Hi David, I completely agree this was an intuitive way of teaching/learning. Adults did not have to focus on these ideas because it was natural to teach survival, morality and community and it was natural for children to learn those things.

Because of our modern tendency to box everything into categories, including boxing our children into a room full of a bunch of children who are the same age, we now have to purposely think about these ideas.

Could our artificially created environments more naturally mimic real life? Perhaps they could get closer, but I do agree with caution in hoping that we could ever artificially create what should be happening naturally. Perhaps the answer in some part is to try to give kids more time experiencing life outside of the artificial box.

Your idea’s about project based learning are interesting also. I think developing habits of thinking is much more important than content, but often we almost attack children with new content, thinking that is what will prepare them for life. I myself am tired of all the STEM and STEAM labels, not that I think those are unimportant subjects, but you can’t just throw that label on every craft project and pretend it is teaching how to think like an engineer or mathematician.

I am reading some of your posts and working to understand your vertical learning theory. It is very interesting and I look forward to reading your posts and delving into your ideas more thoroughly.