We invite you to peruse the content of this website. It may present a very different paradigm concerning schools and child-raising. We'll start by exploring the enculturation processes that existed throughout almost all of human history prior to the implementation of "age grade" schooling. We'll investigate the rational used during the first half of the 20th century for replacing historic mixed-age educational formats with "factory model" schools of today. We'll examine with 'new eyes' the reality of today's institutionalized enculturation process, and its far-reaching consequences on children, the world at large, and upon ourselves. Most importantly, we'll seek out innovative ways of incorporating 'humanizing' enculturation mechanisms into our schools, child-raising practices, and communities. Ones that are fully compatible with children's inherent human nature. Finally, with the recognition that most of us suffered from the effects of a dehumanizing institutional upbringing, we'll explore how we might heal and 're-humanize' ourselves and others such that we might become able to fully express our inherent human nature.
"Enculturation": the process by which an individual learns the traditional content of a culture and assimilates its practices and values. (Merriam-Webster)
Feb 20, 2018
Almost everything we know about child growth and development
results from clinical observations of children who are products of a very unnatural and dehumanizing enculturation process. One that was modeled after Prussian schools in the mid 1800's. Prior to that, one-room schoolhouses mimicked the enculturation environment within which humanity evolved during its' 5+million year history. Might there be lessons to be learned from exploring the social habitats and encultruation processes which once supported the development of children's inherent human nature throughout 99.997% of humanity's history?
“Naturally Raised Children” (NRC) presumes that humans are evolutionarily hard-wired to successfully achieve enculturation within mixed-age social habitats; and that age-segregation - implicit in modern schooling - thwarts the development of inherent human nature to the detriment of individuals across their lifespans, the social fabric of families and communities, and the world we live in.
Disclaimer: NRC's effort to transform the social dynamics within today's schools should not be viewed as an attack on public schooling, teachers and those who work in educational settings. Nor does NRC advocate for a return to some sort of pre-industrial or pre-technological world.
Do you have pictures of mixed-age groups of children, one-room schools, tribal groupings, and/or group photos of same-age kids? We'd love to have them for our slideshow
Welcome to Naturally Raised Children
We are in the process of
setting up this site. We welcome your comments on NRC
concepts, relevant personal experiences, constructive criticisms, and pertinent
information on the
far-reaching subject matter
encompassed by Naturally Raised Kids
Naturally Raised Kids
Our names are Alan Phillips and Ronda Trujillo. We are both seasoned educators. Our mission is to start a conversation amongst folks who can make a difference in "re-humanizing" schools based on historical enculturation essentials.
Throughout human history, age-inclusive social habitats provided natural enculturation formats which were in alignment with children’s inherent human nature and developmental needs. Modern “grade schools” effectively isolate children from all other ages, creating an institutionalized enculturation experience that is out of synch with children’s inherent nature and developmental needs.
The catastrophic results can be mitigated by re-humanizing schools, using models from the past.
Transforming schools to enhance THE LIVES OF CHILDREN, families, SOCIETY, and OUR PLANET
This site is under construction. We welcome your visit and invite your input! last revised 2/8/16