Friday, March 29, 2013

How do you Inspire Your children to Learn?

Let’s face it. Sometimes what we should learn is really boring! See Jane run is not much fun! Learning to read was a challenge for my daughter until I found a fantasy book that she connected to. She has not stopped reading since, her house is littered with her current novel and the kindle is her favorite tool! My youngest son liked snakes and dinosaurs. He went on to devour such classics as Shakespeare and Alexander Dumas. Currently he is still in college learning to be a Chinese Medical Doctor. Finding what they were interested in inspired them to read and expand their horizons.
How many of your homeschool children really want to dissect a frog? My children wanted to know what he had done wrong. Instead we used the resources available to us. We regularly butchered our own livestock and the children were included in the process. My daughter would stand at the kitchen sink for hours and study how the heart pumped blood. She was also fascinated with the muscle structure and how the tendons helped move the feet. She is now a veterinarian.
By finding things they were interested in they forgot that they were learning. It was fun. Which is what learning should be. Math can be taught through cooking or in a  building project.   Science is also a part of cooking. Just add some vinegar to baking soda and see what happens! Have you experienced an earthquake or tornado in  our area?  Were your children afraid? Finding information on what causes those earth events and sharing it with your children will help them to understand and through understanding fear is lessened. Plus it will spark their interest in further investigation. Science in real life!
Open up your own imagination.  You have many skills that can be taught to your children. If you work away from home let them in on how you spend your days.  If you work as a sales person then you can show them how important it is to learn to communicate with different types of people and how about giving change back after a sale.  Stay at home Mom, how do you balance the budget? What does the electric bill run? Help them to understand why it is important to turn off the lights when not in the room.  How do you plan a week's meal schedule?   Is there a reason you cook a great big roast on Sunday and then serve hash on Monday?.  All of these are skills that will help you children be better prepared for adulthood!  Inspire them to want to learn. Have fun!

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