An interesting argument I've heard recently (but haven't yet come to a personal conclusion on, so don't take this as an endorsement):
Emphasize math for older kids when their brain is better prepared for abstraction (some even argue age 10+!). Emphasize language and character for younger kids, especially because at _very_ young ages that's really what they're soaking in anyway.
The logic here being efficiency. An older child can learn in a week what a preschooler may drill for months. Cover some math facts in primary school to build a strong foundation, but strong language skills compound against _all_ education and should come first, with a heavier shift to advanced mathematics later in schooling.
Again, don't know if I ascribe yet (I was accelerated in math at a young age myself) or how this really looks in the real world, but definitely an argument that wise people make in good faith.
Probably impossible in a standardized school setting. :)
This is pretty much exactly how the public education system is structured here in Switzerland. Early years focus primarily on socialization, multilingualism, literacy and basic numeracy. Then as you move through later elementary school to middle and finally through the Matura phase there are rapid accelerations and bifurcations. If you can keep up you continue on the path to ETHZ and other top Unis. If not you move into the trade or technical school or lower Uni tracks. There is a chance to come back but the baseline expectatio. Is that about 20% of students will go straight through the Matura process. If you complete you have basically free access to any university in Switzerland. ETHZ is something like CHF800/semester. But the trade and technical school path is also good IMO. It’s appropriate.
It’s also not a perfect system but much much better than what I grew up with in the US compared to what I’m seeing now with my son here.
Some would say Math is a language. And I agree-- teach a 2nd language to kids before they reach 12. But I would also want to teach my own children advanced math during that time, if possible.
From what I've read in passing, it seems some former soviet countries of Eastern Europe & Russia teach advanced math to students a few years earlier than the US does.
It seems that private South Asian-majority schools in certain cities-- such as Houston-- also teach advanced math earlier than public schools.
This idea that abstraction can only be leart at 10 is the most bullshit I've heard today. I was doing moderately advanced equations at 7 and it's also widely known great chess player started being great way under 9. Where is that nonsensical idea come from ?
The social gap question has been pretty hotly debated for decades (whether it exists and/or is even a concern). For the curious, here are a couple of relevant threads:
Counterpoint: Perhaps peer socialization, particularly in the form found in typical schools, isn't all that valuable.
I'd argue that what serves one best in life is learning to function at an adult level with other adults. Most homeschoolers I've known spent substantial amounts of time in adult company every day. Mixed-age peer groups (as seen in homeschool co-ops) can also create a natural dynamic and expectation for the student to both be a mentor and be mentored (relationship skills one should know how to cultivate as an adult).
Conforming as an 11 year old to the culture and social behaviors created by other 11 year olds in a space where a few overstretched adults struggle mightily (if with good intentions) to create a positive environment is...not an optimal use of that child's time.
Not that most homeschoolers aren't also hanging out with same-aged peers too. Much time is saved by not having the administrative overhead of a school. Lots of homeschoolers hang out with their friends all the time like any other kids do. Having buddies over and gaming until 3am is just as fun either way.
Fully acknowledging that I'm deep in anecdotal territory here and that these are sample sizes where all outcomes will be well-represented.
I agree with this take. Thanks for your thoughts! Being good at being 11 as measured by other 11 year olds doesn’t seem like it’s a predictor of anything.
I loved being homeschooled for the freedom and lifestyle benefits.
Much appreciated, and thank you for the complement!
I was also homeschooled (and loved it) so my perspective does have a certain tint to it. So much of this comes down to the particular child and parent, which is of course the point. :)
Feel free to reach out if you need another resource or simply to bounce ideas.
Joshua Sheats over at Radical Personal Finance just ran through an 18-part podcast series (starting at #908) on investing into one's children at a young age, spanning everything from conception through education and character development. Highly recommend listening through his thought process.
It's mostly not financial, in this context, other than the idea that the early years may very well shape your and their financial future.
He also has an extensive back-catalog on education, pregnancy, raising children, etc. A lot of the segments of the big series I referenced above have roots in topics he's covered over the years.
Extremely well-spoken and thoughtful, but I'll attach the usual warning when posting any media to a broad audience like HN, you'll probably find values that you share and values that you don't, so approach with an open mind and extract what's valuable to your life.
The carbon film you're referring to is likely part #1299095 (black correctable). Believe generics of these are still made. I also buy NOS sometimes. So far the 30-40yo cartridges seem to work fine once you get to the spooled film vs the few inches that may have been exposed to the elements. Not sure if the chemistry of them is just that stable (vs ink ribbons) or I've simply had good luck (i.e. I'm not speaking from 40 years of experience or anything).
