Comments on: Teaching REAL Study Skills

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:32:38 +0000

I too was an "A" student but was not truly "educated". I am reading a Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille. To sum up what I've read so far, real education takes place when the student educates himself. However, that student is guided/inspired through mentors and classics in subject areas. Also, I believe our children learn so much through our own modeling, for good and bad. Do we search out answers and acquire skills to better ourselves? Is daily time with the Lord an important part of our day? How do we respond to trials, learning opportunities, and the needs of others around us? What an incredible opportunity we have to teach our children! When my children are given free time, I love to see what they pursue. They "educate" themselves on a number of things: sewing, the Presidents, cooking, etc. I don't believe we should discredit these learning experiences apart from academics. Still looking for answers here but very hopeful in the very nature of homeschooling.

By: Dusti

Dusti — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:20:07 +0000

Thank you for hosting this meme-it's a great idea!
Wish I had a full proof way of inspiring each of my kids. We read (and listen on audio) to many good books and I'm hoping that will create an appetite for them to want to learn.
I too disliked school very much and am now trying to teach my kids the way I wish I'd been taught.
-Dusti
.-= Dusti ´s last blog ..Thirsty Thursday =-.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:05:03 +0000

Well Joy, we have even more in common. I was always a perfect student, but my motivation was the grade, not the learning. Except for math, I don't remember what I learned in school. If it was a subject I could understand, then I would remember how to do it after the test, but otherwise forget it. I shudder to think how much of my college education I have now forgotten. Don't ask me about my organic chemistry final!

I do love to learn now though, but I get to choose what I want to learn. I have been discouraged about my son's attitude, but there are some things that he really gets into. Maybe we're expecting too much for them to love learning about everything. I don't think I would find physical chemistry very interesting if I had to go and take it again. Just because I love history now, doesn't mean that my son will. (Though my loving it should help.) If he doesn't love it, that's ok. But I still want him to study it.
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..Strange Homeschoolers =-.

By: Annie Kate

Annie Kate — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:11:24 +0000

My third child is entering grade 7 next year. Although each child is different, it is important to realize that not all children will be interested in each subject.

I think it is important to insist on good work in all areas, but to allow time to explore areas of interest. That's when the real learning takes place, it seems, and it spills back into the subject areas. I'm also discovering how quickly areas of interest can change! That's a good thing, too, because the more a person is interested in, the more he or she learns about the world in general.

I'm sorry but I forgot to put a brief summary of my post with my name in Mr Linky, so I resubmitted it. Could you delete the one without the summary? Thank you.

Annie Kate

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:53:22 +0000

Joy, I can somewhat relate, as my oldest son also enters 7th grade this year.

I also sense this struggle to move toward more independent learning. Partly because he tends to be an auditory learner. He really thrives when I read the lesson through. Reading isn't the issue, he just needs to hear it.

Also, I have to realize that some subjects will always just be school subjects to him. Despite strong math skills he dislikes the subject. That's just how it is.

However, science he could study all day long. I also wish that baseball was a core subject, because me son would get an 'A' in baseball strategy, history, rules, records, etc. I do use this to my advantage when I can work it into his school subjects.

I think it frustrates me at times because I thought that all my homeschooled children would just love to learn and wander around with their noses in books, wittily peppering their conversations with quotes from Shakespeare.

I guess I can just hope that some day they will love to learn and might regret a little of the time lost under my amazing tutelage.

(Sorry for rambling a bit. All that to say, I hear where you are coming from).

By: Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:22:14 +0000

No suggestions, just commiseration. You sound just like me in school and your son's attitudes toward learning and schoolwork sound just like my kids'. Unfortunately, I don't think most of us appreciate the joy of learning until we're older. .-= Kris @ Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers´s last blog ..Our 2009-2010 Curriculum =-.