How to... Use What You Have
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Perhaps the current season launched you into a place you didn’t expect to be.
As this blog post is being edited libraries are closing. Where will we find materials and resources?
You may be scared, overwhelmed, unsure.
You are not alone.
Like you, other parents are trying to figure out how to navigate increasing closures and wonky schedules hoping to find new solutions.
We are in this together. Let’s help one another
take a deep breath.
be open to the possibilities which already exist and sit waiting to be discovered.
find goodness in what is unfolding. It looks different than many of us envisioned. This happens. Different doesn’t mean wrong. Let’s help one another stick with it. We may find the outcomes are better than we imagined.
For the past three evenings, my middle schooler has been devouring a book she found on our shelf—The Young People’s Encyclopedia of the United States. Her excitement had been contagious as she’s proclaimed, “listen to this!” or “I forgot about that!”.
What we have is boosting what she knows!
The book went unnoticed on our shelves for years. This week, someone rediscovered it—considered it a treasure—began reading, and showed excitement. The excitement proved contagious. Currently, two learners are working together to figure out how to share the “high demand” book, and each wants to read aloud to me. Great problems!
The discovery was unplanned yet full of possibilities.
When I acknowledged the discovery and the interest, excitement escalated.
The book—something we already had—instantly became a means for learning.
I suspect there is something in or around your home waiting to be discovered by your child. When it’s found, embrace the educational moments it provides. They may be better than you could have planned or imagined.
How to use what you have
My daughter asked if she could read to me. Children need to read aloud to build fluency. We sat together (she loved that, too!) and she read. WIN all the way around. I wrote “read to mom” on our log of activities (part of what our state statute requires for home education). We learned a great deal and enjoyed the time together.
My daughter asked for clarification. As she read, she stopped to clarify. This is an important part of building reading comprehension. The ten minutes we spent talking about what she was reading proved valuable. Twenty-four hours later, we read related content and she discovered on her own how the information was related. Higher level thinking skills were utilized for the task. Another WIN! And, she was enjoying the process. Reading comprehension and summarization were noted both in our learning activities for the day.
My daughter asked questions. Fostering curiosity is always time well spent. One question leads to another. Again, interest is key. If the learner chooses a book and wants to read more, retention follows. On one particular quest through her new found treasure, she read explanations about sports. Some of the information was review, other tidbits were new. Along the way she reviewed alphabetical order and used study skills. I logged the sports information as well as study skills for our record keeping.
My daughter learned new vocabulary. There were times when my daughter asked me to read to her. As I read, I paused to explain words I presumed to be new. We talked about the definition of the word and I used the word in a sentence. When I logged what we accomplished, I wrote “discussed new vocabulary”. Another WIN.
Additional learning ideas
If a learner finds a resource and is engaged,
the time may be ripe to use words of interest as spelling words. Children desire to learn to spell words they want to use. For example, a book about baseball may turn on an interest to learn baseball related words—base, player, glove, catcher, outfield. A printable list of frequently misspelled words is included on this post.
there may be an opportunity for creative writing. Let’s say a child finds a book about dog breeds and suddenly wants to purchase a particular breed. Writing a persuasive piece including the pros and cons of buying that particular breed may be a possibility. For learners who prefer to create a visual, maybe a designing a brochure or flyer would be a better option.
ask questions and connect. People appreciate when others take notice and interest in what they are doing. Consider open-ended questions which require more than yes, no, or nothing.
“It seems like you are really enjoying that book. What was the most interesting thing you learned today?”
“Which topics do still hope to investigate?”
“That’s a great book! I remember reading it. What’s been your favorite scene or point of action?”
“We have other books related to that topic. I’d be glad to help you find some if that would be helpful.”
ask the child to keep a list of items he or she has studied. For some learners, having a visual of accomplishments is helpful. For others, it allows an opportunity for the child to take personal responsibility for what he or she is learning. I use this list to add details to our activity log.
use the resource as a springboard for application or experiential learning. For example, if the learner chooses a field guide or identification resource, perhaps he or she could us the guide to identify species in your area—the backyard or on a walk in the neighborhood. Some of my learners have enjoyed making a tally chart of items on a scavenger hunt. For children with a creative gifting, sketching may be a great lead to science.
consider using that interest as a springboard to learn another skill. For example, if a learner chooses a book about space, review syllables and then ask him or her to make a list of three- or four-syllable words—Jupiter, galaxy, telescope, constellation. If the child is younger, one-or two-syllable words would be more appropriate—star, planet, Mars, Saturn, moon.
Time together is priceless. Often the best takeaways aren’t readily measurable and don’t fit neatly on a log of activities. That’s okay. Relationships matter and are worth the time spent to build. In the slower, unique pace of the season, taking time to sit and listen to a familiar voice read or tell a story is soothing to the soul. In addition, in circumstances where handshakes, hugs, and high fives are cautioned due to social distancing, children need our physical touch. Truth is, we all need a few extra hugs—parents and children. I can’t think of a better time to pull closer, snuggle, and learn together!
My mom placed a set of encyclopedias on our family bookshelf. I’d go to the shelf and pull off a few volumes—usually my favorite letters and settle on the couch. I also remember going to my grandmother’s home and finding books of on her shelves. I’d make selections and find myself lost in the “newness” of the content. Likely, it wasn’t new information, but it caught my attention and was presented in mode different from I was doing in school. New was appealing. And, it was in my grandmother’s house! In both cases, at my home and in my grandmother’s house, I had time to linger, time to digest the content.
In this unique season of our history, we all have resources and time. I wonder what “new” is waiting to be discovered.
