Explicit instruction is based on a learning theory that suggests we remember what we think about most. from shutterstock.com Explicit instruction is a term that summarises a type of teaching in which lessons are designed and delivered to novices to help them develop readily-available background knowledge on a particular topic. Explicit […]
Trustful parenting is thrown off course, in various ways, when fear prevails. By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn I have long been advocating, on this blog and elsewhere, for what I refer to as trustful parenting. Trustful parents allow their children as much freedom as reasonably possible to make their own decisions. They trust their […]
It’s a cosmic whodunit. Electrons and their antimatter counterparts, positrons, interact around a neutron star in this visualization. Why is there so much more matter than antimatter in the universe we can see (Image: © NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center) Paul M. Sutter is an astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, host […]
By Idzie Desmarais I’m Unschooled. Yes, I Can Write Unschooling is all about respecting and trusting children. So when people who have liked my unschooling Facebook page start defending the practice of hitting children, I’m baffled as well as upset. Because the thing is, and I can’t state this strongly […]
You can help your children investigate any online hoax. Shutterstock/junpinzon It’s a parent’s responsibility to protect their children from harm, no matter where that threat of harm comes from. But what if the threat is a hoax? We’ve seen recently a rollercoaster of panic from parents trying to protect their […]
For most people human rights have increased, but for children they have shrunk. By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn We’ve made progress in many realms of civil rights over the past decades in the U.S. The rights of African Americans, women, gays and lesbians, and handicapped people have expanded, thanks […]
By Idzie Desmarais This post was originally published on Patreon in January of 2018. If you become a supporter for $1 a month you gain access to a brand new, patron exclusive post every month, along with the entire back catalog of Patreon posts. A few of them eventually make it onto […]
Those seeking natural living and learning environments for children, especially children, in need, could get together to discuss possible solutions to an issue many have likely observed. The, not intended, abuse of children by agencies that were created to help children in need. I am referring specifically to governmental social […]
By Idzie Desmarais Every now and then, someone talks about what type of people unschooling “produces.” They want to know about the products at the end of the line. I flinch, a little, when I see that. I know the phrasing isn’t intentionally bad. Usually, people are genuinely curious and not […]
Some problems can be solved best by taking a break from trying to solve them. By Peter Gray Ph.D. Freedom to Learn I begin this essay by listing five quite striking, possibly counterintuitive findings from research on problem solving. 1. People who show the symptoms of ADHD—notably, a tendency to be easily distracted […]