Uncle CHiN
Dear Uncle CHiN,
I know testing doesn't prove much, but how else can I know that my children
are learning anything?
Signed, Anxious
Dear An,
Oh, how school has trained us not to trust ourselves! While Uncle Chin does
not profess to have a green thumb, he does like the garden analogy. (You know,
children are like flowers.) I may plant dozens of flower seeds on a particular
day. I must nurture them by giving them water and sunshine (by planting them in
the appropriate spot, which I seldom do). I must protect them from pests and weeds.
But I also have to trust that they are growing. If I dig up a seed to check its
progress, I will hurt or even kill it. After it breaks the surface, I can measure
its visible growth and encourage it with plant food, but if I interfere too much
I will again harm it. I also can not determine how fast or how big it will grow,
or when it will be ready to bloom. And of course, I can't open the bud to check
on the flower's growth. And even though I plant all those seeds on the same day
and in the same spot, they will grow at different rates and bloom at different
times and be different colors.
Ok, I'll wash off the dirt and be practical. How do you know if you have been
learning anything? Well, you probably think about what you were like a few years
ago, look at photographs and read your journal, and laugh at that person you used
to be. It's even easier with children. Look at those videotapes and photographs.
Your kids have grown more than just physically. Look at how those scribbles have
turned into drawings and letters of the alphabet. Your children have probably
outgrown some toys and books along with clothes. Think of all the different
things they have been interested in, sometimes to the exclusion of things we
think are important.
Children want to learn, and they do it very well because no one has told
them that it is work, that they can only learn if someone older teaches them,
and that if they don't learn certain things, they are dumb. It's scary, but we
adults have to learn to trust the natural learning process. It works!
Happy Planting! Uncle CHiN
TOP
About Testing
Deducting Homeschooling Expenses
Homeschooling through the Summer
On Doing "Nothing"
On Loving Your Children's Company
Over Eager Mom
Private Time for Mom
Sibling Rivalry
Teaching Children at Different Grade Levels
The Many Ways to Homeschool
Uncle CHiN on ADHD
Unit Studies
What About the Prom?
Winning over a Skeptical Grandma
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