Better Late Than Early

Better Late Than Early; A New Approach to Your Child’s Education by Raymond S. Moor and Dorothy N. Moore was one of the first books I ever read about homeschooling.    I purchased and read it over twenty years ago,  and I still have the tattered  book with many of my favorite passages highlighted.

Books such as Better Late Than Early encouraged me when many of my friend’s children were  beginning school early and following a very different path than we had chosen.    As I’m thumbing through it again, I realize that the information remains relevant today and I wanted to share some snippets as encouragement.

During the first crucial eight years, home should be the child’s only nest and parents the teachers for their children.  These are the years when the child requires affection and emotional security more than learning skills, when he should be able to get ready for life unfettered by school rules. - page 3

This statement was particularly helpful to me when friends were critical of our choice to educate at home:

It is time to look at the facts instead of at the neighbors.  Just because “everyone is doing ” it,” does not mean that “it” is safe or good or secure for children. - page 7

I also recall reading ,  Without professional training, simply by being herself, a concerned, loving mother usually can do more for her normal child than a teach can.  Parents should, of course, be willing to learn news ideas.  But a mother need not be a trained teacher, nor does she need to teach in any formal way.  By using the framework of every day home activities in a practical way, she can help her children learn as much as possible about the things around him.

If you are just starting out, or maybe in the midst of a challenge, trust your heart, your instincts and most importantly, trust your children. My boys are both in college now and I wouldn’t trade a minute of memories we shared while  homeschooling.  Those precious first eight years the Moore’s wrote about  nesting are irreplaceable, and for us,  late really was better than early.

March 30, 2009 | Filed Under Carnival, Empowerment, Fundamental Right 

Comments

7 Responses to “Better Late Than Early”

  1. debra on March 30th, 2009 8:45 pm

    A timely post, Mary. I was just thinking about that today. So many people are packing their children’s lives with classes, coops and lessons. Where is the time to enjoy each other? to share in discovery? to explore the world quietly and naturally?
    I think that we lose our sense of empowerment when we use so called experts to do what we can so naturally do as a family.

  2. admin on March 31st, 2009 9:58 am

    Thanks Debra. I guess I’m finally old enough to say those were simpler days!

  3. Judie on November 28th, 2009 1:56 am

    Thank you for a very true and touching post! The Moores’ books were my ‘best friends’ while homeschooling our eight children. Their research was so practical and thorough it gave me the confidence to relax while teaching my children and let them learn at their own pace in spite of peer pressure. The outcome was wonderful. The memories that are made while homeschooling are so precious.

    I now have the pleasure of working with the Moore’s son Dennis. For anyone that might be interested in reading the Moores’ books you can find the first chapter of each book in its entirety on our website. Whether you’re thinking of homeschooling or not, these books are classics for all caring parents and teachers everywhere.

    Thanks for sharing!

  4. Judie on November 28th, 2009 2:01 am

    I’m sorry! I forgot to leave the URL for the above post. You can find the first chapter of each book at: http://moorehomeschool.com/moore-books

  5. Mary on November 28th, 2009 9:30 am

    Thank you Judie,

    I’m going to share this link in a post to bring it to folks attention.

  6. Ashley on December 3rd, 2010 10:08 pm

    Thanks. That last paragraph is just what I needed right now. :)

  7. Mary on December 4th, 2010 10:00 am

    Hi Ashley– I’m really glad to hear that! Take care of yourself!