The Joy of Learning

As much as I am amused with Levi's enthusiasm to learn, I am amazed too! Though being reminded by many other parents that the syllabus for education nowadays is way more difficult and we have to start the children as young as possible, we haven't really plan to start teaching him academically, at least not yet for his age. We wanted to just let him play more and learn as he plays, if he pleases. I know a lot of other parents may be taking a different approach so just go with the pace you are comfortable with and also it depends on what the child is interested in :) A year ago, we notice he picks up learning rather quick because he himself is very interested in especially shapes, alphabets and phonics, drums, numbers.

Learning How to Be a Home Educator

Reading his first ABC book

Honestly, this is our first child so I do not exactly know how to go about when it comes to education. I chose to stay home with him as a stay at home mom with two hours away from him each day for me to tutor some students. With this decision, I was hoping to I could spend more time involving in Levi's life. My husband was taught by his mom since young to study and write, so he was very for this idea. However, I had no clue where to begin from, even in helping him to learn in other areas like eating, keeping toys etc. I am actually quite lost but I too didn't want to be rigid and want to accommodate Levi's interests. We started off with some simple board books and I realize he went for the shapes book most of the time, then the objects books, then the alphabets book. Next, I bought him some shapes toys to match and he showed intense interest in it, carrying it everywhere and especially liked to show his grandparents. He can now identify trapezoid and also rhombus! It is more like I flow along with what he is interested with, and try to enhance the learning in that aspect, like getting him some objects he can relate with. So I for one, buy quite a lot of toys for him, though I hide them in batches, to induce Levi to learn to focus on one toy before another. I know I may be condemned for getting him too many toys, oops!

Levi's Other "Teachers"

Image Source: Unsplash

I am aware that many may not advocate this which is learning through screentime or particularly Youtube in iPad or phones. Like every other parents, I too can have my burnout time and used to have ideal requirements for myself to not let Levi engaged with gadgets. I always thought I want to be like all the other creative parents to create interesting object lessons and play for him, inventing my own learning stimulation or take after those who have posted many links online about it. WELL, THAT WAS MY IDEAL! Hahah, we exposed Levi to Youtube and he has learnt many many things from this "teacher". Of course, we are aware that there can be inappropriate contents too hence why we would watch together with him. He has learnt his series of vegetables and fruits, vehicles, counting, colours, instruments and etc. He has also been watching some drumming videos and we saw him improved in his casual drumming. He started to play in beats and patterns. However, we also came to realize he would behave in a certain manner if he watches too much in a day, so we have started limiting screentime and also cutting it down. In my opinion, screentime is not evil and it can be a good teacher, but we got to know how to monitor and decide when is the cut off time. Too much of any good thing can be a bad thing, isn't it? I think he is safe to explore within a certain boundary that we are monitoring. After all, I enjoy seeing his joy of learning so I do not want to kill off this joy of curiosity that he is having too. I think it is healthy to nurture it, under my observation and guidance.

Learning through Applications and Experiences

Learning to eat by himself

Levi likes to go to the supermarket and see the different fresh produces that he has learnt. He would love to touch them and name them one by one. He can do this for a very long time and sometimes reluctant to go home, hehe. I always wish I can buy the whole supermarket back. Hahaha! He has also learnt to eat when he was younger, because he was a difficult eater back then. So, I let him play with his food and grab whichever he wants to eat by himself. Now, as he grew up, he wants to be fed instead and would only eat certain things by himself. What an irony! Nevertheless, I learnt that he likes to apply his knowledge or the things he learn. He wants to do some things in order to relate with what he has learnt. Before this, he enjoyed painting with water colours. The latest toy he has been playing is Play Doh. He would like to roll them, cut them and shape them. I guess this is helping his motor skills as well!

So Many Things to LEARN!!

Image Source: Pexels

I can sometimes feel overwhelmed by what the children has to go through nowadays. I would feel like I got to teach him on how to share, how to have some appropriate manners besides teaching him academically. I guess I too stress myself out! The joy of learning can be robbed so easily. As I see my son learning happily at his pace now, I really don't wish he lose this attitude when comparison comes in one day though I know it is part of his growing up. For now, as much as he wants to learn, I would facilitate that to happen to learn under a stress-free environment with no need to compete or excel, but merely for the joy of learning. I have seen my students dread learning and I always wonder what actually change this joy of learning along the way. Although I am now a grown adult, I am learning too. Sometimes I learn under stress, sometimes I learn under joy. So I guess both can be great motivations, actually!

From the freedom to explore comes the joy of learning. From knowledge acquired by personal initiative arises the desire for more knowledge. And from mastery of the novel and beautiful world awaiting every child comes self-confidence.
~E. O. Wilson Source