/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.18637876]

My wife was homeschooled and has some profoundly deep gaps in her knowledge. She has fairly high intellect, excellent memory, and good proclivity for the integration of new knowledge and problem solving. But there are things that are unfathomably absent in her repository of knowledge: she did not know how to find California on a map, she did not understand how time-zones work, she doesn't recognize references to Shakespeare, or even the standard-issue American Lit any schooled American knows. Beyond this, any understanding of world history, philosophy, or the arts is entirely superficial and comes from her subsequent community college education.

She has grown tremendously from the tepid and shallow pool of knowledge in which she began. Her mother "taught" her and her brothers, but really just avoided lessons and faked test results--she had no real knowledge of her own to impart upon them. Her childhood was devoid of the reciprocity many of us enjoyed as we were academically rewarded for our curiosity. I believe when she had to take the ACT to apply for college her score was something like 14. She virtually had no formal education until she got into a community college and eventually transferred to a 4 year bottom-tier university.

She is very inquisitive and interested in overcoming these limitations. I ask you this: where do we begin? What can I do to form a sort of long-term curriculum with her to develop these interests? Bear in mind that she does lack some of the discipline and self-confidence to struggle through a rigorous regimen of typical /lit/ fare. I was a child with a strong autodidactic streak and vicious self-reliance in intellectual matters, so I do not know exactly how to relate to her struggle and thus I feel like I may overlook some things. My goal here is just to help her develop an intellectual foundation that honors her actual intellectual abilities, and to free her from the handicap of inadequate education.

[Anonymous No.18637882]

>>18637876
and you married this woman? kek

[Anonymous No.18637917]

That sounds similar to my situation. Although I would consider myself to have been better off than her, I still feel the effects of my rather profund gaps in knowledge, especially when it comes to history and science. I don't have much advice to offer you beyond having her read more and take in as much information as possible. Read textbooks if need be. Watch videos on youtube and try and retain the information. Takes notes if necessary. Some people find Khan Academy useful but I've never been able to latch onto it. I prefer reading from books when I can. I would say I've improved quite a bit just through reading/exposure, but I'm not really aware of any other way to fix this sort of problem.

[Anonymous No.18637931]

>>18637917
Thanks for your thoughtfulness. We’re there any particular “adult beginner” type resources you found especially useful? I’m not familiar with the Khan university vids, but I can check that out.

She does read quite a bit now, but it’s been more “book of the month” club type stuff. I have encouraged this to get her in the habit, but am optimistic she can switch to more substantive things. And to be clear, she is motivated for this as well, I think she just feels defeated easily given the aforementioned chasm of knowledge.

[Anonymous No.18637966]

Kek this is why homeschooling is illegal in Europe

[Anonymous No.18637968]

>>18637876
What, exactly, does she want to know? And why does this situation bother you two so much?

[Anonymous No.18638018]

>>18637968
She just feels like there are so many things she is missing out on. We watch a movie or even Jeopardy and things go completely over her head just because she lacks the foundation. She will read something and just had no idea what’s being referenced. It’s a source of frustration as she has continued to develop a deeper intellectual appetite and realized how much she has missed.

It’s difficult to answer what specifically she wants to know because I think there are so many “unknown unknowns” in this case. She is generally just seeking a broad knowledge base in the humanities and basic science.

[Anonymous No.18638026]

