As a teacher, I loved to focus on the processes of learning. In other words, the habits of mind and the reasoning and logic skills that students need to develop. As a parent, I bemoan the focus of content over process in many of our schools. A high school in California is a shining example of the exception. Rather than reading about and memorizing the names, dates and events leading up to the First Continental Convention, these students used process learning as they adopted roles, conducted research of primary source documents, and fielded questions during a mock “convention.” The “content covered” remains the same as in traditional textbook and multiple-choice-test styles of teaching, but the learning that occurs when instructors focus on process rather than just content is so much deeper and longer-lasting. Not only that, learning becomes an active and engaging activity that students look forward to rather than despise. As a parent, what can you do to deepen your child’s learning? Here are three ideas to get you started:

1. Whenever you discuss what your child is learning in school, try to focus on “higher level” questions that force the learner to think beyond the traditional who/what/when/where of a topic. For example, if your child is learning about the American Civil War, ask questions such as: “What motive might Southern soldiers have had to join the fight?” (analyzing information) or “What alternatives were available to Lincoln in 1863?” (synthesizing information). Questions like these challenge the learner to make connections and to see a topic through a more ‘human’ perspective (we all have motives; we all must evaluate alternatives – how did they do it then?).

2. If your student is taking a science class, focus on the scientific processes and encourage a “I wonder what would happen if…” mode of thinking. For example, if your child is learning about Chemistry and acids and bases, they might ask, “I wonder what would happen if we tested the pH of tomato juice, then added antacid tablets and re-tested?” If you can supervise, experiment at home – the kitchen is the perfect lab!

3. Go out and see! The best way to make learning come to life is to take it out of the classroom. The world is full of amazing art, architecture, history, and nature. Visit a botanical garden when your child is studying butterfly life cycles. Visit an airport or aviation museum when your child is learning about the science of flight. Look for experiential, hands-on programming at these places to enrich your child’s classroom learning and give it a new dimension!

I recently presented for a group of museum educators at a national history conference. The presentation was focused around best practices in education and how to engage student audiences. The main take-away? NOT with a “I’m standing up, you’re sitting down” presentation! Indeed, rather than ‘research’ what students are looking for in a field trip, I simply asked. Here’s what an 11 year old had to say about his favorite field trip experiences:

Surprising? Not really. Kids want to DO something at a field trip. They want physical involvement and intellectual engagement. In a nutshell, they want an experience, not a ‘show.’ So keep this in mind whenever you are planning a field trip with your little ones!

Just read an interesting article about a new Facebook app that transforms the social-networking site into a study group. Students answer “What are you working on” and the Facebook tool finds others working on the same thing. You can read more about it here.

I think we can be sure that social networks are not going away anytime soon. Young people want to be on Facebook. Let it be a place to study too.

As a parent, I’m not without my trepidations. I’ve heard the horror stories. I’ve seen the inappropriate posts. But it’s not my job to shield my child from the world, only to help him navigate it successfully. And social networks are part of the world – they are not going away. Better get out your compass and map!

This awesome video from Colonial Williamsburg gives a glimpse into their Junior Interpreters program, as well as what they have to offer to visitors with children. As the interpreters explain in the video, Colonial williamsburg’s Junior Interpreters know what it’s like to grow up in the past. After completing their training, these young interpreters teach other kids what it’s like to be a kid in the 18th century. Kids back then were all homeschooled. If your parents were uneducated, you were likely to be uneducated too. If your family had money, they’d hire a tutor for the kids. For a slave, learning had to be ‘on the job’ because they were always working. While some jobs were like today’s (making beds) others were so different (getting water from a well).

These kids, and the kids who visit and experience Colonial Williamsburg, are getting a rich experiential learning adventure by going back in time!

Ah, summertime. That feeling is fleeting – soon replaced by, “how long until school starts?” Around my household, I often have lofty summertime goals that include expeditions to places of culture, extended summer reading lists, journalling, and kitchen science experiments. These are too-soon replaced by piles of laundry, swim practice, lazy mornings, and more running around than I bargained for.

For all that, at least there’s summer camp. My eldest son has been in camp for the first three weeks of summer, and he’s gotten a lot out of it. He’s also ready for it to be done. Both of these things are expected. He earned some merit badges, made some friends, and matured a little. He’s ready to enjoy HIS lazy days of summer.

What I didn’t count on or even think about, is the effect that my eldest’s summer camp would have on his brothers, particularly my middle son, who – for the first time ever – has been catapulted from middle child to household eldest, even if only for a couple of weeks. The change in him is staggering. He’s become closer to his younger brother, but more importantly, he’s assuming more of the ‘eldest’ role – taking on more of a ‘leader’ stance with not only his brother but with friends as well. He’s also talking. Never able to get a word in edgewise previously, it seems that now he’s quite the little chatterbox. I’m wondering where this “new” child has come from, but I guess he came from the ‘void’ left when his big brother packed off for camp.

So, as our first three weeks of summer wind down and our eldest returns to us, it’ll be interesting to watch the dynamic in our household shift yet again as all three children continue to learn and grow – yes, even in the summer. If you have lofy summertime aspirations, you can always check out our free summer resources. I hope you find something you can use!

