It's the 2nd year now, when my son is unschooled.
We've our own speed and plan what to do, and it's absolutely free, so I can change it any moment.
Do I know general school program? No.
I don't support it, it's one of the reasons why we are not there, so for now I have a chance to be free from it.
This example I've faced today during our educational hour has shown me that I really don't need the school program.
One of the most discussable topics in the first years of studying at schools is a topic of sounds, letters and transribtion.
In English it does help to read the world in a proper way.
In Russian - it does help to read, but not to write and not to know its right spelling. And it's a great difference.
In Russian words are pronounced not like they are written according to the spelling rules! We've numerous rules of writing that drive crazy all foreigners who study Russian. Kids can have difficulties with them especially if the educational program doesn't give the logical and clear system of rules, but just a mixture of everything that exists in the language.
Kids of 7-9 years make the first steps in their own language rules and writing. They remember the first rules, and they do need the logical structure of them.
And here - hi, transribtion! That shows the opposite situation - the word has to be written according to absolutely different rules!
And letters should be changed by other ones!
I do remember these awful lessons suring my school years. I didn't get why I had to know it at my 8 years?! The topic that just makes mix of sounds and rules in my head!
Now when I am a grown up and graduated from the University of linguistics I do understand what these tules mean, but kids of 8 years old don't need them at all!
Many parents and teachers of Russian are against these topic because it's too much for first school years of studying. It isn't logical and it isn't necessary.
When I open my Soviet Russian textbooks I don't see these topics there, at least at this age. And the Soviet education was really worth of attention....
So I let my son pass by these topics for now. I explained him the main types of sounds but that's it. No transcribtion for now. No mix in his head. No modern system plan.
What's the result?
His vocabulary is great for his age, and he writes almost all words in a proper way. That's the main.
Transcribtion will be invited to his head much later, if he needs it.
