|
Natural curiosity: The child will lead the way in what they will learn and follow their interests. Explorations
of their surroundings give the child the ability to learn what they need to know. Children learn when they
are ready, making it very easy to pick up the knowledge. A child knows better then anyone else how he/she can learn something.
This gives children the ability to learn to think for themselves and develop problem-solving skills. Children will absorb
much more because they are learning by their own desire to know. They can learn in 1 week or even a day what it takes someone
told what to learn a whole year or more to comprehend.
The process of Natural Learning: Natural learning is hard for many to understand because it does not brake
down systematically. Natural learning is a way of life, a completely different approach to thinking from how many of us were
educated as children. Natural learning will look different for every family. Children do not need to stare at books all day
to try to understand how the world works; they live the world and experience how it works. When you learn in a natural environment,
you learn all the time and in a variety of ways. Children are not going to burn out or spend 8 hours a day in boredom while
someone tells them what they deem as important.
Social Matters: Natural learners develop social skills in the real world. They interact with people of
all ages and backgrounds. It would be absurd to tell another adult they can only socialize with people the same age; why tell
children that? With open socialization like this, they learn how to interact and cope with their surroundings. Natural Learners
also get to spend more time with their families and have a close connection with the people that help guide them.
Natural Learning
Natural Learning has changed much through the years. The core meaning will stay the same though, learning through natural
curiosity. The child leads in what they will learn, following their interests, and their hearts desires. At seven my son is
already an apt gardener, and tries to build planes out of anything he can get his hands on. He already knows that math is
a very important tool when gardening or engineering planes. You need to know how many seeds can go into a plot, and how long
the nails need to be for the wings. He most recently has discovered reading has value. It is much easier to read it yourself
then have mom do it for you. Mom is a busy woman tending to younger brothers. He has come to all these conclusions on his
own, following his interests. Sure mom does have a small hand in it, I do have to buy the seeds for him, and I do have to
let him have access to the garage for plane parts. Other then that, it is pretty much all him.
I often am asked, "
don't your kids get bored?" With the world as your palate how could they get bored? My kids spend 80% of their time out doors
doing something. They just do not get bored, with all the plant life to examine, and sword fighting that needs to be done.
The other questions I am asked often is do my kids spend all their time in front of the TV? We do not have incoming TV; we
do have some movies. Since we cut off the cable, the kids spend their time doing other things that help teach them life skills,
such as gardening. My children are not influenced by all the marketing, telling them who they should be.
Access to the real world, and exploration of their surroundings gives the child the ability to learn what he/she needs
to know. When a child is interested and ready to apply themselves to a task it is very easy learn it. No need for cramming
information that will be forgotten later. Children are looking for information relative to what they are doing and they want
to apply it. This helps them develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Natural learners are less prone to burnout
because they are doing what they enjoy, and on their own schedule. Natural learners interact with people of all ages, cultures,
religions, and race. All of those people can open a door for your child and lead to a new interest. Our children actually
live life, while learning all the skills it takes them to live that life. Not everyone needs to know the same skills, and
natural learners are very diverse in what skill they have. What is important though is that all of them are going where they
want to go not where other people want them to go.
Natural learners live in the real world; they learn how to function in life and society by experience. The influence of
parents guiding their children into adulthood gives them a since of value. They get a since of family importance they will
take with them when they have children of their own.
|
