Foreword, by Joseph Chilton PearceSaraswati 1(Ali discovers the violin, and we receive our first homeschooling lesson; on choosing a music teacher)Hares with Shells on Their Backs 17(the author as an advocate for all children, not just homeschoolers; ?adequate? education as inadequate; learning as vital to the quality of children?s lives; the end of education; Meera discovers the piano next door and learns to read music; choosing the right instrument)Hallelujah (Again!) 33(we sing the Messiah; music and standardized tests; our vision of the perfect learning environment; utilizing the community; educating ourselves as a family)?Dog Kitties? 49(nature awareness and the process of naming; children?s delight in the natural world; what?s wrong with zoos; our house becomes a menagerie and we breed snakes; the societal costs of educating indoors; the evolving journey of self-awareness)Mr. Newton?s Rules 79(we meet Fig Newton?s brother and learn about gravity and momentum; the scientific method and true scientific inference as ?but the normal working of the human mind?; science centers; Ali reintroduces us to astronomy and we build a telescope; an experience of educational democracy)Fearful Symmetry 105(pattern blocks and beads; the cult of method; mathematics as language and as operations; finding a values-based context; preventing math phobia)Exits and Entrances 121(the complexity of ?child?s play?; how toy manufacturers take control; Meera and Ali discover opera and ballet; children empowered with control over their own play scripts; opera rehearsals and playwriting; preparing kids for the theatrical experience; poetry as theater of self)?Letters? 147(letters in the environment; manipulating a book; writing before reading; phonics and whole language approaches; ?reading readiness? schemes; television; writing and editing)Cinnamon Bear 165(performing at the Sri Thyagarajah Festival; talking about race; the curriculum of combating prejudice; principles for children?s community involvement; our religious perspective as Quakers as it informs our homeschooling practice)Bric-A-Brac 187(my children teach me what I need to know; school as Cannery Row; the misuse of child development theory; the ?Holy Grail? of educational testing; teaching thinking skills?; the bric-a-brac principle; learning music as paradigm; the ?S? word; socializing the community to the needs of the child)The Fountain 215(music composition; learning to trust our children; the value of ?wasted time?; the unnameable fountain)About the Author 222.