Humor me for a moment...If you were trapped on a desert island with all your kids and could only have one school resource/book besides the Bible what would you choose? Tough one, I know. But, assuming that all my children have learned to read, I would MOST DEFINITELY bring some kind of logic building resource.
By taking a sneak peek at our
curriculum list for the year, you will probably notice that each of my school-aged Littles have "Logic Skills" listed as a weekly subject. You'll also probably notice that they are all working through a Critical Thinking Co. book...but we'll get to that...
Kid's are sponges. Give your child information and he/she will, inevitably, be able to regurgitate it to you. Tell him that 1+1 = 2 and he will eventually be able to parrot that information back. But, does that mean that he is smart? Or does it just means he's a good parrot? So much of "school" is the giving and taking of information. But that is not necessarily imparting useful knowledge. Knowledge is only useful when a child is able to take facts and information and apply it to their own personal lives and situations...
when 1+1 = 2 can be USED and APPLIED not just repeated in a monotone voice.
I'm a firm believer in teaching a child HOW to think not WHAT to think. Don't just fill a child's head with information without ALSO giving him the critical analysis tools...cognitive skills...reasoning ability...logical assessment prowess to DO SOMETHING with that information.
My children will not be under my tutelage forever. I'd like to give them the discernment skills necessary to THINK whether I am standing next to them or not. Logic and reasoning are essential requirements for a lifelong love of learning...which should be a primary goal of all homeschoolers.