The Moores' 1975 book Better Late Than Early summarizes research supporting their contention that children are not psychologically ready for formal learning until age eight to ten.

It was a discussion about this book on Focus on the Family (early 1980s) that introduced me to homeschooling. That very day, I decided that our children would be home schooled if at all possible. I recommend that all prospective parents read this.

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 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. ( )