What can U.S. school systems learn from the smartest country in the world? Homeschool book recommendations

I have been a homeschool mom for the past 14 years, and I love giving good book recommendations about real-life topics that we all wonder about.

I’m currently reading

Finnish Lessons 3.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?

By Pasi Sahlberg

Buy it here: https://amzn.to/42Owrse

Finland has one of the top educational programs in the world, starting at birth, with a focus on setting up children for success from the very beginning. Every single parent receives several months of paid parental leave, and daycare and preschool are included and free.

As soon as children start primary school, each one is provided with an individualized learning plan, regardless of any diagnoses they may have. This ensures that all children are given equal opportunities from a young age.

In every neighborhood, schools aim to provide the same quality of education and teachers, no matter where a child is from. Every child receives a free nutritious lunch, contributing to a foundation of equality from day one.

As a result, by the time students reach high school and take international standardized tests, they score among the best in the world—without excessive homework, rigorous standardized testing, or high stress levels. The learning is primarily student-led and focuses on relationship-building, allowing students to travel with their teachers through the grades and pursue their interests.

Many students begin entering trade schools and programs in middle and high school, leading to a more interest-based learning approach. These factors are hard to imagine in the current public education system in the U.S.

We need to start from the ground up, providing free educational resources, free daycare, and offering parents the support they need to help their children thrive while maintaining their careers. I was only able to take two weeks off work, and upon returning, I found daycare costs ranged from $1,000 to $2,000 a month, which would have consumed my entire salary. This was back in 2010 when I was living in D.C., and it would have been more economical for me to be a stay-at-home mom.

At that time, I was a director at a children’s camp and had an educational background in teaching. I realized that even if I went into teaching, it wouldn’t cover daycare costs, especially since we wanted multiple children. After doing the math, I decided to become a homeschool mom, sacrificing my career to save money on private school, daycare, and preschool.

These are my thoughts. The book I’m reading is a bit academic, so if you’re not into statistics and numbers, it might not be the best fit for you. However, it is fascinating to see what is happening in one of the top countries in the world, where people travel from all over to study their educational system.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on other educational practices. You can find me at www.thefunschoolers.com.

All right, bye everyone. Happy learning!