Brand Spanking New - Help with Space Interest?
AshleahD
Hi everyone! I'm the proud mama to 3 little boys (4 1/2, 2 1/2 & 3 months).
I've recently read Sandra Dodd's Big Unschooling Book and have been following message boards, but I'm still pretty brand spanking new.
I wondered if someone could walk me through the "thought" process, so that I can handle interests better in the future.
The other day, while in the doctor's office, my son found a magazine that several beautiful photos of the planets and the moon. He sifted through the photos and told me that when he got home, he wanted to draw a photo of Saturn. Both of us forgot about the photo of Saturn (I guess a horrible case of ear infection, 4 ineffective antibiotics and two trips to the ENT will do that to a mother!)
A buddy of his had a "planet" themed birthday party yesterday, complete with homemade jet packs that each child got to bring home and his interest has peaked again.
I'm not sure where to go from here. We have a Science Center locally that has a Space themed section and I thought about going to the library and letting him pick out books on the planets???
I could really use some help with the "thought" process behind suggesting things and maybe coming up with things that I do not know exist?
I've recently read Sandra Dodd's Big Unschooling Book and have been following message boards, but I'm still pretty brand spanking new.
I wondered if someone could walk me through the "thought" process, so that I can handle interests better in the future.
The other day, while in the doctor's office, my son found a magazine that several beautiful photos of the planets and the moon. He sifted through the photos and told me that when he got home, he wanted to draw a photo of Saturn. Both of us forgot about the photo of Saturn (I guess a horrible case of ear infection, 4 ineffective antibiotics and two trips to the ENT will do that to a mother!)
A buddy of his had a "planet" themed birthday party yesterday, complete with homemade jet packs that each child got to bring home and his interest has peaked again.
I'm not sure where to go from here. We have a Science Center locally that has a Space themed section and I thought about going to the library and letting him pick out books on the planets???
I could really use some help with the "thought" process behind suggesting things and maybe coming up with things that I do not know exist?
Schuyler
Space! The Final Frontier...well, sort of, apparently the earth's core is quite difficult to access. But that's not really about you. Or strewing cool stuff about the planets. What about watching Animaniacs planet song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8eFFnJsCjs. And when you go to that one, with him sitting on your lap, or next to you, you'll see a whole fleet of other videos in the side bar that you could watch together. Oh, you could watch The Magic School Bus Lost in Space Episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBp68rhT_Sg.%c2%a0 You could play with google earth's solar system plug in; http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&cat=sky&url=http://www.google.com/mapfiles/mapplets/earthgallery/Solar_System_in_Motion.xml (if that's too long: http://alturl.com/c9543). National Geographic has a little page on the solar system: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/. Nasa has an amazing webpage: http://www.nasa.gov/ and a
kids club: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html.%c2%a0
I haven't even left the house yet. You could get a solar system map and hang it on the wall. Not any fuss, just put it up on the wall. I have this one: http://xkcd.com/482/, but you might want something more colourful. You could get a few books on the planets and put them where he'll see them. I bet there are cool solar system puzzles that you could get like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Solar-System-Puzzle/dp/B00009ZKRO/ref=pd_sim_t_1 . You could go to the science museum and go slowly through the space exploration section.
The important thing is to not push the space and solar system exploration any further than he wants it to go. If the Animaniacs video makes him happy and sing and dance and then move away to something else, stop there. Or if it gets him more interested in Animaniacs songs then space, there are lots of fabulous Animaniacs songs to dance and sing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvy0wRLD5s8, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYv3yArIJuc&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iniJSvSAAw&feature=related just to get you started). If the games at the Nasa Kids Club are enough for right then, stop there. If the science museum has other stuff that is more interesting, don't push on to the space section in order to check that off in your head. Let him dictate when he wants more and when he wants to stop. If he's curious about relative distance between the sun and the planets, walk it out, and if you get distracted walking it out, go with the distraction.
The ideas will get in if he's interested and if he isn't, pushing it on him won't make it more interesting.
There are lots of ways to explore the space around the earth. You can go to observatories or see if there is an astronomy club who share telescopes to look through on club nights local to you. There are lots of television programmes, fictional and nonfiction. There are lots of games, Mario Galaxy for the Wii is really fun! I bet there are ipad apps, or android apps, not that I have either to check. So strew those things in his environment and if he isn't interested, move on, and if he is find more.
Schuyler
________________________________
I'm not sure where to go from here. We have a Science Center locally that has a Space themed section and I thought about going to the library and letting him pick out books on the planets???
