The New Theory of Learning by Thomas L. Magliozzi

Tom is one half of the famous Click and Clack the Tappet brothers. He has this article up on the Cartalk website. It's of course preaching to the unschooling choir, but I am impressed that he writes about education without pulling any punches. He used to be a college professor for decades and writes from personal experience.

"We put an expert in a roomful of people and the expert proceeds to tell them everything he knows. A major problem with this approach is that we ask people to sit and listen for long periods of time. Studies indicate that under such circumstances, we have an attention span of 20-30 minutes, and we retain about 20 percent of what we hear. This so-called "teaching" doesn't result in much learning. It results in, maybe, someone remembering enough to pass a test."

"Why are we trying to teach people who don't really want to learn?"

He ends with this gem:

Don't let an "expert" stand in front of people and tell them everything s/he knows. This is mostly just an ego trip for the expert, and a very boring experience for the victims. The overhead projector has done more to destroy learning than any other thing I can think of.

Definitely worth a read...

Aseem's Curiosity

Aseem is really very curious and is constantly asking questions about everything. This is stark contrast with Supriya, who has never displayed much curiosity. You can show her something new or read her interesting stuff and her response is likely to be, "So what?" It does seem to be an innate personality difference. On the Values in Action website, under "Wisdom and Knowledge – cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and use of knowledge", there is this entry as one of 24 Character Strengths:

Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]: Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.

Aseem rates highly on this one.

Curious Aseem

Aseem was a good little boy and always very curious.
Every day he peed and pooped in the potty and flushed after he was done & his bottom wiped.
One day he wondered, what happens when I flush?
So he asked his Mommy. She said let's look.
So they opened the lid of the toilet tank and saw the tank full of water.
Then Aseem pulled the flush lever down.
The cover at the bottom got pulled up.
With a big WHOOOOSH the whole tank emptied into the toilet, carrying away the poop.
Just as the tank became empty, the cover at the bottom sank down and covered up the hole.
Then fresh water came gushing through a hole near the top and started filling up the tank once again.
The toilet was ready to be used again.
Aseem was satisfied.

A Perfect Day

In the morning Supriya and I sang the four duets we have been on with accompaniment from Band-in-a-Box ("Who wants to be a millionaire?", "Play a simple melody", "Hole in the bucket" and "Edelweiss"). It was snowing heavily outside. After eating her cereal and watching some TV Supriya put on her snow gear and played in the snow for a long time. Manisha's company lost power and she had to come home for lunch. She introduced the kids to Noggin.com and Supriya spent a lot of time there (much of it consisted of playing tunes from "Jack's Big Music Show"
and dancing). Later we dropped off stuff at the Chelmsford library (closed because of the snow) and went for a swim. The water was colder than usual but that did not deter Supriya. She spent a whole hour in the water. The rest of us spent about half an hour. After coming home the kids went straight to Noggin.com and did more dancing as Manisha fed them cheese tortellini.

Now it was time for bed. Aseem just crashed in Manisha's lap after finishing his milk. Supriya and I sat on her bed and she read "Bug in a Rug: Reading Fun for Just-beginners" to me (with some help). Then she climbed on the top of her bunkbed and was out like a light. All in all it was another perfect day.

Sharks and More Tall Tales

Supriya watched Sharks (produced by EYEWITNESS Videos; narrated by Martin Sheen) twice with Manisha. Apparently it was not scary at all. Aseem and Supriya also watched John Henry and Johnny Appleseed (both part of "Tall Tales & Legends" series produced by KOCH Galaxy Productions) several times and really enjoyed the stories.

We have the story of Mose the Fireman on tape, and we must have listened to it a thousand times in the van. It's very well-narrated in a Brooklyn accent. At one point the narrator talks about the foreman of the team shouting orders, "Step lively boys! Man the brakes! Can the mongoose!" The kids get a big kick out of the last bit and now the tape has come to be known as the "Can the mongoose" tape.

"We Are the Web"

is the title of this article by Kevin Kelly. When people ask me about my "faith", I say I am a Transhumanist. Visions such as Kelly's excite me. I fully agree with him that we are living at a cusp in the trajectory of human history. I can already see this in my life. I spent a little too much time on the Web and I can feel the pangs of withdrawal symptoms when I cannot connect with it! Humanity has embarked on a grand project to imbue inert matter with intelligence (through embedded chips, sensors and such). Ray Kurzweil - one of my heroes - sees no end to this process until the entire universe is sentient! It reminds me of the final books in the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov and gives me the goosebumps.

