Living in the Moment

Have you ever had one of those days when you’ve planned to get some school work done, but the kids have a completely different agenda? That was my day today. I tried devotions. I tried reading a book. I tried singing songs. It was just not going to happen today no matter what. Instead of force it, I chose to follow the lead of my kids. I find that, sometimes, there can be more learning than I could have imagined when I follow what they are doing. It is amazing to see them in action!

Today my little one was completely engrossed in a pretend play scenario and wanted nothing to do with me. I tried to engage in the game by asking questions, but I was just not invited in. (It’s sad when I’m rejected by my kiddos!) I could not find a way in. So I watched. I listened, and I learned.

Here is the scene. Earlier in the morning the kids spent a long time setting up the doll houses, cars, and little people. After we dropped my eldest off at school, my little one picked up where they had left off. The little people were driving around in their cars to go to their school. When they arrived, the people parked the cars in a parking lot. Then they had to line up. They all took turns going down the slide. They also went inside the school to play. After school was over, they went into the school bus to go home. Everyone took turns in the bathroom, and they went to bed. There was a lot of narrating of the actions like, “Back up.” I also heard, “Line up.” I heard sounds of the people eating their lunches, too.

What did I learn from observing this scenario? My little one was processing our routine. My eldest goes to a Montessori school in the morning, and the driving, parking, and lining up all relate to what our morning looks like. We also go to the playground to have lunch. There is plenty of turn taking there, and the slide is a favorite activity for the kids. We come home for naps after the playground. This was an exercise in building memory skills and “doing it myself.”  I know that the routine makes sense and that someone is actually hearing me when I encourage turn taking. I also know that my little observer has taken in an incredible amount about how we do things like park the car and get ready for naps. Now I know for sure that her receptive language has really developed. It is so interesting to see this kind of play and get a glimpse of what is happening in that little mind!

Have you sat back to watch your children play independently? You might be surpirsed by what you learn from observing and what they have learned from you.

Filed under Homeschooling Life | Comments (3)

8 Ways to Encourage Curiosity

Homeschooling has given me a new lens to look at the world of education through. Many times I have my own plans for what we are going to do, but my children and my husband definitely have shown me that there are may different ways to approach learning. My experience with my own children has revealed to me that I can let my children take the wheel more often than not, and I can encourage them to question.

My children have a strong desire to know more. They ask “why” constantly - more than I would like to hear!  It has made me think about ways to encourage children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn. Here are some strategies that I have found successful:

1. When your child asks a question or a series of questions, answer them the best that you can, and find the answers if you don’t know them. I like to think that since I answer my kids’ questions to the best of my ability, they are encouraged to be that much more inquisitive. If you brush off your child’s questions, s/he will simply stop asking.
2. If you are truly exasperated by the shear number of questions (and I am often), turn the questions back on your child. Find out if your child can make a hypothesis or a deduction based on the information at hand or prior experiences.
3. Ask your child lots of questions when you are out and about or in the middle of a teachable moment. Expect your child to use higher order thinking skills, too. For example, today we went to Plimoth Plantation. I asked my children to deduce what a room was used for based on the clues they found in the room. I also asked them to make observations about the houses and compare them to our home. What does our home have that these homes do not? Why do you think these homes do not have those things?
4. Ask your own genuine questions when your child is with you. For example, I have wondered why certain plants will not grow in particular parts of our yard, and I want to find ones that will grow. Then it is my job to find the answers to those questions. Remember that you are your child’s model. Children imitate adult behavior - even older kids - so give them a great example for what it means to be curious, and show them where you can find the answers to your own questions.
5. Go on adventures! Novel experiences stimulate the mind. Your child will be more likely to have questions if you give your child a wide variety of experiences to draw from. Go hiking. Go to museums. Try gardening. try something new.
6. Here is your chance to live vicariously through your children. Play with them and encourage imaginative play!Your involvement in imaginative play will change the play scenarios and encourage thinking skills.
7. Read to your child. Remember to read a variety of genres - poetry, nonfiction, historical fiction, science fiction, etc. Try reading aloud genres that your child typically does not read on his/her own to broaden his/her horizons. The new ideas presented as you read will open your child up to new ways of thinking. This is also an opportunity to ask more of those questions. Encourage your child to also ask questions while you read.
8. Let your child take the lead. Observe your child in one of those new situations. What is interesting? What is your child drawn to? Now take some time to draw that out of your child. Maybe you can also plan other adventures that incorporate more of your child’s interests.

Enjoy your children’s natural curiosity and let yourself be taken away by it from time to time.

Filed under Lesson Plans | Comments (2)

Thinking by Playing

A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. Proverbs 14:15

God created our intricate minds. He wants us to think, so it makes sense that we should develop our children’s thinking skills. We often think that providing challenging school work for our children is the way to get them to think, but that is not true. Pretend play is actually a great way to develop those thinking skills. Research shows that pretend play promotes language development, problem solving skills, and social skills. There is evidence that suggests that pretend play also promotes literacy and may even help children develop mathematical thinking. These are pretty compelling reasons to think about the pretend play in your home. Is it part of your school day? Have you thought about the role that pretend play has in your curriculum?

Since home education is so individualized and flexible, you can incorporate pretend play into your day even more so than it already is. It can play a prominent role in the day if you make time for it. You can facilitate your children’s play time as well. By making a few adjustments and thinking differently about pretending, you can change the quality of how your children pretend. Try to offer toys that will encourage different kinds of play. For example, offering literacy materials actually encourages children to incorporate literacy in their play. Also some research suggests that intricate block play in the early years helps with more complex mathematical thinking as children grow older. Type-A Mom also has a great article about how to encourage pretending.

Not only does pretend play develop thinking skills, but it also allows you a window into your child’s thoughts and emotions. You will gain a better understanding of your child if you observe during pretend play scenarios both in independent pretend play and play with friends. Take note of role playing, props used, the complexity of the scenario, and how problems are negotiated. You can use this information as you think about rotating of toys, using analogies from their play to explain concepts, and developing future school work ideas. It will help you to see how much your children understand different concepts that are included in the play scenarios, too.

Pretend play also gives you the opportunity to bond with your child. I love playing with my children. I try to add to the scenario, or change things in order to encourage negotiation skills. I insist that I am able to take turns or decide what I want to do instead of letting the children orchestrate all of the play. Sometimes I do follow along with the play to see where the scenario is going. I ask lots of questions and expect thorough explanations even when I can put together what they are trying to communicate. This all happens while I am sitting on the floor at their eye level. There is just something special about playing with the children down at their level that makes a difference in the way that they play with me.

Try giving pretend play a more prominent role in your school day. You will see a difference in your children and in your own understanding of them. Most of all have fun with your kids!

Filed under Homeschooling Life | Comment (0)