Comments on: Overall Education, Depth vs Acceleration

By: Tamsyn Spackman

Tamsyn Spackman — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:53:51 +0000

As a side note, this post was originally a new thread I started on Brillkids. There has been some amazing insights and stories shared by other members of the community. So, for further reading, here is what others have to say about it.

http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-older-child/overall-education-acceleration-vs-depth/

By: Tamsyn Spackman

Tamsyn Spackman — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:52:00 +0000

I appreciate your comment, Heather. However, this plan is actually not that ambitious for our family, given the early education they have already received. My 5-year-old doesn't need to be taught how to read, he is already independently studying an anatomy book in his free time. This is the next step for us. He also plays with his friends in our town-home, is involved in other homeschooling co-ops, and is well-adjusted socially for a 5-year-old. I have studied the lives and families who have chosen this path, and I see well-adjusted, balanced children.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:08:08 +0000

I am a big fan of education, or I wouldn't do what I do (homeschool), but I would rather have my children grow up to be happy, well-adjusted adults then to be book heads with no social skills. This plan seems to be so intense and driven that I can't fathom they would be normal outside of academia and maybe not even that. Knowledge does not equate to maturity. You can't force puberty no matter how many books they read. You can have a high school education but that doesn't give you the maturity level that comes with 18. I think a better focus would be to give them a great education but make sure that with that comes social, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. I can't fathom that having a Master's Degree at 16 or 18 would allow for development of any of those other areas.