“Lurning English reqierz roet memory rather than lojic, he sed.”
The translation: “Learning English requires rote memory rather than logic, he said.”
Actually, learning English spelling does require rote memory as well
as logic. It is a misconception that English spelling is
irregular. If English phonics is truly understood as a combination of
the phonics of English and Latin, then the phonics and the spelling
becomes completely regular. Margaret Bishop has outlined the regular
phonics of English in her indispensible reference, The ABC’s and All
Their Tricks.
Later in the article: “But education professor Donald Bear said to simplify spelling would
probably make it more difficult because words get meaning from their
prefixes, suffixes and roots. ‘Students come to understand how meaning is preserved in the way
words are spelled,’ said Bear, director of the E.L. Cord Foundation
Center for Learning and Literacy at the University of Nevada, Reno.”
This is the other reason to keep English spelling the way it is; the
roots, prefixes, and suffixes (most of which are from Latin) give
English words their meaning, and the meaning can be deciphered from the
spelling.
I think a better idea would be to educate the simplify English
spelling folks so that they understand the science of English phonics
and spelling.
The taped class lecture was released last week. The Glenn Beck program
aired the lecture; it was an incredible 20 minute rant (link to audio) about the evils
of capitalism, the evils of the war in Iraq, the evils of Bush, the
evils of America. I heard it and couldn’t believe my ears. This was no
classroom discussion, the only person talking on the tape was the
teacher. About halfway through the rant, the student (who ended up
releasing the tape) challenged one of the teacher’s premises. From then
on it seemed the lecture was directed at this student who was strong
enough to challenge his teacher. It was pure indoctrination. That is my
opinion, and the opinion of this student and his parents, who gave the
tape to the school board, and when the school board failed to act, the student’s father
released it to Walter Williams (I love him), then the Mike Rosen radio show,
a local talk radio show, requested it. It immediately gained national
prominence because the issues in question are national issues -- the
responsibilities of teachers in the classroom to teach, not indoctrinate.
It was front page news in the Sunday paper; there were at least four
separate articles about the story. The school board put the teacher on
paid administrative leave while they investigated the allegations. So
the press went to bat for the teacher immediately. One of the headlines
from the Sunday paper was Union: Suspension will stifle class
discussion. The union in question, is of course, the NEA. I find this a
hilarious statement, as there was no discussion taking place in the
class, if you listen to the tape.
Another
headline (unfortunately I did not save it) was something to the
effect that the teacher had hired a lawyer, and his free speech rights
were not going to be censored by the school board. This brings up a
good question, which ought to be seriously considered: the Constitution
guarantees the freedom of speech to every citizen. But do employees
have the same right to exercise that freedom in the course of doing
their job, as private citizens? If someone was hired to train equipment
operators from 8 to 5, but spent that time instead railing at his
trainees about the evils of capitalism, wouldn't that be grounds for
firing? It would not be a free speech issue, it would be a failure to
do his job issue. And that is exactly what is happening here. Lest we
forget, this was supposed to be a world geography class. However, the
teacher, the union, and the lawyer want to turn this into a freedom of
speech issue to muddy the waters. Here is Mike Rosen’s take on the whole threatened lawsuit thing.
Then there was the Today Show brou ha ha, in which both the teacher and
the student and his parents were invited to appear on the Today Show to
answer questions about all this. The student and his parents were
disinvited before the show taped. The show aired with just the teacher
telling his side of the story. Gee, I wonder why they disinvited the
conservative but flew out the liberal to give him TV time?
As of late yesterday, the school board reinstated the teacher,
and he
will be back in the classroom on Monday, continuing to indoctrinate
young skulls full of mush, as Rush would say. I would laugh except it
is so mind-numbingly wrong, to rob a child of his education, of the
power of his mind, and then to force the taxpayers to pay for that
robbing.
The
student has had to leave the school, due to threats he received. He is
in the process of finding a private school to attend.
