Last week, I wrote that the responsibility for educating children is still in the hands of pare... and most of the
Unfortunately, the “professional educators” have done a very good job of convincing most parents that they are not capable of teaching their own children. That simply is not true. Again, as explained in my earlier article, parents still do most of the educating of their children, even if the children attend school.
The vast majority of parents are perfectly capable of handling most of the educational needs of their children. Reading to young children, teaching them how to sound out words and how to count are enjoyable and natural activities. A trip to the grocery store can involve lots of learning – reading the labels and signs in the store, figuring out which product is a better value, counting the number of items in the grocery cart, figuring out how much change is due at the checkout, and so forth.
Planning a garden can involve measuring, calculating area, drawing a chart, setting up a time line, planting seeds, caring for the plants, cooking the produce, following a recipe – all important learning experiences which are learned in a very natural way.
As the child gets older, if there are areas in which the parents need or want help, they have many options. For example, families can form co-ops in which parents share the teaching responsibilities. Or families can hire tutors or ask a friend or neighbor to help with special subjects. There also are many excellent courses offered on-line, often at no cost.
Children can learn many important life lessons by participating on a sports team, or helping with a political campaign, or raising farm animals, as just a few examples. Of course, attending church and taking advantage of religious education opportunities are very important in teaching children the values that will direct their lives in a positive, healthy direction.
It also should be remembered that part of a good education involves teaching children how to do their own research so that, in some subject areas, the children end up teaching themselves. When the child asks a question about something, the parent can use that as an opportunity to encourage the child to research that topic and write about it.
Education options such as charter schools and tuition vouchers are great, and we should push to make them available to more families, but no formal schooling can substitute for the natural learning that occurs when parents or grandparents and children interact with each other.
Parents need to take their responsibility seriously, evaluate all the resources at their disposal, and use those resources to ensure that their children are getting the education they need for a successful life.
