[Xmca-l] study chart of "daddy school"

[Huw Lloyd]

This may be relevant for those on the list interested in school / home
education.

Today is the last day of "school term". The schools here in the UK closed
in March and partially opened again recently (June). Since their closure I
have been providing a 4 hour "morning school" for our two boys (years 1 and
4 of primary school, both recently aged 6 and 9 respectively). I have been
doing this for 16 weeks. This has been followed up in the afternoon by some
exercises set by school teachers, which my wife has covered for.

The "daddy school" started out fairly impromptu and took on more structure
over time. I would describe it as a half-way house between a developmental
approach and conventional schooling. Principally, this is so that it fits
in with the manner of schooling presented in conventional classes. The lack
of planning for a curriculum was also offset by a good amount of content
ready to hand.

For the older child, some key differences from a conventional approach may
include:

1. High concentration of  teacher-student time.
2. Concentrated focus upon subjects. E.g. 4 hours or sometimes 4 days on
one activity.
3. Connection between subjects. E.g. mathematics and biology (graphs of
plant growth, growth rate); history, invention and design (how things work,
history of ideas, engaging with problems); history, geography, and
technology (conventional human cultural history); structures of
mathematical and linguistic expression (processes, forms); written
articulation of thoughts across subjects, reading comprehension across
subjects; language, biology and graph structures (latin taxonomies).
4. Philosophical and systems focus. Every activity relates to a
consideration of what it means to know. E.g. the relations between "how",
"what", and "why"; what constitutes an object; differences between the
living world and virtual, simulated worlds like minecraft.
5. Articulation and covering of "difficult" subjects, or presenting rich
subjects in ways accessible to the student's apprehension. Typically these
are subjects several years ahead of their school curriculum.
6. Problem solving activities.
7. Taking care, having a feeling for quality.

And for the younger child:

1. High concentration of  teacher-student time.
2. Concentrated focus upon subjects. E.g. 4 hours or sometimes 4 days on
one activity.
3. Protracted reading time. One chapter (or since June, two chapters) of
his adventure story books a day.
4. Articulation and covering of "difficult" subjects, or presenting rich
subjects in ways accessible to the student's apprehension. E.g. fractions,
percentages, graphs. Telling the time from an analog clock, comprehension.
5. Writing stories or accounts.
6. Problem solving and building tasks (e.g. following lego instructions).
7. Taking care, having a feeling for quality, e.g. in neat writing and
drawing or colouring.

Attached below are copies of the "study chart" produced by the older child.
The chart is not fully complete as it was produced retrospectively mid-way
through the work (from two A4 ring binders of work). The numbers on the
chart represent up to 15 minute units.

Best,
Huw
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