Aurora
03-09-2008, 11:15 AM
I just thought I'd share a few quotes from her book ''Getting Started With Homeschooling'', the Natural Learning section.
In essence, natural learning is simply allowing the process of learning to occur, in a social context where the learner is not isolated from the world of meaningful action, and is allowed to follow the direction, pace and method best suited to his or her individual learning style.
Learning becomes a background to daily activity as goals are worked toward and achieved within the framework of everyday happenings. The actual learning process is understated and subtle, but also valued and celebrated in real and meaningful ways.
It is not allowing children to choose what, when and how to learn things on their own.
It is, however, allowing the children to democratically participate in decisions made about what they want to do, and how and when, and it gives them the opportunity to have greater responsibility within the framework of their family for their own lives.
Children are free to make suggestions and initiate activities, encouraged to develop commitment to tasks and people, and to work co-operatively, making compromises and adjustments to plans as needed. This develops respectful attitudes. In this way, learning always stays meaningful for the children.
It is not exposing children to a plethora of experiences, activities- anything and everything!
Natural Learning is experiencing real life, not contrived ''educational'' situations. It is recognising the richness of your everyday existence and exploring that. It is building the curiosity, interests and stengths already present in children. It is staying interested in what is on offer (as resources and activities) and choosing wisely, matching what is out there to what is needed, not thinking or matching up a need to what is easily available!
It is staying rooted in the real world of everyday existence, not offering unrelated fragments of ''learning experience'' for the ''sake of learning!''
It is recognising how much learning happens incidentally, unprovoked, unstructured, spontaneously.
Natural learning is not focusing on the child's life as the centre of the family. Allowing children to be fragments of a cohesive and supportive whole, gives them the opportnity to offer their best, without the crippling fear of failure faced by the increased pressure to perform by parents that results from being the centre of attention.
Natural learning is what we allow to happen- it's not what we make or create. It happens anyway, despite our attempts to make it happen!
* Use positive language, and be clear. Avoid ambiguity.
* Have things readily available and accessible to the child.
* Make sure your expectations of your child are linked to their development, not the ''norm'' or ''average.''
* Keep in mind that children are quite capable of performing difficult tasks, and can conceptualise complex ideas... have faith and trust in them.
* Model responsible behaviour yourself and make it clear you expect it from them too
* Discuss goals together, and how to implement and evaluate effort. Value the process over the outcome. Be interested, but not overwhelming- after all, it's their learning process.
* Value their play as learning interaction! Encourage and offer challenges.
* Involve them in everyday tasks.
* Provide them with opportunities for social growth outside the immediate family, with those of all ages and cultural groups.
* Really listen when they talk to you, and ask questions and use complx language in a natural, non-contrived way. Promote their own language and development by example and practice.
* Don't test them! They test themselves. Left alone, children never fail... we ''fail'' them all too often.
* Encourage children to have a go before asking for help. This means allowing for mistakes. Mistakes are simply lessons, and loving guidance without judgement builds their self-esteem.
* Make offers to help, instruction or intervention- but don't control or direct unless your children request it.
* Respect your child's knowledge and abilities as different but equal to your own- and allow them to be your teacher too!
* Examine the need to finish everything- a seemingly important aspect of western culture. Is the learning the doing, or the done?
* Respect children as people first. Treat them as you would a close friend, and that's eventually what they will become.
In essence, natural learning is simply allowing the process of learning to occur, in a social context where the learner is not isolated from the world of meaningful action, and is allowed to follow the direction, pace and method best suited to his or her individual learning style.
Learning becomes a background to daily activity as goals are worked toward and achieved within the framework of everyday happenings. The actual learning process is understated and subtle, but also valued and celebrated in real and meaningful ways.
It is not allowing children to choose what, when and how to learn things on their own.
It is, however, allowing the children to democratically participate in decisions made about what they want to do, and how and when, and it gives them the opportunity to have greater responsibility within the framework of their family for their own lives.
Children are free to make suggestions and initiate activities, encouraged to develop commitment to tasks and people, and to work co-operatively, making compromises and adjustments to plans as needed. This develops respectful attitudes. In this way, learning always stays meaningful for the children.
It is not exposing children to a plethora of experiences, activities- anything and everything!
Natural Learning is experiencing real life, not contrived ''educational'' situations. It is recognising the richness of your everyday existence and exploring that. It is building the curiosity, interests and stengths already present in children. It is staying interested in what is on offer (as resources and activities) and choosing wisely, matching what is out there to what is needed, not thinking or matching up a need to what is easily available!
It is staying rooted in the real world of everyday existence, not offering unrelated fragments of ''learning experience'' for the ''sake of learning!''
It is recognising how much learning happens incidentally, unprovoked, unstructured, spontaneously.
Natural learning is not focusing on the child's life as the centre of the family. Allowing children to be fragments of a cohesive and supportive whole, gives them the opportnity to offer their best, without the crippling fear of failure faced by the increased pressure to perform by parents that results from being the centre of attention.
Natural learning is what we allow to happen- it's not what we make or create. It happens anyway, despite our attempts to make it happen!
* Use positive language, and be clear. Avoid ambiguity.
* Have things readily available and accessible to the child.
* Make sure your expectations of your child are linked to their development, not the ''norm'' or ''average.''
* Keep in mind that children are quite capable of performing difficult tasks, and can conceptualise complex ideas... have faith and trust in them.
* Model responsible behaviour yourself and make it clear you expect it from them too
* Discuss goals together, and how to implement and evaluate effort. Value the process over the outcome. Be interested, but not overwhelming- after all, it's their learning process.
* Value their play as learning interaction! Encourage and offer challenges.
* Involve them in everyday tasks.
* Provide them with opportunities for social growth outside the immediate family, with those of all ages and cultural groups.
* Really listen when they talk to you, and ask questions and use complx language in a natural, non-contrived way. Promote their own language and development by example and practice.
* Don't test them! They test themselves. Left alone, children never fail... we ''fail'' them all too often.
* Encourage children to have a go before asking for help. This means allowing for mistakes. Mistakes are simply lessons, and loving guidance without judgement builds their self-esteem.
* Make offers to help, instruction or intervention- but don't control or direct unless your children request it.
* Respect your child's knowledge and abilities as different but equal to your own- and allow them to be your teacher too!
* Examine the need to finish everything- a seemingly important aspect of western culture. Is the learning the doing, or the done?
* Respect children as people first. Treat them as you would a close friend, and that's eventually what they will become.