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