Maggie's Farm

My family (when I was a child and my own children) would have benefitted from a self-directed curriculum. I was lucky enough to be part of the 'experiment' with open classrooms from Kindergarten through second grade in a mixed class of first through third graders (I knew how to read at 5, so they didn't want me in kindergarten). I got to work on whatever I wanted at different stations (math, reading, writing, etc.) and once I completed a station or a group of assignments, I could move onto the next level.

It was PARADISE for me! I made it a challenge for myself at that young age to want to max out on the reading levels as quickly as possible. As I recall 'orange' was the highest level. I also was able to start learning the basics of handwriting with a light-up table where you traced letters. Since I'd done fine with print, I got to move onto script because I wanted to do it.

My children were forced to follow a different path. One of my children really wanted to go at his own pace and was punished for it in certain classrooms. Other teachers recognized his intelligence and gave him his own, harder work. There were also opportunities in math lab (using the computer) for him to go as fast as he wanted through the material.

However, he did have many instances where he complained about teachers 'wasting time' when he wanted to learn (?!) by telling stories or going off topic. Drove him nuts.

I agree, though, that self-directed learning is not for all students. But parents should be able to decide. Put your child in that school for a semester and see how he does. The teachers should be able to tell you if he is making progress or needs a more structured environment.