What's the Rush?: Shape River
Masking Shape River
As a parent, my learning-curve is very slow.
For example, no matter how much I read about unschooling (read: John Holt) and the fact that kids learn, no matter whether of not we set out to teach them, I still aim to set up learning opportunities for O.
I am not speaking of opportunities that naturally lead to learning (objectives unknown and very individual), I am talking about 'teacher' activities, that set out to teach a specific lesson (i.e Shapes).
In this instance, I would like to think the activity was more to get her body moving. The 'Dirt & Boogers' mother who developed "Colour Shape River" http://www.dirtandboogers.com/2013/09/color-shape-river/ wrote as if she used her sons love of movement to sneak in a little math & colour lesson.
Never hurts.
O was interested when the masking tape hit the floor, asking loads of questions and guessing what I was doing. We have made masking tape Hopscotch, so she was excited this was happening again. She even went for a few rounds of collecting her sisters sock from the other side of the 'river'. Dabby got involved and upped the ante with a few complex shapes (octagons, crescents).
Next thing we knew, O was throwing the sock into 'ponds' (the shapes had turned into individual ponds~!) from the "x-agon". She loves imaginary play.
Bottom line...she is happy and growing her brain in her own manner.
We have never set out to teach her the alphabet or numbers. and she is putting it all together at her own pace without any guidance other than a lot of access to words and numbers.
We never set out to teach her how to swear either, but she has mastered that too, as she ran around last night screaming, "Shit, my soup is burning!"
We never set out to teach her how to swear either, but she has mastered that too, as she ran around last night screaming, "Shit, my soup is burning!"
We never taught her to roll or sit or walk.
In the words of Alfie Kohn, "Unconditional Parenting":
"The assumption that sooner is always better may come from a fear of later....It's time to wean them, to potty train them, time to get them walking and talking and doing more things on their own...What's the rush? When is the last time you heard the parent of a young adolescent pushing that child to grow up faster-to use more make-up, attend more unsupervised parties, become more sexually active..."
In the words of Alfie Kohn, "Unconditional Parenting":
"The assumption that sooner is always better may come from a fear of later....It's time to wean them, to potty train them, time to get them walking and talking and doing more things on their own...What's the rush? When is the last time you heard the parent of a young adolescent pushing that child to grow up faster-to use more make-up, attend more unsupervised parties, become more sexually active..."
It amazes me how children learn without adults interfering in their very personal process!
How much more would they learn, if we get out of their way and let them lead?
If we stop pushing them with our agenda and timetable?
How much more would they learn, if we get out of their way and let them lead?
If we stop pushing them with our agenda and timetable?