtth a week$ meettng we chose to harrc a rnontlrlv rncetlng fcr some sclenct actMty and a illm, and-also one Beld trlp a montli. The meetlng ts generally an hour or an hour and a half long. Our meedng announctment llsts those lnvtted as "All homeschoolers, thetr famtltes, and thelr frlends." We have encouraged the parents to attend meetlngs wtth the{r chtldren and have had an excellent resPonee. Many have enloved the rrrcetlnes as much as the chlldren.

We have not broken our grouP into the three age categories. At the beglnntng of the harrc enough people ln each of vear, -the wE dtd not Aroups to make thts worthwhile. We'Il see how-tt 6pes tn the future. Most of the chlldren are homeschooled but wtll sometlmes brlng a school frlend to a meetlng. There are as tnany Atrls ln attendance as boys. We are uP to about ftfteen fanrtltes now who regularly

-par$ctpate. wLVe shown NASA films, and thts month the Fedenal Avlatlon Associatlon loaned us a Smtthsonlan lllm. Field trtps have lncluded tours of avlatlon ccnters, the local hlgh schml planetarlurrl and we're loolong-forw'ard to a tour of the alr force base fllsht line and contnol tourcr.

Our costs have been rrcry mfntrnal' with onlv a $2O reflstraflon fee patd at the bednntng of the year. We ask $5 dues of each farifly to-cover postage, paper and photocosts of our monthl5r newsletter. copylng -You can wrlte to the naUonal headquarters for an lnformatlon packet: YOUI\IG,{STRONAUTS COUNCIL, PO BOX 65/;32, Washlnglon DC 20036. The chapters have a lot of Mom ln how they'* nrn and we've enJoyed uslng the opportunldes and knowledsC avatlable wlthln ow own ar€a to supplerrient the materlals sent from the counc{I.

HALF.RULED NOTEBOOKS FlomNoncy Gdson@: of half-ruled notebooks #54,55) le I-AKESHORE CURRIC-

Another source (GWS

ULUM MlffERlAlS CO., P.O. Box 6261' Carson, CA90749, has Ptcture Story Newsprlnt paper. Ifs blank on one halfand nrled'on the 6ttter and costs about IF6.OO for

HOW TO GET STARTED

tndcxed; try "school attcndancc" or'bduca0on, compulsory." l8 states havc rsvlscd thetrhomc cducadon laws slncc 1982 so check thc reccnt statute char€cs, We have p'rlnted orsummarizcd thesc ncw l,aqrs ln owback issues.

2) Ask thc statc department of educatlon for any laws or rqulations P€rtalnlng to homcschoollng and/or stadlrg a prtuatc school. Irt some states {particular}y C.\ IL, IN, I(Y) there arc few rcgr:ladons conccnrlnglPrlvatc schmls and so you can callyourhmc ashool. tflnu arc concemed about mcahr{gyourme and addres to thc statc, do thls thrcuglr a frlcnd.

3) Contact statc or local homeschmllrg groups. Thb listwml,astPrtntcd tnGWS #54, mdls updated ard mld scpmtely for $ I as part of our 'Tlomc*hoollng Resoutc€ Lirst." Somc goups hwe prrpared handbooks or guldcllncs on lcgal matters.

4) Contact other families listed ln our Dlr€ctory. Hourdcr, thcy may suggest you do somc of thc above stcpeyourslf.

5) tn gcncra!, it is not wise to start by askirg your local school distrtct: thcy usmlly don't knour thc law clther. Better to gather thc facts ffnt on

yourown. - DR

CATALOG INFO Our revised catalog, *ith olrrcnt Prics' is now avatlablc. Scnd alongSASEwith two stamps.

Wc wtll pay $2 ln crcdit for uscd coptcs (tn good condltfon) ofJohn Holt's tVhat Do I hMordq?

On requcst, we wlll photocopy and mall the GWS revlew of any item tn our catalog' Scnd 5O ccnts ph:s a SASE for onel add 25 c'ents for uch addidonal

ADDTTIONS TO RESOURCES Ctrtlflcd TeachenWtlllng to Hcln Homcschmlcrs: Jm Fanchcr, Vemon Strcct Schml, PO Box 1399. fhrbuquc IA 52OO4 === Dcbra Bcll' I 16 N. Ltnc.oln St, PalmyraPA f 7o7at7l7-a$620l :AlmeeDarlon, T2 Calierrtc St, Rmo NV 895O9: 7@-348-O845 Professors md Ot}ls Alltes: Dr. Peter Stillcr, ShlrlcyT\rcker,

hnclpal' Barrington Chrisdan

Acadcrny, Barrlnglon RI

Tle* pple tlou.c exp*nce uttlh theJdlatttg su$ets, and ore wIIIing to cmespond' wilh otters: !4lpgiGloria Harrtson, Box 53. NAVSIA' FPO NcwYorkO9540

a

Montessorl Home Educatlon: Gloria Flarrison, above

THANKS to all our volunteer

helpers ln recent months:

Connie, Ntcld & Matt Nesbary Peggr & Emma Roberts Arur Barr loretta Heuer Gtnger Fitzslmmons Jean, Tara, Jannah & Tegan Murray

Hcrc are some nrays you can ffrrd out thc legal sltuadon ln Jrorrr gtatc. l) I-ookup thclerrloursclf. rn apubltc ltbrary orlawllbrary (courthousc,larr school, ctc.) Laun are

GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLINC #57

29

ADDITIONS TO DIRECTORY Hcrc ls a.unmary of t}re addttiom md

change to the Dlrectory we have rec€lved stnce we published the complcte 1987 Directory in GWS #54.

Our Directory ts not a list of all subsslbers, but only of thos ula ck tn fu liste4 so that othcr GWS rcaders, or other interested pcoplc, may gct in touch with thcm. Ifyou would llkc to be included, please send the mt4r fom or a 3x5 card (one family

pe!'cad).

We print buthgrears of childrer, mt agcs. lfwe madc a mistakc whcn convertingyou child's age to please let us kmw.

Plcase tell us lfyou would rather havc

birthym,

phone numbermd

your

tomlistcd urstad ofyour

mailingaddrcs.

Ifa

nmc

in a GWSstoryts followcd

ty an

abbwiatlon in parmthese, that person is in the Directory (chcck hcrc and in #54) .

We are happy to forvard mail to thosc whose addrcsses are not in the Directory. Muk the otrtside of the cnvclopc with name,/descrlption, bsue, md page number.

When you send us an address change for a subscription, please remind us lf you are in the Directory, so we cm change it herc, tm-

AL === Phil & Lce GONET, AI-ABAMA HOME EDUCATORS, Rt 3, Box 36OD. Montgomery36l lO (change) ===;tsmes & Iavonne FIART(Seth/79, Micah /84) AIABAMA HOME EDUCATORS MONTGOMERY AREA. 8 I 9 Joryne Dr, Montgomery 36 I Og === Dottie HINKLE-UI{LIC & Frank UHLfG (Daniel/8o, Karl /A2l TOGCaryDr,

Aubum36830

AZ === Nmcic & Kart ELLIS (Anika /841 rc Box277,Kasilof996lO === Sumc & Don 11agq5 (Kathleen/82,Dav1d/86) 334 E Second Ct, Anchorage 995O1 === THE ARCTTFS, 8987 Tmque Verde Rd. FO Box 6O147. TUcson 85751-6147 (change) === plsk & Becky LAURITZEN Qed/79, BenJamln/8 1, Reha/86) 87 1 9 W Charleston Av, Peoda a5345 === Shsrte & Norm LEE (Hsry,/63, Rwsell/65) P. O. Box 3485, Glendale 853O I (chaqgc) === Paul & Balry OTSON(R.adrel /77,Joshua/&, Amamda / 8 l, Tacharyla2, Mlcah / asl 7o2 | A Thmderbird Dr, Tucson 85708 (change) === Gary & Bea RECTOR (B@/78, Elliott/8o) PO Box 362, Cave Creek 853131 === Chades & Julie STANLEY (Brooke/8o, Rayna/84) 16430 N 26th St, Phomtx 85O32 === TUCSON HOME EDUCATION

