Yesterday I read a fantastic book that I really don't know how to use, "Project-Based Homeschooling" by Lori Pickert, which is about self-directed learning. You give your child materials and then sit attentive with a journal in hand to write down what your child does and help him winnow out any potential long-term projects. I think the idea is to mentor your kid as he finds things he wants to explore.
Cool idea, I just have no idea how to do it. Especially since I do not work well with chaos, and lots of materials in easy reach of children under 5 sounds fraught with chaos.
But, I tried it today. Well, as best I could.
I pulled out the tub of art stuff and had the boys sit around the dining table... and then sat with my journal and .... watched.
Rae started by drawing a gumball machine and he wanted to know how to spell "gumballs", so I wrote it for him on a piece of paper and he copied it onto his. He talked about how the "s" was hard to make and it looked like a "5". When he wandered off to do something else, I asked him what he wanted to work on tomorrow during project time, he said, "I want to play on an airplane next time".
Don't know how that one is going to work.
Joe is trickier. He's a nonverbal three year old. So we sign and do a lot of guess and check to figure out what he wants. Today, he wanted the Elmer's glue, and he watched in rapt attention as it drizzled onto his paper. He added a few lines and some goggly eyes, but mostly he watched the glue drizzle onto the paper. It's going to be drying for awhile.
He did, though, ask me to open his marker. He signed "open" and "please". I usually have to prompt him by saying what he needs, but he beat me to it.
Stomp Stomp ate a blue marker, crushed up some graham crackers, and then scaled down his high chair solo.
Yay for self-directed learning!
That's great! I've been reading a lot about self-directed learning lately. Your kids are blessed to have you! -Amber
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