It worked for us!

An educational philosophy that worked for us:

Have cool stuff lying around.

I know that sounds obvious, but just having art supplies, books, balance scales, number rods, computer games, and puzzles out and available meant that the kids very naturally wanted to use and play with these things. Also, I would periodically change things up by putting away items they'd explored and bringing out something else.

I'm sure anyone who read my First Day of School post would wonder, why so much focus on dinosaurs? In the countdown to the start of school, the kids had decided that we should “study” dinosaurs.

Maria and I spent a fun time and a modest amount of money shopping for dinosaur stuff. I found some stencils, feltboard pieces, and placemats.

I also checked out a pile of dinosaur library books.

By following our kids' lead in "studying" dinosaurs, we were engaging in interest-based learning. This philosophy of education entails following kids’ leads. Do what they want to do, what seems fun and interesting and valuable.

I’m sure most adults would think that would be a recipe for disaster. Won’t kids just sit around watching TV all day? Eating junk food and playing video games? When they’re older, they’ll just sit around talking on the phone, right?

Well, interest-based learning can be scary if kids are clamoring for TV and video games and French fries. But in an interesting and varied home environment, with lots of materials and fascinating things lying about, kids can be trusted to choose a variety of things to do.

Some families make a no-TV rule or limit time on computers and video game systems. Others think that this sets up those activities as especially desirable “reward” type activities that the kids will naturally then crave, so they make no such rules.

Still other adults ask, “What’s wrong with TV and video games?”

Basically, having a rich-and-varied environment and trusting kids to choose well is as easy as—and as difficult as—providing a healthy and varied diet and trusting kids to choose their own food.

It helps not to have too much junk food (however you define that) sitting around.

Also, it helps not to model eating tons of junk food.

So the corollary to "Have cool stuff lying around" is "Use cool stuff, and do cool stuff, yourself."