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Hi, FDR I am in the planning stages of creating a curriculum for homeschooling, and it would be great if my product could fulfill the needs of people like the ones here. I am looking for secular homeschoolers. I would like to know about the textbooks and classroom resources you use. Ubiquitous topics like algebra, chemistry, and music have been done very well. I would like to fill niche areas, instead. Does your homeschooled child have access to courses such as: engineering, hydrology, thermodynamics, ecology, mycology, nutrition, food chemistry, quantum mechanics and do any of these courses resonate with you? Would you purchase course materials for these or other course topics? I appreciate your feedback. When my product goes to market, I will give generous discounts to anyone who provides honest feedback. Best, Tibor

I hope to raise a discussion here on the merits of reality vs. fantasy for young children. I hope that readers at least question the effects of fantasy on kids. I have come to the conclusion that it can be harmful to children under the age of 8 to be taught fantasy. This might raise a knee jerk reaction when you first read this. It did for me. After more research though it appears that young children cannot differentiate the between fantasy and reality. If they see a movie with talking cars, the children believe that cars can talk and have emotions. If they read a book about someone with superpowers they think that is real, and believe they may grow up and have super powers. Introducing this to children then can be seeing as lying to them, since they do not understand the differences. What is the point fantasy for children? Instead of having them play around in wonderland, why not have them join you in reality? Why give them a fake cooking set, when you could have them help you cook dinner? Why show them a “Cars” movie when you can teach them how cars actually work. Why work so hard to keep them from learning about reality, and instead have them join you in it? In Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, Angeline Lillard writes: “Dr. Montessori… believed that the goal of childhood is being able to learn and perceive the real world… giving the child fantasies… thwarts their understanding of the real world…” “So what if kids learn fantasy? I did and I turned out fine.” It is true that we can have fantasy as kids and be normal adults. We are just a little behind. Rosyln Ross explains it best: It’s all math: children who live in the real world from birth spend 8 years practicing real life instead of pretending they’re a princess. That’s a lot more expertise in real life skills than the average American child gets. The number one thing parents can do to facilitate the co-creation of a healthy relationship with their children is to welcome their children into their lives instead of trying to keep them out or trying to get them to do "children" things. Parents can bring their children with them to life while they model a life-well-lived instead of going to great lengths to invent a world for children that doesn't actually exist. When parents do this, they are on the same team as their children and parenting becomes a lot easier and more fun. I highly recommend listening to Roslyn Ross’s speech from Libertopia to learn more- Part 1 is about relationships - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCmDUquKAUQ Part 2 talks about fantasy for children (including its history) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJG1rrjD3lQ Studies and other resources: Rosyln Ross's Blog: http://roslynross.blogspot.com/ Thinking About Fantasy: Are children fundamentally different thinkers and believers from adults? Child Development, 6, 991-1011 Making Sense of Pretence in C Lewis & P Mitchel Children's Early Understanding of Mind: Origins and Development p, 211-34 British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 12, 417-27 Children's ability to distinguish fantasy events from real-life events, Samuels A and Taylor M 1994 DeLoache 1998 The Development of early symbolization: Educational implications. Learning and Instruction, 8 325-39 Piaget 1970 Science of education and the psychology of the child