I{ETWORK,89aTTanqucVcrde Rd, PO Box 60147, T\rcmn 8575 1 -6 147 === Gloria WILLI-AMS, ARIVACACOMMUMTY SCHOOL, PO Bq 24, Arlvaca856Ol AK === 51IK11I..I915 CHRISTIAN HOME EDUCATIONASSOC, l24r I Satdb Rd, Mabclvale 72103 (charge)

Idyltwild 92349 CO === We & ke BOUNGER [Wadc/76, Deertqg/78, Robcrt/ 79, Barbara la I, Julta/84, Evelyn,/86) 324 I 9 Rd 35, Lamar'81o52 === Carollne & David HILLIGO$S (Molly/78, Hmah/8 l, Etla / Al, Ethn / a4 828 N Monroe, Invelmd 8O537 ==: HOME, I Ol5 S. Gaylord St Sultc 226, Dcnvcr 8O2O9 (change) === EllzalEth &

Willtm MERRITT-HICKLING, PO Box 54O6, c/o Stone & webeter Eng, flener 80217 {change) Cf === Crane & I:urle ALLEN [Ellzabcth,/82,

Carolyn/ 85) I 8 W Beacon St, West Hartford 06 I I 9 === Chris DURLNG. EMANUEL HOMESTEAD, PC) Box 355, SWoodstak O6267 (change) === Alexander & Llnda SCHRAYTER lOmar /79, Noah/a2, kelal84) 48 Monummt Hill Rd. Coventry

o6234

CA NORTII@ps94OOO& uP) === Don&

Kelly BRANDD{U (Jacquelyn/78) lOO5 Lakedale Way, Sum5rvale 94089 === Manha BRYSON-

SOITMON (Sarah / 7a.

=== Junc MILICH [Katie/82) I O84 Rivcr Bluff Dr, Oakdale 95361 (chaqge) === Dianc PAGEI& Bill SEEKINS (Jade/78, Laurel/8O, Charlle/84) PO Box 223, Phtlo 95466 === Margar€t & Jueqgm PASTORINO (Gustav/8o, Derek/&!) 222 Flamilton Av, MountainVlil 94043 === KayPRELL & Gcnc I{AWKRIDGE (Amy/81 , Brandon/84} I 6 Camelback Ct, Heasant Hill 94523 === Rmdy & Beclry RUPP (Joshua/81. Ethn/ a2, Calab / a4l N Box 727,1,a Honda 9zlO2O === Lynne SARTY & Jon FIAFSTROM ('I9al82) 45O Redmond Rd, Eureka 95501 === Dick & Royce S{JMNER (Richard/74, Lis.l77lfrBox 713, West Polnt 95255 === Jme & Brian WLLIAMS (Katie/8O, Annie/83) CALIFORNIA HOME ED. CLEARINGHOUSE. PO Box lol4, PlaceMlle 95667 (change) CA. SOUTH(Zipe to 94OOO) ===FCIASOUTH CASPICE GROUP, PO Boxgl2, ElTorD 92630=== Robcrt&MonaFIERRO (Bccki/76, Nicky/$) 2f 36m-9122,IrsAngeles === Paula &Jack KING (Lindy/8O, Joshua/a3, Robyn/831 2257 5 Cottonwood Circle, El Toro 9263O (change) === Barbara IAWSON, WINDSONG LIFESCHOOL 1369 S. Main St. Ponona 91766 (change) === p211y & Emery I,OCKWOOD (Mellssa/ao, Melanie/a3) I 5185 C Marqucttc St, MoorPark 93O21 ==- Dm & Bonnie o?(EEFE (Rachel/79, Katherinc/8o, Caroline/84) I 359 Law St, San Diego 92 l0g (change) === PARENTS FORHOME DEVELOPMENT, I0368 Kenyon Ct, Riveside 925ro5 === Bill & Sally PECK (David/77, sarah/78, Jorrathan/80, Amy/83. l^aura/85) phone 619-4850682, Foway (changc) === No€lle SICKELS& Victor pARRA Uude/79) 3t|27 Femwood Av, Los Angeles 9OO27 === Slvfl\,t EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, Box I079, Sunlmd 9l O4O === Kay STONER & Richad BOLIN (BcnJamln/78, Mary Beth/82) 396O Falcon Av, l,ong Bcach 9O8O7 === Jona*ran TABOR (l,a.ra/791 2270 l,a Crcsta Rd. El Cajon 92O21 (chaqgc) === p6is & MaTtyTOUCHSTONE (Lisa / 7 l, Lame / 7 5, Beclcy / 79, Sarah /8 I, Mary/8s) 851 VcnztaAve, Venice 9@91 === Cher & Erlc TOWNSEND (S€an/ao, Meli*sal85) PO Bo:< lOa5,

fd.m/

851

278-llth Av, San

Francisco 94 I I 8 === David BUILER & Esther BARUCH (Michael/8l, Dardel/85) FO Box 65O, Boonvllle 95415 (change) ===Uantes &Lynnc DATIL (Zacharylao, Courtney/e2,I,eif | 851 7O7 -96,4' AloO, Fort Bragg === Siol DAY, DAYSTAIT EDUCATIOI{ALEXCHANGE. 186O3Huy l, #121, Ft Bragg 954€!7 ==: FCLA NORTH CA SPICE GROUP, 3812 HollowayLn, Carmidrael 95608 === Ibthy & Jtm FRANDEEN (Blair/84) 1478 Flrcbird Way, Sunnyvale 94O87 === Elizabeth &Michael FIAMILL ([Iarrison/80. Flnnegan/82) NORTHERN CAIIFORNIAHOMESCHOOLERSASSOC. 22 14 Grant St, Berkeley 94703 === Chris HIBBERT, I 81A Evandale Rd , Mountain Vlew 94043 === Laura INGRAM & Dick WILDMAN [aylor/86) r2r0l Horscshoe Lanc, Nevada City 95959 === Randy & Lynnc XNOWLES (Anthony/77, Jertl;tl / 79, Jorma/84, Arly/86) Star Rt, Bangor959f4 (chaqge)

CROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #57

DE === CHRISTI/NV HERITAGE LIBERTY ACADEMY, RD I, Box 692, Clayton 19938 FL=== Paul &Jer€ BARKAITW (7*al80, Kai/a3) 3696 Tallulah Rd. Lantm 33462 === Don & Ihthy CURRY (Ben/al, Nathan / a4l 5574 l-a'ke Geneva Dr, Lake Worth 33461 === HOMESCHOOLERS OF LEE COUNTY, 84 I I Charter Club Cir, #1206. Ft. Myers 39O7 === lave &Julie KNEPPER (Davld/76, Courtncy /79, JeU a4l 5226 6th St S, St. Pete 3:r7o5 === Michacl & Yolanda Mcl(EE (Michael /76,Jimmy /7Al 106l SIV 20 St, Boca Raton 33432 === 6- 116RDES fDaniel/73.

Gabriel/78) PO Box 41, Grand Ridge 32442'OO4l (change) =- S:san & Davtd PRICE Matt/72, Faith/73) l3l 5 l4th Pl, Vero Reach 32960 === Ken & Marlee WESTMAN l*ofil asl 27 42 Floral Rd '

Irntana

3:1462

G/t === John & vlckle FowLER (Mellssa/79.

