Warning: Interest Lead Learning Can Ruin The Classroom
Remember back when you were in school.
Did you ever dread some most of the topics in school?
If you could have picked out what to study in history, math, science, and reading…learning would have been completely different.
How exciting that would have been for you!
Can you imagine how you would have been so eager to get to school and arrive in the classroom with your homework done, have extra information about the subject and listening to the teachers every word?
This is the magic we are able to provide for our kids in homeschool.
Would you rather have your child exposed to small details on many subjects only to have them remember until hopefully after the test.
Or to dive deep in subjects that capture their interests and will remember for possibly a lifetime?
A small example of this is having them learn different presidents, dates, and bits of events…or having them talk in detail about President Lincoln’s life, family, speeches, and assassination as if they knew him and his family personally.
Who determined that school has to briefly touch on certain aspects of history that will be unable to stay in their memory.
We can all remember learning something after our school years and thinking that you had never heard about that topic or fact.
Even schools do not cover every aspect of history.
In fact I did not fully understand all the aspects of history until we started using time lines in homeschooling my son, I had many light bulb moments. Many connections are made by using time lines.
Who determined that science needs to briefly touch on the life cycle of the butterfly for 3 years in a row. By experiencing the life cycle of the butterfly through a Butterfly Garden Growing Kit they can watch it happen and not soon forget the experience.
When you guide your child to find their interests, they will take charge and ownership of their learning.
- When not interested or understand the “why” behind learning the subject, strong willed kids will putting up a battle in the lessons.
There will not be any learning if they are dragging their feet and only barely do the minimum to complete the assignment.
Many of us will complete a task when we know the reason behind it.
All of us will complete activities that we are interested in. When we are interested in a topic we need no prompting from others to find out more about it. Our interest is what drives us to learning more.
- Even when we adults are not interested in a topic we have a very hard time keeping our attention or even remembering any of it.
Our eyes glass over, our minds wander, we have to reread or ask questions as our minds were somewhere else…and we are adults.
When I was in school, I was happy with a D- grade as it meant I passed. I could not have told you anything that was taught. In college I was interested and motivated to learn and earned high grades.
- We need to think of ways to make a subject real to our child and make them interesting.
This is where the magic happens!
Living books make history come alive through stories, giving details in a memorable way.
Movies also make events memorable through story form.
Museums let us see items used in the past.
Historical sites let us walk the same ground previous battles were fought on, seeing the same hills they looked over to spot their enemies.
Reenactments and festivals immerses us in the experience surrounded by period clothing, watching first hand the way things were done, hearing the blacksmith working the metal and feeling the heat, and smelling them cook meals in cast iron over the fire pit.
- If it is something that is not essential to know at this time, it can be taught later.
You can find an alternative that they find interesting.
There is no rule that history has to be learned in chronological order. Using a time line helps to understand and see how things relate to a particular time period.
Science topics can be presented in any order.
Math is a subject that does build up in some order, one does need to know addition before multiplication.
Using math in real life holds attention and gains more understanding more than worksheets.
- Try many different topics to see what catches their attention.
Mini unit studies can go through several subjects.
When something is interesting to them, expand the exploration and enjoy the adventures with your child eagerly learning.
- Go on several field trips to expose them to new experiences.
Think of local places you would normally overlook, call to see if they will do a tour with information about the business, the worst thing that they could say is no but you will be surprised how many say yes.
Check out a library, grocery store, restaurant, junk yard, recycling center, factory, bowling alley, and race track.
Visit a movie theater, community theater group, nature center, park ranger, the possibilities are endless.
Go to a community play, musical concert, dog shows, art classes, sewing classes, bee keepers club, and local museums.
Get involved in 4H, scouts, kids clubs, and library programs.
Just go and explore to see what ignites the flame of curiosity for them.
- Listen to your child, figure out what sparks their interest, and be ready to get pulled along on a journey of discovery and exploration.
When they voice an interest in a topic gather some information, talk about options to explore or experience.
Follow their lead in how deep they want to dig in on the subject.
You don’t want to take it upon yourself to order several books on trains, get a deluxe train model with tracks and village to set up, and tickets for a 3 day train trip…only to have your child loose interests in trains.
Let your child take ownership of the interest and be involved in the process to determine true interests.
- Even if their interest is on something you do not think worthy of pursuing, let them check it out.
They may see that it really wasn’t something they were interested in, or it may lead them to their career choice.
You never know where different rabbit trails will take them.
Rabbit trails are wonderful “squirrel” moments that catch an interest slightly off the path you are on and lead to many other topics.
When you help your child find the things that catch their interest, be prepared for the phenomenon of interest led learning.
This type of learning turns you tearful, learning resistant child to one that can’t get enough information about a topic.
The classroom will never be the same, the world becomes an adventure in learning.
Yes, that same child that rolled their eyes during lessons and sat at the table for hours not wanting to do the assignment will turn into an information seeking learner when motivated by what interests them.