similar triangles may seem pointless
until you see how the ancients used
that principle to measure the height of
pyramids or the distance to ships at sea.
We;all;think;about;field;trips;when
we;consider;hands-on;learning.;They’re
great;opportunities,;but;it’s;not;enough
just to show up. We were visiting a Titanic exhibit once when a school group
came in. They raced through the museum, stopping to hit at anything that
looked;interactive.;Did;they;engage;in
learning;that;sticks?;No,;they;didn’t;en-gage in learning at all, except by pure
accident. Don’t allow this. Instead,
prepare;your;children;for;what;they’ll
see, helping them to understand the
context. Talk about proper behavior
and tell them you expect each of them
to have at least one intelligent question
to;ask;the;docent.;Watch;the;introduc-tory video if there is one; then take
your time going through the exhibit,
discussing what you are seeing. When
you get home, have them show Dad
or the grandparents what they learned
through;a;skit;or;project.;That;kind;of
learning never goes away.
When you first start out home-
schooling, you worry a lot about
keeping up. Recently we were chat-
ting with a new homeschool mom who
said;she;was;so;worried;that;if;she;took
time off for projects or field trips that
she;wouldn’t;finish;the;books,;and;her
children;wouldn’t;be;successful;in;life.
We have family in Asia, where academ-
ics are very highly respected. Their
students go to school all day, and then
come home to be tutored. When you
think about it, though, America, not
Asia, has traditionally been the center
of innovation and entrepreneurship
in the modern world. Why is that? We
believe;it’s;because;American;children
have usually had time to think and
play, time to be inventive and to do real
things,;and;time;to;take;their;learning
and;put;it;to;work.;Entrepreneurship;is
learned by running a lemonade stand,
cutting grass for the neighbors, or
working;in;your;family;business,;rather
than;in;business;textbooks.
If we want an education that sticks
with;our;children,;we;need;to;look;for
opportunities;to;put;learning;to;work.
We need to relate it to the real world. We
need;to;get;out;and;look;at;that;world.
It’s;scary,;sometimes,;setting;down;the
workbooks;and;just;taking;the;day;or;the
week;off;to;do;something;different,;but
often;it’s;what;takes;place;on;those;days
that gives your children a hook upon
which;to;hang;the;book;knowledge.;It’s
learning that lasts.
Hal and Melanie Young are the authors of
the Christian Small Publishers Book of the
Year, Raising Real Men, and the new My
Beloved;and;My;Friend:;How;to;Be;Mar-ried;to;Your;Best;Friend;Without;Chang-ing Spouses (preorders are being taken).
They are the parents of six real sons and
two real daughters and are popular conference speakers internationally. They live
in noisy familial bliss in North Carolina.
Join them on their blog at www.Raising
RealMen.com and at www.Facebook.com
/raisingrealmen and www.Facebook.com
/halandmelanie.
Endnote:
1. Davidheiser,;David.;“TPR;Storytelling;with;High
School and College Students.” TPR Storytelling with High School and College Students.;TPR
World,;n.d.;Web.;07;Oct.;2013.;www.tpr-world
.com/ davidheiser.html.
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
LEARNING IS A 3-D EXPERIENCE