>>18637931
It's been difficult for me to find anything specifically geared toward "adult beginner" types, let alone anything comprehensive; but Khan Academy is a solid website and, while it can be a little patronizing at times (as though geared more toward children), I would say most of the videos, especially the ones geared towards mathematics and similar subjects, are perfectly suited to adult beginners and don't have a patronizing tone. Other than that I've had friends recommend me Youtube channels like Fire of Learning for history and Historia Civilis for the subject of history. I also like The Great War and the following World War 2 series but it certainly has a pop history feel to it that can be grating. Other than that, I again recommend absorption and plenty of reading. Look for textbooks on subjects she'd like to learn more about. Look for books with maps if she has problems with geography. Have her make use of maps even if they aren't available in a book. There's no shame in using Wikipedia or other resources like that. I have history major and STEM friends who do just that when they're interested in getting an overview of a particular subject (they read plenty of books as well, of course). There are also plenty of charts in the /lit/ wiki and floating around the board. I understand the feeling of frustraion well, but it's best to simply accept the fact that you're handicapped and to do your best to overcome it. She'll probably never be able to build her fund of knowledge up to the absolute ideal level, but she can probably come pretty close. You can obtain a broad, useful knowledge of the Roman empire, but you don't have to formulate an opinion on Hadrian's merits as an emperor or an opinion on why the empire declined and fell.

[Anonymous No.18638059]

>>18637966
Not really in most countries here, you just need some paperwork and maybe testing to see that the kid is actually learning something.

[Anonymous No.18638062]

>>18638026
Tremendously helpful! I assure you we will make good use of this info.

And best of luck to you on your path. It sounds like you’ve come a long way and have followed your interests relatively unfettered.

[Anonymous No.18638116]

>>18637931
Adult beginner… what the fuck are you talking about man. If you want her to be better at geography buy her a map. If you want her to be more literate have her read some books. If you want her to know math have her work through a textbook. Anything else is a meme.

And crack the whip. If she was so motivated she would have done it herself by now.

[Anonymous No.18638240]

>>18638018
Don't watch YouTube videos. Do read books. Also see >>18638116
Honestly, I wonder whether or not she is feeling this way because you are making her feel that way. If you let her know that you don't care whether or not she knows as much as you, and that you just want her to listen sometimes, she would probably be quite content to continue as she is.

[Anonymous No.18638309]

>>18638240
I am sure you are well-intentioned, but your claims about my motivations are baseless and your relationship advice unsolicited. Oddly, this is done in the context of quoting a post telling me to “crack the whip” which is such a tired and patronizing cliche to even consider about a loved one. Additionally, I stated multiple times that she is interested in these pursuits, and I am advocating in her behalf to help bring them to fruition.

Good day, sir.

[Anonymous No.18638318]

>>18637876
Tldr I don’t come to /lit/ to read a novel about a normalfag’s relationship peeves

[Anonymous No.18638329]

>>18638059
It's definitely much more rare in Europe than in the US, to the point of being basically unheard of.

[Anonymous No.18638361]

>>18638309
I said nothing about your motivation. I just said that you might actually be the reason why she wants to learn. It could be because she admires you and wants to follow your lead. The point is that you should look at the way you interact with her, because you might be the cause.
And in any case, if she'd genuinely like to learn, then the only way to do it is through regular printed materials. You should go through them one at a time to see what she's actually interested in.

[Anonymous No.18638385]

Damn her parents must have been retarded. Homeschool kids usually do better than public but thats probably because of the ABSOLUTE state of american public education

[Anonymous No.18638402]

>>18637876
Also don't forget arts education. Find introductions to the history of music, most importantly from Bach on. A basic overview of pictorial art movements should be enough for a start, with a bit of emphasis to renaissance and after and a bit more on 20th century, when she has that she can decide if and about what art movement she wants to learn more based on aesthetic feeling. Just be sure to do it all in little chunks (one art movement/one composer at a time).

I am pretty sure there must be music eduction records where the life stories of composers are intertwined with excerpts from their most famouses pieces, at least there were when I was a kid, but I am afraid I don't know any titles of have links.

It would also be of inestimable value to spend some time learning the basics of drawing as well as learning (at least a simple) instrument. The ability to create music and artistic representations is an indispensable skill without which a human being cannot reach its full potential.

[Anonymous No.18638406]

>>18637876
1. Read textbooks
2. Try exam paper
3. Go over gaps in knowledge
4. Repeat

This is probably best bet for catching up with stuff missed at school although it's a lot of effort also look up Feynman technique it's useful when learning a new topic. Good luck anon.

[Anonymous No.18638505]

>>18637876
Consider not marrying retards next time, retard.