The tougher one to source is the "bicycle" style of cartridge used on some Selectric IIIs (other IIIs were built/swapped to work with the old II-style carts).
Thanks, Ribbons Unlimited looks like a great resource. A bit like the guy who sells much of the remaining new-old-stock of floppies.
A small wholesaler and retailer I worked for as a kid in the late-1980s did a lot of business in replacement printer ribbons, and there was one third-party brand that offered compatibles for most every printer. Today, I wonder how the manufacturing worked: whether they just sourced from factories that already had the tooling and know-how to make those particular compatibles, or they had to arrange the reverse-engineering and tooling. And whether the same parties still make the ribbons today.
I believe there were many daisy wheel typewriters, but I (correctly or incorrectly) tend to associate them with true electronic typewriters as opposed to electric ones. IBM Wheelwriters and such.
There were a lot of early typewriters that experimented with interchangeable type wheels, shuttles, and sleeves. Hammond and Blickensderfer are two of the better-known brands among collectors, but here's a whole list: https://www.officemuseum.com/typewriters_single_element.htm
Amazing! Isn't there also a single element one that uses an inverted cylinder with the type on the inside?
In general, I'm discovering what a deep rabbit hole I've dug myself into. Last weekend I was trying to decide between a Corona Silent, a similar-vintage Remington I haven't yet identified, and an SCM Corsair. Looking for a nice portable contrast to a Selectric that isn't fatiguing to use.
If you're looking for a typewriter with a light touch, the Olivetti Lettera 32 and Underwood Universal are some of my favorites. I love my Remingtons, but all of mine (all of which are 1940s models) are pretty heavy.
As with most artifacts, survivorship bias will ultimately dominate.
Some code will prove itself to be unusually durable (parallel: the pyramids) or some will prove to be so useful that someone will maintain it (roads that have been used for 2,000 years).
Most does ultimately fade to time.
That said, I use code daily that folks wrote 20+ years ago. Not just continuous lineages like an OS kernel, but actual applications written decades ago and never updated since.
Likewise, while most web sites/applications I've built for clients probably only exist on a tape in a datacenter now, people still upload videos of games I created 15 years ago to Youtube.
Getting code to last is all a mix of innate durability, utility to others, and some luck. :)
I was a huge Windows Phone advocate around this time, and indeed in many markets _outside_ the US it had periods of being the #2 behind Android. To my vague recollection maybe India, Mexico, and parts of Europe (where it was sometimes #2, and when not at least had a much stronger showing than in the US).
There was solid user research at the time indicating that it was both more popular with and had a lower learning curve for first-time smartphone buyers compared to iOS/Android at the time--but there were fewer and fewer of such first-timers by then.
IMO it's a great example of a better platform (in terms of UX and polish) losing to competitors/incumbents on things other than...for lack of a better word..."worthiness".
As @chiph said, being the third to launch is just a death knell for platforms. The network effects trending towards a duopoly are just so strong. I worked for an agency where clients did initially give us budget to build WP apps (and we had a ton of fun!), but if you make an 80/20 decision enough times, you end up supporting only the top 2.
I'd be curious to learn/chat more about how you're approaching it as a French-speaking parent. :)
I'm a native English speaker/~B1 French speaker trying to very intentionally create a bilingual household environment. It's not pure immersion, but I can (and do) narrate what I'm doing for most daily activities in French, read aloud in French, consume French audio, etc. All much to the bemusement of my own French mentor, who's validated that I'm not instilling a terrible accent, but is also getting peppered with questions in my search for French children's literature.
My kid is barely 2yrs, so my plans for English immersion are still vague, but here goes:
- consuming all media in the original language instead of dubs
- kindergarten already does some bilingual exploration, she's a native English speaker
- Later on I intend to do an "English day" each week at home where we would only converse in English. From my personal experience, the best path to fluency is having no choice but to speak in a given language. I also want to create boundaries to prevent mixing the two languages.
About french children's book, I could send you a mail about it. Depending on the age of your kids "la courte échelle" has great stuff.
Emphasize math for older kids when their brain is better prepared for abstraction (some even argue age 10+!). Emphasize language and character for younger kids, especially because at _very_ young ages that's really what they're soaking in anyway.
The logic here being efficiency. An older child can learn in a week what a preschooler may drill for months. Cover some math facts in primary school to build a strong foundation, but strong language skills compound against _all_ education and should come first, with a heavier shift to advanced mathematics later in schooling.
Again, don't know if I ascribe yet (I was accelerated in math at a young age myself) or how this really looks in the real world, but definitely an argument that wise people make in good faith.
Probably impossible in a standardized school setting. :)