There’s a part of Pippi Longstocking’s first book where the author describes Pippi as not being able to write very well because she never went to school. The children and I laugh at that part, since our experience of not being in school is quite the opposite – they learn to do anything they set they’re minds to, but it’s not lack of school that prevents them from learning. In other words, the author would have made sense if she wrote that Pippi didn’t write well because she never decided it was important or interesting.
I’m amazed at what children can learn without any help from anyone – when they’re inspired. So far I’m convinced Gianna is much better off without school, from many different angles – socially and academically.
The main example I have of her academic achievement so far is her reading ability. She’s been reading a series called Rainbow Magic – completely devouring these little books in a half hour each… just plowing through them. My mom had a group of four sent to us, we opened them up and she had read them before I even called that evening to thank Mum.
We went to the Santa Maria library today and, secretly, I was hoping something would open up for her there. Perhaps the selection of books would open her to a new series that had more pages, more meat, more content than the Rainbow Magic series. A librarian happened to hand her a Fairy Realm book, which appears to still be mainstream, but it originates in Australia, so it must be good! The book Gianna sampled is long, with only a few pictures sprinkled here and there – so I figured it would give her some challenge and keep her satisfied for a while.
She was finished with it by the time we got home.
She also checked out a Harry Potter book, which she seems to be enjoying, though I think she doesn’t know all the words.
We never taught her to read. She never took a class. She never talked about it. I started realizing she was reading when she was four when I’d be reading to her and get distracted and come back to the book saying under my breath, “now, where was I?” and she would point to where I was.
My challenge is to go with Colin’s flow around reading. He’s not interested – and that’s completely fine. If he doesn’t read until he’s much older, that’s just perfect.