Michael/8O) 4O7 Mlmosa Terrace, Woodstock 3Ola8 === Malk & Diane JOHNSON (Ltnd sy / e2 , Mark/a4, Alex/86) f 4l O Boxwood Trace. Ac'urorth 3OlOl === Glem & RonderYOUNG Willlan/8l,

Alec/a3) l42O Shcnta Oak Dr, Norcmss

3OO93

HI === Shron CHUNG (Kevin/67, Tmya/69,

Nicla/7ll

Gen Del, Hilo 9672O-9999 (change) U,=== Jirn & Leslte BREIT (Emily/7g,

Dartd/8O, Jonathan/8 I, I(aylal82, Michael/84, Nathanlel/86) BRIGIITWAY CHRISTTAN ACADEMY. 418 Sherldan St, Rockford 6l lO3 === Kren GREENBERG & George WILLI-AMS (Gator/821 5Ol Eason, Carbondale 62901 (change) === Ros & Candac€ STADLER(Amard.a/79, Adam/8l) 2l W 20O Coronet Rd, Lnnbanl 601 48 === Linda & Eric TURNROTH Uonathm/8o, Molty/86) 609E 6th St, RmkFalls 6107l IN === AL'IERIqATIVE EDUCA'ON SOURCES, PO Box 172. Unionvtllc 47468 === C'pg &Jme BAILEY (JoceVn/75, Joshua/76, Adta/781 329 S Cullen St, Rerrsselaer 47978 === Michacl & Judi BROWN [Dustln/76, Amber/79, Heather/83] 1O7E 2nd. NMmchcster46962 === FCI-q.lN SPICE GROUP, 7262 Lakeside Dr, Indianapolis 4627A === Tertal & Altcc INMAN (F.achel/75,

Christophcr/78) Box

51

1

5, Blmmlr:€torr 4T

4m'

5l l5 === Diana & Joseph LEHR fPatrick/80, Nicholas/al) RR I Box I I I, North Salem 46165 (changel === wE CAN, lNC., 60l Brandywine Dr, Goshcn 46526 (change) IA === John & Kay EGBERS (.Johannes/82, Alexandcr/85| 1463 7th Ave So, Clinton 52732 === Walter & Jan FRANCrER (Sarah/79. Judith/81) VERNON STREET SCHOOL, PO Box I 399, Dubuque 52OO4 === Art & Mlldred MOELLERS (Cathy/72) Rt 2 Box l9l, Fayette 52142 === Rich & Doma ScoTT (Emtb/78, Eric/8o, Vlrginia/ a2,Kary / a5l RR

I,Woodbum 5027$9801 (change)

Kg === Danicl & Mary tru GLYNN (Rcbccca/73, Anm /75,9wrllan/7V Box 94, Higfrland 66035 KY

===

Rachel/79.

4U22O

Mark & Llnda CLIFTON Uoshua/78,

Jcl / a2l 197 Breclsnridge

Sq, t ouisville

=- Elix MANDEL & Joc ANTHONY

fsarah/79, David/82) MIJRRAY ROAD ANNEX SCHOOL, 6 I 5 Hcadley Avc , Lcdr{lton 4O5O8 === & Cathy MORGAN 6ndrew/78, Mam/8O' Gage/Ssl Rt 2 Box 2l l, Mt Oltuct 41O64 (change) === Ray& Tlna WEBB (Ammda/8l. TJl85) 555

Mrk

TffiRd,Mmy71449

UE === Pat & Blll CREIGHTON (Jesstca/81, Emma/84) RR I Box 35, Decr Islc O4627 === Ttm & Ellen KETCHAM (Suw/75, Jm a /77,Donald /77) MAINE HOME STUDYASSOCIATION, RDI Box 477' Mark & Trish I(YCIA Arrson (chan€p) (Autumn/83) PO-= Box 55, Cherryfl eld o4622 ===

Km & Bcclry SAYWARD (Nathm/ao, Caleb/82) RR I Box37O-B, Raymond O4O7l === Mary &MrkVAN DOREN [Flclen/83, Greta/86) RFD I Box 78OO' Fairffcld O4St7-973a (chaqge) === Valste VAUGFIAN (Gahet/78. Scm/85) Box 35, Liberty O4949 (change) === Ron & Marty WAGNER [Fleathcr/73. Aarcn/79. Nicholas/82) 3i] Pleasant St, Topeham O4086 MD ==: Brent & Kathy BUSEY (Emily/8o.

Rachel/al, Darriel/a3, BcnJamln /A$ 3448 Albmtonrne Way, Edgeu/ood 2 f O4O === HOME EDUCATOR'S COMPUTER USER'S GROUP. 26424 Howard Chapel Dr, Dmascus 20A72'1247 === HOME SCHOOL GAZETTE, FO Box 359, Burtorrsvlllc 2O866 : Edwtna MOLDOVER (Davtd

/72, P.achel/74, Jonathan/76, Matthew/8O)

l 51 8 BaylorAv, Rockvllle 2O85O MA === Joe & Marcy ANTHONY, MASS.

HOMESCHOOLERS COALfiON. 2l Forcst St' So Errc& GatIBAER (Myles/7g) HamiltonOlg82 Rchoboth 0276'9 === W. l@ Carpcnter St,-= FLEMING (Nigel/76)399 Storr St,Walpole O2O8l : Jeff & Eli:abcth GIDDINGS (Sarah,/79, Annle/82. Patrick/8s) 6l Cross Rd, WcstWareham 02576 (changc) === Marta GRESOCK &Judc BATTLES (Athcrrs/79, Ausdn/8 l . Lourcll /85) RR 2 Box I I I f lG, ShirlryOl4 n-973i| (change) === Beatrtce MEDEIROS, SOTTTHEASTMAHOME EDUCATORS, 146 In'iqgst, FallRMet A2723 === Howard & Mimi MANDEL (Alizal8:]. Jercrny/8s)

30 lSgCordavlllc Rd. Southboro O1772 ---MASS' HOME LEARMNG ASSOCIAflON, l6 Arrdcrson Rd' Marlboro O1752 *=-Vlctor& Susan MGJICA (Anjanettc/7o, Jonathan/ 712, Arrdrew /77, Anthony/ 78, Vtrrccnt/8 l, Celh/as) 5l Phclps Rd' Ftamlngham OlTOl ==- Corudc &Dale NESBARII (Nrkh/8 I, Matt/82) 29 Gcrald Rd., Boston o2l 35 (chargc) *== 51gn1cy & Carrte SlVltTH (Mlchacl/64' Jerrnlfcr/ 66, Mattheur/68, Amanda / 72, Rebecca/ 7 4, Jesstca/77, Jercrncy/8o) 30 Flankltn St, Revere O2l

5l

=== Wcndy SPRATTLER, 460 S. Matn St, SusanWALDSTEIN. 2 Feabody

AndoverOl8lO

:=

Tcf,r, Apt 7O9, Cambrtdgc O2138 =-- NancyWAISH & Jake STEWART Ucrerny/7 l, Matthon / 771 5

Faycttc Part, Cambrtdge 02f 39 =-- JudyWRIGHT & hanash LAUFER (Olrsa/80, Mahajoy/82, Llina/86) I OOS Guds Ptt Rd, Northarnpton 01060 := Susan & MaTk YEAGER Flallna/8l, Morgan/84) 7 Thckcr St, Apt 73, PepPcrdl 01463 fI =-- Ernest &F)lances BAUER(Andrca/7s,

Wade/77, Rr:sscll/84. Abby/8? I 5O Chtppcva' Pondac 48053 ==-Flank &Theresa BOLIN (J oel / 7 O,

Petct / 7 3, D avld /

7

5, J aclrrtl. /

7

7,

Joseph/79, Mlchacl/82, John/84, Iruts/86) 29701 27 Milc Rd. NerpHavcn 4tl0l8 ===Jullettc KAUFITiIAN (Calttn/83) l94O Sylvan SE. Grand Raptds 49506 === RaY KRUMM, COPFER COUNTRY EDUCAION COOPERATM' PO Bo:( 713. Houglrton 49931 (changc) === Nataltc &Josc VAII,E (Elcna/86) 3 I 7 North Mulberry' Manhall

49068

MN === John &JultcANDERSON (Erlc,/79.

