We went on a field trip with our homeschool group today to visit the Cherokee Heritage Center. They were having "education day" and had special things set up for the kids to do. We had a lot of fun! The kids made pinched pots, shot blow guns, played stickball, learned about net making and weaving, and some other things. The first place we visited when we got there was the museum. It had two sections-a display of modern art pieces by members of the Cherokee tribe and a section on the Trail of Tears. It was interesting to me watching some of the other parents interacting with their kids in the museum. Almost all of them walked along with their kids looking at the exhibits and explaining everything to them, "...and this is a _____. They used this to ________. Remember we read that in _______book. How would you like to _______?" EVERYTHING was the parent telling the child about something, giving them information. Then, there was me. It's not that I don't want to teach my kids about things or that I don't know about things. I really want them to be able to learn and discover things for themselves. For example, dd11 and I walked into a room that had an old printing press in it. On the wall were examples of old newspapers and a sign telling about the first Cherokee newpapers that were printed. She said, "Mom, what's that?" I told her to look around and figure it out. So, she read the things on the wall and said, "Oh, it's a printing press they used to make newspapers." To me, the important lesson in that was how to figure things out for yourself. I don't really care that she remembers all about a printing press and how it was used. If she needs to know, I want her to be able to find out. KWIM? That's not to say that I didn't talk to them about what we were seeing. If they asked me a question, I answered it and discussed things with them. But I didn't automatically spoonfeed all the information to them. There was a map in one room of where several tribes were relocated from. One of the kids said, "Wow, these came from Florida all the way to Oklahoma." We just made that drive last year when we went to Disney World, so I said, "Yes. It took us over 24 hours to DRIVE that far. Can you imagine if you have to walk?" and we talked for a few minutes. Anyway, I'm rambling and I don't really know where I'm going with this. We got in after midnight last night from a trip and had to leave the house before 7 for the field trip this morning, so my brain isn't functioning well. Anyway, I guess I'm just wondering about everyone else. Do you do more of the giving of information or letting them find out things on their own? Maybe I would do it differently if I only had one or two. With four kids, I just don't have the time to spend giving information about every little detail. Or maybe it's the age difference in my kids. Dd14 wants to read every.single.thing. in the museum while ds7 wants to walk past and get a quick glance at each exhibit so he can get out of the museum and go play outside. Maybe it's the way I was raised. My dad used every moment as a teaching moment, but he didn't tell me what things were and how they worked. He asked me questions and let me ask him questions and let me discover things for myself. Okay, I'll stop rambling on. Think I'll try to get some sleep.
My daughter knows not to ask me what a word means. My answer to her is, "Look it up." There are times when I make exceptions, but I like her to try to figure things out for herself before I give her the answers. So you are not weird.
I guess I'm a mixture of both schools of thought. I'm more apt to walk alongside my kids for a while and give little tidbits to spark an interest; however, spoon feeding facts--or definitions --is not what education is intended to be. Patty, my son finally figured out not to bother asking me for a definition.
I am kind of like Brooke - I will say things to try to get DS interested, but if it doesn't I don't just talk about it anyway bc I know he isn't listening.
BTW, where did you go? We have a Cherokee reenactment-type place a few hours from us in NC. We loved it!
We went to the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, OK. I'd like to go back and spend more time in the museum when I'm not trying to keep track of 4 kids. They also have an event in the spring to show what life was like in the 1800's. I think our group is going back for that one also.
I do a little of both. If they act like they just want to play around and are not paying attention, I might ask a question or two to get their curiosity going. If they ask what something is or how it was used I usually ask them to try and figure it out themselves first. It's more of a game that way and they tend to remember things they learn through their own investigation better than when I tell them a list of facts. Maybe you are weird, but that means many of us are as well. Weird is often good.
Are you my mother?? That's one phrase (if you call it that) that I heard countless times growing up: "Look it up".
I'm with ya'! Part of it is because I'm not much of a talker anyway, plus my oldest son talks enough for all of us! lol Anyway, I do think kids need to think for themselves and figure things out without being told. If I wanted them to learn everything by being lectured, I'd send them to public school. There are times that I will start a discussion of things on a field trip or such, but usually I let the kids just observe on their own. BUT I already knew I was weird regardless....lol Just another thought...I think some families feel the need to put on a "good homeschooling" show when out and about (maybe unknowingly). You know what I mean? They may feel the need to act a certain way to make it look like they are doing a good teaching job. But I could be wrong too....
I think you're right. I think it may even be a "show" for themselves. KWIM? Like they don't feel like they're doing a good job unless they use every moment to "teach" their kids something.
I know exactly what you mean. I went with another hs mom to the zoo once, and I swear she sucked all the fun out of the whole trip with her constant quizzing. EVERY.single.animal had a complete commentary. "and where does the dikdik live? what does the pelican eat? And the latin name for the kangaroo is?" Let the kids just look and learn!
I think I have been more of like you on field trips and less like the ones who tell the kids everything. I have been around parents who do find the need to explain it all to the kids as if they are trying to show that they had studied on it, and maybe even done some of what I call "show" talking with my kids but that's usually when I feel intimidated by the persons I am with and want them to know that we do too teach things in Home School lol. My kids usually like to figure it out on their own as we go except for when the reading plaques are too long then we read it together. When they asked I answered usually but more often I would play the confused one and ask them so they would seek the answers.
yep I little both I do agree with Blizzard I do thing some try to put on act. I will answer my girls if they have questions but we all try to figure it out together.
I'm a mixture too. When I'm out with all four kids I tend to do the explaining things because the little ones can't read for themselves yet. I also ask questions to get their minds involved in the process. At home for social studies/history my oldest reads a bit and then I try to give him activities that correspond with what he learned. If he has a clarifying question I work with him but I don't teach that to him, he learns through reading on those subjects.
If I know something I'll give information, but there are so many things I don't know and so many questions my kids ask that I don't know how to answer. For those situations they have to discover the answers themselves, accept my "I don't know", or we find out together.
LOL, I heard this growing up. It greatly frustrated me that the adult refused to tell me the answer to a question and instead it was made into a "schoolish activity" to find the answer to something that would have taken the adult 5 seconds to answer. I had a teacher roll his eyes at me too. I guess I asked too many questions. LOL, now I'm rolling my eyes back at him :roll:
How do you know someone is putting on a show? I'm guessing that some might say such things about how I relate with my kids. Learning is fun and I like to share things with them and they enjoy it too. Our last car adventure turned into a learning situation. We had lots of fun. No strangers were listening that time. Our last field trip involved me asking my kids to figure out the meaning of the puns on the gravestones. When they didn't know I explained them. Some I didn't know. I don't know if anyone was listening. At the grocery store yesterday I pulled a package of mushrooms off the shelf and had my ds try to figure out if it was cheaper to buy the package or the loose mushrooms. I don't know if anyone was listening. I don't pay attention to that. I was just being myself and would probably be more covert if I knew someone was listening. I wouldn't want someone to think I was putting on a show
Sometimes I think it is the way the parent thinks as well. I'm a factiod type person, I just sorta know stuff. I tend to win at Trivial Pursuit and for myself, that style of thinking affect my style of teaching. I'm known to pepper my kids with facts or random tidbits of stuff I know so my kids tend to ask me whenever a query enters their heads. I always try to curb myself though, we try to read the plaques together or look it up online together. I do the "look it up" answer for any word issue though, thats a parental classic.
