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April Smith's avatar

Watching my 3 children learn to read, using 100 Easy Lessons, is one of the delights of my life.

I earned a teacher certification in 2001. We were only taught how to teach whole language nonsense. As soon as I had my first classroom, I saw that method fail my students. I purchased Hooked On Phonics. .

My mom friend uses the public school version of 100 Easy Lessons to teach her child with Down Syndrome. She said in their community it’s well-known to be the program that works.

There is a second book called Funnix (it comes with an unpleasant computer program by the same authors for the second hundred lessons. My 17 year old remembers the silly and fun stories from both the 1st 100 and 2nd 100 lessons.

My 7 year old is now reading Misty of Chincoteague.

I love 100 Easy Lessons. Can’t wait to teach my grandkids with it.

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Dissident Teacher's avatar

Truly enjoyed this article. I'm learning so much about the Catholic educational tradition -- pardon me if my inference is incorrect here though.

One note: I understand the criticism of progressive and traditionalist K12. I've written extensively about it on my own Substack being a PTSD-ridden ex-conventional high school teacher.

Now, in my classical charter school (still public, still run under the state's purview so very difficult to thread the needle on what classical probably should look like) all I can say is this:

I was the exception in the conventional public school system. Students loved learning in my classroom (mostly the humanities) and I was fiercely demanding. The issue, as always, is scale -- something homeschoolers wisely recognize and escape. I think the classical tradition gives us the best roadmap for how to effect deeper learning -- but you still have all the problems with scaling for students of incredible variation in skill, knowledge, and support at home. This is what makes teaching impossible, but also incredibly fun for the masochists in our world.

For all your readers, know that I truly believe all parents can and should homeschool, if only because of comparative advantage given how far the conventional public schools have fallen n terms of ability to actually teach -- largely due to pants-on-head stupid policy from educational "leadership" at the university level. I'm glad I found your substack; it's thoughtful and gives me a touchstone for my practice.

Also, you're hilarious. Thanks for the lift this morning.

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