*Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Krista @ Redeeming the Love of Learning.
As the New Year passed, I asked my 13-year-old what he’d like to focus on more this coming year, and he responded that he’d like to become more disciplined in his learning. That was sweet news to my ears as I’ve been trusting the process of interest-led learning for three or four years now.
Six years ago I was diagnosed with leukemia for the first time and a loving community offered to take him into private school tuition-free. At that time I didn’t know how to battle leukemia so I agreed to enroll him. He LOVED learning at home prior to entering, but that quickly changed in such a short time.
He seemed like a different child – angry, exhausted and discouraged. He used to love to read and now would only speed-read as many books as he could for medals. Six months later I was declared to be in remission and after a few weeks he asked me in his 7-year-old voice, “Mom, I thought you were all better now. Why am I still going to this school?”
I realized he was right. I gave them notice that he would not return the following week, but there were repercussions. Now home, he had an almost post-traumatic response to anything that reminded him of school: math, reading, writing, you name it. For awhile I had to take the pressure off—not because of my core values, but just for his sake and to reconnect with him.
As time passed, and his spirit returned, I made the mistake of applying more pressure. As he got into 4th grade, I felt like I was the only one not doing hardcore academics and he needed some “catching up.”
Oh my, how far I’ve come!
Guess what? I had a do-over! I relapsed just three years after the first diagnosis and now I was up against a bone marrow transplant. This time, I had a larger homeschooling network and church family that took my kids in for the three months I was at UCLA.
My kids had an enjoyable time despite the circumstances, but when they came home, and as I became stronger, I sought the training I needed to understand how to deschool myself, embrace interest-led learning and understand my own kids’ learning styles better – how to put it all together basically for the long haul.
There was a period of “deschooling” that needed to take place, but his motivation to learn from within also needed time to heal. To trust this process of taking the pressure off takes some courage!
I believe there is also a certain level of cognitive maturity which needs to develop for a child to want to “study” or achieve goals for the future. Different kids have this drive at different ages, and when pushed early, they can burn out and think they hate learning.
Left free, kids enjoy the learning process at their own pace and in their own way and we learn that education can happen anytime and anywhere and can look much different than what we grew up with ourselves.
That’s why interest-led learning works so well. Because interest is a key motivator, it’s of utmost importance that we consider their interests when we plan the ideal homeschool experience.
Using Your Child’s Heart & Your Insticts As Your Guide
Instead of relying on educational philosophies and curriculum like Charlotte Mason, the Principled Approach, the Well-Trained Mind, or Sonlight to guide our way, let your kids’ hearts and your instinct guide the way. In doing so, you will have children who are delighted to learn and are not forced to fit into someone else’s agenda.
Trying to fit into someone else’s idea of how education “should” look becomes tiresome after awhile. Even if homeschoolers think they love to use curriculum or are staunch followers of a philosophy, I observe that the majority of homeschoolers have bookshelves filled with half-used curricula and half-read books while continually seeking new programs or constantly asking friends what they are using.
The guilt and stress involved with making all of those purchases which were supposed to work depletes your confidence as a homeschooler, which is often passed on to the kids! You may have started thinking there is something wrong with your child when you find yourself frustrated at their lack of enthusiasm for your curriculum choices.
This is true if you have ever had thoughts that your dear child was “lazy,” “stubborn” or they just don’t seem to “get it.” As hard as it may be to hear, more often than not it is the teaching method or learning paradigm and not the child that’s the problem.
But what about the basics?
Interest-led learning is the key into a child’s heart, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up on learning math, reading, writing, or anything else your family values in your pursuit of education. Instead, you can apply their interests to traditional subjects. Here are some examples of how this might look:
- Math can be game-oriented because most kids of all ages are interested in games and this is great for learning basic math as well as good practice.
- If your child loves skateboarding there is a whole math and science aspect that could be explored with skateboarding ramps and tricks – this would cover geometry and physics!
- A child interested in fashion could study the history of fashion in each age and learn about the various cultural influences on clothing as well as putting together creative products to show off their new knowledge. This could cover writing, history, geography, art and more!
- A child interested in videography could create a video on any number of subjects and cover all the necessary skill areas – writing scripts, employing actors, directing, shooting, editing, interviewing, public speaking, budgeting, art, and more!
You can plan ahead and create projects with your kids, or you can strew things along their path and watch learning unfold, capturing the moments and discoveries in your journal for compiling a portfolio later. Later if you need a transcript, you can match activities to traditional learning jargon as needed or just give a narrative summary of the learning that takes place.
Do you have a desire to transition to a more authentic learning experience using an interest-led approach? Please share one thing your kiddos are interested in which you can now use as the backdrop for more learning experiences!
I’ll go first! For my two boys, it’s creating a role-playing game. There are so many subject areas covered – they are writing (not something they’d normally want to do, right?!) and using all kinds of math and reading a ton. Those basics are covered, but it also encompasses developing character, medieval history, drawing, language arts and social and communication skills.
Krista is a wife, mother and learning styles expert, encouraging others through writing and consultations. Her near-fatal experiences through leukemia and the bone marrow transplant gave her new resolve to live more authentically. She applied that resolve to her kids education, and now helps others do the same, offering tips for getting that spark back at Redeeming the Love of Learning You can also read about her inspirational journey through cancer at Hope Notes from Krista and Mike.Catch up with her at Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Photo Credit: Aussiegall