Elav/82, Brltta/8s) Rt2 Bor(62. RcdWlng55066 === FAMILIES NURTURING LIFTIONG LEARNER^S, 4238 Lynn Ave. S. . Ecltna 554 I 6 === Mlchael & llarrtet tRl{4N (Alec/59, Mtchcllc/72, Danlcl/82, Chrlstophcr/85) Rt 3 Box I lO, Northffcld 55057 : Rogcr & Mclody RAMPOM

(.toscph/77. Anna/79. Willlam/8f , James/8€l) AGATEAcADEXvfY. Rt I Bo)r I15, Mountatn lron 55763 =- Mary & Ed RYAN Qanmrfq /77,H 178, Arrne/8o, John/82, Nrcholas/84, Gurcn/851 6730 Galpt: Blvd, Excclslor 553{ll rrg -: Dave & Suc TRABUE (Abtgatl/7g, Jason/8l, Justln/84) RR8, 308 Dcdcaux Rd,

culfuort 3950t!-3r43 MO

--

Blll & LocttaCARY (Maranda/8f ) Rt 6

Bo:r I 15. Jcffenon Ctty

65l0f =--

Ron &

Tcrry

DELONEY (John/8o, Jason/8{t) l2OS Blalrshlrc Dr' Ballwtn 630r I === FAIV{IUES FOR HOME EDUCnTION, f 525Wlodrgton, lndepcndcncc 6,1052 (changc) --- Davtd & cancV KEMPF (Iusttn/79, Ltndsa]'/8 1) 1 OO2 Laurcl Dr, Jcffcrson Clty 65l0f (changc) ='- Nancy XJEUT Fansy/8f ' filary/83| ON(MEADOWSCHOOL,Rt I Box l9M. Jamcstourn 65O46 * Stcvc & Ellst MICHEL $rtandyl76, Patrrck/70 6f f Robcrts. Washtngton 63O9O ==- Gane & SandySTARK Ucnntfcr/76'

Julie/82, Ttmmothy/8s) 7l7Jai-Or, Jclfcrson Clty 6510l =- flonnte & Shanna IERff lBrlart / 77' Whihcy,/8o, Zacharyl86) 223 South Rock Bcacon, Jclfcrson Clty 6510l

* Jm & Marsha WIIIioN

{Chrtstophcr/78, Corty/8l) 402 Mclcr Dr, Jcffcrson Clty 65lOf khange) UA := Roscannc BLOOM [Erlka/69, Joshua/78, Marta/80) Bo:< 9O3, Columbr,rs 59Ol 9 nH -- Judy HORNE & Rdph BIACI0NGToN (gdas/81) lolB Indtgo Hlll Rd, SomaFworth o3878

=-: Tom & Patge LUSSIER (Bcthany/8l, Gabrlel/83' Caleb/86) PO Box

31 7, Holdcrncss O3245 (change)

-*= NEI*TFIAMPSFIIRE HOME SCHOOI^S NEWSLETIER, PO Box 97, CcrrterThftonboro O38l 6 {changc) =-= Rachcl MLLLAMS (.Jesslca/82) lT0Austin St, Portsmouth O38Ol (change) NJ === Jcarmc & Demctrt ARQUETIE

(Grcg/82, Chrlsdna/8s) PO Bo:(251.2 ShawDr'

Kingston O8528 --= Dfanc &Fled CAVALLO (Noah/74) 17-AAlva Ct' Edlson 08817 -- Robcrt & Barbara CRANKSHAW (Bct'ln/82. Bradlcy/8s) 6 South Sunsct Rd, Wlllr4poro O8Ot6 -- Renec & Ron DETOFSKY (Ertn/77. Jorrafr/8f ' BcnJamln/8s) 30 Ccdarhlll Dr. ScHcrylllc OSOBf (chargc) =--

(Eddlc/71, Chadle / 73' JamE, | 3 Srnbuf,stLene, PlscatawayO883l (dlangc) anc St$ilN,2oKrDlhrood Dr, UvtngFton O7o39 Hopard & Dlana UMANSIff (Chad/el) 167 l(dsdana WlnooskaTf, Mcdford LakesO8OSs arlra McDERI\4OTT

7511

-'rrr

s

&

Robcrt TTIRVOORDT Uoshue/84) 632 Bloomfrcld St. Hobokcn O7O3O NU --- Blll & Elctsy BARIEI^S [-tessc/8s) 2O95 Pacheco St, C- I I . Santa Fc e75O5 (changcl *- Ellen BECXER Ucssc/78, Lukc/el) PO Bot 5851 , Santa Fe 87502 (chaqge) -- Vtmcnt & Janna BOOKS flasha/8o, Chclsca/84) Rt 2 Bo< 3o9B. Santa Fc 875O5 =--John &l-orl ODHNER (Lukas/8r, Chara/83, Mtcah/8s)4OO9 MontSomery NE L-4, Albuqucrqrc 87109 tYf -* Jody BROWN & Jlm SUTLIFT (Coryl78, Cascy/AO. Jcnntc/65) 781 5 Runntng Brook. Clay I3O4I (change) --Ltn<la&Dardd BUROHARDT (Amy & Ibthcrlnc/82) I I Stoncr Avc' Great Ncck I lO2 I --- Kcrry FARAOI\E' WESTCHESIER HOMESCHOOLER ORGAI.II. ZAI|ON, 2O7 Dtakc Avc'. Ncw Rochcllc lO8O5 -Janct HOF|FMAN [tocclyn/82) aa BarlcyAv' Fatchoguc I 1772 * LONG ISLAI\D HOMESCHOOLERS NE\ /S, Ea4 Wtlson Blvd' CcnEal lsltp | 1722 d VlvlsnMARTtN. LONG ISIAIID FAMILY EDUCAIORS, PO BOX 283.

Sayvlllc I 1 7&l-@8tl .* Dcc & Fatslcla McCONNELL (Rachad /73, i,nry / 76) RD 2 Bor( 136' Marurwlllc 13661 --- Ftenk & Mllltc RIOS (Chrtstophcr/73) 22O Pauncc Ave, Masdc I I 950 *= Rtch & THc'ta STOMTSCH pesstca/8o' Kcrrny/8 l, Kcvfn I a2,Kr1cltofa I a4l BROOI(WOOD PARK, Rt 9N Bor( 94, Haguc Rrl, Tfcondcroga 1288t! tfG -: Paula & BTant HATIDY (Allcc Sprtng/84) PO Box 173. Bamardwtllc 2E7OO OH --. caylc & HerryAMlCK [toshua/8l,

Jessc/86) 5il4 Columbla f,)r, BcdfordHts 44146 :- I{athy BERRY & Matt HELLER (Erln/8l .

