| My wife, Bobbie, and I have been | | | | before). The child learns and we support |
| teachers all of our adult lives. We have | | | | and guide. |
| spent many years in both public and | | | | The Ultimate Goal is for each of our |
| private institutions and, having | | | | children to become an independent |
| survived a few years, we have seen | | | | learner. This is kind of scary for some |
| almost every teaching innovation and/or | | | | of us parents but it is the necessary |
| gimmick the world has experienced. | | | | goal. We are to give our kids Roots and |
| Bobbie is an accomplished musician and | | | | Wings -- and eventually, the Wings must |
| music teacher in elementary grades and | | | | take over. |
| college. I have taught in the fields of | | | | The Natural Path to Learning is based on |
| reading, spelling, math, and history at | | | | the idea that each of us learns in our |
| the elementary, junior/senior high and | | | | own unique way, at our own special pace. |
| college levels. We have both done a lot | | | | One Size Does Not Fit All Children. Many |
| of work with learning theory -- on how | | | | school and home school programs are set |
| people learn. | | | | out in a sequential, rigid pattern and |
| We have gathered together all of the | | | | the child must learn in that pattern and |
| ideas that we believe can be called | | | | at the rate required to be on grade |
| Natural -- as opposed to Artificial. For | | | | level or to not "get behind." NPL |
| example, it is Natural for a parent to | | | | requires that the program be fitted to |
| take Andy for a walk in the stroller and | | | | the child not the child fitted to the |
| while walking and talking, the parent | | | | program. Our child will be learning the |
| can say, "Look at the beautiful flowers. | | | | skills and information at his own pace |
| These red flowers smell nice, don't | | | | and in his own best learning pattern. |
| they? These blue flowers are pretty, | | | | Your child, and not the program, is at |
| too, and they are bigger than the red | | | | the center of the learning process. |
| flowers." In context and in a natural, | | | | Fortunately, and very happily, we have |
| real way, the child has learned about | | | | real experiences to share with you. Two |
| 'flowers,' 'red,' 'blue,' 'big.' This | | | | years ago we were presented a gift in |
| has given the child a meaningful | | | | the form of our great grandson, Reese. |
| experience for the words and concepts. | | | | We, again fortunately, live in the same |
| Later, we'll go shopping and say, "Andy, | | | | city as Reese and his Mom and Dad so we |
| shall we buy some of these green apples | | | | get to spend a lot of time with him. We |
| or those red ones." | | | | will be sharing with you many of the |
| Contrast this with the more often | | | | living, learning experiences we enjoy in |
| techniques used in "teaching the Kids | | | | our relationship with Reese. In the |
| their colors." Out comes the blocks or | | | | meantime, we will be submitting articles |
| color strips or worksheets and the kids | | | | taken from our book, The Natural Path to |
| are supposed to differentiate among the | | | | Learning. |
| colors. This is Artificial or at least | | | | By the way, we will be using a lot of |
| Contrived -- It is not Real Experience. | | | | critical thinking and creativity |
| Learning, rather than Teaching, is the | | | | experiences which sadly have been |
| process. Learning is as natural as | | | | disappearing from our school lessons -- |
| breathing. We learn from the environment | | | | it is almost impossible to write |
| around us and from the people who exist | | | | achievement test items that include this |
| with us. We can't keep our kids from | | | | kind of right brain activity. So, if you |
| learning. So what are we as parents to | | | | want to raise your test scores stay with |
| do with our kids? We take advantage of | | | | that left brain only memorization and |
| all of those real life learning | | | | fact recall. However, if you want to |
| opportunities and channel them into the | | | | broaden and deepen the learning, let's |
| things we call reading, writing, | | | | get to the right brain stuff, too. |
| arithmetic, science, history, and | | | | We'll have more commentary on testing in |
| whatever else exists -- from birth (and | | | | future articles. |