BOOKS ON EDUCATION

ESPECIALLY FOR HOME EDUCATORS

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BOOKS TO ENCOURAGE QUESTIONING IN CHILDREN

Some books by J. krishnamurti:

 "Life Ahead"   -  discussions with students and teachers in India

                  -  also an 18 page essay by Krishnamurti on education.

 

 "This Matter" of Culture

                   - following from above: more talks to students, teachers and parents in India

 

"Krishnamurti For the Young"

"What does freedom mean"

"What is it to care?"

                        - small books excerpted from the above  and presented in a way attractive to children. 

Some Excerpts:

     "You are obliged in some matters to be imitative; as in the clothes you put on, in the books you read, in the language you speak. These are all forms of imitation. But it is necessary to go beyond this level and feel free to think things out for yourself so that you do not thoughtlessly accept what somebody else says, it does not matter who it is - a teacher in the school, a parent, or one of the great religious teachers. To think out things for yourself, and not follow, is very important; because following indicates fear, does it not? The moment somebody offers you something you want - paradise, heaven, or a better job - there is fear of not getting it; therefore you begin to accept, to follow. So long as you want something, there is bound to be fear; and fear cripples the mind so that you cannot be free".

. . . . .

     "Is this all too difficult? I don't think it is as difficult as your geography or mathematics. It is much easier, only you have never thought about it. You spend perhaps ten or fifteen years of your life in school acquiring information, yet you never take time - not a week, not even a day - to think fully, completely about any of these things. That is why it all seems so difficult; but it is not really difficult at all. On the contrary, if you give time to it you can see for yourself how your mind works, how it operates, responds. And it is very important to begin to understand your own mind while you are young, otherwise you will grow up following some tradition which has very little meaning. you will imitate, which is to keep on cultivating fear, and so you will never be free".  

. . . . .

     "So, while you are young you should awaken within yourself the flame of discontent; you should be in a state of revolution. This is the time to inquire, to discover, to grow; therefore insist that your parents and your teachers educate you properly. Do not be satisfied merely to sit in a classroom and absorb information about this king or that war. Be discontented, go to your teachers and inquire, find out. If they are not intelligent, by inquiring you will help them to be intelligent; and when you leave the school you will be growing into maturity, into real freedom. Then you will continue to learn right through life till you die, and you will be a happy, intelligent human being".

These are available from various bookshops and also available online from http://www.kfionline.org or write: Krishnamurti Foundation India, Vasanta Vihar, 64-65 Greenways Road, Chennai 600 028. Email: kfihq@md2.vsnl.net.in

 by Ahalya Chari

"Thinking Together"    - published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi 1986

                                 - especially for India

This book presents various little stories, or situations that a young person might actually meet, say in school or in the family, and asks questions on the text which invite consideration and discussion.

 

by Richard Feynman

"The Pleasure of Finding Things Out"  - Richard Feynman details how his father was instrumental in his early childhood learning processes, details on how to encourage children to find things out themselves rather than spoon feeding, how association of a name "to a concept" stymies the learning and thinking processes in the children and host of other topics relevant to home educators...

by Terrance Webster Doyle 

"Fighting the Invisible Enemy" - (understanding the effects of conditioning)

"Tug of War "

                 - these books are designed for classrooms in the USA. See: http://www.atriumsoc.org.

 

- also at the bottom of this page the books by David Horsburgh

"Learning about Life" and "Lets Discover Science"

Most of Hosburgh's books can now be down-loaded from http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/

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WORK BOOKS

All these books are published in India. My personal knowledge of them was obtained some years ago, and if anyone has more recent knowledge (including prices) I would be glad to be informed. Also, if people have books which they feel are especially valuable and would like to share with others, please let me know and I will consider including them on this webpage.

Clive Elwell  

 

A specially recommended source for books for home-educators is: http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/

 

 

Mathematics

Macmillan Mathematics

            Text and Workbooks: Books 1 to 6

                        By Valli Alagappon, Mary David, G S Vipula, and O P Agrawal

                                    Pub. Macmillan India Ltd 

These are a series of graduated books for under 12's. There are based on practice and example rather than theory. A child can steadily, progressively, work through the books with a minimum of help.

