Raising independent learners

Sometimes when talking to other parents or even other homeschooling moms, they make the realization that I don’t actually teach my children. At least not in the way they automatically think of, at the table, hovering over their work, reading out to them and instructing them at every turn, right by their side.

I don’t do that at all, and honestly, if you do, and you and your child like it and it works for you, well great! I’m mostly talking to those who have no idea how teaching can otherwise be done, and for those looking for an alternative to something that, at times, seems like a lot of too-close supervision and hand-holding.

I’m not really certain if this method is something I fell into accidentally, or if my own children are more prone to learning better this way, but independent learning is something that works quite nicely for us. It even has an added side bonus of the children learning all sorts of (good) things that aren’t necessarily on your lesson plan.

I feel the earlier you can train your children to learn on their own the better, but at the same time, it is never too late to give your children skills that will most certainly help them in their adult life, whether or not they choose to go on to college.

You are probably already aware of how much young children, such as preschoolers, are like sponges. They soak up everything about their environment, whether you want them too or not. They are learning all the time, and at such an accelerated rate which won’t be repeated in their lifetime. A common complaint I hear is how much a yong child says, “Why?” The first time your child learns to say it, in proper context, should be a reason to rejoice, rather than one to roll your eyes. After all, how else is a child to learn anything, if at first they don’t ask why?

I’m not suggesting that you follow up every question with a long lecture and countless worksheets. Rather, a short discussion, and maybe even a picture book, will usually suffice in quenching the toddler’s need to know. As the child gets older, I start showing them which books to look in to find the information they want to know. Eventually, as they become readers, I show them how to use the encyclopedia, indexes, and even search engines to find out the answers to their many questions. More complex questions are sometimes even countered with my own, “Well, what do you think?”

When the child is old enough, in your own opinion, for a more formal type of education, I usually present it to them without much fanfare and only the briefest of instructions. Since they are already used to being able to ask questions, if at anytime they get stuck or are unsure of what to do, they don’t hesitate to ask. I give them just enough clarification for them to move onwards.

There does come the day when the child is more than happy to not have me even check in on how they are doing. Schoolwork has been presented in an atmosphere of fun, and learning something new is seen as an interesting challenge. Harnessing and guiding a child’s natural curiosity, rather than training a child to rely on other’s instructions, lays a foundation for a lifetime of learning.