Such is the pathetic state of education in modern America.
Michael Yon sends a dispatch about educating children in Iraq;
it is fascinating. We understand why educating our children differently
from the same old same old is so important; Michael Yon explains why
educating Iraq’s children differently from the same old same old --
communist indoctrination or Islamist extremist indoctrination -- is so
important. And here is the link to Operation Iraqi Children, Michael. God bless.
A few weeks ago I highlighted
a recent decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which stated
that parents have no fundamental rights “to be the exclusive providers
of information regarding [s-x]ual matters to their children.” The story
has been slowing making its way through the American psyche. A few days
ago The American Enterprise wrote a reasoned and thoughtful essay on
the topic: The Schools, The Courts, and Our Children, which every American parent should read.
Older children "catching up" in classical education
posted Wednesday, July 20, 2005 :: 4:36 PM
Many children begin classical education, not in kindergarten, but
come to it later from another educational method. One of the
burning questions parents have is how to get their children “caught up”
to where they should be in classical education.
Classical
education depends on a progression of knowledge. Parents will usually
not be able to plunk their children down into the 4th grade or 7th
grade of classical education or what ever grade their children should
be in. Children will need to begin where they are in knowledge,
regardless of the grade that knowledge is assigned to, and work
forward. It is encouraging that it does not take a 10-year-old or a
13-year-old as long to learn the same body of knowledge that a
6-year-old would require.
Parents, do not worry so much about
whether your children are “behind.” If a child does not know something
foundational to understanding, wisdom, and judgment, then he is
“behind.” By this definition, most high school grads are “behind” in
this country, and measuring our children against what they are doing is
less than useless.
Therefore,
whatever tools of learning a child masters from this point forward, he
will be that much more “ahead” of the vast majority of students in this
country. Relax, breathe deep, and take things one step at a time. Don’t
kill the joy of learning for children in your efforts to “catch them
up.”
Michelle Malkin
discusses the latest indoctrination in pacifism in our schools. I am all for
conflict resolution. And teaching such to children. But I do heartily disagree
with the schools encroaching more and more on the family and churches’
province. Enough already! Teaching reading, writing, and math is a big enough
job! Here’s a radical idea: let the schools teach academics and leave the
social engineering to the parents!
Speaking of Kansas,
there is a big fight going on there between the legislature and the state
supreme court. The legislature, as the people’s representatives, held the line
on school spending in the upcoming budget, and did not increase it. The supreme
court was not pleased. Don’t the people of Kansas know who their masters are?
The backwards clods think it is a government of the people, by the people, and
for the people. Not willing to let such uppity behavior go unchecked, the court
ordered the legislature to increase school funding to a court-approved level.
The legislature just missed its deadline. To teach Kansans a lesson, the court
is ordering the schools to remain closed until the legislature toes the line.
Oh man, is the judiciary out of control in this country.
The battle for control
of our children is everywhere manifested in big and little ways. In Illinois, a
new law just went into effect that requires children to show proof of having
had a dental examination in order to collect their final report cards. Now I am
not against dental exams for children. But I do heartily disagree with the
schools encroaching … well, you know.
There’s a lot more news, which I think I’ll save
for next week. I’ll close this week’s post with some good news: Maryland’s only
faith-based tutoring service has found a home in a Bladensburg church, where
teachers are helping needy students improve their reading, writing and math
skills. I am so thrilled our kids are learning reading, writing, and math
somewhere!
Check back every Tuesday for the latest in education news. Speaking of the latest, I just have to say how much I like Number 2 Pencil for her daily documentation of what is going on in the loony public school system.
This week FrontPageMagazine.com outs the NEA’s anti-biblical and liberal agenda, while the Jewish World Review examines the interests of the adults
in the public school system: they compete with the interests of the
children who are supposed to be getting an education. In a related
story, California voters will this fall have an opportunity to diminish the effects of tenure, which serves to protect teacher jobs rather than quality education.