 

A Text Book of Mathematics for Class Vl

A Text Book of Mathematics for Class Vll and Vlll [subject evaluation year (8)]

A Text Book of  ICSE Mathematics

                        All by O P Sinhal

                                    Pub General Printers and Publishers

                                    263/F, Raja Rammohan Ray Road

                                    Girgaon Bombay 400 004

These books claim to follow the latest syllabus.

 

 English

Spring Readers: Books 1 to 8

            By David Horsburgh

                        Pub. Oxford University Press 

Any books by David Horsburgh I would recommend highly.

The Spring Readers are designed to provide a carefully graded reading course for schools in India. They contain a very varied selection of passages (including mythology, science, and poetry) from all over the world, especially India

 

New Spring Readers: Books 1 to 5

            By David Horsburgh

                        Pub. Oxford University Press 

An extension to the "Spring Readers" series above, designed to give children plenty of practice in reading and writing.

  

Word Perfect Spelling Books: Intro and Books 1 to 8

            By Ronald Ridout

                        Pub. Oxford University Press 

These books provide a systematic course in spelling and vocabulary for primary and secondary schools.

 

Guided English for India: Intro and books 1 to 3  and

Guided English for India: Workbooks 1 to 3

            By D H Howe 

Starts at the secondary school level, or just before. The Introduction book is recommended for classes V or Vl. The author "strongly recommends that all exercises should be worked orally at first". The passages used are mostly from classic English literature.

 

Once a week comprehension: Books 1 to 5 (?)

            By Haydn Perry

                        Pub. O.U.P 

Useful books, but they use passages from English Literature only

 

 Science/Environmental Education

 

 Let's Discover Science: Books 1 to 5

            By David Horsburgh

                        Pub. O.U.P. 1975 

Truly great books, which parents will probably enjoy, even if they have no experience of science. They use everyday, common material and equipment.

 

Joy of Learning: Handbook of Environmental Activities  Standards 3 to 5 and 6 to 8

 

            Developed by Centre for Environmental Education and Vikram A. Sarabhai Science Centre

            for the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

                        Pub. Centre for Environmental Education

                        Nehru Foundation for Development

                        Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad 380 054

Lots of fascinating science experiments using easily available everyday materials.

 

Matchstick Models and other Science Experiments

By Arvind Gupta

 Pub. Arvind Gupta, C7/167, S.D.A., New Delhi, 110 016

 

 

Craft/Toy making 

 

There are many books on this subject, and others, at http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/

 

Toy Treasures

            By Arvind Gupta

                        Pub. Arvind Gupta, C7/167, S.D.A., New Delhi, 110 016

"making simple and environmentally sustainable toys". This includes basic technological things and mathematical demonstrations. A very nice book indeed. Written in English and Hindi

 

The Toy Bag

            By Arvind Gupta

                        Pub. Eklavya, E-1/25, Arera Colony, Bhopal 462 016

similar to above.

 

Matchstick Models and other Science Experiments

            By Arvind Gupta

                        Pub. Arvind Gupta, C7/167, S.D.A., New Delhi, 110 016

 

 

 Other Books

 

 Headwork: books 1 to 4

            By Chris Calshaw and Deborah Waters

                        O.U.P

 

These books are not easy to describe. Each exercise has a picture, with questions related to that picture, encouraging observation and logical thinking. I've found children mostly enjoy them, but as they are from England (although published in India) some might regard them as culturally inappropriate, and in parts incomprehensible.

 

 

Learning about Living: Books 1 to 5

 

            By David Horsburgh

                        Pub. O.U.P. 1974 

More great books by Horsburgh, and highly recommended. There are, perhaps, best described as Environmental Studies, dealing with the child's life in all its aspects (both rural and town life are covered). In the early books they draw only on the child's own experience.

Every page requires the child to do something, often outside. The books try to encourage a questioning attitude in the child, and are very valuable in this respect.

 

Other books by David Horsburgh

(I have no personal experience of these)

Little Plays for Great Occasions

Italic Copy Book

Ranvir and the Tiger and other stories

Robin Hood and other stories

 

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