Littlemummy.com

Ben at Instigator Blog has a very interesting post entitled 10 Things They Need To Teach in Highschool.
I’m in agreement with most of the list, here’s what I would add.
Goal Setting – How to set goals and achieve them. Discuss ambition and motivation.
Research Skills – When you know how and where to find information and resources you have the power to teach yourself anything.
Self Development – How to continue to grow once school is behind you.

Life Skills – I’d have many topics under this heading including how to buy …

I found this idea in a very old book by Juliet Moxley. Erin’s too young for it yet, but it seems so simple, and ideal for mums and dads that aren’t that great with more in-depth projects.
All you need is some newspaper, a large piece of paper (wallpaper will do), masking tape, paint and a paintbrush.
Prep: Cover the work surface with newspaper.
1. Tear strips of newspaper and lay them across the paper, don’t be too tidy, the more raggedy (is that a word?!) the more interesting a pattern …

The Simple Dollar is urging us to have a money free weekend. Spending time rather than money is a lost art for many of us. Living on one (and a bit) income, and being an avid reader of the simple dollar for some time now I have thought a lot about the activities we can do as a family that are free.
Have a DVD Night
Dig out the dvd’s you haven’t watched for a while, use snacks from the house and make your own ‘in-house cinema’.
Teddy Bears Picnic
Younger kids …

Do schools kill creativity?
Following on from my own post Term-Time Holidaying & The Education System please check out the above talk by Sir Ken Robinson. (Thanks T-Bird)
Don’t forget to come back and share your views.
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I think the title is a little harsh, perhaps after speaking to a ‘real’ teacher I can see how difficult the job is, however, I strongly believe that that the points Sir Ken makes are valid. We do have a subject hierarchy that is difficult to justify at a time when the …

My opinions here were aroused by this news article on plans to keep a register of holidays taken within term-time.
I can’t stress enough how wrong I think this is.
For a start, the law states that a child must be provided with a suitable and age appropriate education. It does NOT state that a child must attend school, full, part or otherwise, that is why parents have free choice to homeschool, should they wish. This in mind, it begs the question, why do schools (and the government) have the …

We’re hearing it all the time in the media, banning schools sports days, discouraging competition, and here Craig tells of a television programme exploring the concept of not being graded at school.

My thoughts today – when did competition become the evil enemy?
I must admit I am quite competitive, I like to compete, and, yes I like to win (my husband has likened me to Monica in the Friends episode where she plays table tennis!). If I lose I feel a strong force inside me to improve and do better. …

Two years ago I was working as a nursery assistant earning very close to the minimum wage, I had job-hopped my way through almost eight years of my life working mostly in offices. After trying several different careers I was still no closer to deciding what I wanted to ‘do’.
For five years I had suffered in varying degrees with Crohn’s Disease, I was worried that if we waited too long to have a baby something awful might happen that would render me infertile, for Alex and I, a life …