Child Centered Learning - From Leaf to Maple Syrup to Gum

When you homeschool you always have to be ready to change direction and follow the learning. This is why I was always a fan of open classroom. Teachers need to have the ability to move where the interest of the kids goes. If a ladybug flies in and the kids want to learn about ladybugs, you should be able to adjust. This is not such an easy task when you are tied down by curriculum and checked by standardized tests. At home, you can go where ever you are drawn (Homeschooling Hint #1).

Yesterday, for example, as I worked in the kitchen and DS read his science pages diagramming the leaf and stem, we were led us in other directions. We suddenly had to put celery in dyed water to better see the xylem and phloem. We had challenge questions about maple syrup – do you think we tap the xylem or phloem and why? (I should tell you that DS has memorized which is up and down by using the pneumonic device – phloem sounds like flow. You flow down. Therefore Xylem is up / phloem down. I was amazed at how well he understood the application. Maple syrup making was something that he understood and could relate to. We do it. We discussed why we could not over tap a tree. This used to be just a rule that we had to follow, but now he understood why we couldn’t do that. ) We compared this idea to cuts on a human body. Then something in this suddenly spurred off a question about gum. And while I did not have the answer, we did come over the computer when we finished. I had him write “Bubble Gum” on the last page we were reading so that we wouldn’t forget and so that he could take the distracting thought out of his head.

When we finished, I found a great little explanation on the making of gum on the Glee Gum site. (Actually, I tried to get DH to help him so that I could get dinner done and get to choir, but I immediately heard him tell him to Google “Bubble Gum”. I tried to intervene to encourage DH to add “for kids” or “how to make bubble gum”, but he said that it will bring up Wikipedia and he can get his answer there. Homeschooling hint #2 for the day, work to strengths not weaknesses. As I have mentioned, reading is very hard for DS especially when DH has the tv on in front of him. So I interceded, tried to help him with Wikipedia and then did my own search which came by this site which was much more visual with some reading. It not only was clearer to DS, but also encouraged him to read in short blurbs. )

“While it is helpful to have a map of where you are planning to go; don’t be afraid to follow an interesting diversion. You can always get back to the main road later. Maybe you will even find a short cut.” me