Noah's Children: Restoring the Ecology of Childhood

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, a joy to read
Review: I can't recommend this book too highly. It was very easy to read, very entertaining, but don't mistake it, it packs a powerful message of loss and of hope. Loss of much of the natural world that should be our children's heritage & birthright to explore and enjoy. Hope in the suggestions she gives for ameliorating this situation. Any parent or prospective parent will benefit enormously from this book, as well as anyone who loves & cares about the world around us.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but doesn't deliver what the title promises
Review: I do recommend this book for its explanation of how we and our children are losing the ties that bind us to each other and our environment and give stability and purpose to our lives. However, from my perspective, Ms. Stein describes the very reasons I have chosen to homeschool, specifically unschool, my children. She gives wonderful examples of how things are falling apart, but very limited explanations as to how to put them back together. She is dismissive of homeschooling, saying it is too much work for most people. Having met homeschoolers from a wide variety of incomes and educational backgrounds, the tie that binds them is that they all feel that the family is primarily responsible for raising the child. It is work, to be sure, but the rewards are great. Unschoolers in particular focus on building the connections between adults and children, placing learning in context, in the real world, not just in books. Children don't always need techers with PhD's, high tech gadgets, and the latest "stuff" - they need time with their parents and other adults to just "be". Be a part of everyday activities, see their place, see their worth, build connections. Noah's Garden and Planting Noah's Garden were much more well-rounded books. If you really want to know more about restoring the ecology of childhood, check out Life Learning magazine and Unschooling.com.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but doesn't deliver what the title promises
Review: I do recommend this book for its explanation of how we and our children are losing the ties that bind us to each other and our environment and give stability and purpose to our lives. However, from my perspective, Ms. Stein describes the very reasons I have chosen to homeschool, specifically unschool, my children. She gives wonderful examples of how things are falling apart, but very limited explanations as to how to put them back together. She is dismissive of homeschooling, saying it is too much work for most people. Having met homeschoolers from a wide variety of incomes and educational backgrounds, the tie that binds them is that they all feel that the family is primarily responsible for raising the child. It is work, to be sure, but the rewards are great. Unschoolers in particular focus on building the connections between adults and children, placing learning in context, in the real world, not just in books. Children don't always need techers with PhD's, high tech gadgets, and the latest "stuff" - they need time with their parents and other adults to just "be". Be a part of everyday activities, see their place, see their worth, build connections. Noah's Garden and Planting Noah's Garden were much more well-rounded books. If you really want to know more about restoring the ecology of childhood, check out Life Learning magazine and Unschooling.com.