Delegates to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting have approved a resolution
encouraging churches to investigate what impact the homo[s-x]ual agenda
is having on public schools. It is not small: “alternative” orientation
is presented as normal or healthy in [s-x] ed curriculum across the country, while gay activists continue to make inroads in para-educational organizations such as the NEA and the PTA.
On the school standards battlefront, one California school has recognized all of its students at a recent graduation – even those who flunked. Another California school board solved the problem of not enough students testing as gifted by tinkering with the identification process until one quarter of the students test in (5% is the national average).
Now for the good news! Here in the US, the Concerned Women for America applaud recent Congressional efforts
to restore a parent’s right to know when their children are given
contraceptives or prescriptions. And the monolithic teaching of
evolution in schools continues to be challenged – not in Kansas this time, but the Netherlands.
Good news this week! Kansas state
board of education members have endorsed including criticisms of evolution in
their state science standards. Freedom of academic thought is finally making
progress when a teacher is allowed to make the true statement that real and
valid disagreements concerning the scope and extent of darwinism exist among
scientists. However, legal woes may shut down Kansas schools altogether, in a
battle over constitutional powers between the legislature and the judiciary.
The Kansas controvesy, added to the problems mentioned above, leads
Jeff Jacoby to call for the separation of school and state, an idea whose time
has come (once again).
Presbyterians aren’t
waiting for the state to take the hint. The PCA will be debating a measure
urging parents to withdraw children from public schools, as they do not provide
Christian children the tools to think biblically about all of life. This
measure is similar to the one debated by Southern Baptists; both measures are
sponsored by Exodus Mandate.
Although the humanists rejected God and Christianity, classical studies
do not necessitate such rejection. The greatest great book of the
ancient world is the Holy Bible, and it must be the backbone of all
your studies. You and the children need to be more grounded in the Word
than in any other book. The other classics can be studied as well, but
ONLY if the Word of God is the base and backbone of all you learn:
"Oh how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: For Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, That I might keep Thy word. I have not departed from Thy judgments: For Thou Thyself hast taught me. How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way."
Psalm 119:97-104 (emphasis added)
Notice
that someone will have more understanding than all his teachers and all
the ancients if God’s testimonies are his daily meditation, and also
if God’s precepts are obeyed. We cannot make the same mistake as the
15th century Church, by giving lip service to God’s Word and then
living for our own passions.
When
the Lord Himself is teaching you and the children, He will guide you
into all truth, and you will hate every false way. Intimate knowledge
of God's Word, and love for Him and fear of Him, will guard your heart
and mind in Christ Jesus. What you then read in any other book, what is
true in it will be apparent to you, as well as what is false.
"In
a survey commissioned by the Bible Literacy Project, Dr. Marie Wachlin
interviewed forty-one top English teachers from American private and
public schools. The Washington Times
reports, 'Nine out of 10 teachers who participated argued that
knowledge of the Bible is crucial for a good education; 40 of the 41
teachers said [Biblical] literacy is an educational advantage.' "
Colson's commentary contains excellent links for further reading.
Visit with Christine Miller awhile and let's share our thoughts on homeschooling, education, and life.
:: home :: rss site feed
:: archives :: email me
"The Story of the Romans provides an introductory context for the culture and ideas so foundational to the development of Western thought.”
Anne Weiland :: The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
:: read a chapter from this book
:: more books
"For new and veteran homeschool families alike, this extensive new release from the editors of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine serves as a homeschool convention in a book. It details today's most viable education models, helping parents formulate an educational game plan and choose teaching methodologies. There are more than twenty contributors." Including Christine Miller, who wrote a chapter on Classical Education.
christine's reading
I am researching the holy days which were instituted by God as a celebration of the Messiah, instead of celebrating the holy days which were instituted by man to honor nature in place of nature's God.
:: Israel's Feast - Wooten
:: Annals - Ussher