I could really use some help with the "thought" process behind suggesting things and maybe coming up with things that I do not know exist?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kids club: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html.%c2%a0
I haven't even left the house yet. You could get a solar system map and hang it on the wall. Not any fuss, just put it up on the wall. I have this one: http://xkcd.com/482/, but you might want something more colourful. You could get a few books on the planets and put them where he'll see them. I bet there are cool solar system puzzles that you could get like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Solar-System-Puzzle/dp/B00009ZKRO/ref=pd_sim_t_1 . You could go to the science museum and go slowly through the space exploration section.
The important thing is to not push the space and solar system exploration any further than he wants it to go. If the Animaniacs video makes him happy and sing and dance and then move away to something else, stop there. Or if it gets him more interested in Animaniacs songs then space, there are lots of fabulous Animaniacs songs to dance and sing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvy0wRLD5s8, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYv3yArIJuc&feature=related, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iniJSvSAAw&feature=related just to get you started). If the games at the Nasa Kids Club are enough for right then, stop there. If the science museum has other stuff that is more interesting, don't push on to the space section in order to check that off in your head. Let him dictate when he wants more and when he wants to stop. If he's curious about relative distance between the sun and the planets, walk it out, and if you get distracted walking it out, go with the distraction.
The ideas will get in if he's interested and if he isn't, pushing it on him won't make it more interesting.
There are lots of ways to explore the space around the earth. You can go to observatories or see if there is an astronomy club who share telescopes to look through on club nights local to you. There are lots of television programmes, fictional and nonfiction. There are lots of games, Mario Galaxy for the Wii is really fun! I bet there are ipad apps, or android apps, not that I have either to check. So strew those things in his environment and if he isn't interested, move on, and if he is find more.
Schuyler
________________________________
I'm not sure where to go from here. We have a Science Center locally that has a Space themed section and I thought about going to the library and letting him pick out books on the planets???
I could really use some help with the "thought" process behind suggesting things and maybe coming up with things that I do not know exist?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Joyce Fetteroll
On Jan 20, 2012, at 6:44 PM, AshleahD wrote:
It's really easy to get caught up in searching for STUFF once a child shows an interest in something. But you can smother a fire with too much fuel! You want to keep an eye on his fire, feeding it what it needs when he needs it. Don't take over. Let him own his own interest and you be the provider of materials that feeds it. (Which doesn't mean you can't get interested too! But don't let your interest and need to pursue it blind you to what he's asking for.)
Also strew things -- about space *and* about other things. Bring interesting things from the world into his world so he can stumble across them.
http://sandradodd.com/strew/sandra
And also:
http://sandradodd.com/strewing
Books: paper as well as audio, fiction as well as nonfiction.
Movies
TV shows -- Many people credit Star Trek with getting them excited about space and other sciences. Find an episode or two of several shows and see if any spark his interest.
Documentaries
Lectures
YouTube videos
Video games
Kits
Maps of the solar system
Getting together with someone with a good telescope. (The toy ones can be frustrating unless someone has a real passion.)
Rather than trying to find the "right" things, try things and see his reaction. Talk about what you liked and didn't like about what you just did. Use that to help you focus in on what he likes and doesn't like. For instance, my daughter liked funny, especially funny characters. You son may like real. He may like doing things more than watching. Pay attention to him and respond to him rather than "an interest in space" if you see what I mean.
Joyce
> I'm not sure where to go from here. We have a ScienceI wanted to underscore what Schuyler said about looking at and responding to your son. Give him something and respond to his reaction. If, as Schuyler said, he gets interested in Animaniacs, give him more Animaniacs, don't just focus on space. Everything connects to everything.
> Center locally that has a Space themed section and I
> thought about going to the library and letting him pick out
> books on the planets???
It's really easy to get caught up in searching for STUFF once a child shows an interest in something. But you can smother a fire with too much fuel! You want to keep an eye on his fire, feeding it what it needs when he needs it. Don't take over. Let him own his own interest and you be the provider of materials that feeds it. (Which doesn't mean you can't get interested too! But don't let your interest and need to pursue it blind you to what he's asking for.)
Also strew things -- about space *and* about other things. Bring interesting things from the world into his world so he can stumble across them.
http://sandradodd.com/strew/sandra
And also:
http://sandradodd.com/strewing
> I could really use some help with the "thought" processThink outside the (school) box. Schools focus on books because they're convenient. But books are an artificial subset of the real world and shouldn't be seen as the centerpiece of learning. Maybe try to imagine how the other senses can get involved.
> behind suggesting things and maybe coming up with
> things that I do not know exist?
Books: paper as well as audio, fiction as well as nonfiction.
Movies
TV shows -- Many people credit Star Trek with getting them excited about space and other sciences. Find an episode or two of several shows and see if any spark his interest.
Documentaries
Lectures
YouTube videos
Video games
Kits
Maps of the solar system
Getting together with someone with a good telescope. (The toy ones can be frustrating unless someone has a real passion.)