Shannon/861 8O7 Hdddbcrg' Tolodo 43615 -Blalr & Barbara CHIRDON Flcathq /73, Jantqlc | 7 6, llmothy/tD, Rcbccca,/83, fttcr/86) 1557 Wyandottc Av, Lakerrood 44lO7 -:Mark& DollyFISFIER (cory/75, Audrty/8l. Stehrry/84) I I 70 T\rrncr

Dan & Wcrrdy Xcnh 4e385 (change) MII I np 1p"""0r72, Forchcl /7- 4, Km/76. Mcllssa/7a' Justln/8l. Starcn/8a) 559 Hlghmcado*sVlllagc Dr' Fowell 13O65 --- Jlm & Katc NALLY (Narry/7s, Illarrl / 77,Perrty/8l) 39f 70 Sbnncr Rd' brncroy 45769 (change) * Sussn & Bob RATMR (Joshua/76, Sharn/79,Mlceh/8r, Dcrra,/83| r 76 Ccdarbrook flr, Lovcland 4514O (changc) -- G. REGHETil. 527 C€ntcrstE. Wet:rcn 44441 -ert & Robcrt SEGER (Robcrt/e I . Danrcl/82 , Davd /el, Amy/85) 493 S Rtucr Rd' Watervlllc 4{1566 lan & Carolc WII.SON (Roas/8o, StcP[ter*182, 2746 Shady Rdge f,h. Cohrmbus 432i19 Natallc/85) Jamcs & Esthcr ROSEN (Joehua/75.

OX -- Nldrolas/82) 6124 S:ttr Part Avc' Lctrrton Mrtan/77.

735OS (changc) OR s Doug & Shclla BARTLETT Mark/78, JelI/8I) 8547 Bronco Dr, Salcrn 973Of --- FCIA ORSPICE GROUP. S0l6yank Gulch Rd, Talcnt 97540 :' MarV & Dcbbtc HEALY (Andy/80) Rt 4 Ptacc,

Box 33t1, Shcruood 97140 Randy & Patty AVIS Pcssc/80.

PA Lukc,/82, EmlV/8s) 527 Sgrd St. Mtnersvlllc 179il Rick BARITER & Patd SCHAEDER (Denrcl/86) Chrls & 839Darby-Faolt Rd, BrynMawr Jan BARLOW (Mattharr/78. f,hrsttn/80) RD 2 Bo< Ronald & DrBna B,qSEMAN 3Sl I , Muncy I 7756 (olMa/78, Dclla/82, Gabdcl/86) lOOg AboruDod Vlctd BRAfnM & flr, Glbsonla I 5O44 (change)

-=

-*

l9OlO-

--

*

Alex FEDORAK (lvlichacl/82. Chrrstophcr/80 r32 Stockton Rd, Bryn Maur lgOlO -* Stwcn & Carol BUSH (Heathcr/73, Renddl/75' Mattheqr/76) 152 r FennsylvantaAv, Faolt lgtX)l -* Srsan & Robcrt C.AIr{PBEL (Mary | 72, Job 17 4, lsetah / e\ 424 Flaverford Avc. Narbcrth 19072 .: Madon & Jetfrry COHEN Martellc/69' Arln | 73' Bret/ 79, Devln/8s) 22OS Sprucc St. Phtladelphta 19 lOfl --= Linda & Ed FINLEI (Jolcne/79, Collcnc/8l'

Tcrralcc/84) 78t! NHokcndauqua Dr. Bath 180149487 (change) --- Wendy FIANDERS (Emtly/851 PO Bor( 7854, Redlng l960t! -*- Uc*lottc IIEIL' 2OO5 Columbta Avcnuc, Apt. I' Swlswalc I 52 18 (drange) JEFTERIY (Nathan/75' -- Oavtd &I{In Adan/77. Blythc/8o, Jordan/82, Annc/851 229 Oltn Av, Glrard 16417 --.Judlth &VcrrPn KLINESiTIITTER 6udra/ 66, Ttact/67, tuAcla/69.

Batlcy/eO 3tl0 l|fau St. Tldtoute 16951 ** Lawrsnc€ & Janlc LEVINE (Gahcllc/7O' Mathar/72, Samuel/82) BtilAI OHR, 716 Grccnlcaf Dr, Moruocvlllc f Sf 46 E-- Frank & Mcrcdltll P/{RENIE (Dantcl/8o. Joscph/8z, Esthcr/80 725 S' Braddock Ave, Plttsburgh I 522 l'3417 (changsl --= Denfsc RAUCH (Hens l7\,Rachd /77, Ertch/8O' Abrgail /E3, Arrne F;lt'.,lb'Jth / Ul UG Atlandc Avc, Red Llon 17356 --- Ethan REINFIARD & Moly HALL (Esthcr/8l, Cordclla/83) 74O Cathartne St, Phlladclphla I 9 I 47 (drange) -- Lorralnc & Erlc SCHEIMREIF (Shar:n/8O, I(cvln/86) 519 Mahontng

St,Mllton 17847

TIf :- Menucl & Susan FEUCIANO (Anlta/7g, Dclcna / 8f2l 5r2zDpl'tdasl,rt' Cltnlon 3771 6 {drange) --- I{athy McALFINE (Nathantcl/78) 37Ol Bcnham Av, Nashvtlle 372 15 (drangcl IX ==- Robcrt & Mfftha DEGNER (Sarah/77' Luke/?9, Jacob/el, Ablgatl/86) 252o BurnlngThcc, lMng 75062 :- Vlckl DENMS (Matthqr'/79, Andrsrv/84) I OSOO Creck Vlew Dr, Austtn 7874822OG (changc)

:

Gordy & Maurecn LEWIS

(Scan/81. Ertc/84) 172-B Artlllcrylaop. Ft. Sam Houston 78234 *= Judy & Iarry McMILtrAN (Rcbccca/72, Hcather/75) 13813 ParksttcWoods, San Antonlo 78249- I 822 (changc) ==- Grcg & Vtcll SCOTT Mchacll T7,D^vtd'/$ REACH 3870 Forrvtlle St, Bcaumont 777O5:= SOUTHEASiT TEXAS HOMESCHOOLASSOCTATION, PO Box 436' Tomball 77375 ItT -_ Stcvc & Ltnda BUTLER (Jcsdca/8l,

Rachcl/8til lO5 South 3fi) East. Plcassnt Grovc 84062 (drengd := FCLr{ UnN{ SPICE GROUP, l5lOW5O0 N. Prorro 846O1 ft t arryljlvfB (Alc:<andcr/8o) ff Rd, Watcrbury Ctr 05677 Bcavcr Pond -Jg6ql6

Dtanc

Pctd tili{ZARENKO |Ij,atnon /7V PO Box- 95, N'

&

Zalla VAIV DEN BERG & O5473 : Gary RODES (Dorlannc/8o, Alcxandcr/84) RR 2 Box

Fcrlshqgh

29O6, Charlottc 05445

VA-

Rlan/80f

Russ & Rc8[na CALtrAFIAN (Gcnea/79.

25O

I S tlaycs

St, Arltngton 222U2

4

Suzarrnc &John FRIEDRICHS (Arra l7$,JcsrsF,l &' Iral82) Rt 3 Box 2Ol, Lcdngton 24450 := Dan & Dcborah HARVEI @ayrral40 f 323 Borouglibrtdgc Rd. Rlchmond 23225 rE HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSoCIAnON, FO Bo)( 950, Grcat Falls Tlna & Patrtck HUGHEY' 22066 (drangc) r.Ioah/851 Rt I Box50.

COMMERS(Ertn/80, Nlck & Grot Lordngston 22949 (drange) : JONES (Adam/82. Icvtnl8s. Chrfs6rrc/86) Otrg An&ea & Karl 2? 7OC MCDEC. Quanflco 22 134 XELLER Fetra/83, Thanc/8s) Rt- I Bo)( 934" llnfut 22642 :- Mania & Ikvln KOLB

(Jcnrdf6/77, Rtchcl/79, Aaron/8[t) Rtl

Bor(

'9O'

Calla*ay 24O67 -_ Darrc &Jcannc ROSS (Bccca/8O, Sara/84) f f 723 North Shore Dt. Reston 22O9O (drenge) *=Darrc & Jcannc Ross (Bccca/8o' Sara/84) 24f 5 PoPhns l.lr. Alcxgn&1a 223OG -: Mary Ellcn & Merk TEDROW. HOME INSTRUCTION SUPPORf GROUP, 21 7 Wlllow Tcrr' St€rling 22 I 70 :- Mtchacl &Dcborah WTIITE 0rah/79.

