• May. 26, 2006 - More on this gardening analogy in homeschooling. . .
Okay. My strawberries are
thriving. Let's talk about my pansy and marigold that I planted
right next to them, shall we?
They don't look very good.
Actually, I'm not sure the marigold is going to make it. And I
know why. You see, I was planting little pansy and marigold
plants in various corners of hither and yon, and I had these 2 left
over, so I just stuck them in the dirt close to the
strawberries. A few weeks later, it's a pitiful sight to
behold.
So, why would the strawberries thrive and these plants wither? It's simple and profound. There was no preparation
of the soil for these two helpless plants. Where the strawberries
are thriving, I added all kinds of wonderful stuff to make it a healthy
environment - peat moss, steer manure, compost - we made it a grand
place to be a plant. But just a foot away, the soil was devoid of
much of anything. It was kind of gray and clay and unproductive
looking. And that's where I planted these two extra little plants
that are withering. So, tonight I made myself stop and consider
why I'm disappointed in these two little plants. . . and came to the
conclusion that if I had prepared their soil, they too would be
thriving. Bummer, huh?
So, bringing the analogy home. . . in our homes, how do we prepare the soil of our children's hearts, so they'll be ready to thrive when it comes to learning? Depends on the age of the children, of course, but here are some suggestions:
#1) Read outloud. Often. Read fun things, interesting
things, cliff-hanging adventures, stories of God's amazing goodness,
stories of animals, etc. We used to read outloud in the evening,
after dinner. (Actually, I read poetry aloud after dinner, and a
few nights a week we would spend an evening reading outloud when our
children were a little older. When they were little, it was every
night, and several times during the day.) I had friends that read
aloud during lunch. . . whatever works for you.
#2)
Share your own stories with your children. Make it fun, make it
interesting, watch to see if they are still interested!!!! And,
vice versa. Ask them about their own stories. And YOU be
interested!!!!
#3) Have hands-on activities for your
children. Play Dough, drawing, playing percussion-type
instruments (even homemade can be fun), playing in the dirt/sand.
There are lots of books about how to make fun stuff at home, and kids
LOVE this (and this is good preparation for getting them to LOVE
learning!!!).
#4) Do physical games/activities with your
children - hopscotch, skipping, Red Rover, Dodge Ball, rough house,
ride bikes, hike, ski, camp, whatever.
#4) Listen to your children. Enjoy listening to your children. Let your face show it.
If you are too busy to do the above, you are too busy.
I was too busy last month, didn't have the time, didn't take the time,
didn't have all the stuff I needed. . . so I threw those plants in
unprepared ground. They are not thriving, in fact, they are dying. Dear ones, take the time to prepare the ground of your children's heart for THRIVING in learning and in life.
Extremely happily married since 1979, Bill and Diana Waring home schooled their three children for more than twenty years. The Waring kids were the proving grounds for all the precepts, concepts, and encouragements Bill and Diana teach--the real-life examples of the wonders of home schooling! Now, new grandparents and somewhat empty nesters, Bill & Diana travel all over the world to share the joys of loving learning, honoring one another in the family, and enjoying the journey.
• May. 30, 2006 - Untitled Comment