In these days of high-stakes achievement testing, it is all too common for schools to focus on the “basics” of knowledge – the “who/what/when/where” in place of the harder-to-evaluate “how” and “why.” Asking higher level questions leads to higher level thinking. As parents, we can transcend the “lowest common denominator” standards and focus on the aspects of knowledge that are harder to Google than “when did the Revolutinoary War start?” I’m not saying that a base of common knowledge is unimportant. However, I’d rather my children be able to explain and understand the causes and effects of the Revolution than be able to regurgitate the dates and battles.

In that vein, I’ve provided a Questioning Techniques Resource Sheet for parents (and teachers!) that explains the various levels of questioning, and gives question “starters” for each. As you head into summer and seek to extend your kids’ school learning, I hope you find it helpful!

I’m dating myself by saying this, but when I think of the band They Might Be Giants I think of the songs Particle Man and Birdhouse in Your Soul. These days, teachers everywhere are using videos by this offbeat band to teach their kids about science. The song below, called Roy G. Biv, teaches about the color spectrum (think Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet). My five year old has been singing it nonstop (I can’t get it out of my head), because his eight year old brother has been singing it. My eight year old has been singing it because he heard it from my eleven year old. My eleven year old’s teacher shares it with the 50+ kids she teaches. And here I am sharing it on a blog. Clearly, music has it’s own “social network” and a definite ripple down effect! That is, of course, all good news – educational research shows that music is not only enjoyable, it aids our memory and is a great way to reach kids with a variety of learning styles. So, rock on!

Enjoy, and try not to curse us when you’re humming this in the shower.
PS – another personal favorite is about how the “sun is a mass of incandescent gas…” – you can find that one on the They Might Be Giants YouTube Channel, along with a myriad others, as well.

It can be helpful to tactile learners to view writing as a process of constructing. A story board is a good way for the tactile learner to approach writing.

A story board is a moveable idea board. It can be:

• the surface of a desk and a packet of sticky notes;
• a cork board, some tacks, and some 3×5 cards;
• a lap desk or thick piece of colorful poster board and paper cut in fun shapes.

Whatever you do, create a place to lay out ideas and move them around. This gives your child flexibility – allowing him to add, remove, and rearrange ideas until he is ready to write them down in a more permanent fashion.

Story boards are great for those tactile learners who need to move ideas around before they “commit” in writing.

When I wear my ‘consultant’ hat, I’m usually working with a local theatre company or a small museum, helping them design curriculum and materials to use with schoolchildren. What I always emphasize is that cultural organizations such as museums, zoos, theatres, and galleries have intrinsic value (not only for schoolchildren but for all of us) – and that intrinsic value is what is going to draw their audience in. I can create nice correlations with state and national standards and I can help them jump through hoops to create pre-and-post visit activities for these groups, but those are mere niceties. What makes these places special is their content – whether it be fish in a reef or 18th century art. No classroom can replicate what they offer. Be sure your kids have the opportunity to explore special experiences like this!

I found a super video made by the Art Institute of Chicago that gives tips for parents and educators on visiting an art museum with kids (the video covers various aged kids, and has captions in English and Spanish). I got a lot of inspiration from this – and I hope you do too. Museums and other cultural organizations represent a critical part of the fabric of our society, and they represent endless opportunities for learning for your family. Enjoy!

We all know that physical exercise is important for kids – it kind of goes without saying. What we sometimes forget is that physical exercise has serious implications on learning. When I taught 4th grade, I had the fortunate situation of my classroom being next to the school track. There were days when I sensed the kids beginning to zone out and I’d simply stop and say, “I think we all need a quick change of pace and some exercise.” We’d all run around the track – just two times – and return. I was always amazed and gratified at the boost we all got from those 5 minutes. It made the rest of the lesson we were doing that much more productive. Also, I think the kids appreciated that their needs were recognized and respected. Our little classroom community was healthy and vibrant.

I recently read an Edutopia article on the topic of exercise and learning, and in addition to citing various studies (both in and out of school) that point to a correlation between increased exercise and increased learning, it made the following points:

• regular workouts improve attention span, memory, and learning
• exercise reduces stress and mediates the symptoms of ADHD
• aerobic exercise pumps blood – and therefore oxygen – throughout the body and results in a brain that has more nourishment and is better equipped to learn
• types of exercise that require concentration and provide “positive stress to the brain” also aid in learning

These days, I’m one of those parents who is reminded regularly that exercise is not ‘optional’ because I have a child who needs more physical activity than most, and who thrives on exercise. In fact, without it, he is lethargic and has a hard time focusing on an academic task. So in order to make sure my boy is successful with school and other endeavors, I have to exercise him – hard and often. Last weekend, this 8 year old ran his first 5K, and it was a joy to watch (I ran with him). He ran along like his shoes were filled with helium, and when he got too far beyond me, he bounded back and tried to encourage me onward. He calculated his time at each mile marker, as well as his end time, my end time, and the difference between the two. I went into the 5K experiment with trepidation. I didn’t want my son to get frustrated. I wanted his first experience to be positive and successful. I wondered if he was too young. In his case, it was a great choice to do it. He’s planning his next ones and wants to work up to a 10K (which is 11 year old brother recently ran) next year. So in addition to the learning benefits he’ll undoubtedly reap as he bounds around preparing for his race, it is also proving to be a great planning and goal-setting exercise for him (but I’ll blog more on that topic as time goes by).
For now, get out there and jump, hop, skip, run, and play. It’s essential! If your community school is cutting back on PE and/or recess, please share this article or the Edutopia article with them and try to encourage the expansion of those programs!