What an awesome book for parents to read! It’s understandable that every mom and dad wants to give their child all the best opportunities in the world. And with 90% of brain growth & development occurring in the first 5 years of a child’s life, it’s a natural instinct for a parent to want to provide the best education. The book written by Dorothy & Raymond Moore, Better Late Than Early, answers the question: What is the best education? Unfortunately, it’s a lack of understanding, or a disregarding of the research, which compels most parents to send their child to school. Or in the case of homeschooling, to be attached to "teaching" them before they are ready; creating a kind of school-at-home. Raymond and Dorothy Moore emphasize the importance of a parent assuming the role of a loving parent, not as a teacher. For example, both my parents were school teachers yet, while homeschooling my brother and I, they never "taught" us or tried to give "lessons". And they give major credit to Better Late Than Early for confirming their own experience and offering confidence that they were on the right track. They firmly understood that every child develops and is ready to learn at different ages. One consequence of this is that my brother and I both taught ourselves to read. Here is Dad's passing comment on the book:

"In working out your child’s best school starting age, you can do no better than to read Better Late Than Early. You don’t have to agree with everything in it but I bet you’ll agree with some of it. And all of it will make you think."

So this leads into the question: If not "teaching" then what can a parent do for their child's education? In a word: Less... On that note, the following is a brief chapter-by-chapter overview of Part I and a general overview of Part II.

PART I

Part I focuses on whether a child’s early education shall be centered in the family or in some more formalized program outside the home.

Chapter 1: Behind the Early Childhood Scene

Apart from glaring special cases, it’s made clear that children receive a better foundation for future development and learning from a secure and responsive home environment in which understanding parents guide the child's education.

Chapter 2: Making the Laws

A brief synopsis of how the mandatory school age has been lowered over the years with no apparent reason except for getting children off the streets or because other states are doing it.

Chapter 3: Some Common Fears and Questions

The chapter addresses fears about socialization, parental capacity, school laws and whether children need freedom from home.

Chapter 4: When They Are Ready for School

Early childhood education must take into account the development of the child’s brain, vision, hearing, perception, emotions, sociability, family and school relationships and physical growth.

Chapter 5: Developing Attachments

Rather than being thrust into a sink-or-swim environment, a child is best served to be allowed to build confidence with the nurture and attachment of loving parents.

Chapter 6: Opportunity for Parents

Although seldom mentioned, a child needs freedom to be by him/herself, just to be. Solitude is an ingrained human longing.

Chapter 7: Time and the Senses

Rather than being concerned with teaching a child specific abilities, concern should be given to the balanced development of the brain and the natural development of vision, hearing and perception.

Chapter 8: Learning to Reason

The authors argue that forcing a child’s intellect has little basis in research or common sense and that children should be permitted to unfold naturally.

Chapter 9: Comparing Early and Late Starters

Research comparing children who started school at a normal age to those who started late found no academic disadvantage for later starters; some excelled later and maintained a healthier attitude to learning.

Chapter 10: Comparing Home and School Costs

The authors compare the effectiveness and cost of parent-centred education with preschool programs.

PART II

Part II embraces available knowledge about child development rather than assuming children must learn basic academic skills before the age of eight. It looks at reactions, special needs, play things, activities and opportunities for learning across age groups from birth to around nine.

Final Thoughts

For just under 10 bucks, you can get the Kindle version of Better Late Than Early and access an invaluable perspective on early childhood development and homeschooling.

Mick.