One-To-One : A Practical Guide to Learning at Home Age 0-11

by Gareth Lewis

One-to-One is a comprehensive guide to learning at home with young children. Its sections on reading, writing and arithmetic have been widely praised by educationalists and parents alike. Additional sections on art, cooking, gardening and crafts show how parents can use these activities to complement academic work and create an idyllic childhood for their children, free from stress and the pressures of modern life.

Genres: Parenting

318 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

Gareth Lewis is a psychologist and an expert in mentoring.

Reviews

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great inspiration to me and my family when we were starting out on our home-learning journey. Written by a biologist and former Steiner teacher it helped us see that our children could have both a happy childhood free from fear and worry and get a great education. I recommend this book to all parents. My niece didn't home-educate her children but it empowered her to focus on the well-being of her children when they were at school.

[Rose]

I found much less in this book that I wanted to retain than in the 11-18 version. The constant carping about schools was pretty annoying and the educational philosophy very much a "just so story", with the author seeming to think that his homeschooled children were a solid basis for stating things he had found to be true for them as true for all children.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an old-fashioned book by today's modern, technology driven standards, but that's why I like it! It's a collection of activities to enjoy at home with young children, whether they are home educated or not. Some sections are more useful than others, for example the 'maths' section has lots of enjoyable, hands-on games ideas and we did a lot of these back in the day.

The premise of this book is that when hanging out with your child on a one to one basis, you can go at their pace and regardless of what you do, by spending that time together interacting, your child is learning all the time.

This time when your children are very young is so precious, Lewis's overarching message is to enjoy it. Learning really should be nothing but enjoyable at this age, and if it's not, then you have an opportunity to step back, slow down and try a different approach. Notice what your child IS enjoying, and help them do more of that. This book gives a parent lots of practical ideas to support their children's learning, and lots of wise words to help them feel relaxed enough to go against the 'rat race' schooling system of education.