Lanrra/8l) 5@3 EastchcatcrClr, Alorandrta 22310 Ya =- Mcldon & tundta ACHESON (Tah0ra/7 f , Elead atu 7 4l 128 T:icrplrdo Rd. scqurm 98t!82-96O7 (changc) * Glscla&Kcn BECNER (Dan/67. Anlka / 69,Wsytrc, 172, Cathcrhrc/86) 7912 Mark Spartan Ct, Olympla 985G| -- Barbara & DRAIG (Andrcw /77,Jobn/82,Ma4o/85) 6812 tk Washtrgton Blvd SE, Rcnton 98056- l0l2 (changel === FCLIC,EASTWASPICE GROUP' 5O6 Buttcrffeld Rd. Yaldma 989O1-: FCIAWFjSTWA SPICE GROUP. HCR6SBox 713. Nascllca6e9a=== Ma*

GROWING WITHOUT SCHOOLING #5?

31 & Hclcn HEGENER Uohn/74, Jim / 76, Jody /

g,

Chrlstophc/al, Mlchacl/85) HOME EDUCATION MAGAZINE. FO

Bu

I

083, Tonasket 98855

=: qan6t& MikcJENMNGS

{chaqgc)

(Laude/74, Greta/a2) R 5 Box 341, Vashon 98125 := Rch KNOX & Dcbblc CAUTHERS (Morgm/86) lO5S5MadtsonAv NE. Balnbrtdgc Island 9al lO === Stcvc &Kathy LOGAN (Cort/78, Joshua/81) l4929Jordan Rd, Arllngton 98223 =: Dar4d &

Bctty RHODES (Kadc,/76, BcnJamln,lSo) I 1923 SE l85th Pl, Rcnton 93959: t$dcnc SCHOELLHORN & Georgc PUHA (Forcst/S2) 2342BCarrarrauglr Rd, Mtvcrrpn 5273 -: Chuck & Jadd WOOD (Ckrdy/72, John / 7 5, Br.clry / 77, Tom/79) E. 3212 36th Avc., Spokanc 9€223 (change)

Ury === Paul & Ibthy NEEIZ poshua/78, Calcb/8O, Naomt/a4) Rt 9 Box 2 I 6. Buckhannon 262O1 (charge)===Jlll &J.W. RONE (HapW/8Ol Rr 3 Box l9l, Bcrkelcy S$ngs 2541 I === Llnda & Bob THOMPSON (Allssa/a4. Robbic/8Z HC 3O Box

82B, Caldurcll 24925

wr -== HOtm 0[ADt"pN 6Inc.PTER) s745 BtttcrswcctPl, Madson 537O5 -= HOME NETWORK I{EWS. I 06442 Schilllng Rd , Orralaska 5465O (chargc)

CANAI)A

6affu==

Sandy & FIal PAULSON (Sld/79,

Ktm/83) 1O968 35Ave, EdmontonTAJ 2V3 (changel BC =: Brrcc & Llnda BURROWS (Kyle/76, Carmen/66) Box 166, Soinhrla VON 3EO ===

Ibtherlrc CAIVIPBELL (Joel / 7 4, Hetdt/75, Darcey /77 ,rroy /79,virglnla/8o. Hays/82' Rlchard &

RJran/S4) RR l, Slte 42, Unlt 2, Black Crcck VOR Manus & Jan HUNT (Jason/8 I ) VICTORIA ICO : HOMESCHOOLERS, 4 Ethe Pl. Vlctorla V9A 7A3 (char4p) === Elizabcth MACDONALD & Mark JUKES (Aaron/7a, Isla/83, Shatna/85) Gcrrcral Nlck & Ltnda Dclrrrcry, Gray Creek VOB I SO : MORRIS (Katla/ 7a, EmIy / 79. Ar:rla/8 I, Bcn/a4) RR #1. WnIawVOG 2.JO NB === Sharon & Sam GREENIAW lCara/78,

Jana,/8o, Kltt/82, Megan/8s) North Head. Grand MananEOG2MO Clive & Glenda KNOWLES ONT :

{Andrca/7s, Adam /76,WchaeUa4

6O8 Plne

lsland

Crcs., Watcrloo (change)

gfrE=== Kim & Vlnce DUFORT(Clalre/81, Abrahm/84) 2 I 4 Petlt Cotcau, Vcchercs JOL 2RO === Charles & Ltb SMaLL UcE/81 , Bcnts/83, ShawrraJoy/861 1345 Rdgd/ood, Chomedey, Laval HZW fL4 (char{ge} SASK : Dcrtk VOPM & Rcbccca HANKINSVOPM (Allch/ao. David/82, Aaron/85) Box 388.

Ttsdale S,OE ITO

OTIIER LOCATIONS

Chl|drcn nrntlng pcn-polr should *rite to thos listed bclow. To bc ltsted. send mme, age , addres-s, and I -3 words on lntercsts === CORCORAN. PO Bd 224. Mountain Vlry MO 65548: Scan (12) fantasy, blkes, scouting; Sarah {f O} drawir€. dmma, playtng: Arny (6) playirg, dolls, Gaby LAFIff (12) 25769 Foster Rd,

stor{e:

Monroc OR 97456: computer progrmming, bicycllng === Dulclc BowYER (14) I 6l $rgar Ptnc fh. Mcrlln OR 97532; dolls, rcadlng, urltlng === HaruEh DARLINGTON (lol RR6Lachute PQJSH 3W8 Canada; horscs, rcadlng, drawlng === lssss SYMAN-DEGLER(13) PO Box 132, Chcsht€ OR 97419; vtoltn, skateboardlrE, muslc === DETOFSKY. 30 Cederhill Dr. Sickleruille NJ O8O8l :

Jonah [5] miniaturc golf, grmnastlcs, kittcns; Erin (lO) ballet, dolls, rcadtng === B1len DREWES (8) f827 E gth St, T\Econ A7 85719 === D. Michacl TRUNK ( 13) PO Box 526, Satsuma FL 32O8q music, drawlng, postcrs === Sarah MAIURI (8) 17650 Huty 238. crants Pass OR97527 === Mac CONOVER (a) 3469 Chcstnut Dr. Doravlllc GA 3G34O; dmwlng, bascball cards. math === EDMONDS,ON. 4l Oak St,

Mechantc Falls ME O4256:Joc (8)ballct, swlnmtng, art: Anna (7)ballet, untcoms. make-bcliore; Emily (5) ballct. dolls. make-bcllcvc ===WILLIAMS, Rt I Box 3O2, Gravcl Switch KY 4G328: Cambrom (7) legos, computers, Jr:nk: Evan (4) blkes, tractors, anlmals === Kevin BEE (9) Box 36O, Fredcricksbug IA S630; stamps, caMng, sclenc€ === Rosarme FIAZ ( I Ol Rt I Box I 398, Santa Marla CA 93454: ballet, 4H, swlmmlng === KaOe DUFFY (8) 27O Whtte St, Howcll Irl.-I O7731: anlmals, TV, rcadtng === 32i1.t KLIIIEST[VER (6) 33O Matn St, Tloloute PA 16351: rntural htstory, muslc, aafts === SUMMER, Box 713. Wcat Potnt CA 95255: Rlchrd (12) nctal detcctiqg: Ltsa (9) horscs ===J.C. McMULLEN (12) R #3 Box 12O, NorthportWA99I5T; mcer, karatc, bike riding === MICHEL.6I I Robcrts, Washiqgton MO 63O9O: Mandy ( I O) scwtng, drawing, royaltlr Pau-lck (8) lmlghts, mlddle'agcs === Brian EPLEY [8) I I 12 Oxford Ct. Neenah W] 54956i grmnatics, computcru, art === Beckl FIERO (l O) 3Ol9

