This
is what Fiona and I did in all subjects , first with Miles and then
with Clifford. It works and will maximise the chances of any child
learning anything . So called education experts still argue for and
against this which I rather bleakly think is more about their status in
the academic and school world , good money and jobs there after all ,
than what works and is best for children. If society did this
education would cost a lot less as well . Doing things in this way is
progressing upwards whereas what we have at the moment is a downward
fall and very boring for children having targets and tests inflicted on
them.
Seems parents like the old T n Ts because when the SAT
tests first came out in the 90s when we were in York loads of the
middle class Mums , who really should have known better, liked them and
would discuss how well their kid had done, with the not so subtle
message that their kid was well ahead or as was most likely in with the
"top group" . I used to laugh my head off at this because when the tests
came came out, Smiths in York almost immediately had practice test
papers and booklets that sold by the shed load so most of these
obviously proud Mums were getting their kids to practise this stuff ad
nauseum. Poor kids and " Good grief" as I thought then "if your kid
needs to practice that simple stuff they have a problem!" .
Miles had one bash at practice SATs maxed it first time not because he's
a mega brain he's not but because he had years of FUN and took lots of
PRIDE doing maths , science and lots of essay writing with me . The
tests were way to easy in other words and still are. After topping the
tests, Whinfield School in Darlington thought he needed more practice ,
this angered Miles , first time at aged 10 I'd seen him really angry ,
so he went back into home education until part time schooling at
Longfield Secondary School where they were way more intelligent about
kids learning. Fun and pride is the key to maxing out whatever the kid
has. And putting the hours in of course!
When, through Fiona
administering these tests to kids , and she got great money for that by
the way , thousands per year, explained to me what they were about and
the almost knowledge free content of them ,I saw that they were a
national exercise in mass self deception and in a perverse way hampered
kids learning because not only were teachers teaching to the test but so
were the parents. So the kids lost twice ; its educationally useless
doing test stuff at school and because the parents want them to keep up
with the Jones' next door the kid can't do something educationally fun
at home . Grrrrrr! Miles was withdrawn from all of them and Clifford did
the Primary set but only because I didn't know they were going on . I
never paid much attention to what the school did . Bad Daddy!
Anyway after 40 years of rhetoric about "child centered" learning,
fostering the illusion that children are at the center of the learning
process , they never were , as I said "self deception", there is a
glimmer of hope in this Beeb article that "child controlled" learning
might peep out and really give the nations kids first and foremost a
good rewarding time but also genuinely increase the national IQ stock
which is the only way forward for any nation . We're doing our bit in
this Northern Eastern wasteland which I'm coming to love dearly and, as
Lord Kitchen Sink said " Your country needs you"!
Wow , I feel better after that ! Nowt like the ride 'em high chase 'em low rant.
This is what Fiona and I did in all subjects , first with Miles and then with Clifford. It works and will maximise the chances of any child learning anything . So called education experts still argue for and against this which I rather bleakly think is more about their status in the academic and school world , good money and jobs there after all , than what works and is best for children. If society did this education would cost a lot less as well . Doing things in this way is progressing upwards whereas what we have at the moment is a downward fall and very boring for children having targets and tests inflicted on them.
Seems parents like the old T n Ts because when the SAT tests first came out in the 90s when we were in York loads of the middle class Mums , who really should have known better, liked them and would discuss how well their kid had done, with the not so subtle message that their kid was well ahead or as was most likely in with the "top group" . I used to laugh my head off at this because when the tests came came out, Smiths in York almost immediately had practice test papers and booklets that sold by the shed load so most of these obviously proud Mums were getting their kids to practise this stuff ad nauseum. Poor kids and " Good grief" as I thought then "if your kid needs to practice that simple stuff they have a problem!" .
Miles had one bash at practice SATs maxed it first time not because he's a mega brain he's not but because he had years of FUN and took lots of PRIDE doing maths , science and lots of essay writing with me . The tests were way to easy in other words and still are. After topping the tests, Whinfield School in Darlington thought he needed more practice , this angered Miles , first time at aged 10 I'd seen him really angry , so he went back into home education until part time schooling at Longfield Secondary School where they were way more intelligent about kids learning. Fun and pride is the key to maxing out whatever the kid has. And putting the hours in of course!
When, through Fiona administering these tests to kids , and she got great money for that by the way , thousands per year, explained to me what they were about and the almost knowledge free content of them ,I saw that they were a national exercise in mass self deception and in a perverse way hampered kids learning because not only were teachers teaching to the test but so were the parents. So the kids lost twice ; its educationally useless doing test stuff at school and because the parents want them to keep up with the Jones' next door the kid can't do something educationally fun at home . Grrrrrr! Miles was withdrawn from all of them and Clifford did the Primary set but only because I didn't know they were going on . I never paid much attention to what the school did . Bad Daddy!
Anyway after 40 years of rhetoric about "child centered" learning, fostering the illusion that children are at the center of the learning process , they never were , as I said "self deception", there is a glimmer of hope in this Beeb article that "child controlled" learning might peep out and really give the nations kids first and foremost a good rewarding time but also genuinely increase the national IQ stock which is the only way forward for any nation . We're doing our bit in this Northern Eastern wasteland which I'm coming to love dearly and, as Lord Kitchen Sink said " Your country needs you"!
Wow , I feel better after that ! Nowt like the ride 'em high chase 'em low rant.
