That’s spiritual advice, but it’s wisdom to consider in everyday things, too.  Here’s a story from Britain that says the old way of teaching kids to read actually works better for boys:

Boys can learn to beat girls at reading if they are given old-fashioned teaching methods, claim psychologists.

The use of more traditional phonetics-based lessons helps boys catch up with girls – even doing better on some tests – and prevents some children from needing ‘special’ schooling, according to new research findings.

A study of synthetic phonics also found children from disadvantaged backgrounds do as well as those from better off homes.

The research, presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference in York, has underpinned changes being made in the nation’s classrooms.

They have been introduced after damning revelations that four in 10 children have failed to master the three Rs by the time they leave primary school.

There has also been concern about the growing gender divide in achievement, starting in primary schools.

The rest of the story from the London Evening Standard is here.

The story compares groups of classmates with each other, but I’ll bet they also found that all children, boy or girl, do better at reading when they learn phonics.  I learned to speak a little Mandarin but I’m totally illiterate — the only recourse is to memorize symbols one at a time.  That’s not very different than the “look-say” methods used in a lot of schools over the years–don’t sound it out, just remember the shape of the words.  I’ve known college graduates who were taught that way and still struggle to read unfamiliar words.  Why did we ever think kids would benefit from learning English as if it were Chinese?

I think more and more people are discovering that a lot of that storm and stress is cultural. There’s no question that teenagers have different needs than their younger siblings: they’re going through physical changes that affect their emotions, they are yearning for independence long before their judgement matures, and unfortunately, our culture expects them to sit still and wait another decade or so before they become “useful members of society.” Some teenagers decide they’ve had enough of jumping through hoops to gain “credibility”, and just check out of the process. Psychologists Joseph and Claudia Allen, in their new book Escaping the Endless Adolescence, saying that “Twenty-five is the new fifteen,” observing that some of our college graduates act with the level of confusion and irresponsibility we used to associate with young teens!

But we’ve found that it doesn’t have to be that way. If you adopt the view that teenagers are just the youngest of young adults, and start to work with them on that basis, incredible things happen. We’ve seen in our own family and those nearby that teenagers are capable of all kinds of things. Just in our own business, we rely on teenagers to set up and maintain our websites and computer net, to do typesetting and graphic design, produce videos and CDs, and handle packing and shipping orders. Some of these are skills that no one but the teenagers have! And they run errands, watch siblings, and do much of the cooking, too. When they see that there is a real place for their real contributions, they rise to the occasion. Often, it just takes some understanding and wisdom on the part of their doorkeepers — us!

Today’s freebie is from Homeschool Group Leader.com, and they really get it. 18 Ways to Get Teenagers Onboard and Interactive by Kristen Fagala and Denise Hyde is a quick guide full of ideas that will work in your own family as well as support groups and church ministries. Why let all that energy and enthusiasm languish when you can guide it to productive use? As Kristen and Denise write,

Teen zeal can energize like nothing else. Teen apathy can discourage like nothing else. The desire to help teens rise above the threatening whirlpools of detachment, disinterest or dispassion to be all that God has called them to be is what motivates many parents and leaders of youth to get involved and seek answers. We pray that these 18 ideas for motivating your teen(s) to get onboard and become interactive with your group will keep you motivated, too.

This is a great resource, and it’s available for free right here!

Maybe you’re looking for a curriculum that is specifically aimed at your teenaged sons.  Have you considered Blessed Is The Man?  This is a high school unit study curriculum by Lynda and Lauren Coats is structured on the lessons of Psalm 1, verse by verse.  It’s designed to train young men for leadership in the family, community, and church, emphasizing the development of Godly character as well as academic skills.  It includes vocational and business units as well as most college-prep courses; you add the higher math and addition science, if desired. This is a $74.95 value and we’re going to give it to someone who is subscribed to our newsletter or signed up on our Facebook fan page.  If you’re on both, you get two chances!

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been reading Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young. I finished it yesterday, and plan to read it again after Larry gets a turn. Put simply, if you only read one book about raising boys, this is the one I would recommend. I ordered my book through their website last year, although I see it is now available elsewhere.

Most authors of books about boys may have been a boy or even raised one, but their books tend to be based on research and/or professional experience. I have found that to be useful in helping me better understand my boys, but Raising Real Men helps put that understanding into practice. The Youngs have six sons (and two daughters); they know what it’s like in the trenches. They cover the real issues based on their own years of experience: responsibility, discipline, competition, chivalry, homeschooling, chores, and more.

As I read, I alternated between two reactions: “Phew, we’re on the right track!” and “Ohhh, that’s a good way to deal with that!” More importantly, it has finally made me thankful for the privilege (and challenge) I have been given with five real boys to raise.

Wendy & her Lost Boys Blog

Hal and Melanie Young have created a much needed guide to raising godly boys in this society.  They sent me a copy of their 250 page book, Raising Real Men – Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys.  It is packed with brilliant insights. Some of what you’ll find inside:

1. A godly and realistic look at Media / T.V. / Movies

2. How your family history can help your sons find real heroes.

3. Excellent book suggestions for your sons to read.

4. Information on teaching boys about Finances- such as: credit cards, bank accounts, odd jobs, and preparing your boys to support a family.

5. Good Competition and its purpose.

6. Home Education.

7. Very serious talk about the importance of College.

8. Equipping your boys to interact with the world.

9. How to approach the rowdiness that seems to be in their nature.

10. A Biblical look at fighting.

11. They even touch on controversial issues like: The proper use of guns, learning disabilities and Temptation.

12. Much more.

This book is packed with eye-opening information from the perspective of a family with six sons (and two daughters). I love their laid-back, conversational style of writing. Their ideas make sense to me, logically and practically. As I read, I felt a growing trust in their wisdom. In each chapter, they included facts, personal examples and Biblical truths. This presents a powerful teaching tool parents will appreciate. The Youngs have done a great service penning this book.

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For more information, please visit their website:

http://www.raisingrealmen.com/

You can also sign up for their free monthly newsletter:

http://www.raisingrealmen.com/newsletter/

To read a sample chapter:

http://www.raisingrealmen.com/samples/RaisingRealMen-SAMPLE-RacingToWin.pdf

Sharon White

Legacy of Home