What autonomous education means to us
Autonomous education certainly doesn't mean lack of intervention with your child. The parents' attention, support, resources, etc are all important when allowing your child to follow their interests. They will not learn if surrounded by uninterested people or no resources - or people who do nothing themselves. My children see me doing all sorts of things throughout the week - and this gives them the opportunity to talk about things, try out new things, learn what they do and don't like.
The thing with the way my family lives is that there is no line between work and play. They have never been told that doing maths is dull or hard or boring etc - likewise they have never been told that playing pirates or sitting looking out the window is dull, hard or boring. They are choices - and depending on their moods they can pick and choose what they feel like doing.
Another typical day
Today my 6 year old has been looking at the rain out of the window - which then led on to many, many questions about rain, clouds, weather etc (when was the first cloud????????) and so we looked at books and watched the weather forecast. Then he got distracted in his science book by pages on parachutes - so then we made a mini parachute and talked about those etc. We made kites last week and so we were talking about the wind and uses etc.
Some friends came for a couple of hours this afternoon and the children played, and now the boys are sat playing with a freebie CD ROM that has this weird alien that you can animate etc (no idea what it is called or where they get these things - they just seem to find them and load them on the computer - they have their own and have learnt how to load things, save things etc - I love to watch them!) so they are busy making this creature dance and do gymnastics!!
No advance planning
The amazing thing is that this morning we woke up with no idea of what the day ahead would hold - yet the children have socialised, they have read, done science, arts and crafts, maths (measuring for the parachute etc), cooking. My 6 year old wrote an email to a friend (English and Computer skills), he sorted the snailmail this morning and opened his own (Artie Beat comic and some packs that the sugar companies in the UK sent us - all about sugar production, uses and history!). They raced about and played catch with the soft balls (PE), played with water in the sink, then put wet clothes to dry on the radiators and watched the steam! (science).
All this came from my Son. My younger two joined in as and when they wanted to. I didn't prompt or push or force them to do any 'subject' at all. I was there though, to answer any questions - direct them to books or the computer when necessary and to supply any equipment necessary.
This has been an average day, and I really do not see that my child needs anything more formal than this. He loves to learn things and I just know that by making him sit for even ten minutes (which seems like ages to a 5 or 6 yr old) that it would kill his enjoyment of that particular subject. Life is just life - you can't really split it into separate subjects to be 'taught'. Not at such a young age anyway.
Self discipline will come as and when they are ready for it - why does a five year old need to be self disciplined anyway? He is a child. He should be free to enjoy his childhood - it is so short anyway!! What other time in life is there to enjoy so much freedom and lack of responsibility?
I am not particularly disciplined even as an adult - neither is my Husband - yet he is very successful in his career, and I am very happy in my family life!
Jane Fernandez, Spring 1999
Update to Jane's situation (Winter 1999)
In the Summer of 1999 the family moved house and the two older children asked to go to school. Jane was able to find a small and friendly primary school where her two boys started in September. They settled in well and the family enjoyed the social and academic aspects of school.
Other approaches to
home
education:
Gayle
-
Heather - Henrietta
- Kathie
- Paula
- Sue