Free the world, one mind at a time.
The Unwelcome Revival of Race Science is far longer than need be, and carries a certain amount of unnecessary political baggage, but nonetheless, there's some gold among the dross. Gist: racial theories are on the rise, particularly among today's alt-right. To understand why the claims of race theorists are bogus, the author examines the data.… Continue reading Racialism is Bogus
What can you as a parent do to help your children develop their language skills? Workbooks? Flash cards? No, my advice is much simpler. Talk to them. Talk early. Talk often. Talk about all the interesting aspects of your life together. My fans may remember the 30 million word research. Today, I discovered an extensive… Continue reading Talk Early, Talk Often
Remember the saying? There's no such thing as a free lunch? This is true for all "free" goods provided by the government. First off, obviously, taxpayers cover the costs. Second, government is seldom or never the most efficient provider of services. But most importantly, "free" school (the topic of this article) comes packaged with a… Continue reading No Such Thing As Free School
"My 5 year old son keeps asking to do more math, and I have to keep explaining to him that school is over, and it's summer vacation now!" Sorry, but you're doing home education wrong. Anytime anyone, of any age, expresses an interest in math, I'm happy to oblige. Home education requires very little "formal… Continue reading To Suppress Natural Curiosity – Or Not?
Over the past forty years of striving to make computers do what I want, I have gained a few hard-won truths. One is that we can be very poor critics of own ideas. We love those ideas; we poured our own blood, sweat and tears into them. Of course they must be right; of course… Continue reading You Are Your Own Worst Critic
Why are school lessons so bad? Perhaps we overlook the most crucial of reasons, discovered by Parkinson: work expands to fill time. Compulsory attendance laws mandate that children attend to something for ever-increasing parts of their lives, under the direction of professional educators, at ever-increasing cost. It simply wouldn't do to pay these educators to… Continue reading Makework Expands To Fill Time
"Let's bring this meeting to order," said the Mayor. "Order, please." He banged the gavel. Quiet emerged in the packed City Council Chambers. Cameras flashed. "All right, to begin, this is a highly informal meeting, at the request of a group which calls themselves the Freedom Zone. This group, and the area where they reside,… Continue reading Freedom Zone Confronts City Council
One of the most viral posts this year involved a parent humbly begging the Crown for permission to take their child on an educational trip without risking the threat of force. The post reproduced a letter to a parent. The principal who signed that letter thought this highly unfair, since her goals were allegedly aligned… Continue reading May It Please The Crown, Let Our Children Go
The most common question for home educators, by far, is "What about socialization?" I'm always shocked. Socialization was always the least of my concerns. It's a big world out there. Let kids out in the world, and they'll socialize with everybody. Humans are inherently social; socialization is as natural as walking and talking. Actually, socialization… Continue reading Socialization is Normal
Random comment from the 'Net: "I think a tax break for home schooled families is a great idea. However, you forget that we live in a community, and no man is an island. Those families do benefit from living in a community where others are educated." Whoa! This argument cuts both ways: the community arguably… Continue reading Home Education: Public Benefit?