[Anonymous No.18638561]

>>18637876
Great Courses, its like 19 bucks a month for unlimited courses (or you can pirate them all).

[Anonymous No.18638567]

>Her mother "taught" her and her brothers, but really just avoided lessons and faked test results
lmao based

[Anonymous No.18638596]

>>18638385
There are two types of homeschoolers. Ones who are patricians and want to create gentlemen of letters (and so find the best of tutors and fencing masters), and Ones who bring their daughters and sons to modeling and commercial auditions, or teach that romans ride dinosaurs and that witches ought to be burned.

[Anonymous No.18638601]

Okay, but is she a good fuck? If she can't be a brain she can at least be a hole.

[Anonymous No.18638613]

you write like a fag btw

[Anonymous No.18638633]

>tfw no tabula rasa trad wife to program

[Anonymous No.18638669]

You write like such a twat I had to google to make sure I wasn't responding to pasta.

[Anonymous No.18638692]

>>18638613
>>18638669
You need to be at least 18 years old to samefag, you don't know how this place works, child??

[Anonymous No.18638704]

>>18638692
>You need to be at least 18 years old to samefag
no you don't

[Anonymous No.18638757]

>>18638704
So you admit to being underage

[Anonymous No.18638801]

who did the painting?

[Anonymous No.18638864]

>>18638801
Learn how to reverse image search, you absolute fucking retard

[Anonymous No.18638921]

>>18638633
kek, I have to agree here

[Anonymous No.18638936]

>>18637876
>and eventually transferred to a 4 year bottom-tier university.
That's where you met her, right?

[Anonymous No.18638997]

>>18637876
I wish I had my own out of touch Ophelia waifu.

[Anonymous No.18639167]

>>18637876
Sounds based. Women should be banned from reading anything other than the bible.

[Anonymous No.18639229]

All she needs is to become a savant in one single subject. I recommend either Math or Philosophy. Just give her the standard books on the subject and a 5 hour slot every day which is filled with autodidactic study. Perhaps you could withhold sex if she fails to comply? This would pressure her into a situation of growth, and moral upstanding through the elimination of slothfulness, a fair exchange for the potential loss of fleeting moments of pleasure.

[Anonymous No.18639427]

>>18639229
Cooking is a better choice

[Anonymous No.18639540]

>>18637876
how much does your wife weigh?

[Anonymous No.18639576]

>>18637876
>can’t point out California
Introduce her to paradox games
>can’t understand time zones
This is understood in like 1 minute? Different latitude means different time
>doesn’t get shakesmeme references
Uhh, okay Anglo. Most people wouldn’t get that many. People read two or three plays at most in public school and never touch the bard again
>world history
You’d be surprised how little most people know asides from “there were two world wars and a Vietnam war”

[Anonymous No.18639602]

>>18637876
>My wife was homeschooled and has some profoundly deep gaps in her knowledge. She has fairly high intellect, excellent memory, and good proclivity for the integration of new knowledge and problem solving
>knows nothing
Uhhh
>proceeds to repeat himself two or three times
You’re blowing smoke up these peoples asses. I see right through you.

[Anonymous No.18639643]

>>18639576
>Different latitude means different time
kek

[Anonymous No.18639651]

>My wife was homeschooled and has some profoundly deep gaps in her knowledge.
Stop. You're gay. That's why you're here. You're married to a perfect woman, and you're a gay m'fcker.
Knowledge is for city trash. Seriously. Enjoy being gay.

[Anonymous No.18639682]

I would like to add that this doesn't have anything to do with homeschooling. There is probably an insane number of Americans who can't point their state out on a map, show how time zones work, or quote any Shakespeare, who went through the public education system. The thing is that those people are probably just low IQ, while your wife had retarded parents or were too poor to hire good tutors. She can learn about anything that comes to her mind that she knows she should know. Does she know how to use a fucking computer?