So what has this got to do unschooling? In a very real way, my kids are living in a different world. They are growing up with this always-on global intelligence, and their sense of what is available and possible in completely different from that of the adults. Supriya already says, "Let's ask the Internet." Practically all of humanity's knowledge is available to everybody with an Internet connection. Not only that, but you can get it in whichever learning mode you need. You learn best through listening? No problem. Pictures? Sure. In such a world, there is no value to be added or premium to be earned (in any kind of tokens, money or otherwise) for traditional rote learning. Very few things about what a kid "needs to learn" are valid anymore.

How my kids earn their livelihoods and fulfill their potentials are going to depend on how well they learn. We have seen huge changes in the global economy over the last 20 years. Yet the pace of change is accelerating and the next 20 are going to bring vastly more surprises. Manisha and I want our kids to learn to learn - or, more precisely, not forget to learn. That's where unschooling comes in.

The Genographic Project

I came across this fascinating project yesterday: "The National Geographic Society, IBM, geneticist Spencer Wells, and the Waitt Family Foundation have launched the Genographic Project, a five-year effort to understand the human journey—where we came from and how we got to where we live today. This unprecedented effort will map humanity's genetic journey through the ages." The journey of the human throughout history (particularly as it relates to India) has always interested me, and I am planning to buy the kit to find out where my own ancient ancestors came from. Buying the kit supports the project and also comes with a map and a DVD. Supriya was playing with the globe in the morning today, and I think the map and the DVD will intrigue her.

Swimming and More Reading

Last week we joined the swimming pool at the Radisson hotel in Chelmsford. The hours are much better than at the Y, and it costs only $400 for the whole year for the whole family. Manisha has taken the kids there twice already. Supriya is making steady progress and enjoys the water with her snorkel & the noodle. Aseem is still too scared and clung to Manisha the whole time today - but at least he is getting himself into the water.

Supriya went in for 2 sessions of swimming lessons, but they kept going at their own pace and she was really miserable. Since we started the no-pressure, have-fun-in-the-water family swim time, Supriya has made very good progress (I am sure the alert reader will not miss the obvious lesson here!) and is now swimming like a fish (albeit with her head above water). With her enormous upper-body strength, I can definitely see her going far in the competitive swimming arena if she wants to.

Supriya read a few pages of "Put Me in the Zoo" a while ago. It is slow going, but she is keeping at it.

More Reading

We are siting here in the computer room. It's past 9 o'clock at night and Supriya is doing some quality work. I am at the computer and Supriya is sitting in the butterfly chair next to me, struggling through Dr. Seuss's "Green Egss and Ham". She is determined to go all the way to the end, but it is not coming easily yet. In the beginning she was just reciting the book from memory. I told her to actually look at the words and try to actually read them. She is doing like I told her as she reads the book aloud. She keeps stumbling on many words, repeatedly on many others (would, could), and yet she ploughs on. I would have given up a long time ago! It makes me realize how much patience and perseverance kids have as a matter of course. They keep falling and getting up again in so many domains of their lives and still keep trying and trying until they succeed.

Note to self: remember to honor that process more.

It looks like she has made up her mind to read now. If history is any guide, she is going to be spending a lot of time on mastering reading in the next few weeks and months until the mission is accomplished.

More Rhymes from Supriya

Berries are best
Berries are blue
Berries are sweet
I like them too

And,

Berries for butter
Berries for bread
Berries for everything
Except my head!

Prescriptions for a Good Life

In "The Myth of the Midlife Crisis" (Newsweek, January 16, 2006) Gene Cohen writes that "[r]esearch has identified several types of activities that can, if practiced regularly, help boost the power, clarity and subtlety of the aging brain." And they are:

• Exercise physically.
• Exercise mentally.
• Pick challenging leisure activities.
• Achieve mastery.
• Establish strong social networks.

Dr.Cohen prescribes them for the aging brain, but to me they sound like the core of a great life - not to mention good guidelines for unschooling!

Career Plans

Supriya came up with a brilliant and simple career plan in the morning today, "First I want to be a movie star, then an Olympic athlete, then a scientist and then a fire-fighter." (Just for the record, she continues to maintain that she does not want to go to college ever.)

