The Crown of the Aged

Published with Permission
Written by Patricia Hunter
pollywogcreek.blogspot.com
www.TOSMagazine.com

“Tell me again,” my mom asked. “Why are you homeschooling your children?”

It was a question my parents asked often during our first few years of homeschooling. They weren’t openly critical of our decision to home school, but they didn’t understand our reasoning and convictions either.

My parents were educated in public schools, and after they had children of their own, they were satisfied to enroll us in the local public schools as well. Though our parents’ choices for our education weren’t a significant factor in our decision to home school our children, they initially interpreted it as criticism of the choices they had made as parents. (more…)

A Modern Famous Home Scholar

                                                 Erik Demaine

When Erik Demaine joined the faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) he was 20, and the youngest professor ever in the history of the school. Demaine home schooled while traveling around the United States with his father, a goldsmith and glassblower. Demaine started college when he was 12, and finished his bachelor’s degree two years later at age 14. In addition to being a mathematical and computational genius, Demaine is something of an artist. He wrote his dissertation on the computational logic of origami, and is known as the leading theoretician of origami mathematics, which uses paper origami models to understand mathematical concepts and apply them to disciplines like architecture, robotics and molecular biology. In 2008 Demain collaborated with his father on an artistic collection of mathematical origami, which was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art and ultimately incorporated into the museum’s permanent collection.

Reading, Writing, and Reciting Poetry: Bringing Back Lost Arts!

Published with Permission
Written by Maggie S. Hogan
www.BrightIdeasPress.com
www.TOSMagazine.com

Yes, your family can enjoy reading, writing, and reciting poetry. If you take the time to follow the suggestions in this article, you may find that poetry can become a glue that helps bind your family together. Really! Consider this: Funny poems will get the family laughing, thoughtful ones provide conversation starters, and Godly ones can unite a family in praise. Granted, not all children or teens are going to jump at the chance to sit down and recite poetry with Mom, Dad, and little brother, but persevere! Years later, grown siblings will look back and share laughs about poetry time . . . as they carefully preserve this tradition in their own families. Let’s look at the “whys” and the “hows” of cultivating this tradition in your family.

Why Memorize Poetry?

Memorizing or “learning by heart” was an important educational element for most of history until the mid twentieth century when misguided educators decided that rote learning somehow dampened creativity and learning. On the contrary, the benefits to memorizing are numerous. (more…)