It appears that "strewing" is one of those things I did without even realizing there was a name for it. However, while sidetracked reading some unschooling blogs and websites I realized that it is, indeed, an offical homeschooling term.

 

While it's likely that we all take advantage of strewing to some degree or another, it never helps to give some thought on how to be a bit more intentional and creative while doing so.

 

So what is strewing? Basically, it's leaving educational items lying about in places where they're likely to get perused without it actually being considered "school".  Your children end up reading, examining or playing with an item just because it's there. You then rotate different items in and out.

 

We tend to think about books, which are great, but we can go further. What if you put out a bowl of leaves or rocks next to a field guide? Who could pass up at least trying to identify a few? Do you have interesting, child-friendly reading material near the potty? What's available during quiet time? In the car? What's on the walls? What videos do you have lying on the coffee table? I know my kids will ignore books on our bookshelf, but can't help pick one up if I lay it on the table before breakfast.

 

It's surprising how much children can learn on their own if the information is readily available. I generally skip science curriculum in the early years because, when looking at a Scope & Sequence, I see they already know all the suggested learning. How? Generally, simply because we've watched videos, read books and observed nature in the normal course of life.  Our friend Jaminacema refers to it as a "child-friendly" learning environment in her blog post HERE. You'll also find some good articles on strewing HERE and HERE.

"Strewing" works for me. To see more Works for Me Wednesday Hints, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

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