"Unschooling stems from the premise that learning is natural and personal - and as such it depends utterly on the individual's perceptions and perspectives. It is not something that can be given or created from the outside. There is no way to guarantee what another person will learn. From that perspective, teaching isn't so much bad as superstitious."
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query meredith. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query meredith. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2022
Monday, January 22, 2018
Pancakes
Meredith Novak wrote:
The first time I made pancakes with white flour he thought they were the best pancakes he'd ever eaten.
Here's an interesting tidbit, though: after a few weeks of being allowed to have all the cakes and cokes he could eat at our house he out-and-out said "You know what, now that I can have all the sugar I want, I don't want nearly as much of it."
—Meredith
photo by Sandra Dodd, of pancakes designed by Devyn, 8
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Saturday, February 7, 2015
Books and clocks. . . music, blocks
Meredith Novak wrote, on facebook:
SandraDodd.com/meredithnovak
photo by Sandra Dodd
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If you live in a home with books and clocks, movies, music, blocks, games, dishes, furniture, toys, clothes, the internet, and adults who are interested in kids, then you have "the basics" all around your kids all the time. And because those basics are there, kids will learn about them&mdashthey'll learn that words are a valuable tool and there are many ways to use them. They'll learn that numbers and patterns are as useful as words and sometimes better than words for a given purpose. They'll learn those things without lessons, living and playing and snuggling on the couch with you without ever needing to draw a line between those things and learning. —Meredith Novak * |
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Saturday, September 29, 2012
It's a marvel.
Meredith Novak wrote:
"Kids learn because they are full of curiosity and wonder. That's big. It's a marvel. Wondering is what takes people—including children—from observation to something else, to asking questions and looking for answers. To trying and finding out. Wondering is one of the reasons people push through challenges—climb real mountains and metaphorical ones. You can't Give someone that kind of motivation; it only comes from deep within. Sadly, you can take it away, and teaching someone who doesn't really want to be taught is a proven way of doing so."
The quote in larger context is at the link above,
and you can read more about wonder here: SandraDodd.com/wonder.
photo by Sandra Dodd, of a WWII pillbox outside a UK aircraft factory
and you can read more about wonder here: SandraDodd.com/wonder.
photo by Sandra Dodd, of a WWII pillbox outside a UK aircraft factory
Friday, December 12, 2014
Peace on earth
In a longer discussion, Joyce Fetteroll wrote that people should be focused on helping a child "peacefully co-exist with the rest of the planet."
Meredith Novak added:
SandraDodd.com/peace
photo by Sandra Dodd
Meredith Novak added:
I think this is really key. If you're focused on who's "right" or which "side" to take, that's going to narrow down both your perception of the situation and the options you can envision.Helping maintain peace within families is a direct contribution to peace on earth.
photo by Sandra Dodd
Monday, April 14, 2014
Good habits
"If you want to establish good habits, be gentle with your kids' feelings. Make their lives warmer and softer and easier so the habits they develop are those of warmth and joy, comfort and care."
—Meredith Novak
April 13, 2014
April 13, 2014
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Monday, June 22, 2020
More and more cheerfully
You should help him pick up his toys, and the more cheerfully you do that, the more cheerfully he will help you. |
photo by Meredith Dew
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Measurements
"Sometimes the measure of unschooling's success isn't how much a kid meets normal expectations, but how much sweeter and easier life is."
—Meredith Novak
(original, on facebook)
(original, on facebook)
photo by Sarah Dickinson
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Sunday, March 18, 2012
Joyfully health-filled
"It's often more helpful to kids when parents step back from focusing on the kids' health and focus on their own. Focus on being joyfully health-filled rather than grimly health conscious."
SandraDodd.com/meredithnovak
the quote is from the middle of this Always Learning post
photo by Sandra Dodd
—Meredith Novak
SandraDodd.com/meredithnovak
the quote is from the middle of this Always Learning post
photo by Sandra Dodd
Friday, October 28, 2022
Measuring
—Meredith Novak
(original, on facebook)
(original, on facebook)
photo by Cátia Maciel
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Observation and more
"Wondering is what takes people—including children—from observation to something else, to asking questions and looking for answers."
—Meredith Novak
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Friday, January 25, 2013
Pure gold
"So I invite you to try a little bitty bit of unschooling: say yes more. Not about everything all the time and not at random—question your "Nos" and "laters", your "have tos" and "shoulds" and rethink some of those. Find more options, more ideas, more ways to say yes. Just that. And life with your children gets sweeter and more peaceful. That's pure gold."
—Meredith Novak
photo by Julie D
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Enough, and a little bit more
—Meredith Novak
photo by Colleen Prieto
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Saturday, July 27, 2013
Rediscover wonder
"Watch and listen to your kids. Let yourself get caught up in what they find wonderful and in the process rediscover wonder itself." —Meredith Novak |
photo by Colleen Prieto
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Kindness, grace and generosity
"Kindness, grace, and generosity go a lot further toward creating warm relationships and a joyfully harmonious home than measuring out equality." —Meredith Novak |
photo by Chrissy Florence
Friday, December 20, 2019
Sharing life
I expected unschooling to cause me to be closer to my kids, when they were young, than I might otherwise have been. As time went by, though, I found that I was being kinder to my husband and nicer to my pets.
Others have reported this effect, and their surprise. As unschooling principles became a deeper part of their lives, they discovered a gentler homelife, and an expectation of kindness.Unforeseen Benefits of Unschooling
photo by Meredith Dew
Others have reported this effect, and their surprise. As unschooling principles became a deeper part of their lives, they discovered a gentler homelife, and an expectation of kindness.
photo by Meredith Dew
Friday, April 11, 2014
Don't fight nature
—Meredith Novak
photo by Sandra Dodd
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Sunday, December 15, 2013
Connections and Adventures
"That's part of the magic of unschooling—information swirls around, connects and reconnects until you're not really sure where learning begins and ends and where any particular adventure will lead you." —Meredith Novak |
photo by Sandra Dodd
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Cool and cheery
Help them live without having things to be angry about. Promote peace. Be a cool, cheery cruise director. Arrange for less anger to be around you. What they're angry about—avoid those factors. |
photo by Meredith Dew
Sunday, August 1, 2021
Just Do it!
photo by Cathy Koetsier
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