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H A N D S - O N
T E A C H I N G T I P S
Unleash a Love of Learning
in Your Child!
TIP #1: Abandon the Textbooks
and LIVE the Lesson!
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That’s right! I didn’t say “throw them out,” but I did mean set them aside. I’ll explain.
Reading, writing, and “’rithmetic” are necessary staples for a good education. If you can read, you can go anywhere and learn about anything. If you can write, you can create and share your thoughts and ideas. If you know math, you’re not only prepared for the practical aspects of life, you also learn systematic methods and techniques which are important for problem solving. Unfortunately, all three of these topics can be dry and tedious at times, as they are taught precept upon precept. Each step generally must be mastered before you can advance to the next step. These subjects also take major brain power, as they may not come easily to all children (I’m thinking specifically about those right-brained, creative thinkers!). These three topics also tend to be taught via text books and work books, as they are usually accompanied by exercises, practice, and drill. At the elementary levels up through seventh or eighth grade, children need to explore, touch, taste, create, and just “be.”
Because these subjects take such focus and intense study, other subjects can end up taking a back seat to them. History and science will often be thrown into the text-book mix. When the child’s brain is too taxed to take on any more, art and music can sadly end up being left off altogether! With a full day of text-book remedial learning, it is no wonder a child is losing interest by afternoon and fidgeting to get outside! Children were made to move and absorb information, but when it is all presented the same way, in a dull, monotonous fashion, it will not stick. Above that, it will not be appreciated by the child. It is at times like that we begin to hear, “This is boring!” or “I don’t like school”—words that make us cringe!
What’s the solution? LIVE the lessons! Don’t read from a text book; find a good “living” book at the library and read that. A "living book" is a book that puts you there or envelops you in the story. Are you studying Ancient Greece in history? Read a book such as Growing Up in Ancient Greece. Cook a Greek meal for dinner, or go to a Greek restaurant. Take that teachable moment to discuss the main staples of the Greek diet. Paint a terra cotta flower pot with Greek symbols and do research online to find what the symbols mean, or to find pictures of Greek pottery. Make a mosaic with paper or actual shards of tile! Or perhaps for science, read up on Archimedes and try an experiment by placing items in a tub of water and testing the idea of “displacement.” Be sure to read his story regarding the gold of the King’s crown! For health, look up what the “Hippocratic Oath” was and discuss how it is still in practice today.
Text books still have their place, mind you! They can act as a spine, allowing you to see what came before, what came after, and important people and events that happened during. But use them as your starting base and jump from there. Work books are already heavily used in the reading, writing, and arithmetic. Give the children something to look forward to with everything else!
By high school level, many more topics can be handled in a text book, for the mind is prepared for longer-term reading and a more advanced level of focus. Can high-schoolers also learn hands-on? You bet! Every chance they get should be filled with additional related projects and programs that mold a maturing character. Hopefully by this age, children have not been “burned out” to the idea of textbooks and can appreciate them for their ability to skim over topics, giving key facts and brief information. The substance of the lessons and most memorable impressions, however, come from diving into the details and truly living them in a hands-on way!
· · · Watch for Tip #2… Making Math Make “Cents”!
· · · Look forward to more tips, freebies, and study ideas in my
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“Hands-on Teaching Tips!”
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
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Each issue is geared toward helping your child not only succeed in gaining knowledge, but to develop a desire and passion for learning, right past graduation and through his or her entire life! Education should be an adventure, full of discoveries and opportunities to explore. This newsletter, full of mini-units, printables, and activities, is my gift to you and the children you impact in your teaching!
Amy Pak
http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com
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