autonomously learning to read...

This is prompted by another blog: Home Education Heretic - Real Books- learning to read autonomously

See what I did with the title? I think that I've just said what he meant to say. Or maybe not, it's hard to tell. I guess I could go and ask him but, well, as an autonomous educator I am clearly far too sloppy in my thinking to go "Hang on a minute, what did you actually mean here?" If Mr Webb means to discuss the process of an autodidactic child learning to read, that's one thing. If he means to discuss how a child learns to read and then uses the skills autonomously, that's something else. Isn't it? Let's be precise about this now.

Anywho. If I can rise above the snarkiness that such uneducated polemic produces, I'll try to get my words out straight...

Here's my problem with your supposition, Mr Webb, that learning to read by 'osmosis' is the preserve of the supposedly very special conditions that are described in that blog. The conditions required for such learning are supportive, interested caregivers and a written-language-rich environment that the child can explore more-or-less at will. Visible examples of the use of reading, for pleasure or for the benefit of the reader in some other way, will contribute to the child's interest and desire. These conditions are not, or at least should not, be that special in our culture, and they are not related to the education level or wealth of the parent(s.) I was one such child who does not remember learning to read, could certainly read before the age of 5, my parents are very averagely educated. I left school at 16, have a little bit of further ed under my belt, not what I would think Mr Webb would consider 'well educated' and my self-taught readers are doing just fine, thanks.

The real problem with 'Real Books' in the classroom setting that Mr Webb appears to have overlooked is that the conditions are so different to the individualised learning of home-ed, whether intended or otherwise, that there is no starting point for the osmosis of reading to spread from. The group setting is too large for the random 'what does this mean?' and the passive learning from watching someone read instructions or labels or directions because they need to understand something cannot occur. The teacher-pupil relationship and the scale of the setting is the problem, not the method.

Having got that out of the way, now I'm left wondering what prompted the blog in question. Because I can't imagine any autonomously home-educating parent suggesting that leaving a child completely to their own devices will automatically result in their learning to read. So who, exactly, is promoting this without the understanding/assumption that autonomous ed. is about facilitating when required? And what parent would deliberately say 'I'm not going to tell you what that word says, you'll have to learn it by yourself'?? It makes no sense. Perhaps I'm expecting too much clarity of thinking.

bass notes...

Dd2 wants to learn to play bass guitar. Cool! That's alright cos we already have one, and a small practice amp. If they still work. Been several years since I touched them, and I never really played properly. I got them before I got pregnant, thinking I could pick it up fairly easily as I played double bass in school, but I just didn't get round to playing. It will be really nice to see them get some use, if she follows through. I'm going to try to play the piano more too, it needs tuning again. I'm a bit puzzled though, I watched a couple of youtube piano lesson videos yesterday and our piano was way out from the one on the videos, like a good couple of tones out, does that mean it was badly done before? Or that there's some weirdness going on with the puter? Hm, answers on a postcard...

evidence for the LEA

Warning, bit of a jumping-about stream of consciousness ramble, this one. LMK if it's utterly intelligable and I'll see if I can clarify. But don't expect miracles ;)

Late last night, much later than I 'should' have done, cos I was sleepy at midnight, ahem, I was reading Gill's blog and came across the stuff about home-ed blogging = evidence for the LEA and the idea that it looked bad for those who don't blog. There's the obvious parallel here, for those who know home-ed politics, with the home visit issue. Except for a couple of things.

People blog because they want to. They provide evidence for the LEA because they are compelled to by law when the LEA make informal enquiries.

I'm not a fan of home visits, or, in fact, of any kind of regular monitoring. But if you're in a situation where you find yourself needing to meet the LEA's informal enquiries, and the most appropriate way for you is a home visit, then that's what you do, isn't it? The problems arise when LEA officials *insist* on home visits and don't accept other forms of evidence. I really can't see the day when blogging becomes the favoured form of evidence in that way!

So... why do home-edders blog?

For me it's because I like being on the 'net, and I have good friends who blog, and I'm trying to be in with the in-crowd, lol. And also because I like having a good old soapbox. But then I guess I can't be accused here of providing evidence for the LEA.

What does this have to do with anything? Well, nothing really. Just that I hoped it might provide a less-well-travelled space to generate a bit of clarity on the issue. kwim?

rock on South Ashford Priest!

The guy has got the point exactly.

Interesting stuff about Canon Law supporting the parental authority.

Oh no, we're starting to look like a proper home-ed family...

Dd1 was talking about New Years Resolutions... I suggested that once a week she gets a recipe from one of our large collection of vastly underused cookbooks and cooks it herself, with help of course. Well dd2 wanted in on the act of course, so now we have each one doing alternate weeks, one day of the weekend and so far we've had home-made pizza, moules mariniere and roast chicken (which is of course something we would do, but actually using a recipe is a different matter... but then the recipe wasn't folowed because I wasn't supervising, I mean helping, ahem!) But coo, it looks like education!

As does the Happy Mais strewn over the table. I keep meaning to take photos of the elaborate creations but perfectionism means that they get scrapped before I get round to getting the camera out, lol.

And here's a quick 'squeee'. If you know why I'm squeeing then *grin* but if not I can't tell you cos it's seeeeecrit. Sorry!