Most homeschoolers cite lifelong learning as one of the driving factors behind their educational decisions. As homeschooling parents, we recognize the uniqueness of each child and nurture their specific learning styles and interests, but how do we specifically encourage lifelong learning at home? Providing situations for imagination and exploration will help your children to not only embrace their natural curiosity, but also encourage independence and foster self-esteem, all characteristics of lifelong learners.
1. Present Learning Opportunities
Everything in life is an opportunity to learn more. As a homeschooling parent, I do a lot of talking to myself, but not in a crazy way. Narrating experiences and thought processes while you do chores, learn new things, and even make mistakes models the learning process. Encourage your kids to “talk through” their thoughts and actions to develop higher-order thinking and encourage confidence. Even something as simple as asking your child to help you with a task models patience and thoughtfulness in learning.
2. Ask Questions
Open-ended questions encourage your child to take the lead and explore possibilities. Discourse back and forth also teaches social skills and how to navigate a conversation. Even a simple “What do you think?” tells your child that you value their opinions and ideas as well as admire their ability to find an answer. This also models you as an active participant in their education, guiding and learning alongside them.
3. Let Them Teach
The best way to fully grasp a concept is to teach it to someone else. Test this with your children by having them teach you or another sibling the concepts that they are working on. You can also ask them for help with things, instilling self-confidence and pride in their own abilities. This will keep kids coming back for more and encourage them to offer their help to others. In addition, it allows them to practice giving directions and hone leadership skills in a safe environment.
4. READ!
Active learning in the home begins by having access to a wide range of literature and multimedia resources, and LightSail puts all of this at your children’s fingertips. LightSail values the importance of literacy in growing lifelong learners and encourages confidence by addressing the specific needs of each individual child. With easily searchable features and cloze (fill-in-the-blank) passages to check understanding, LightSail tailors every aspect of the platform to your child’s unique interests and reading ability to encourage them in their learning process.
Posted on 6.Jun.21 in Homeschool Tips