[Anonymous No.18639773]

>>18637876
She's just retarded anon, but don't think that's a bad thing. My mother's retarded too, I realized when I was a child (not even joking), but she was "educated". Everyone in public schools were retarded as my mother, knowledge without intelligence is useless, they also end up doing jobs that require none of that. So to what conclusion are we educating retards? To brainwash them, since we can inculcate ideas they wouldn't have if they were ignorant. Just like we increased literacy so the retards can read newspapers. They ceased being ignorant and started to be belivers of government propaganda. There is no point in educating them. Also if you will have kids with her, hope they won't be retarded like her mother; make many kids and hope one's clever. (atleast you can teach her to be a good wife, you are lucky on that)

[Anonymous No.18639885]

>>18639773
I think a majority of people (in the US) want to do just enough and autopilot to 65 yo, and you can tell who they are in an instant. That said, they aren't intrinsically stupid, but perhaps have other dreams in mind that aren't intellectually related. In OP's case, his wife is probably not genetically below average intelligence but due to life circumstances, never got pushed down the "intellectual" path. Anyways, my advice to OP is to just read with her...pop open a high school world history book and go through it.

[Anonymous No.18640038]

This is a very interesting dilemma. Because my knowledge of history began when I was maybe 7 and read history books made for children (many pictures) and after that I knew about the existence of things like the ancient Egyptians, romans, vikings, mediaeval Europe, the world wars etc even though I couldn’t probably say anything intelligent about it. I guess the best thing would be to find the most basic history books about these things and maybe read them for yourself and then make her read a few basic chapters from them. Or even better, just print out some basics from Wikipedia where you gather basic stuff about the subject. Afterwards maybe ask give her super easy questions about it. I think it would be great if you make a timeline of history. So she can see for herself that the Romans were before the vikings and the vikings before the medieval age. That is easier to grasp than just numbers that say 500 ad, 1300 ad etc.
Also you need to have a map book and just make her look at it. Make her become familiar with concepts like Romania is in Europe (even though she might not be able to show you where). I think this was my introduction to geography when I was young. And btw, my mom is really stupid (god bless her soul) because she hit her head when she was young. She still managed to have 4 intelligent children (my brothers & sisters are doctors and lawyers).

[Anonymous No.18640075]

She could do Khan Academy for science / math.
Specifically they have a good multivariable calculus and differential equation course.

Afterwards with that knowledge you could jump on youtube to a quantum mechanics 1 course, or general relativity, or whatever is preferred.

That's how I started becoming self-taught after dropping out of community college, and now I learn from college text books.

[Anonymous No.18640080]

>>18637876
Retarded larper. You don't have a wife.

[Anonymous No.18640092]

>>18637876
>she did not know how to find California on a map
good

[Anonymous No.18640177]

>>18637876
If you only knew how few graduates of the public schools can't do that.

[Anonymous No.18641208]

>>18637876
sorry that's just a load of cope. If she's not driven by an insatiable curiosity, then the life of the mind isn't for her.

[Anonymous No.18641514]

>>18641208
why would OP even want such a curious intellectual wife. Use all that curiosity and intellect into making sandwiches

[Anonymous No.18641517]

>>18637882
FPBP

[Anonymous No.18641521]

>>18640092
Based

[Anonymous No.18642193]

>>18637876
I'm suspecting when referring to your "wife" you actually mean that your mismatched sexual identity and this blogpost is about yourself, fag.

You don't form curriculum. WHo are you? with no better knowledge. Go to open curriculum and see the trends, and pick what you like. Prefer textbooks over primary sources first, then move from there into primary texts whatever picks your interest, homo.

[Anonymous No.18642907]

>>18637876
>she did not know how to find California on a map
i'd argue this is more valuable
>she did not understand how time-zones work
based. time isn't real.
>she doesn't recognize references to Shakespeare
free from old-world standards
>standard-issue American Lit any schooled American knows
nationalist propaganda
>world history
why get stuck in old stories
> philosophy
just identity assertions
>the arts
wow shes retarded

[Anonymous No.18643046]

>>18639167
Based.