After having a baby and spending most of my time feeding and cuddling him, I found that I was putting "school" on a back burner...way back--Ok, well maybe it wasn't even on the stove for a while--and I had been feeling guilty about how little time
I've been spending on the three R's with my youngest student. We had gotten way behind
on the curriculum and I was getting worried that she would be "behind"
her peers (which means nothing really, but I tend to forget that
sometimes). But then we sat down with a book and she blew me away
with what she could read! a little later, she decided to write a letter to
her cousin and she did great, only
needing help with special sounds we've not yet introduced...and the little booger printed it, which I've NEVER taught (we only practice cursive)!
It has taken me a while to figure it out, but we adults seriously underestimate
what our children can learn on their own when they want to. For the
most part we get in the way of their 'education' by making them learn
things when, where, and how WE want them to learn! The juxtaposition of
this child now and my first at her age, when I structured our school time much
like public school, is remarkable. There's been no stress, frustration
(for either of us), no fighting, or coercing into doing "seat
work"... and very little time spent on instruction, and here she is reading
and writing like a little pro :)
Our kids learn to walk and
talk without guided instruction from us, why? because they want to! Why do
we doubt their ability to learn everything else without being spoon
fed?
I
have found that the biggest cause of frustration (for both me and the
kids) is my own expectation. They really are capable of learning so
much in their own timing and when they have the FREEDOM to learn at
their pace and in
their own way. I have struggled a lot before understanding this (and I
still have to remind myself constantly)! Putting kids in a box and
expecting them to learn a certain way at a certain time will only
frustrate everyone involved and discourage them.
There is a huge difference
between trying to force learning on children and letting them learn.
There's nothing more exciting for them than when that light bulb goes
off in their little minds because they've figured something out!!! and
nothing quite as discouraging as disappointing themselves and others when they don't quite get something when they are told they should.
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