I lined out our home school curriculum for the future on Aug 28, 2013. Sometimes we work for a month or two with discussions about life and that’s about it for a curriculum. My idea of human excellence includes the intuition of parents knowing the needs of their children. Within the realm this self endowed authority I have been doing a wonderful project with my kids.
Here is how it works. I hung a small white board on the dining room wall I numbered imaginary lines 1 through 20, and then I started with the first word in the Oxford English Dictionary. I own the compact (not abridged) edition that has four pages on one page. The print is very small and this set comes with a magnifying glass. I love this! It is really fun to read the dictionary hunched over the pages like a blind old librarian. I write down the words as I come to them on the white board and the kids copy them down like spelling words. We discuss the meanings and so far our favorite ones are the obsolete words.
I have been wondering how does a word become obsolete? Do people just stop saying it? Too many words for the human vocabulary? I know some people who need to greatly expand their vocabulary! Who makes the decision that a word is obsolete? I can imagine all the aged English professors across the world collaborating over the dictionary and literature of the ages with their infinite knowledge and wisdom. Then comes the final ruling from the Nobel high Dean read aloud at the annual word banishment & obsolescence gala. All eyes on the podium, all breaths held, the letter is slit open with a true silver dagger, a small parchment is removed, the crowd gasps gently, the letter is raised, the tension is high, and from the microphone they hear: “The word that shall no longer be used in the English language is Aat. it has been replaced with the word oat”. Then some character like Shakespeare comes along and screws up all their hard work.
We have a great time as a family studying our language. It has proven to cover every subject in a very holistic manner. Through this process I have observed that my children are more brilliant than I. I often feel like Forrest Gump… just a little slower at getting things than my 4 and 5 year olds. Its good I married a bright IQ. well… maybe not for her but definitely for me.
Any way I thought that reading the OED would be fun. The kids are enjoying it. My wife is amused at my developing hunch back, and my enthusiasm for obsolete words. At one point I wanted to skip all the current words and only learn the obsolete ones! What fun!!! We may be able to develop a new language from an outlawed one? As time passes there will probably be some geeky home schooling teenager who does just that.
As for me and my house we will just stick to the basics!
