Documents for Juneteenth
The new federal holiday—Juneteenth—is so new that many Americans have only a vague notion of its importance. In time, however, it will be as much a part of American identity as the Fourth of July. Indeed, the new holiday’s official name is “Juneteenth National Independence Day.” Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie, together with 13 other representatives, […]
Parental Rights and Public Education
Sadly, political power-seekers have turned the public schools into battlegrounds. Special-interest groups do their best to convince parents that their local schools are trampling on their rights and the rights of their children. Parents and students do have specific legal rights in regard to the use of public schools in all states. Here they are: […]
Money Spent Per Pupil Does Not Guarantee Learning
According to the latest report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), The US spent approximately $12,800 per student on elementary and secondary education, which is 35% more than the OECD country average.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Good old US, spending more than anyone else on education. That must mean we produce an […]
Who Will Teach Your Child To Read?
Parents used to relying on tax-supported public schools six to seven hours a day, 180 days a year, are being introduced to a situation that existed for most of the long history of education. In most of human history, parents who wanted their children to learn to read paid someone to do it or did […]
Handwriting Instruction—Good and Bad
Lately, on Facebook, I have noticed two handwriting-related products. One is of possible short-term value, but the other is a dreadful idea. Training Pencil Grip The possibly useful product is a device that is placed on the writing end of the pencil to hold the thumb and index finger in the tripod position. The device […]
How to Study for a Spelling Test
Browsing the web, I have come across some really bad advice for teaching spelling. This bad advice recommends that children approach words as strings of letters to be memorized. “Have him say the word while looking at it. Tell him to close his eyes, try to see the word, and then spell the […]