Learning in the Absence of Education: Essays on Homeschooling, by Beverley Paine

Learning in the Absence of Education

Essays on Homeschooling

Index

1	Introduction
2	Reasons, Characteristics and Outcomes of Home Education
5	Why Home Education
7	Values
8	A Day in the Life of A Child ‘Damaged’ by the Modern World
12	On Doing Nothing...
19	Conversation is Learning Too!
21	Learning Maths Conversationally
23	Seriously Questioning the Importance of Reading
24	Movies As Curriculum
25	Worrying About Writing
26	Ideas for Helping Children With Writing
31	Thoughts on Spelling
37	What is all the Fuss about Reading (Fiction) Anyway!
40	“Is Thomas Reading Yet?”
42	Worrying About Late Readers
43	Computers and Home Education
44	Setting Up ‘School’ At Home
45	Finding Time
46	Better Than Average
47	Thoughts on Educational Experience
49	Natural Learning Defined
51	Learning At Our Place - August 1997
52	Home is Where Learning Happens
53	A Day at Home with the Paines
56	The Model Solar Car Race
57	Homeschooling Diary - A Week In November
59	Dads and Home Education
60	Robin and Home Education
61	Fathers in the Home School
63	Reflecting on Home Education
65	Dispelling A Myth - ‘Practice Makes Perfect’
67	Girls In Education
69	Home Learning Schools?
70	Time Spent at an Alternative School
72	Should I Give Grades?
73	Thoughts on Testing
74	Profile on a Teenage Homeschooler
75	The Role Diet Plays
76	The Grass Is Always Greener
77	Patience!
78	Children Learning At Home The Permaculture Way!
80	A Radical Educational Alternative
82	Homeschooled Kids Are Children Too...
84	Rites of Passage?
85	The Ups and Downs Og Home Education
87	Addressing the Problem Of Labeling - Learning Disabled
88	A Lego Curriculum
91	The Value of Play - Lego!
92	The Human Inclination to Mischief!
93	The Gobble Guts Pizza Game
94	Learning the Times Tables
95	More on Learning Times Tables
96	To Teach or Not To Teach!
97	Being On Call
98	Socialisation or Social Development
99	Problems with the “Learning Must Be Fun” Approach...
101	Flexi School
102	Life After Home Education
104	Socialisation
109	Home Education Continuity
110	Recommended Reading

Excerpt from Learning in the Absence of Home Education: Essays on Homeschooling
© Beverley Paine, 1999

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The mother of three grown homeschoolers, Beverley Paine is the author of several books on beginning home education in Australia. Her family began their home education adventure in 1986.

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More than 60 essays covering a wide range of home schooling concerns and issues, such as late readers, value of play, socialisation, learning maths, part time school, and thoughts on testing. Learning in the Absence of Education is an intimate and honest look at day-to-day homeschooling life spanning several years. Includes articles on learning maths, reading and writing, spelling, socialisation, part time schooling, fathers and homeschooling, value of play, grading and testing, coping with stress and illness, and much more.

"These essays are the real life experiences of a long term home educator and activist and make inspiring reading... a valuable resource for all those interested in home education.... What I particularly appreciate are the personal day-to-day stories that are so specific in the incident or outcome These are essays written over time that reflect natural learning (read life) as it really happens.

I really enjoy Beverley's writing style in this book. It is very direct, sometimes even challenging the reader. She tries to be scrupulously honest always so we read of advantages and disadvantages of whatever topic she is discussing. She will also point out the ideal situation and how she thinks she falls short. Sometimes she is self-deprecating; sometimes she glows with enthusiasm for their successful lifestyle. There are touches of humour and sometimes wry cynicism.

Hopefully this book will answer many people's questions and fears about natural learning. It is all in here: how right it feels when natural learning is working well, what happens when we have insecurities ourselves, and the results so far. By presenting the natural learning case in this essay style, Beverley has been able to reflect the different moods, the ups and downs, that make the book a valuable resource for all those interested in home education, whatever their current style."
Janine Banks, home educator, Qld

ISBN 1876651016, 128 pages... $22.95

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