From the perspective of school-based education, our goal for our kids (ages 3.5, 6, and 8 as of today) is to give them time to explore the world around them so they can make informed decisions about their futures.

In practice, this means that we estimate each will finish high school a couple years early or so (there is a local ability-based middle/high school that they'll all attend). Rather than sending them off to college right away, we'll encourage them to take random courses at one of the local community colleges so that they can find fields that interest them --- without the pressure of having to declare a major and move forward in the traditional sense. They'll also be able to take advantage of internships ("Marine Biology in the Bahamas" for example, which my eldest is already talking about) and part-time jobs.

Could they finish high school sooner? Maybe, but we won't push them. Reaching their full potential will involve a lot more than grinding through a curriculum in the shortest possible length of time. They need time to dream up crazy ideas, get muddy, and do absolutely nothing at all.

They need to learn about the kind of work that's involved in bringing a crazy idea to fruition --- which means soldiering on when the initial excitement fades and the work becomes drudgery. They need to develop an internal engine that will keep them working on their crazy idea when the smaller minds around them say "you won't be able to do that."

These qualities are not typically learned in school, and though many are innate, they benefit from nurturing. We address this idea at home by having them work on maths or reading or whatever at a level they're ready for and by pushing them a bit when they say "I can't do this! It's too hard!" Some of my favorite moments are when they struggle and eventually succeed, and I get to say "See! And you thought you couldn't do that!"

I teach them to say "I can do." and "I did do!"

We do goofy stuff too: this weekend we're going to isolate DNA from fruit. My kindergartner has been a paleontology fanatic since he was tiny and wants to get DNA from dinosaur soft tissue and clone up a dinosaur (soft dinosaur tissue has been found BTW). So I thought it would be fun to show him real DNA. As a bonus, DNA is gloppy and gross, will have tremendous appeal to two little boys, and will inspire countless booger jokes.

So would we choose a hardcore program? No. Two hours of nightly homework in kindergarten sounds like a great way to kill a love of learning and squelch imagination. Lots of work does not necessarily mean lots of meaningful learning. When do those kids get to do nothing at all? I expect that a lot of free time is a neurological/developmental need, especially at that age.

My best ideas always come when I'm rested and my mind has had time to wander through a universe of its own creation.

Well, that's my two cents on our rambling attempts at educating our kids.


Val