Jul. 3, 2007 - I just finished School-proof

I thought I would share what I thought of the book School-proof How to help your family beat the system and learn to love learning-the easy, natural way by Mary Pride.

I noticed it was written almost 20 years ago and yet I found so much of it to be helpful and insightful.  I love a book that challenges me to think about why I do something.  This would be a good book to share with someone who is on the fence about deciding to homeschool or not.  Mary Pride starts at the beginning and defines who we are really teaching.  Our children are not "robots" or "lab rats".  They are blessings given to us by God.

Then she addresses some of the clutter that teachers deal with.  I know I am guilty of keeping too  much curriculum around just in case. 

 She quotes Charlotte Mason several times as well, agreeing with her philosophy of twaddle free curriculum.  It made me think more about how I teach my kids.  I get so caught up in completing the workbook page and I forgetthe real purpose.  My goal is to really evaluate what my kids need to learn and then find the best way to teach them.

I love how she attacks the labeling that goes on in schools.  She believes that each child should be allowed to progress at their own rate without any special labels.  Then she addressed typical little boys.  Yes, the rowdy kind that need space to run and jump and take things apart.  I know I have two of these kinds of kids and I have to constantly remind myself to not "feminize" them.  Which is basically trying to change them into quiet, docile creatures who aren't encouraged to conquer anything. 

Overall I am pleased that I read the book and if I can find it at the used book store, I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up.  I was pleasanly surpised to find that the information is still relevant today.