“If You Could Learn Anything…”
Anything at all! Anything in the whole wide world!
The First Question
This is the place to begin. It was the first question that I asked my young child when we started to homeschool.
Imagine you are six or seven years old, and a gentle, caring adult leans down and whispers in your ear, "If you could learn anything you wanted, anything in the whole wide world, what would it be?” I continued, extending the question in a slow, detailed way, pausing after each suggestion.
"What if you could speak any language? Build or make anything? Learn any science (astronomy, physics, microbiology, neuroscience, there are loads of branches including math)? Play any instrument, sing any song, dance any step? Learn about any culture, or any part of the world at any period in time? Write poetry, plays, stories? Train dogs or fly falcons or ride horses or understand any animal? Fix or repair anything? Paint or draw, perform martial arts, act in a play? Ski, play tennis or soccer or any sport? Read any book in any language? The list of things to learn is endless!
“So, if you could learn ANYTHING, what would it be?”
Finding Out
Give a child time to think, maybe three days to answer, but they are usually eager to learn more about what already interests them. Write down their answers, and consider each seriously. Tell them they can change their mind at any time.” Then take a trip to the library, or to a special location related to what they want to learn.
Meanwhile, do yourself a favor and ask yourself the same question. If YOU could learn ANYTHING, what would it be? Having the freedom to ask ourselves these questions can lead us to a lifetime of adventurous learning!
If you don't know what your child is interested in, visit a library with a generous children’s department, and encourage the child to choose whatever they find appealing. With weekly visits, you will soon learn what intrigues them.
Taking walks together, point out what interests you, along with window displays, advertisements and signs for activities, as well as birds and trees. Pay attention to what attracts the child’s gaze. Do they wonder at a sign for karate, or let their eyes linger on a poster for dance classes? Are they intrigued with musical instruments, or want to see how pottery is made? Do they want to touch the trees, or have questions about birds? Some children who are quiet may not verbally express their interests, but keep listening and watching you will find out. Once you have learned what your child's interests are, you can focus on that subject as a theme in your educational plan or curriculum.
Learning Style
Sometimes it takes time for a child to feel comfortable enough to express their interests, but keep listening and you will hear them. Once you have learned what your child's interests are, you can focus on that subject as a theme in your educational plan or curriculum (ADD LINK).
Learning Style
Putting your child’s interests at the center of their learning will increase their motivation. But it is equally important to understand their type of intelligence and learning style, so they will enjoy the process.
We each have our own learning style. Some learn best from reading, while others learn best from watching or by doing. Some need absolute quiet for concentration while others need the radio on to concentrate. Finding the style of learning that works best for your child lessens frustration for both of you, and vastly improves learning efficiency. Even simple modifications to your day or school structure can make a huge difference.
I know parents who were helped by reading Discover Your Child's Learning Style, by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Kindle-Hodson. It contains a series of easy checklists that will identify your and your child's learning styles. You can download a free Learning Style Self-Survey that can be used for you and your kids, with just four different learning styles: visual, aural or auditory, verbal, kinesthetic or physical, and find links to more resources on this topic.
Here's a useful article on Learning Styles and Strategies by Prof. Richard M. Felde of North Carolina State University.
Visit the website of Dr. Thomas Armstrong for information on multiple intelligences.
No single method or structure (or un-structure) works best for everyone. Sometimes parents have a way that they think is best because it works best for them, but that way may not be suited to the child. Finding the best way to teach your child may require a different approach from the one you are using.
Links to articles on learning style follow. Just as you can ask yourself The First Question, you can also explore the nature of your own learning style and type of intelligence. This leads not just to a life of learning, but a life more fully enjoyed!
Related Resources and Articles
On the Resource Page under Curriculum Resources, find examples of interest-based curricula.
Making Math Meaningful and Fun, has multidisciplinary activities that combine other interests with math.
Playing Catch: A Metaphor for Child-led Learning, with additional resources and articles.
Individual Learning Style and the Spelling Game
Multiple Intelligences (MI) by Howard Gardner shows that all intelligence is multi-faceted. Here are eight different types of intelligence described.
Multiple Intelligences drawn from Dr. Gardner’s work, showing a list of nine.
How to Learn Something in Eight Different Ways by Dr. Thomas Armstrong, includes a short video demonstration.