Wanna Be a Steader!

Education - It's All About Attitude

This month, we celebrate the birthday of one of America’s greatest presidents—Abraham Lincoln. Tune in as Mike Smith draws some lessons from Lincoln’s life, on today’s Home School Heartbeat.

Book-larnin

Volume 72, Program 32
2/6/2007

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln had less than one year of formal schooling? Today on Home School Heartbeat, HSLDA President Mike Smith shares the secret of Lincolns education.

Mike Smith:
Abraham Lincoln may have learned how to read in a country schoolhouse, but he knew one thing that no schoolmaster taught him: books can unlock the world. The things I want to know are in books, he would say.

There was only one book in the Lincoln family cabin: the Bible. So young Abe read it. He also borrowed books—classics such as Aesops Fables, Pilgrims Progress, and Robinson Crusoe. There is even a story that Abe once walked nearly 20 miles to borrow a book from a lawyer.

The sight of Abe with a book was familiar to family and friends. When the noon break came after he had worked in the fields all morning, Abe would pull a book from his pocket and throw himself down under a tree to read. His stepmother, Sarah Lincoln, encouraged his reading habits.

The older Abe grew, the more he read. When he was about 22, he decided to improve his grammar. He walked six miles to borrow a grammar book, and studied it by firelight. And later, as a congressman in Washington, D.C., he would bury himself in the Library of Congress to read, much to his colleagues amusement.

As homeschooling parents, there are many lessons that we seek to teach our children. One of the most important is the value of reading. Through books, our children can discover the world.

And until next time, Im Mike Smith.

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Picking Up an Education

Volume 72, Program 33
2/7/2007

How can you make learning exciting for your children? Take a cue from Abraham Lincoln. On today’s Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith talks about learning with a purpose.

Mike Smith:
Abraham Lincoln was a farmer, clerk, surveyor, soldier, lawyer, congressman, and president. He was a clear writer and convincing speaker. Yet he learned little of this in school. “I could read, write, and cipher to the Rule of Three,” he once said of his deficient education. “The little advance I now have upon this store of education, I have picked up from time to time under the pressure of necessity.”

One of the things Lincoln “picked up” was surveying. In his early 20s, he took a job as a surveyor, even though he had no experience or training in this field.

He obtained two books on surveying, then spent six weeks—night and day—studying. With the help of a friend and schoolteacher named Mentor Graham, Lincoln learned decimal fractions, how to use mathematical instruments, and how to change the scale of maps. This intense preparation proved successful, and he became known as an accurate surveyor who could be called upon to settle boundary disputes.

Lincoln “picked up” his education in other ways. He offered to write letters for friends. As he carefully chose words that would best express what the letter writer wanted to say, he honed his own skills.

Lincoln understood that knowledge for the sake of knowledge quickly becomes meaningless. But knowledge with a purpose can inspire and delight us.

And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.

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Lincolns Study Habits

Volume 72, Program 34
2/8/2007

Learning can be frustrating, but a fresh approach can remove obstacles. Today on Home School Heartbeat, Mike Smith shares some teaching tips from one of our greatest presidents—Abraham Lincoln.

Mike Smith:
Abe Lincoln received less than one year of formal schooling, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t educated. He taught himself. And on his limited income, he couldn’t spend a lot of money on books and tutors. However, Abe was a resourceful fellow. He had some clever tricks for learning.

In his early 20s, Lincoln decided to study a difficult grammar textbook. He borrowed it from an acquaintance and read it by firelight. Sometimes, he asked a friend to test him by holding the book and asking questions out of it.

Lincoln’s longtime law partner, William Herndon, described Lincoln’s study habits this way:

Mr. Lincoln’s habits . . . of reading law, politics, poetry, etc. . . . were to come into the office, . . . sprawl himself out on the sofa, chairs, etc., and read aloud, much to my annoyance. I have asked him often why he did so and his invariable reply was: “I catch the idea by two senses, for when I read aloud I hear what is read and I see it; and hence two senses get it and I remember it better . . . .”

If your child seems to have hit a brick wall in his or her lessons, try out some of Lincoln’s study techniques. Have your child read out loud. Ask questions to test comprehension. These simple ideas can jumpstart the learning process.

And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.

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Live and Learn

English, math, science, history . . . what’s the most important subject you’ll ever teach your children? Find out on today’s Home School Heartbeat, with Home School Legal Defense Association President Mike Smith.