Glenhurst Ave , Los Angeles CA SO39 ===.Joshua HIGIIAM (9) Box 9O3. Columbus MT 59O l9 baskctball, fmtball, reading === SEVIGNY, PO Box 649. b:tcrvalc NH O3845; Nlcole {13) wlldltfe, Casio, reading; Dan ( I O) skateboarding, drawing, histor;r; Ernest (9) sdckcrs. wlldlife, spact: Marshall (Z sports, gmcs, matht Rmhelle (5) animals, dolls, gme === VOPM, Box 3a8. Tlsdale, Saskatchrym, SOE ITO CAI{ADA: Allcla (6) readlr4l, My Llttle Ponlcs: Davld (5) bulldlqg, farmlng, u'acton === Amanda MUTRUX (9) 5217 England, Merrlam KS

(changc) =- y"t'1& ShtrleyLUTnO pacob/8o, Marcia/84) 4-4-3 Dalnohara. Scndat Shl 98O Jam

John & Kathy SZYMANSIil Uohn,/78. Malk/8l,

Mary/8,:t) CARITA-S. Casa dc Ctrrslllos, Apdo 3l .

Avda. Llbcrtador, Barqtrtsimcto. l{gpg41glg (charge)

shmdr€taligets

WANT ADS Rates: 7Oclword.

$l/mrd

Chrtsdan, home-llke school In beaudful NH

I - 5 pa€p homffhoolirg biographia to compllc into book. $5O paymmt if rsd. Scnd bios, photos. qucstlons to Valcrie Taylor, 4073 E. Montcclto, Tusn AZ 857 \ I . 6@-88 I -7640.

Wantcd:

cHILDHooD-Thc Weldorf Pcnpcctlvc. A for homc study studcnts, kindergarten program for three to ffve year olds, md philosophy of child dwclopmcnt. Practical actMdca anterrd amund the seasons md fativals.

Resourccs for art supplies, books, toys, ctc. $2O pcr

Jomal wlth curriculums a

year (4 issues) or $5 for a sample isue. NANCY ALDRICH, Rt 2 Box 2675G,Westford VT05494.

Single mom relaating to KalisP€ll, MT, seeks samc for horsmatc, neighbor, md/or shaed child cre Box 9O3, Columbw, MT 59O 19.

We're

lmklng for

a

lwirg, relaxed pereon to join our

fmily

and help out when motheris away. 3 livcly childrcn - I O, 7, 4, Chicago ma. room/board & allowance. Must drive. Start Sept. NonAmericarrs welcome. Wrtte S, Delcourt,27 Wynchwood Lane , So. Barrington, IL 6OO I O or ell collect aftcr 6PM 312-931-Og14.

homeschml

DODNS of actMty/learning idea mund monthly

thme. Sample $ I, year$9. Creative kming Magazine, Box 37568, San Antonio fi 78237-0568.

Wanted: Single patent to livc in 5 bd. on edgc Rt 2.

Wimm MN 559f17: 5O7-454-3126

WANT CREATIVITY not projccts? Art progmm for

Address:

I

orr",

-Thts

the

"h."ktur thc last complete Directory. Plm* print the aborre info in the were 1988 Dlrcctory (GWS #60) : -We ls a nan' entry or substanttal address change to our pr€vlous lisdng | I

I

nat

posstble GWS.

Nso, arc you wtlllqg to host tr:avcllng;GWS readers who make advancc

iamngementslnwrldng?Ycs ---ltlo I

house

steadirg wlth vistdng homeschmlers. Dick Gallicn,

Children, Names / Btrthycars:

Pl.*

m. fm

ofbcautiful town--share space and home-

;

I

fm

sctttng. lndependence, self-motivaUon, music, r€adlng, sports, and fm work emphasized. No more than 24 boarders taken at a time. Multi-lingual tutorlng. Call Art BoJmton for more lnfomation. I ffit-353-4a74. RR I Box 3l B, Orford NH O3777.

O4garrization (orrly lf addres ts same as family):

i

_

bags (12 cards, assorted topics), $2 each. Sticker grabbags, $5 cach ($7-$8 vdue). I{awasaki, Box 2 IOOO I, San Francl*o CA94 l2l.

Adults:

I

boldfacc, $5 minimum.

Plese tell thescllksjogga3ltlgaqjn GwS: _ 24 Dinosaur postcards, $4.5O/st. Postcard gmb

Aswe said tn thlslssue. at thc end of thisyearurcwill discard all names ln the prcvlous Dlrctory and complle a nw one for l9aa (Deadlir:e Scpt. 3O). To be listed, scnd tn this form or usc a postcard or &5 card (only orn family pcr card)

lpleaserunln

GROWINC WTruOUT SCHOOLING #57

66203; cmlrdng, dnwtng, mimals=== RHoDFS. I 1923 SE l86th Pl, RentonWA 98O58: Katie (lO) mcr, mdlng, pimo; Ben {6) dmwingl, bikcs,

ENTRY FORM FOR DIRDCTORY

:

ACCELERATED CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, FO Box I O, Strathplnc, Qld., Austrslia === Kelrrtn & Noelt:rc BARXIA [Elfzabcth/80, Jane/&l) l7 Mcrcmcrc Rd. RD 12, tlawm, !lg4,l94lgDd =-= Raymond & Jean BLIRLE RJ./71' Edlvard /73'Pat'lak/751 lAo'ItE (AVSCOM, San Flanclsco CA 963O I -OO66 lXorea) (change) =: Bi11 & En SHAPKO Uason/79, Jcrurifcr/&1, Danicl/85) c/o SfAfiC, P|azza Cafroh, Llnda HOIZ BAUR & 45, 98 I OO Mcsslna Ilely : Xermy RITTER (crace/8I, Nathanlcl/84. Arrna/86) Krnchanrry, Moycullcn. Co. G:{LWAY, lrclmd

=-

PEN.PALS

32 whldr trtJult that. agc83'5. TEACHING GUIDES

bcfore rrc scntour ffnal accountcharrges to thc matltng housc (eartyAugwt), th€y$tould qualtf for

rcally ucc thc potcnual of famlly lcamtng' TEST PREP/$AnoN. good K- 12 woRI{BooKs. FREE CATAI.OC. Samplc grrtdc tfS' LEARNTNG ATHOME Bon27O-G57, Honaunau HI 96726.

cubocdp0ons; $2O for 048 for l8 lssucs.

bqghnarofdlagee. S[IonlI Al'lDS1['EEf - lcarnlng

REIIIARDYOURXJDS - Florlda DlsncyCondo for rcnt. shcP! rrx. rraslrcr/ dorer. pool' tcrud! court' rFcfsl rat€ 314 -487 -Olf,A.

CETIOCETHER for tccna6c homcachoolcrs (and lkc-mtndcd othcrsl tn Phila erca (DE' t{t.

SouthcertcmPA). Bcth K€Phart 2 I S644-8ill9.

W/ PIIOMCS

TEACH YOUR CTIILD TO READ

-

Cornplctc homc manual. Rulca cxPlalncd /word ltsts. t5,75. narddl. FOB 1423-GWS' Contdlls OR97*19.

