The ages of 5 to 11 when most kids would be considered to be “elementary students” are when curiosity is at its highest. Kids are asking a million questions and most of them we don’t have the answer to, which is great! So many opportunities arise from our lack of information, including the chance to learn right along with them. Here are my biggest secrets to homeschooling during these ages of inquisitiveness.
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1. Go Down Rabbit Holes
Have you ever experienced a kid getting completely obsessed with something? If you haven’t, it’s coming! From dinosaurs to butterflies to car engines, the things our kids get fixated on is hard to predict, but one of the best parts of homeschooling is being able to take those journeys with them.
Showing our kiddos that there are so many ways to enjoy the things they love and learn more about it is what makes this homeschooling life so enjoyable! Read books, watch videos, visit museums, grow your own butterflies, or find a local expert on rebuilding engines. The opportunities are endless!
When homeschooling veterans refer to “child-led learning” or sometimes even “unschooling,” this is what they are referring to. They aren’t usually telling you to stop parenting, let your child watch Bluey for 8 hours a day and hope for the best. Generally, they are referring to observing your child with a microscope, see what gets them excited, and feed that excitement. There is nothing greater than watching a child light up while they are learning and knowing that you helped spark that light!
2. Expose Them to Everything
How do our kids find out what their interested in or want to know more about if we don’t present them with options? That does not mean I spend all day throwing random facts about the American Revolution at them and hope they find it exciting.
What it does mean is that when we go to the library, all sections are created equal. Fiction picture books and chapter books are amazing, but so is the non-fiction section and the biography section! There are so many picture book biographies made to engage our young readers and expose them to amazing people who have done amazing things! This is how my oldest daughter learned about Anne Frank and went through a 6 month long journey learning about the Holocaust and World War II!
This is the book that really got my daughter into Anne Frank. We actually read all of the books in this series that we could find at our local library. I highly recommend them for an early introduction to historical figures.
Books are my go-to when it comes to exposure, but there are so many other ways to do this. Are you more of a visual family? Browse through documentaries and let your child pick one that looks interesting to them. Visit local craft stores and see if an interest in sewing, crochet, paper dolls, or diamond art comes alive. Stop by an art museum with no expectation but to walk around and see if anything catches your eye. Swing by the zoo and talk about your favorite animals. Next thing you know you will be going down one of those rabbit holes we talked about earlier!
3. Be Curious With Them
When you find wonder in the simple things, your kids feed off that and do the same! If you get excited about the pine cone you found on your walk, your kids are going to want to know what the big deal is, and then join in on the wonder. Teaching our kids HOW to learn, rather than WHAT to learn is one of the most valuable tools we can give them.
You want to know why the sky is blue? Let’s research it together! Hmmm, what kind of birds are visiting our bird feeders this year? Let’s get a field guide and learn all the different birds! We live in a time where the answer to all our questions is at our fingertips. Google searches aren’t your thing? Write down all their questions and find books, videos, articles, whatever your chosen research method is. Not everything will turn into months of excitement, but not every curiosity needs to be a passion. Sometimes we just need our questions answered and the knowledge locked in for the future.
Last summer I started a note on my phone of all the questions my kids asked. I did this for a few reasons. For one, I often was driving or in the middle of something and couldn’t find the answer to what they were asking immediately, but I didn’t want to forget it. Writing their questions down also allowed them to see that their questions were valuable and deserved time to look into. I was modeling following up with curiosities and putting value on the things they wanted to know. On Fridays we would sit and research all of their questions and find the answers.
Sometimes these questions were super scientific like, “Do bugs sweat?” or “How does the moon change shape?” and sometimes they stemmed from other things we talked about like, “How did people cut their nails in ancient times?” No question is considered more important than another and all made it onto the Friday agenda regardless.
The questions have died down a little now that my kids are old enough to do some of their own research, but I see them always questioning things, even if it isn’t out loud to me. The amount of times a day my 9 year old is Googling or asking her Alexa questions shows me that the curiosity is still alive and well in her.
Don’t Be Afraid to Let Go
Homeschool doesn’t have to be this overly academic, rigid environment like a school is. That’s the beauty of walking away from the norm.
Don’t overcomplicate it! During these younger years, there is no hurry. Homeschooling can be as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it. I’ve found that diving in with my kids rather than making it feel like it is something I am making them do makes it much more enjoyable for all of us.
Even when my 9 year old was working on fractions, I got excited remembering how much I enjoyed learning about them when I was her age. That excitement was contagious! She loves learning math because it is fun when done with enthusiasm. Don’t get me wrong, I am not always the crazy, bubbly parent. Sometimes I have to dig deep for that energy. Save it for the moments when it really matters and it will be a great adventure for your whole family!
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