Rather than trying to find the "right" things, try things and see his reaction. Talk about what you liked and didn't like about what you just did. Use that to help you focus in on what he likes and doesn't like. For instance, my daughter liked funny, especially funny characters. You son may like real. He may like doing things more than watching. Pay attention to him and respond to him rather than "an interest in space" if you see what I mean.
Joyce
[email protected]
What would you do if you saw a cute sweater a friend knitted. You find you want to knit. You get busy with life and forget. You see it again and remind yourself that looked pretty and like a fun hobby. What would you do next?
Nance
Nance
--- In [email protected], "AshleahD" <ashleah_dumdei@...> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone! I'm the proud mama to 3 little boys (4 1/2, 2 1/2 & 3 months).
>
> I've recently read Sandra Dodd's Big Unschooling Book and have been following message boards, but I'm still pretty brand spanking new.
>
> I wondered if someone could walk me through the "thought" process, so that I can handle interests better in the future.
Meredith
"AshleahD" <ashleah_dumdei@...> wrote:
Actually, what you described - your son finding something interesting at an office and a friend's house - are good examples of how unschooling kids discover the world. If you don't tend to remember things like that, it could help to have a notebook, or record things on your phone or something, to jog your memory later. Beyond that, keep your eyes and ears open! Unschooling isn't (ahem) rocket science, but it does take some attention and thoughtfulness, keeping your kids in the front of your mind.
What I mean is, when you go out to a store, browse through the section of toys and books and maybe pull out that notebook to see if there's anything your kids might like. Or Don't pull out that notebook and just think about it - what looks fun? Do the same with the internet, browse around links other people put up and ask "would my kids like this?" Maybe they will, maybe it will sit on a shelf for six months. I have books and games and projects which sit and sit, only to be exciting when a new friend comes to play, or Mo sees something in a movie which gets her interested. With three kids of your own, if something's not interesting to one, in a few years another may find it thrilling.
http://sandradodd.com/museum
Does he like to draw in general? If so, add that to your "list". Get him drawing materials he can take out and about so that next time he says "I want to draw a picture" you have the goods on hand. No waiting to get home and maybe forgetting - do it now, while it's exciting.
It's important to look for These kinds of interests as much as obviously schooly things like "space" or "animals" or "construction equipment". It's easy for "likes to draw" to fall under the radar if you're focused one What he's drawing - and yet the drawing is every bit as much an interest in and of itself. Same with "likes to play dress up ninja" (just a random example) - the dressing up can be as big an interest as the ninja parts. Maybe he'd like a bat costume, and an astronaut costume, and a pirate outfit, too. Notice Processes as much as Products drawing, playing pretend, watching things, singing, dressing up, taking things apart - those are all examples of processes. Learning involves both, and more.
---Meredith
>> I could really use some help with the "thought" process behind suggesting things and maybe coming up with things that I do not know exist?****************
Actually, what you described - your son finding something interesting at an office and a friend's house - are good examples of how unschooling kids discover the world. If you don't tend to remember things like that, it could help to have a notebook, or record things on your phone or something, to jog your memory later. Beyond that, keep your eyes and ears open! Unschooling isn't (ahem) rocket science, but it does take some attention and thoughtfulness, keeping your kids in the front of your mind.
What I mean is, when you go out to a store, browse through the section of toys and books and maybe pull out that notebook to see if there's anything your kids might like. Or Don't pull out that notebook and just think about it - what looks fun? Do the same with the internet, browse around links other people put up and ask "would my kids like this?" Maybe they will, maybe it will sit on a shelf for six months. I have books and games and projects which sit and sit, only to be exciting when a new friend comes to play, or Mo sees something in a movie which gets her interested. With three kids of your own, if something's not interesting to one, in a few years another may find it thrilling.
http://sandradodd.com/museum
>> He sifted through the photos and told me that when he got home, he wanted to draw a photo of Saturn.****************
Does he like to draw in general? If so, add that to your "list". Get him drawing materials he can take out and about so that next time he says "I want to draw a picture" you have the goods on hand. No waiting to get home and maybe forgetting - do it now, while it's exciting.
It's important to look for These kinds of interests as much as obviously schooly things like "space" or "animals" or "construction equipment". It's easy for "likes to draw" to fall under the radar if you're focused one What he's drawing - and yet the drawing is every bit as much an interest in and of itself. Same with "likes to play dress up ninja" (just a random example) - the dressing up can be as big an interest as the ninja parts. Maybe he'd like a bat costume, and an astronaut costume, and a pirate outfit, too. Notice Processes as much as Products drawing, playing pretend, watching things, singing, dressing up, taking things apart - those are all examples of processes. Learning involves both, and more.
---Meredith