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I have really loved the stuff about kindergarten. There are a lot of hot topics in education right now that could be really valuable to share with parents.

@T.H.O.U.: Same!

I always read the education posts. Pre-school & kindergarten interest me most. Also, supplementing what children learn in school and how to support a child who may be more or less advanced than her age group.

yes! i'd love some comparisons between different philosophies. i think people often have ideas about different styles of education, but don't always have a clear grasp on the core beliefs or goals of each. a breakdown illustrating montessori, reggio emilia, waldorf, friends, banks street, and highscope (i'm sure i'm leaving some out, but those off the top of my head, those would be key to include). maybe a format where each is presented as it's own post, a series of them- there's a brief history, then the same key info/questions for each and if someone could do a 'day in the life of' at each. omg, that would be amazing for people to see & i think would be really helpful

I don't usually read them because they aren't relevant to me. The ones I've noticed don't apply to my city/state. Plus I plan to send my children to catholic school which is common where I live.

i can't believe there's so much more out there than just montessori and waldorf, it blew my mind that there were almost a dozen other "styles"

@cmomma17: you can never have enough posts on books!

@mrs. bird:

@cmomma17: @mrs. bird: I also love the posts about books & reading! I LOVE to read & so does DH. I want our kids to love books as much as we do!

@jhd: @cmomma17: @mrs. bird: the posts on books and reading are awesome, because I really don't know that much about new kids' books!

I also think it would be fun to have some posts on experiential learning, like nature walks, trips to a museum/zoo/botanical garden/aviary/aquarium, etc. What is age appropriate, how to use them to expand kids' horizons, etc. If someone were to be willing to write them, I bet it would make for a great piece!!

@mrs. bird: this! Some of my favorite memories as a child were ones where I was learning without even realizing it. My dad used to take us to star parties (http://stardate.org/nightsky/star_parties) when we were little, even though they were in the middle of a field and way past our bedtime. But I never forgot lying on a blanket in the middle of a wide open space on top of a hill with a bunch of other people, just looking up at the stars. I'm sure it was a total pain in the butt for my parents, but we had such a good time. There's more opportunities for things like this than I think most people realize (including myself!) It is nice to have a reminder every once in a while.

My personal preference is to not read or research things that don't apply to me yet, so I appreciate that they exist (and you bet your bottom that I'll be looking for them next year) but I don't do more than skim them for now!

@LovelyPlum: I love your suggestion and now I want to go to a star party! I get excited about taking LO to the library, theatre, concerts, museums, etc but I don't know what is age appropriate

@LovelyPlum: that sounds amazing! you're so fortunate to have those beautiful memories! i can be a bit anti classroom learning, haha. it kills me when my littles start school, i feel like it ruins all our fun and the awesome experiences we have just interacting with the environment around us. they start the sad process of becoming cattle, herded through the factory of over politicized schools where authentic learning experiences are squashed left and right by standardized tests (i'm not against all testing in public schools, but the way it's used now is ineffective and detrimental to students), overworked and underpaid teachers are forced to follow curriculums that are often focused on expository lessons and busy work, the fear of lawsuits prevents teachers from being allowed to form healthy, respectful, bonded relationships with students. at the schools i've worked in, if a kid falls, skins their knee and tries to hug you, you're supposed to put your hands up, step back and not allow it because it's against rules to make physical contact- that's ridiculous and prevents teachers and students from feelings of safety, caring and healthy attachment- those feelings are what create a climate of kindness & respect, where people don't go around hurting each other, where children feel secure enough that people around them will support them in times of need and that they, too, should offer love and support to those around them. ugh. i get really worked up about schools. sorry.

@Mrs. Lion: sounds great! I look forward to reading more!!

Personally, no, I don't really read them (apart from the Montessori posts). But perhaps it's because they're geared towards the American system and my LO will probably be educated in Europe. I can see why others might find them more interesting.

Sure! The more variety the better!

Yes. My LO is a little older (preschool), so I mostly drop in now to look for education-type posts on the blog. I greatly enjoyed Mrs Cowgirl's posts on kindergarten and Mrs Train's posts on her awesome summer activities for her children (and would love to see more of both!). I liked reading Mrs Pen's thoughts on homeschooling, too. I seem to recall that she was planning on writing more about her experience, and I'm looking forward to that!