We’re learning all the time
I’ve seen some people, homeschoolers included, who make the mistake of thinking the summer months mean freedom from everything. Including education. Comments like “We’re not learning anything new right now, we’re on vacation.” and “We’ve stopped teaching for a while to let the kids take a break” seem to assume that learning only happens during scheduled times.
The fact is though that humans are constant learners, and children are the experts of this. Every day they are actively learning something new without curriculum, books, or lesson plans. They learn at what angle to hold the garden hose to make a rainbow appear in the water, how many lawns they need to mow to get that new bike, and how to finally dive into the city pool head first. They will even learn things we don’t want them to learn, which can then give us a lesson as we try to explain why they shouldn’t repeat what Eddie down the street said.
While many kids are taking a break from the formal lessons over the summer months that does not mean that their learning has taken a break too. Kids are not passive creatures by nature. They are born scientists and are constantly seeking out how and why. It might not always be something we deem important, or even something we approve of, but they are always learning something new. So don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that because the books and lesson plans are put away for a while that their education is on vacation as well. Take some time to watch your children as they play and you might be suprised at what they are learning.
“I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.”
~Eartha Kitt
homeschooling, unschooling, education, learning, children, fun, play, summer vacation
July 1st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
It is amazing how much children want to learn even though they have no idea that they are.
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 am
I totally agree. Even just by helping me bake cookies, my daughter is learning about measurements. The learning (and teaching) never stops.
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:44 am
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July 2nd, 2007 at 6:25 am
There isn’t a day that goes by where we don’t learn SOMETHING….even if it’s something minor! I find the summer is a good time to learn those life skills (how to chop an onion, how to clean a toilet, etc!)
Great post!
July 2nd, 2007 at 8:49 am
Excellent post! My daughter is starting 1st grade this year and I am trying to make sure she keeps up her reading and math over the summer so that she doesn’t forget what she learned last year.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:34 pm
I love that quote! I have a 3 1/2 year old whose wheels are always turing (you can almost see them). I love learning through her learning