Aseem's career plan is more modest: he just wants to be a pirate.

Phew, now that that is settled...

Hanging Out with the Hintons

We went over to hang out with Alex and Antonio today. As soon as we got in, the kids vanished into the boys' bedroom. After a while Alex and Aseem emerged and played in the living room as Janet & I talked. They built a jigsaw puzzle and did lots of silly things. A little while later Antonio came out looking like the classic absent-minded professor, gadgets attached all over his body. Then Supriya followed similarly bedecked. They apparently were space-rangers who wanted to go out into Janet's car which was their spaceship in reality. Janet convinced them to make a fort in the living room by bringing in two chairs from the kitchen and draping a blanket over them. It was great fun to watch.

It got me thinking. If I did not tell you any more details, you would normally assume that Alex & Aseem are of similar ages, as are Antonio and Supriya. In fact, Aseem is 4, Alex is 13 1/2; Antonio is 11 and Supriya is not quite 7! When it's playtime, the age doesn't matter. What matters is how well you get into the game and how well you play. That's how it is when I am singing or playing a boardgame. That's how it is in the world of work also. That is the "real world", not the age-segregated one of schools. My kids are already in the real world.

More on Invented Spelling

Ron writes: "I am firmly convinced that teaching the mechanics of writing (grammar, spelling, composition, etc.) prior to learning how to express ones thoughts and ideas is counterproductive." That's exactly right, and it also holds true of art. Once the child starts getting told how to draw and compose, all he can think about is those mechanics. The originality of the artistic process (the whole point of the enterprise!) is gone forever. Anyway, this is why we love to see Supriya's invented spelling and encourage it without correcting her at this stage. If she asks, we do mention that park is "usually" spelled PARK and not PRC.

Invented Writing

I worked at John Holt's Bookstore in Cambridge in the early 1990s. We sold a book called "Gnys at Wrk : A Child Learns to Write and Read" by Glenda Bissex. Apparently Glenda was talking a little too loudly on the telephone while her son was teaching himself to write. So he wrote "GNYS At WRK" ("genius at work", in case you didn't get it!) on a piece of paper and held it up to her. She got the message and that led to the book. It used to be a good seller, although I have not read it yet.

Anyhow, Supriya has been drawing pictures in her notebook and writing stuff using similarly invented spelling. One picture has several plates and silverware and "PLIT MANNRS" written underneath. I could see that she wanted to write "polite manners". After our recent sledding trips to Tyler Park there was a picture titled "TILR PRC". Manisha and I are thoroughly enjoying this and encouraging Supriya to keep writing.

Making Ten

Supriya and I have been playing this game occasionally over the past week. It is from "Games for Math" by Peggy Kaye. You start by removing the tens and all the picture-cards from a regular deck. Then each person gets 5 random cards and the goal to make as many distinct combinations to get to 10. For example, (9 + 1) does it, as does (9 + 2 - 1). Supriya is getting really good at making complicated combinations.

Here are the details of a game (of three) we played today:

• Supriya got (1, 4, 5, 7, 7, 9) [she gets 6 cards because she is 6 years old!] and made 7 combinations: (9 + 1), (4 + 5 + 1), (7 + 4 -1), (7 + 7 - 4), (7 + 9 - 5 - 1), (9 + 5 - 4) and (9 + 5 + 4 - 7 - 1). [I helped her with the last three.]
• I got (1, 3, 3, 5, 8) and could make only 4: (8 + 3 - 1), (5 + 3 + 3 - 1), (8 + 5 - 3) and (8 + 3 + 3 + 1 - 5).

So Supriya won, which pleased her greatly.

Learning Styles

I remember reading a while back a book on learning styles. Apparently the three big ones are auditory (A), visual (V) and kinesthetic (K). I tend to be VKA in that order. Manisha says she is VAK, and our assessment of Supriya is that she is AKV. This whole discussion came about while talking about Aseem. He just does not listen. He has to touch first and see second to understand something (making him a likely KVA). But listen? Forgetaboutit! We borrowed a book-on-CD today. Supriya and I were enjoying it on the drive home from the library, but Aseem kept talking and annoying us just as we were getting into the well-narrated story. It is as if he does not hear (which is of course not the case, physiologically speaking). This happens daily and I am now getting a handle on the issue.

