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Family Learning: How to Help Your Children Succeed in School by Learning at Home
Offers advice on optimizing learning opportunities and exploring science, language, math, history, geography, astronomy, and character development with school-age children
- GenresParenting
364 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 29, 2012
Yes, YES, Y E S !!! I love the philosophy the author shares. This is what I did with my family. (Wish I'd had this book 20 years ago when I began the journey of raising school-age children). I needed to work outside the home full-time, so we devised what we called "The Family Learning Connection". We ratcheted up the learning experiences over the summers and plugged them in wherever we could during the school year.
I would say this should be a MUST HAVE book for most home-educating parents. Number one, because it is chock full of information and fun ways to implement learning. Number two, because most of us are not even aware of our own gaps. How can we teach what we don't even know we don't know?
Here are some teasers from the author's first chapter, "What is Family Learning?"
"The home and family should be seen as the primary educational setting because learning is not, cannot, and should not be confined to childhood alone."
"What I call Family learning describes a whole range of activities through which parents and children improve their knowledge of the world by learning and doing together as a family."
Oh, there's so much more. I can't do it justice in a few snippets.
The book was published in 1997, just before the internet was getting to be the useful tool it has become. So some of the suggested materials and suggestions may seem dated. Not to worry -- just use the internet, too.
I had to acquire the copy I read through my local library's inter-library loan service, which means I can't renew it or come in at a later date and check it out again. I have so many books at home I have to think long and hard about what I add to my "must own" list. Looks like this may be one of them.
I would say this should be a MUST HAVE book for most home-educating parents. Number one, because it is chock full of information and fun ways to implement learning. Number two, because most of us are not even aware of our own gaps. How can we teach what we don't even know we don't know?
Here are some teasers from the author's first chapter, "What is Family Learning?"
"The home and family should be seen as the primary educational setting because learning is not, cannot, and should not be confined to childhood alone."
"What I call Family learning describes a whole range of activities through which parents and children improve their knowledge of the world by learning and doing together as a family."
Oh, there's so much more. I can't do it justice in a few snippets.
The book was published in 1997, just before the internet was getting to be the useful tool it has become. So some of the suggested materials and suggestions may seem dated. Not to worry -- just use the internet, too.
I had to acquire the copy I read through my local library's inter-library loan service, which means I can't renew it or come in at a later date and check it out again. I have so many books at home I have to think long and hard about what I add to my "must own" list. Looks like this may be one of them.
July 23, 2012
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book! Soooo glad that I own this copy, as I am certain that I will be referring to it often over the years.
I'm a fan of the authors philosophy that ALL families are homeschooling families.... all children learn at home. Some just learn MORE at home than others...
This book is about cultivating a family culture of learning and in a fun way... it is jam packed full of ideas on all sorts of educational subjects (language arts, math, science, geography, history, etc, etc).
I'll look forward to trying out many of these ideas within our own family. Great book.
I'm a fan of the authors philosophy that ALL families are homeschooling families.... all children learn at home. Some just learn MORE at home than others...
This book is about cultivating a family culture of learning and in a fun way... it is jam packed full of ideas on all sorts of educational subjects (language arts, math, science, geography, history, etc, etc).
I'll look forward to trying out many of these ideas within our own family. Great book.
January 14, 2009
Wow, this is an amazing book! Dr. Russell's idea is that every family is "homeschooling" their kids, because everything we do at home (whether it's read together, discuss together, watch tv, yell at each other, etc) is a "learning" experience, and that's really what "school" is all about. This book is a great combination of essays and ideas for ways to make a learning environment in your home, whether you spend 5 minutes or 5 hours doing it. Every family should own this book!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews