Lynda

Speaking of geography, a neat way to do U.S. geography and history is, (big
pause <g>) Sunset Magazine! About two or three years ago, the reason for
which I don't remember, the kidlets "discovered" those pull out cards in
Sunset that say they will send you free info on dozens of things, just mark
the box.

Well, they did, then they found another one in some other magazine and then
they were off and running in the magazine racks at the stores.

They got maps, BIG neat magazines, free offers, gifts and all kinds of
goodies from almost all of the states, Canada, QEII, etc.

They had a ball watching the mail everyday and then they just about wore the
ink off reading their magazines and then comparing the things in different
states.

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: Fetteroll <fetteroll@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2001 3:13 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] OK here is my question :0) How do
theylearn??


> on 12/6/01 8:51 PM, John & Melissa Morgan at ourfivepack@...
wrote:
>
> > We have been homeschooling for a year (officially but actually her whole
life
> > LOL). My Daughter is almost 8 and very bored. We have been doing
workbooks
> > and she reads A LOT but only likes Babysitter Club books mostly. She is
an
> > EXCELLENT reader.
>
> How about reading *to* her. Listen to books on tape. Watch movies that
have
> been made from books.
>
> And then don't worry about what she reads. When you think about it, how
> would you feel if you read romance novels for relaxation and your husband
> looked at it with disapproval because he felt you should be reading more
> important books?
>
> Is she drawn to books and TV shows and movies about people (as opposed to
> animals or fantasy)? She probably has a high interpersonal intelligence.
And
> she'll learn best by helping her explore people. There have been lots of
> good book series recommended. Try some out to see if she's interested. She
> may not want to read them herself, but she might enjoy having them read to
> her. By learning about the people of the past then she'll absorb history
and
> she'll be interested in the factoids of history to flesh out the times her
> favorite characters lived in.
>
> > So, she doesn't know many Geography, History, etc facts. How does she
learn
> > these if she has no interest?
>
> By living life. By *needing* the information for *herself*.
>
> By making sure she has *access* to fun ways to learn them. And, very
> importantly, by *not* seeing those as necessary for her to learn geography
> and history. She should encounter these things in a multitude of ways,
> primarily in context. A chapter on the geography and history of Japan and
> it's imports and exports is just facts that look impressive if quizzed on.
> But if she hasn't found a reason to know about Japan, the information is
> just taking up valuable brain space. *But* if she gets intrigued by
Pokemon,
> and sees the Pokemon names written in Japanese and gets intrigued by the
> cultural references and listens to folk tales from Japan then where Japan
is
> on the map and the Shogun/Emperor rulership of Japan become more
interesting
> and useful bits of information.
>
> Strew her path with reasons for knowing about these things. She doesn't
need
> to pick up all that you strew. It just needs to be there so she has access
> to new interests.
>
> > Or the multipication tables?
>
> I still have gaps in my multiplication tables and I managed to get through
> engineering school ;-)
>
> Because of the way schools teach math and the schools' need to have
> documentation that the kids are progressing, schools need to teach in
*very*
> different ways than kids naturally learn.
>
> The most important thing you can help you daughter get is an understanding
> of how numbers work. And the way she can get that is by *using* math as a
> tool. Games. (If she needs help, help her. You don't want her to avoid an
> opportunity to use math because she wants to avoid being quizzed on
> arithmetic!) Allowance (and figuring out how much longer until she can
> afford something.) Avoid pencil and paper math for now. It is *very*
> abstract. Do it in your heads,that way you're forced to tear the problems
> apart to make them as simple as possible. And by tearing the numbers apart
> and putting them together in new ways she'll learn how numbers work.
>
> But *don't* see these as lessons she must do in order to learn. They're
> *opportunities* for her *if* she finds the question intriguing. Lots of
time
> she won't. That's okay. There's a whole world of other opportunities that
> *will* tie into what she's drawn in.
>
> > Specific things to do would be wonderful, I have NO imagination at all
on what
> > to do besides book work.
>
> Perhaps what might help the most is *you* getting interested in things.
Take
> some time to explore hobbies and things that interest you. (Yes, easier
said
> than done with 5 kids! But if you're modeling that life is all about
> maintenance rather than joyful living, then that's the lesson they'll
> learn!)
>
> Stop and wonder about things. Rather than seeing a web in the corner and
> wondering where the broom is, wonder why the spider built it at that
> particular location. And what do they eat in the winter? Watch a pot begin
> to boil and notice what really happens. Call any kids who want to watch.
>
> Get some videos about something that you've always wanted to know about
and
> watch them *for yourself*. Find out something new just for the heck of it.
> Let it lead to something else new. If we aren't learning for the sake of
> learning, then is it fair to expect our kids to?
>
> Joyce
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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