When our homeschooled friend Bert was 11 he set himself to learn Latin sufficient to understand the nomenclature of taxonomy. Now at age 15, Bert was awarded an internship normally given to grad students at the Big Sur Ornithological Lab, and serves as a Field Naturalist on pelagic boat trips out of Monterey Bay. Rachel, who loves to work with her hands, tried her first home business making scarves at age nine, but found she couldn t add enough value to charge adequately for her time. For the next two years, she prospered somewhat more making clothespin angel Christmas ornaments, but still wasn t getting the return she hoped for when she factored in her time and materials. Now at 13, she s making a killing in the English toffee market.
Genuine motivations lead to genuine thinking lessons.
Taught in the act Homeschool parents don t teach thinking on purpose, but they do it all day long in the context of their children s questions and interests. When Caroline was 12, she found a recipe exchange on the Internet. Sure, I hung around near the kitchen, made a few pointed suggestions, and gave consultation about whether the muffins were done, but the evening and the glory were all hers. Homeschool parents also teach thinking by demonstration, by simply living. We ve read maps because we wanted to go places, we ve learned how to fix a piano because it was busted, we ve rolled up our sleeves to advance our causes and spread our charity, and we ve spoken of spiritual matters in times of loss and joy.