How Broad is Language Really ?

The Basic School, an ideological school theorized but detailed heavily, in a book by the late Dr. Earnest Boyer, by the same name is the only book one needs to read as a parent in order to decide what type of school you want to send your children to. In addition, if you are not a parent but can’t understand why most of the country’s large school systems seem to have major failures in their programs, not the least of which is high drop-out rates, you should read The Basic School as well.
d:/data/matt/My Pictures/Picasa Exports/2007-07-21/Amanda Art Work_08.jpg
I am going to write a little bit about the commonalities as Dr. Boyer called them in his book. He states that there are 8 or them. Theses commonalities tie together a curriculum and environment that I believe, and obviously so did the author, are essential for an ideal teaching environment. Language is the obvious place to start. In the basic school however, besides the goals of children learning to write and speak clearly and listen effectively, language is broadened to include mathematics and the art as well as words. So now you have three “symbol systems” being learned not just in a vacuum, and that has their own unique characteristics, but is also intertwined intimately with each other.

If you think it odd to suggest that math, art and language be grouped into the same punch bowl consider this. There is the quilt that grandma made, consisting of pictographs of cultural meeting places, heart warming words with phrases that ring true, all put together with the skilled use of geometric shapes to make it whole! … Are you getting the picture yet? The opera with its song, story and musical time signatures; Even the magnificent double helix of genetics, in all of its complexity, has that element of beauty.

Apparently the great Scientists, Poets, Musicians and Mathematicians have always understood just how closely words, math and the arts were connected. I quote directly from The Basic School: When world renowned physicist Victor Weisskopf was asked “What gives you hope in troubled times?” he replied, “Mozart and quantum mechanics.”

Anyhow, language covers a broad spectrum in the basic school. The language of words, math and art, while taught separately are also seen to connect, in important ways by the students. Words are used to convey meaning in both math and the arts. The arts can be explored through math prescriptions. It is all about coherence throughout the children’s experience. Kids learn to be verbal in expressing math and the arts.

In expressing my own opinion about this commonality reasoning, and being an educator myself, I have to say that not as much need to change in what we are teaching children, rather it is important for teacher’s emphasis to change towards making the connections Earnest Boyer points out in his book, between all facets of language.

Matt Emery: From The Basic School a Community of Learning by Earnest L. Boyer