Raymond and Dorothy Moore are often called the grandparents of the homeschool movement, and their foundation has provided support and guidance for parents for many years. The Moores are best known for their theory that formal school is better started later than early, with very little or no formal schooling taking place before age 8.
That does not mean that children are left to their own devices during the early years; instead, they focus on service as well as playing. Chores within the home and volunteering with their parents outside of the home are emphasized in the Moore Formula, which says:
- Study from a few minutes to several hours a day, depending on the child's maturity.
- Manual work at least as much as study.
- Home and/or community service an hour or so a day. Focus on kids' interests and needs; be an example in consistency, curiosity, and patience. Live with them!
Source: Homeschool the Moore Formula Way
Insight into the Moore Formula:
Homeschooling with the Moore Formula
Dr. Raymond Moore and his wife Dorothy Moore are sometimes called the grandparents of the modern home schooling movement. For over 50 years they have been educational professionals, and for the last 30 years have been sharing their research and their "formula" for successful home schooling, a program that is low-cost, low stress, and yet brings high-achievement.
Delaying Academics: When Homeschoolers Defer Formal Lessons
Schools are pushing standardized testing and formal academics earlier than ever, with today's kindergartners and preschoolers asked to master skills and content that used to be learned in first and second grades.
Stories like this one from New York and this one from Chicago are popping up all over the country -- frequent standardized testing of five year olds (and the accompanying test prep) is becoming the norm in public education. Formal reading, writing, and arithmetic teaching are displacing the time honored traditions of kindergarten -- play, story time, learning to share, and enrichment activities that lead to numeracy and ...
Educating Head, Heart, Hands, and Health
I grew up participating in 4H, and while I recommend the 4H program itself, I also find myself thinking a lot about the four "H's" as they apply to homeschooling: head, heart, hands, and health. If you want a holistic way to personally assess your homeschooling, think about whether what your kids are doing is working in each of these areas.
You can find out more about the Moore Formula at the Moore Foundation and Academy website.
