Connect, Apply, Repeat.

"Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think." ~Albert Einstein

Make the Connection

An interest and need-based curriculum connects with the student.  A mastery connection is made when a concept is attached to something familiar and pleasant. 

For instance, a child who is passionate about horses will be more likely to grasp the distance/rate/time formula if it is explained using horse racing as opposed to an airplane or train.  

Here's an Example:

Concept to be taught: 

• Add/Subtract Fractions With Common Denominators

Personalized Application

• Cooking (My daughter LOVES food and cooking.)  

• We hosted a lemonade stand for Lemonade Day 2013, and developed our own recipe for lemonade and no bake cookies.  (She wants to own a restaurant.)

The Results

• There has not been one instance where pencil has met paper to figure out a fraction problem.  She does it all mentally.  
• The best part (for me anyway) is that she doesn't know she has mastered the above concept.  She knows she has learned to do something she loves.
• The entire unit's objectives were mastered instead of just the one I intended, plus a whole list of other skills in a variety of subjects.
• Her interests and passions were fed, inspiring her to pursue them further.

What I Did

• I applied her interests to a concept and created a purpose for the knowledge. 
• I waited for her to ask for help.
• I demonstrated how to do it.
• I gave multiple and varying opportunities to practice the knowledge.
• Her work was evaluated and adjustments were made when necessary.

What You Can Do

• Find ways to show why something is worth the time spent on it.
• Provide practice opportunities: rehearsal of concepts will embed them into the long-term memory.
• Spend less time relaying information and more time answering questions.
• Ask questions that evoke thought and further action when providing feedback.

Class Discussion

Need suggestions? Post your child's interests and we will brainstorm ideas!

Questions? Ask away!

Happy Homeschooling!

Mrs. Redd

How Do I Teach … 5 Day Blog Series is brought to you by the following blogs:

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ Homeschool Gameschool ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ No Doubt Learning ~ Mrs. Redd’s Classroom Blog ~ Proverbial Homemaker ~ My Joy Filled Life ~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Vicki Arnold ~ Only Passionate Curiosity ~ Living Life and Learning ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ 3 Dinosaurs