Children Heroic

A collection for the formation of a free mind

We will know the work of their education is done when they can:

On This Collection

Foundational Influences

I am influenced strongly by Laszlo Polgar, Peter Gray, Stanislas Dehaene, and the Education of Cyrus (Mirrors for princes in general). Except instead of Polgar’s chess, the game is Command.

Aim

Why so high a mark? It is easy to step down from one’s education. It is much harder to rise above it. Further, it is the chief bottleneck of our times that we can affect immediately.

I do not have a set expectation for our children to rule—however, by preparing them for such an occasion, they will be prepared for everything else: whether they might desire to become bakers, internet editors, party hosts, or VR artists.

Learning Loops

There are some assumptions about the context of this curriculum. A lot of this is in what they will see us do everyday, which I bet will lead them to forms of play that we will further encourage.

The loop is:

  • We do something → they see it → they move to help or do it as well → we enable them

This would not always happen—it’s on us to notice when they’re interested, to make use of it to help them develop their skill.

Another loop is:

  • They do something (like jump and fall) → we see that they could use a better way → we demonstrate the better way

Where possible, we provide prosthetics for them to aid or mimic us (such as the station for them to work with the kitchen counter).

Practical Skills Development

  • Wrestling and other forms of sparring
  • Archery
  • Marksmanship
  • Hunting
  • Fishing
  • Climbing
  • Carpentry
  • Cooking
  • Mending
  • Radio

We will also give them increasing responsibility over the other animals, so they might learn husbandry.

They will have patches of land to do with as they wish, as soon as they show interest.

Access to basic lab equipment, tools, breadboards, and so on, so they can jump in and help or mimic whatever we’re up to. Where possible we will involve them in our businesses.

Technology and Independence

We’ll have a home server network, that they will also have to help maintain when something breaks and they want to do something with it. This shows a general philosophy: their involvement in the maintenance of their living will provide opportunities for learning.

We will answer their questions and involve them whenever they show interest, to enable them to explore what they wish.

Let’s say they develop an interest in mangonels. It is at this time that we can jump in and help build a small but working mangonel. As we build it, we expose the math we needed to build it. Over time these experiences will stack up.

Arithmetic will be practiced by the basic math needed for games and projects.

They will have old laptops with light linux builds, with games from this list and key tools pre-installed. Other modifications and installations will be theirs to figure out. We may put some limits on content and addresses they can reach, but the limits will be there for them to learn to break. This is also a general pattern.

Discipline and Guidance

When they do things we really don’t want them to do, we can start with negotiation but move quickly to physical intervention if necessary. After, we can explain why we did what we did, and what they can do if they didn’t like the feeling of being physically controlled.

Developmental Stages

As a father, I assume the most important time for me to physically be around is between the ages of 5–11. That the most crucial period in general for them to be around us is 0–8.

So if, after 11 or so, they really want to go to school, we will let them go to school.

Once 15, they are practically adults, and we’re just there to support them as deeply involved investors.

Where possible, we give the older ones responsibility to care for the younger ones.

Community Integration

As soon as it is possible for them to enroll in sports, we will enroll them. It’s nice that Wyoming requires schools to allow this at public schools, even if the children are not enrolled in school.