in The Wake Of Covid, A Lot Of ‘new Normal’ Topics Keep Running Around – From How We Are Coping/ Enjoying/ Groaning With Housework, Zoom Literacy, Upskilling And The Dreaded ‘homeschooling’.
the Months In The Year That Most Parents Scramble To Organize Their Kids’ Lives – How Do We Keep Them Busy For The Hours That They Are Usually In School? What Are The Classes I Can Find – Swimming, Robotics? Oh Yay, The School Is Running A Summer Camp!
this Year, Those Months, See The Kids Not Just On A Break From School, But On A Break From Any Activity That We Could Have Found To Engage Them With. More Worryingly, we Think Their Learning Is Being Compromised – They Are Losing Precious Time That Could Have Been Spent ‘learning’.
drawn Up Here Is A List Of Books That Perhaps Will Help You Allay Those Fears And Introduce You To The Idea Of Learning Being As Natural To Kids As A Fart Joke.
to Make Up For Using The F Word I’ll Be Poetic Now – You Can Kill A Plant By Over-watering It. And Nurture It Just As Much By Singing Around It, Letting It Turn Whichever Direction It Needs And Periodically Letting It Starve.
with Zero Clarity On When Schools Will Reopen To Allow Kids Back In Their Premises And If Things Will Ever Return To Normal- Parents- mostly Of Younger Kids Have Resorted To The Option Of Homeschooling That Has Been Prevailing For A Long Time In The Country But Has Gained A Lot More Popularity In The Last Few Months.
anyhow, These Experts Have Written Entire Books That will Cause A Shift In The Way You View The Time Your Kids Spend, Bringing Freedom To Both Them and You. as Someone Who Has Homeschooled Her Child, these Are My Recommendations.
how Children Learn By John Holt
the Author Of This Book Worked For Many Years In Schools And Observed How Children Learned And How They Failed. He Has Written As Many As 11 Books On Education But I’m Picking The Most Hopeful One. With Simple Stories Supported By Data From His Working Years, Holt Brings Together The Idea Of A Child As A Natural Learner And How We As The Caretakers Must Learn To Trust The Inherent Need For Understanding That Little Humans Have And Leave Them To Do It In The Best Way Possible – On Their Own And At Their Own Pace.
totto Chan, The Little Girl At The Window By Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
this Book Is A Memoir Set Just Before The 2nd World War. Told With Warmth And Humour, It Is A Slim And Easy Story Of A Little Girl Who Was Labelled ‘trouble’ But With The Right Teachers And Environment Blossomed Into A Successful, Independent Woman. What’s Interesting To Note Is That When You Find An Impactful, Meaningful Environment, Its Influence On Your Life Stays Far Longer Than The Period You Spent With Them.
the Element By Sir Ken Robinson
this Knighted Gentleman Has Too Long A Bio To Get Into. A Passionate Believer In The Importance Of Arts And Creativity In Individuals And Organizations, He Is Also A Great Speaker. Check Out His Ted Talks For A Quick Peek Into His Ideas And Then Dive Into This Book, The Tagline Of Which Is ‘how Finding Your Passion Changes Everything’. I’m Not A Big One For Beating The Drums About ‘finding Your Passion’, And In A Way This Book Helps You Understand That The Definition Of Our Passions Can Be Widened, Our Passions Don’t Need Societal Acceptance – But They May Help Unlock Our Happiness And That Of Our Children.
free At Last By Daniel Greenberg
this Book Is Part Of The Reflections From The Sudbury Valley School System And Follows The Journey Of A Free School. Free Schools Being A Concept You May Want To Explore Further. But In The Book – It Is Episodic, Full Of Fun Anecdotes On The Way Relationships Between Learners And Teachers Can Be Built And How We Can Redefine The Notions Of Who Is A Teacher And Who Is A Student And How To Build Environments Where Children Develop Both Respect And Agency.
in This Whirlpool Of A Time, Where Things Are Shifting, Changing Every Day, I Hope These Books Help You Regain A Sense Of Calm And Hope And Even Confidence, That This May Be The Best Time To Let Your Children Forge Their Own Paths For This Unknown World Ahead.
Mansi Zaveri
Janani S Koushik
KSP Team
Neha Savla
Rati Ramadas Girish
