(Some of you, Friends, mentioned that, when receiving these posts by email, the last post didn’t come through fully. My technical expertise are still very lean and so if that is the case again then please look to the bottom of the email for a link to the blog online where you can read this entire post. Thank you for your Grace!))
** Thank you also for your many words of encouragement and your prayers for our daughter. Her cardiologist feels that her pains aren’t related to her heart condition at this time and so her paediatrician gave her a bout of antibiotics… L A few days later she was sick again but with a common virus (fever and headache) so “out of the frying pan and into the fire”. At least now we are dealing with a more run of the mill illness and are recovering. **
Wisdom vs. Knowledge (Some notes on Chapter 5, Home Education: Strengthening Your Child’s Mind to Learn for God)
"Contrary to secular educator’s view, a child is not educated just because he has logged enough time in classroom, performed well on certain tests, or completed a formal curriculum…. A truly educated child is one who has the desire and the ability to learn and to grow as a whole person. The desire to learn (will) is from the heart; the ability to learn (skill) is in the mind.” – pg. 73
How do we need change the way that we have been teaching in light of this? In our house it has meant taking the focus on the short term (history, language, math) skills building and focusing instead on more long term character based skill building (attentiveness, responsibility).
“The true test of a child’s education is not what they know at any one time relative to what other children know (or don’t know). It is whether or not the child is growing stronger in all of the most important learning skills – the skills that enable them to acquire knowledge, insight, and ability and to educate themselves independently.” – pg. 75
“The goal should be to exercise all of a child’s mental muscles so they enter adulthood with a strong mind and the will and skill to learn whatever is necessary.” – pg. 75
Do we properly value autonomous learning skills?
“Regardless of your children’s mental capacity, it is the strength of their mental muscles that will have the greatest impact on their success in life.” – pg. 75
Thoughts?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Cori
Hi Cori,
ReplyDeleteIt made me smile to see that many of the quotes you shared are ones I too had underlined in my book.
At this time of year (Feb. and Mar.), I find it so hard to focus on character and habit training. I find myself saying, especially to my youngest, "Just sit down and finish this math page!" I'm not thinking about what I could be teaching him, like being attentive or diligent.
A quote from pg. 80;
"Whatever the habit my be, though, it is not really the child who forms habits; rather, it is the parents who form habits in the young child. Whether actively or passively, knowingly or not, it is in your power to form habits-both good and bad-in your child.
Something for me to ponder!
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteI too have been mulling over the quote that you wrote out tonight. My kids' bad habits are usually just a reflection of my own. I'm thankful for a forgiving God - whom I must model more.
Cori.