Think about your most inspired moments. Do you come up with your best ideas when you're bound up by stress and controlled by the timer, or when you've had some time to relax and enjoy life a bit?
We all need balance in life. I've gone from the school teacher mindset of being uber structured to the other extreme of allowing my children to totally initiate their own learning. As in most things, what I have found is that the best solution for us is somewhere in between.
I have to say though, that if I had to choose between extreme structure and extreme flexibility in education, we would definitely be on the flexible end.
I'm finding that by setting up our environment in a way that brings out the best in each of our children, much of their learning happens very naturally. They are far more capable than schools give them credit for at managing their time effectively.
Yet if they're never given the freedom to do so, those are skills that they may not ever acquire.
We do have a structure that our kids are expected to follow each day. They have chores that they are responsible for, Bible study with Mama, piano practice, fairly regular meal times, screen time, and bedtime.
Some weeks I fill out assignment sheets for my kids. My 10 and 8 year olds are able to complete most of theirs with little assistance from me. Naturally, I have to help my 6 year old a lot more with completing hers.
Some weeks we don't do that. During those days, they spend a lot of time in independent reading, building, drawing, and playing. Many would be surprised to hear that I often perceive a greater level of productivity and learning when they are doing their own thing.
Since the birth of our first child, we have set up our home primarily to make learning accessible to our children. Knowledge flows in as naturally as food, drink, and oxygen. It has never been placed into compartments of space or time.
They are naturally curious and self-motivated. Much of their knowledge, especially in the area of science, they have acquired through their own reading. I hear them spouting out facts all the time about things that I can take no credit for teaching them.
I'm finding that the mixed-age grouping in our house contributes to their learning significantly as well. They often learn more from each other than they do from me.
Currently, my 6 year old absolutely loves putting together "school" materials for my two year old. He hasn't yet sat down at the table to do the activities, but I am really encouraged to see how much she is learning through the process. She's essentially reviewing and refining the skills that she has been working on, along with developing logic and organizational skills as she creates worksheets for him.
There are few activities I could come up with that would be more beneficial for her than what she's come up with on her own.
My two year old knows his colors, shapes, most of the alphabet song, some letter sounds, and can usually count to fourteen without a mistake. Other than reading to him, my husband and I have contributed little to this process.
Even as adults, we retain the things that are of interest to us. The rest is generally forgotten. Kids are no different.
I'm certainly not implying that our way is the only good way. We're all different; what works for you may not work for me, and vice versa.
I would like to suggest though, that children learn best when they are given adequate time to pursue their own interests in the context of real life. They're full of curiosity and we should protect that.
It is their own personal qualities that make them unique and special. Those things cannot be quantified with pencils and paper. They were created with a purpose and a plan that won't be confined to a curriculum box. Their strengths and abilities far exceed any of that.
Basque in it, enjoy it, and treasure it. The journey is short but the positive effects of it will be lifelong.
Knowing them, I mean really knowing them, loving them for who they are, and customizing their education accordingly, those are OUR priorities.
It's simple, yet complex, both fun and stressful at the same time.
But most of all, it's worth it.
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