Love of Learning
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive January-June 2004:
Love of Learning
What do you do in your homes to foster a love of learning in your kids?
We read a lot, I try to find books that really interest them. My oldest loves factual animal books. My oldest also loves to make up stories (I do the writing) and he illustrates. We do a lot of fun science projects and crafts. They love to sit and do work sheets. I don't let them use coloring books often because I feel that what they draw on their own is much better. PlayDough is great for several reasons, creativity, building small muscles, building large muscles. I try to Provide lots of oppurtunity for play.
Over the summer I try to do a day every week, this summer I am already working on a day "bug camp", Star Party, and I am still deciding on the others.
I do little pre-school work with the younger one's everyday, they soak up the one-on-one and can't wait for it.
We have a music room with drum sets, guitars, bass's, amps, keyboard, and violin we will take them in there to play anytime.
I guess I try to find what interest them and find an acitivity that will build on that interest. This is what I really enjoy.
We went to the library a lot, had lots of crayons,paints, paper, and coloring books, worked on lots of workbooks, watched PBS, visited the museum in Milwaukee, and stuff like that.
I had a lot of art and musical supplies for the kids to use, I read to them every day and every night no matter what. I have since my oldest was about 2, limited tv watching, I don't restrict it, we just don't watch any mainstream tv (ok, I still love the Simpsons and the X-files but the kids don't watch those shows) and if we do it is usually pbs or some other educational show or a movie. More importantly, dh and I stress the importance of school, I think it is important for them to think of college as what you do after high school (as a natural chain elementary school, middle school, high school, college, career), rather than have them think it is something you might do if you can afford it. I also think it is highly important for parents to be involved in their child's school, either the pto or parent volunteering, chaperoning, anything to let your child know that doing your best in school is important. I see so many kids that I work with in school, whose parents never look at the work the kids bring home. Or have a child that is struggling with reading and ignore the suggestions the school gives them. What kind of message does that send? Do they not realize how hard their child tried or are they to tired to care? A lot of parents at my school need to get their priorities straight. Ok, I'll stop now. Sorry for the long, rambling post, this touched a nerve.
Agree on the priorities 100%. See that at my kids schools too.
I think it is a part of the families dynamics not just an action. Loving to learn is not something that you can force them to do. It is something you have to foster in them. If you read they will look at reading as important. If you admit to constantly learning new information they will take pride in what they are learning daily too. It isn't about how many crayons you can buy or how many trips to a fine arts museum. It is your mind set.. they emulate what they see and it becomes who they are..
And I think a key to loving education is making it fun, including everyone in the adventure of learning and working it in to your life so they see the importance of always trying to learn more.
It is something that just sort of happened at my house. My kids love to read and they are both good students.
WEll i think the best thig you can do is to work with them on their homework. I try not to be pushy about it but for my dd she likes to do it because it is a time that she gets my full attention. Kids need a reason to love school, telling them about their future seems not to work in my experience because kids live in the moment and don't fully grasp consequences that will take place in years! So my dd's reason is becuase it gets her what she wants the most, attention. When she does bad then i tell her that maybe she needs to study alone. She doesn't like that at all so she keeps her grades up so that we can work together.
I'm an artsy type person and our oldest dd is a visual learner, which is often difficult in school.
So at home and when we go place, I like the hands on type of learning.
Yes, I love art and their program at school is good but I really try to extend it. We all love to paint, draw (crayons, pencils, charcoal pencils). I would love to do the clay thing, but unsure how.
They love to go to museums and aquariums but we do not have many in our area.
We do a lot of walking and enjoy and study nature. We live near woods so that's really easy.
We also do a camp, we named it "Star Camp" over the summer. We invite up a couple of close friends and try to do a lot of hands on things.
Chrissy I would love to hear some of your ideas!
Oldest dd is into reading now and loves to write about what she read, lol, little does she know what's to come in jr/sr high school.
As for school/homework...
I homeschool on Fridays. As for homework, dd can do most on her own, but she will come to me for questions and anything she needs assistance with. She really needs everything to be quiet to concentrate. She is one of those 100% kids. She had a tough time in the beginning, she had a speech/language delayment (that's what they called it), now she is really catching up.
Youngest dd, I sit down with, she is still getting the hang of her school and the specifics. Plus she does have to read all work out loud to someone older.
I love this Melanie, what a great way to get new ideas
With my 2 and 4 year old, I read books and do flashcards. I usually dance around and do goofy things when teaching them new concepts, so that it is fun for them. They are learning and laughing at me at the same time, LOL. I also take every opportunity to teach them something new, whether it be at the grocery store, here at home, in the car, whenever. I am always pointing things out, saying what they are, describing them, and using them in a sentence.
My two year old now knows all of his ABC's, can recognize all of the letters, and can count to 15. He has a huge vocabulary, and loves to talk.
I am even starting with Seth (6 month old) just talking to him and naming parts of the body, etc.
Thanks Melanie, I love seeing what has worked for other parents!
Here are some of my ideas:
A friend and I have gotten together and came up with a summer scheldule, we do one group activity a week, we make lots of copies and hand them out to all our friends (we have different friends so this works well). It has the dates, times and items to bring.
Star Party- Everyone is bringing Telescopes, we have constalation charts and I know a lot of them already. We are starting a bonfire and making smores and they are bringing jars to catch lightning bugs.
Bug Camp- We will be making nets to "sweep" the ground and observing what is in the grass. We will have a long sheet of paper and cut a small square in it and see who can find the most insects in their square. We will be setting traps to catch insects. During all these we will be talking about the different parts of insects and just general facts. We will be taking an insect identification book of course.
Camp for a day- We are setting up a camp site for the day. We will be hiking, making lunch over fire, reading in tents, doing a craft (I think we will be making wind chimes).
Wading- We will be catching minnows and wading in a creek. We will be making spy glasses out of coffee cans to look under the water. Having a picnic.
Cool off Party- They had this listed in family fun. Water balloon games, Pinquata (water filled pinata made from plastic bag), slip 'n slide, and anything else we can think of before then.
We will be swimming at the lake and having a sand castle contest and a picnic.
What are some of the things some of you have planned or gone to that your children really enjoyed?
(I hope I didn't get off the topic too much, I just wasn't sure were to respond???)
|
Members
