I mentioned in a previous post that I use the concept of invitational presence to invite my children into a family lifestyle of learning, and how that has proven to be a pretty successful teaching tool for us. But it is a very overarching tool, not a terribly specific one. If you want to know HOW I homeschool, I think I would have trouble articulating our methods very clearly. What I can do, with slightly more success I think, is to outline some of the more daily tools we use to encourage that invitational presence, and to encourage learning in general.
1. We Have A Lot Of Curated Conversations.
So, there are many times I speak to my children without a topic of discussion in my mind, obviously. This isn't that. This is intentionally building time into our days and weeks to discuss specific topics with a specific child. I sometimes prepare (in a very general way) for the conversation. For example I might mentally outline some of the key points I want to touch on, stories I want to share, facts that might be of interest related to the topic, etc. Here's an example to illustrate what I mean:
Let's say I want to chat about birds with the 7yo. I arrange a time when I will be with just her, so that we can have a conversation about birds. I go over in my mind some of the things I'd like to touch on such as...
Our birdfeeder and why I put out the food I do.
Why the lady one street over gets so many more birds at her feeder than we do.
The new birds we've been seeing in the area - where are they coming from?
What happened to the birdsong of spring and summer?
When we walk out together, I will say something like "I really wanted to talk to you about something I've found very interesting". I use 'I wonder' or 'Have you ever wondered' questions.
"I wonder what happened to the birdsong we used to hear so much?"
"Have you ever wondered why I use black oil sunflower seeds in the feeders?"
Often the conversation will go in wildly different directions from where I anticipated it would go. We might discuss the seeds in the feeders, progress to suet balls, then to carnivores and herbivores, then to the food chain, then to human impact on agriculture, then on to how a supermarket is organized. Unlike normal, fun, average conversations I just have regularly with my kids, these curated conversations are more intentional, so I do try to bring us back on topic gently when we drift off. I might say "There's something else I wanted to talk about in regards to birds!" and then start discussing the next thing. But I don't force the conversation, and if we're just not going to be able to talk about whatever it is today, then that's fine too. We play it by ear.
Now, where do the topics come from?
Often I pick topics based on whatever I am currently interested in. We try to cultivate a spirit of curiousity in our homeschool, and that includes the parents, so often my husband and I are on some 'kick' and want to share our excitement with the children. I try to keep in mind what I've mentioned before about being the best teacher of the things you love. If I am passionate about birdfeeders right now, then let's talk about birdfeeders! Alternatively, I'll pick a topic based on a current interest of theirs, if they have a really driving desire to master something at the moment. Surprisingly, I don't like to choose child-led interests mainly because if a child is interested in something you cannot keep them from learning about it - no child needs an adult's encouragement to talk about or learn about a subject they already love. These curated coversations are my opportunity to introduce NEW topics of discussion and open up new pathways as alternatives to thinking in the same patterns.
How long do these conversations last?
As long as we like, really, or have time for. But there is a 'sweet spot', I find. Too little time and you don't really get the creative, thinking juices flowing and get to dig into a topic. Too much time and the challenge of thinking has tired a small person and people might start to think of these conversations as dull. The amount of time will vary, but I wouldn't say less that 15-20 minutes would be of much value. You're aiming for about as long as an elementary school lesson.
When the talking is over, what next?
I believe in the ideal of a Great Conversation - the great minds throughout time all working on problems and thinking thoughts and passing down information and ideals to future generations. And introducing the children to this Great Conversation is one of my joys in teaching, really. To this end (although it doesn't always work out this way) I try to really integrate our conversations into our daily life - make them flow seamlessly into our family, so to speak. Going back to the bird discussion - this would be the time I'd go to the store with the child to buy seed, this would be the time I would pull out relevant books, or even make a new design on the strewing windowsill. And I always try to make the conversation a multi-day thing; I don't want to talk about birds and then stop talking about birds. I want to talk about them and then talk about them again and again and then mention something we talked about a week from now and then call a child over in the library to see a related book, etc. Even if only one 'official' curated conversation happens, the outcome of that conversation is, essentially, that now we can include 'birds' in our list of things we might discuss periodically.
Now, as I said, that's an ideal follow-up. Sometimes I do nothing but have a conversation. Sometimes I have the conversation and then periodically more conversation and then it trickles off. Sometimes we have already read books about a subject and then we have the conversation. You get it.
So there you go, another odd little tool I use in our school days.
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