Our friends Noah, Karl and Diane host Games Nights occasionally, and that's where I became aware of my own learning styles. Karl would explain the rules of the game orally, and within a sentence or two I'd be lost. Then I'd hear myself say, "Let's start playing and then I'll get it!" After a number of such incidents I realized that the learning styles is the answer here. Manisha and I would much prefer to start playing a game and go through it once in order to pick up the rules of the game than to hear (or even read for that matter) what the rules are.

Here is an article about learning styles. Interestingly, the article calls the third style Haptic (for touch) instead of Kinesthetic, which would in fact describe Aseem's style perfectly. I have always said that Aseem lives through his hands.

I'm in a Carnival!

I always wanted to be in a carnival and now I am!

Sledding at Tyler Park

We went sledding at Tyler Park yesterday and again today. Aseem is a sight to behold on the snow. Like your friendly neighborhood super-hero, the generally mild-mannered Aseem turns into a speed demon. He is totally fearless. "Sled first, think later" is his motto. I love watching this side of him.

Supriya is also fearless but has a lot more control. We sledded some yesterday and then she borrowed a snowboard from a group of girls who were sledding. She went up and down the slope, falling, getting up, falling, getting up, falling, getting up - until she had the balance-thing figured out. Today we went with her own snowboard (that I bought dirt-cheap last year at the end-of-season sale), and I don't think she fell down even once.

It has been relatively warm of late (with a warming trend forecast) and the snow has been melting away. I am glad we got a chance to enjoy it while it lasted.

Reading Go-Fish Update II

I wrote about Supriya's Go-Fish game last August. We played it again today as it snowed outside and our playdate got cancelled. She is much more correct and confident about her reading now. She recognizes many words by sight and is able to sound out many more. Also, she has grasped "sh" and "ch", but not "th" yet.

Freecycle Rocks!

We joined Freecycle a few months ago and have benefited a lot. We gave away our old Sharper Image slide-viewer, a box of toddler toys, a crib and mattress and the two baby gates that we never used. And we got a platform bed, a bag of clothes for Supriya, a bunch of Jigsaw puzzles, 3 pairs of ice skates, a bookshelf and a loveseat. What a trade! Just makes you realize how affluent this country is. I see a lot of homeschoolers involved in Freecycle too.

Calligraphy and Knitting

Supriya is very good with fine-motor stuff. Here is a picture of her knitting which she learnt at Harmony Hill. She has retained the technique and was able to do it on her own this week after a break of several weeks.


I brought out my old calligraphy set for her a few weeks ago, after watching her manual dexterity and also because she has very nice print-handwriting. She has spent some time practising with the calligraphy pens but has not gotten the hang of using the wide nib yet. She practises every so often and some day she is going to master it. 

Taoism and Unschooling

Taoism is to unschooling what the organized religions are to schooling-at-home (and of course traditional schools). As the first Taoist precept says:

The Tao that can be talked about is not the real Tao.

You can substitute any of curriculum/learning/growth for Tao in there and it continues to ring true.

Taoism respects natural processes, and guides us to recognize & trust them. ("You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," is a well-known Taoist principle, for example.) We unschoolers try to do the same - go with our children's interest, talents and passions. That way lie happier and more successful kids (as more and more research shows by the way). What's not to like about that?!

It is certainly easier to recognize their talents than to trust them (or the universal processes that underlie the unfolding of talents), but that is the distinguishing feature of the unschooling philosophy. The first piece of advise given to would-be unschoolers is: Trust your kids. And really speaking it is not your kids that you are trusting per se, but the Tao itself. It is a process of trusting the whole universe to do the right thing.

I had borrowed a book called "The Tao of Parenting" (or some such) a while ago from a friend, and really liked it. I need to borrow it again to refresh my memory.

More Reading

Supriya continues to make gains in her reading. Manisha spent some time with her last night reading a book called "When I Go to the Supermarket". As Manisha reports, Supriya is beginning to see individual words now and is remembering many of the beginning words that she has picked up over the course of the last year. It seems like her perceptual system is maturing right before our eyes. Letter-combinations such as "sh" and "th" continue to stump her and we have to parse them for her every time, but she is getting really good at sounding words out. The process is very interesting to watch.