Homework first
In the typical classroom model, teachers start with a lesson and then give students homework/problems to solve to reinforce learning. What if we did the opposite, starting with homework, then giving lessons or pointers as needed?
Motivation:
Are you motivated to help your child learn better?
Then here are some problems for you to solve
Your challenge is to determine which way you think you’d learn better to acquire a skill.
1. Learning a foreign language
a. 10 years of French lessons at an American school
b. 3 months of living in France.
When living in the country, it’s frustrating not to be able to communicate. You learn words and grammar to get what you need and therefore learn relevant vocabulary.
2. Financial modeling
a. Taking a business school class in building a financial model
b. Creating a startup.
Correct answer is B. When you build a startup, you have to teach yourself to build a financial model that fits your unique use case. You look at other financial models and take in what’s relevant and what’s not. You think about what works today, not ten years ago. You make something that’s simple and easy for your team to follow. By going through the process step by step, you remember how to do it.
3. Doing a cartwheel
a. Reading a book about how to do a cartwheel
b. Trying to do a cartwheel over and over and over again
Correct answer is B. I think this one is self-evident.
Bonus Question:
4. Determining the quickest way to solve above test
a. Finding the answers to the problems
b. determining that every answer is b
And now the lesson (after the problems):
It’s always seemed odd that a typical classroom model is for a teacher to give a lecture and then for students to do homework problems based around that lesson. By the time the lesson is done, even if teachers appeal to different learning styles (using audio/visual/kinisthethic methods or even project-based learning) students generally forget what they’ve learned and have to hear it again.
In my experience, students learn much more efficiently (and retain that information better) when they are given problems first and then seek out resources and support to find the answers.
In a lecture format, students space out, they’re not entirely sure why the material is relevant and have to listen to material they are already familiar with. A lot of engagement depends on how entertaining the teacher is. Very inefficient.
When students start with problems, they know exactly why they are looking for certain information and immediately apply the information to get to the solution (the motivation).
Even more helpful is when students have motivation to solve the problem. In general, the motivation students are given is to do well in school or to not do poorly. The purpose of their learning is geared towards getting into a good college, getting a good job or not getting punished by the authority figures in their lives.
Students tend to retain information better when they have a personal motivation for solving the problem, generally involving a passion or frustration. Burning curiosity or significant pain are great motivators.
They also naturally gravitate towards the learning method that works best for their typical learning style.
Afterwards, they retain the information very well because they have had a specific experience that was meaningful to them solving that problem.
How to do this type of learning with your child
For learning a hard skill like math, reading, social studies, start with problems. Give them an adaptive learning app such as Prodigy. When they get stuck, help them. For better learning, try to encourage them to figure it out based on what they already know (or guess) rather than jumping right in. This is pretty much the same way a mama bird teaches their baby bird to fly. Push them off the roof! (Figuratively, not literally and always with love)
Encourage them to solve their own life problems. For example, if they want a snack, teach them to make it themselves. If they’ve used up all your icloud storage making videos, offer them the option to do jobs around the house to pay for extra icloud storage or review and delete videos they don’t use. If they want to buy a new toy, this can be a great opportunity for a lesson in financial literacy and basic addition.
Be patient and let them teach themselves. Often when a child is frustrated with a task, we rush in to help. What if the next time your child got stuck with reading, math or any other subject, you simply said, I know you can figure it out. I have faith in you.
Explain rules and guidelines in a detailed and meaningful way. If they want candy, this is a great opportunity for a lesson in nutrition. Even if your child is extremely young, give them the benefit of the doubt. They will appreciate that rules are not arbitrary but in their best interests. One friend of mine calmed a screaming 1 year old she was babysitting so her mom could celebrate her birthday by giving a detailed lesson about meaning of birthdays, the earth going around the sun and the significance of self-care and symbolic celebrations to impact everyone’s well-being. She successfully calmed the child in no tie.
Engage in curiosity. If your child has a question, find the answer together. Search google, youtube, browse the encyclopedia. Show them the tools to learn for themselve. There’s a reason kids say, why, why why. It’s the way they learn.
