Before our break, I had some books out from the library to do some professional learning. Many of the books that I read are about child development and raising children, as well as teaching children. If you like to order books from the library, then you might want to check some of these out. (as a physical book, and ebook or an audiobook).
The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment
The book is subtitled "Reclaiming Wonder in your Child's Education"
It sounded great when I read about it on someone's blog. And it is a great book. But it is about homeschooling your child :) I totally missed that part when I ordered it. I like to read about different theories of education, so I continued reading it. I would say, if you are thinking about homeschooling, this is a perfect book.
If you are not thinking about homeschooling, take the book out of the library and quickly read the first 16 chapters.
The 5 Chapters at the end made me think "I should buy this book"
The School of Nature
The Power of Story
The Pedagogy of Play
The Curriculum of Curiosity
The Magic of Wonder
Those 5 Chapters embodied what I am passionate about when teaching. I will definitely take this book out of the Library again!
The Gardener and The Carpenter by Alison Gopnik
I have read this one before, but wanted to re-read it. It's a bit dense. It quotes a lot of research. When
we act as parents, Dr. Gopnik tells us, we should think of
ourselves more as gardeners than as carpenters. The relevant difference
is that the gardener is focused on growth, but doesn't usually try to
insure details such as exactly how many leaves grow on the plant or
where, just that there be about the right amount of leaves growing. A
carpenter, on the other hand, usually does a lot of rather precise
measuring and cutting, insuring a certain final outcome where all the
pieces fit together.
There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk
Why wouldn't I want to help raise healthy, resilient and confident kids?
I am a fan of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1966 - the book that inspired the start of the modern environmental movement). McGurk quotes Carson : "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of a least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in".
This book was wonderful! It really shows the value of getting outside! It aligns with Balanced and Barefoot (see below). Each chapter ends with a Scandinavian Parenting Tip, and suggested further reading. I am going to buy this one. One book for further reading that I will look at is Playborhood: Turn your Neighbourhood into a Place for Play by Mike Lanza.
The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler
This one has a lot of lists. It is a bit overwhelming, and I found it a lot to wade through. It has a 4 star review on Goodreads though.
Balanced and Barefoot by Angela Hanscom
I didn't read this book this spring, but one of my favourite books about children and learning is Balanced and Barefoot. I own this one and have lent it to many parents.
"How unrestricted outdoor play makes for strong, confident, and capable children" These words on the cover sum up the book. It is excellent. And available at the Toronto Public Library!
