Learning in the Absence of Education

Essays on Homeschooling

© Beverley Paine

A Day in the Life of a Child 'Damaged' by the Modern World
(continued)

Roger, his sixteen year old brother, is awake, showered and ready for action. More talk, mostly about what they will do today. Roger has been homeschooled too, and is at the stage of launching into the adult world of work and wages. On Fridays he does voluntary work experience at the Landscaping Supplies Yard where his dad works. But today is Monday.

The boys wander outside to feed the animals with April, their sister, who is a year 12 student at the local high school. Together they feed something like sixty five pets! They love their animals, although taking care of them is a huge undertaking. Together with their parents they have crafted the enclosures, and various houses. Looking after the animals takes about an hour a day. Sometimes they borrow books from the library to learn more about their animals. Breeding is a favourite past-time, but usually means more work! All the animals have names, and until recently each birth was recorded on a calendar.

April disappears down the hill to the nearby school. She is keenly missed by her brothers.Thomas urges Roger to play Lego. Not much urging is needed because today they are building robots with fully articulated joints to match the ones they are playing with on the new computer game, EarthSiege II. The boys spend hours creating models of many of
the things they see on television and computer games, but also from real life. Lego is their favourite medium, but they have used paper, cardboard, wood, plaster, plastic, twigs, fibre and more. Creating and building is one of their favourite past-times.

Sometime later Roger goes out to let out the chickens. He has set ten o'clock as the time to do that to avoid the risk of foxes taking the poultry. A lesson in animal husbandry learned the hard way. Thomas is eating breakfast when he comes back inside. The boys always get their own breakfast.

Next they disappear into the computing corner and play EarthSiege. The boys are very happy to support the ruling that they only get forty-five minutes each on the computer, as they understand how much power the computer uses and how long it takes to charge the batteries of our home grown power system. At midday. Thomas goes out to manually track
the solar panels so that the maximum amount of power can be generated.

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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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Homeschool Australia SA HE Network Unschool~Kidz! About Beverley Paine

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