Raymond S. Moore

I have always appreciated what Raymond Moore has done for the philosophy of home schooling. His books were one of the first ones that introduced me to the general "unschooling" ideas (for those not in the homeschool world, it's basically what it sounds like - less focus on books, desks and hand raising - more time spent experiencing and learning in a method other than a typical classroom). Better Late than Early helped me to get out of my rut of expecting my 3 or 4 year old to start reading show more because the mass of daycare and preschooled children [that I was exposed to] made me think it was necessary. He does a good job of explaining how a 6-8 year old is actually much more capable of learning proper grammar (or reading/writing with symbols (aka the alphabet)) than a 4 year old. AND, the 6-8 year old has a MUCH higher capacity to learn if he or she is not herded into a classroom under a governmental program. The book is written from Raymond Moore's theories, research and suggestions. I recommend this book to anyone wanting another perspective [of how to teach children] - especially if they are not thriving in a classroom setting. show less

As a researcher in the field of early child development, I can say this book does an excellent job of presenting an unbiased, very research-based view on the issue of school entrance age and early formal academic study.

I enjoy the Moores' perspective, but their writing is repetitive, wordy, and lacks spark. It made the book difficult to get through even though I found it interesting. Alas. The Moores were extremely influential in the formation of our current homeschooling movement, so I think it's important to understand their beliefs and where they were coming from.

"Home schooling is the wave of the future for many Christian parents concerned about the dangers of the secular humanist indoctrination their children receive in our public schools. This book is must reading for home-school teachers because it gives 'how to' suggestions that can literally make dedicated parents the best teachers their children will ever have."