Delayed Academics
Delayed Academics
Dr.
Raymond Moore was part of a task force of leading American educators who
studied early childhood learning for the U.S. Office of Economic
Opportunity. Based on his research, Dr. Moore reached three conclusions:
(1) many children suffer needless physical, emotional, and mental stress
because they are placed in academic settings before their vision, hearing,
nervous system, reasoning abilities, and muscular coordination are
developed enough to complete conventional schooling tasks; (2) children
are often taught academic skills before they have enough life experiences
and background knowledge to comprehend what they are learning or grasp the
concepts involved; (3) children under the age of 12 who spend more time
with their peers than with adults become "peer dependent", that is, they
learn to derive their sense of self-worth from their peers. Dr. Moore and
his wife, Dorothy, have since become two of America's leading advocates of
home education. They have written many books on home schooling, all of
which share these common themes:
Formal
education should be delayed until the child is mentally, physically and
emotionally ready. Readiness occurs at different times in different
children, but the perceptive parent is capable of knowing when the time is
right. Academics are better begun in the form of multi-sensory programs.
Workbooks are to be avoided, and the reading of factual, moral literature
is to be encouraged.
A
child's activities should be divided so that roughly 1/3 of his time is
spent on study, 1/3 is spent involved in family activities, and 1/3 is
spent in service to others.
Children
who learn good habits, help with housework, and are involved with service
projects or home businesses, will learn to be responsible and to serve
others both inside and outside the home.
If a
child's associations with peers are carefully limited and guided, the
family will remain the center of his life and he will not become peer
dependent.
Children
will excel at academics when they are surrounded by loving, interested
adults who will interact with them, read to them, show them a great deal
of affection, and present them with as many enriching life experiences as
possible.
Projects
or unit studies are the most productive methods of teaching, but drills
help in mastering basic facts, such as math.
Strengths
of the Delayed Academics Approach:
-
Allows
child to learn when ready
-
Avoids peer
dependency
-
Stresses
strong character, service to others, family involvement, and meaningful
work
-
Allows more
time for family bonding
-
Avoids
academic "burn out"
Weaknesses
of the Delayed Academics Approach:
Used by permission Elijah
Company
Related
Links:
http://www.moorefoundation.com
Traditional |
Classic |
Units |
Living Books |
Eclectic |
Montessori
Waldorf |
Unschooling |
Delayed Academics |
Principles