MUSTSEE Honrcachoolkrg matcrlala. fbnds-on rcrlcrrrc & math toola. lo$c gamcs' coopcratlw grrnc!, ctGad\rc toy6. FAEE CATAIOG. BRAIN STORI\{S Bo:t M 7851 E Lokc Rd' Ertc PA 165l I .

rtgtflngarural lard coopcratlvc ncar MadlrurWl Asuppodlvc crrvtsonrncnt foradults ard chlldnrr to.harc work plry. homcschoollrg ard homcrtcadtng. SIISE to BakdJamtcson' 8O4 Wclhcr. Napcrvtltc tL 6O310 (Kuchnc-Wcatcrrnan)

LMNG HERITAGE ACT{DEMY: K- 12 Tcach your chfi athomc. Dlagnoatlcally peacrlH, sclf contalncd, aclf tnstrucboDal, con6nuous Progrcss cr.rrrlcrrlum. hlgfr achlcrrrenrcnt r€rulta, pcrrnencnt rccorda kcpt, dtploma l$ucd' lo\y tulflon ratcs' LMNG HERITAGE ACADEMY' DCPI G' PO BO( 6f O5Sg D/rw AQort TX 7526 l -O58S. Educaflcral, eclf-contakrcd, eclf-coEcctlng' mlnllcelm!dr casscttcs.'Thc Llstcrrtr{;Lcarncf' 5OO

/ra4{n.

Rd. Fenton MI

RENEWALS to

Rcnanral r:atcc are thc samc ag for netlt 6

lssuc.' $36 for

12

lsouc!.

At thcbottom of thts Pagc ts a form you can usc subecrlpflon. Plcasc hclp us by

raaryour

nrrc*'trgca;y.

Hor canpu tcllwhcn lor.rrsubccrlpdon

cxP@

1234.5

JIMAI{DMARYJOI{ES

27Or5E I6MAINST PI,AINVILLETiIY OIITT Thc numbcr that ts undcrllncd ln thc cxample tclls thcnumbcrof the ftrrallssrc for thc nrbccrtpUor. fhcJoncs'sub o.plrtswlth Issuc #58' thc gt lssuc. Butlfwc\rrcrc to rccclve thclrrcncwal

$2 cach. Thc poct olhcc dcatrrys your m|a&d lsucs and char;gce ur a notlicadon fcc, so qtc can't dford to rt?lacc thcrn nrlthout dlalgc.

Grcup 8ubrcrlptlon ! dl coplcs arc mdlcd to onc addrcss. Hcrc erc thc currcnt goup ratcs (lX mcans ]tou 8et onc copy of eadl lssuc. 2X mcans you gct 2 coples ofcech lrsuc. 3X mcans 3 coPtcs' ctc.l

WHEN YOU WRITE US

I )rcar

Plcasc - (f) Put ecparatc ltcms ofbrrslnc.s on

6b8.

ccparatc shccts ofpapcr. (2) hrtyour namc and 'addrces at thc top ofcach lcttcr. (3) lfyou ask qucstloru, cncloac a sclf-addrcsscd stampcd crrvclopc, (4f Tcll us f lt's OK to publlstr yor:rlcttcr' arrd whcthcr to uEG your namc wl0r thc story. Wc cdlt lcttcrs forepacc and cladty.

SI.IBSCRIPTIONS

Wc arc

lihh

thc &ecbonualrsue'

bccau* ofacbargc tr addrcss maybc rcplaccd for

Subscrtpdorn etart w{th thc rqt lssuc publtshcd. o't,u orrrcnt rates are $2O for 6 lssues. *36 for 12lssucs. $4E for l8 beu€. GWSIg publlehcd orcryothcr month' Astr4llc lseuc coota $3.50.

For all subs or ordcrs of GWs (not booksl' plcaac scrrd drcck or moncy ordcr: payablc to Ctradng WUtvrtSchodrng.

Forctgn paymcrrb must bc clthcrmonsy orrdcrs ln US funds or chccls drawn on US banks.

Wc cen'tatford to acccptpcrsonalchccks on Canadtan acrcounts, wen lf thry havc'US frmds" rrrlttcrr on thsrn. Outcldc of North Amcrlca' add 0lO pcryrcarfor alrmatl (othcrwlsc, dlorr2-3 monthe for

srrrfacrmalll.

lrucr:

Wc strongly urgc you to gct thc back lssuca of GWS. cspcc'lally lfyou plan to takc lour chtldrcn out of *hool' Many of thc arttclca arc

BrcL

ana rmportantaswherr thcyrmc prhrtcd. and urc do rrot plan to npcat thc lnformadon tn thern, All back ls$rcE arc ksPt tr Prrnt.

Ourratcs forbeck lseues: any combtnadon of back lesuca. mallcd at onc tlmc to onc addrcss' c!6t $l pcr lseuc, phrs $2 pcr ordcr. For cxamplc' GWS # l' 56 would cost $58' Thesc ratea arc for subscrlbcrs only I non-subecttbcrs pay tl3.5o pcr lssuc' IndcatoGWS #l-3O: S2.5Oi to #31'tto,0l; to #4f -5O. Sl.m. Spcclal: all thrcclndcxcs. ti4.OO. Thcsc prlccs Includc pootage' Blndcn arc avallablcwfth rods thathold GWS wlthout obscurlng any toct. Gold lctt€f,s ort cortc(.

Btndcr can hold GWS # I '24 ($ I O) or I 8 latcr lssucs ($9.501. Spcctal: 3 blrdcrs wlth rods to hold GWS # l 60, $25. Add UPSchargcs forallbtnders (scccuttcr pagcs).

asu."ru

Addrcr Chrntct: Iflou'rc modng' lct us knorr your ncw addn*g as

$on

lx

2X 3X 4X $( 6)(

$20 s36 $48 $60

2]tt3.

12 let.

S)rrs'

s36 s64 soo tll2 slso $144

$48

l8lss. @o

$126 $156 $180 i70 $216 078 n<. $C ctc:012 PcrPctsonPcrycar.

Pteasc scnd tn thc namcc and addr€rs of mcrnbcs ofyour group sub, ao thet utc can kccP ln

touch wlth thcrn. Thents.

srr loundpd h le77 by,Iohn liolt.

Edltor - Susarurah Shcflcr Maneglr8 Edltotr - htdck Faraga ContrlbudnSEdttor - Donna Rlchoux GWB

Edtorlal A$btant - Itlary Mahcr Edltorlal Consultant - NancyWdlacc Book & Subccrlpflon Mana4;cr - Elcanor Straus - Wcndy Banrch Book Shlppcr/Rccdvct - Suc MoJica

AdmlnlsEafiw Astlutant

@

hcddcn$' lvtartt Mahcr. Tom Mahcr, Donna Rdror:x' Suaannah

Pabdck Farcrrgp (Corporate

Shcficr Adnlson to thc Boerd: St6rc Rupprccht, I\{ary Van f,}orcn, NancyWallecc

P

=

g =t

-o -

gt

alt poestble. Plcasc

cnclo* arccent labcl (orcopyof onc). lssucs mlascd

ST'BSCRIPTION AND RENEWAL FORM Ue thls forar toaubocrlbcorrcncw to GRO\ITINGWITHOUTSCHOOUNG. Forrcnc$nls' plryc thc labcl from a reccnt lssuc bclorr. lf posslblc. lf not, prlnt thc tnfo. Cltp and scnd wlth lour chcck or

--r"y""a*frtUSfi:n&.Or,youmryttorst buciib" andrenarrbyphonewlthMastcrcdddvlsa: call

7-437- r583.1hanks.

61

subscrlptlon tobc acnt to namc sholvn'

RcrE\pal

NewStrbecrtptlon

l{rnnbcr (for rcrrerral,s) Account -

:

-Gfft

lilamc: E<plradon Codc (for rcnalalsl Addrcss (changc? Ycs/no)

@!o ooF l<o o>= = cro o

;

:

F3t

Clty, Statc, ZtP:

@o0

---JrB(f8rssucsl

S20(6fssuc'sl

-

tssucs, $ --lsccchart) coplcsof -!N.96(f2bsues)

GroupSub: lt

-

18

-

OK to scll my name and addrcss to organlzadoen'

-

GROWING WTTHOUT SCHOOLING #5?