I’ve nicknamed my mobile device Perry. The reason for that is a funny story, but let’s save that for another time. “Hey, Perry, tell me a joke. Hey Perry, what is the capital of Peru? Hey Perry, give me directions to my friend’s house—never mind that I’ve been there a dozen times.”
And that’s my real problem with Perry—with myself, actually. I can regurgitate that the capital of Peru is Lima and I might remember it this same time next year. This is a valid method called incidental learning. However, scientists have learned that information learned through incidental learning can be easily replaced by information learned through reinforcement. Material learned through reinforcement can be stored for a long time. I can still remember my phone number from 40 years ago because I recited it, wrote it down, and used it repeatedly. Educators sometimes call this automaticity. At this level, like a deeply rooted habit, the knowledge or skill can be applied without conscious effort.
I’ve not taken Perry’s directions to my friend’s house and stored it in the long-term portion of my brain—even though I’ve driven there multiple times. And now I hear my homeschool teacher voice moaning back at me (as I have said to probably more than one child), “Why don’t you remember this? We’ve done this many times before.” I want to encourage you. You are not alone in this frustration—with yourself or with your students.
As home educators, we want our children to learn facts and information. But truly, our goal is not just for them to hoard information, like we’re filling some giant pitcher with water. Very simply put, we learn stuff to apply it in context. We want our children to take that “pitcher of knowledge” and skillfully use the contents to grow things. Learning is, in actuality, using what we’ve learned to discern, analyze, create, build… We want our kids to be excited to say, “I know stuff and I can do things!”
We want our kids to be inquisitive, to apply what they’re learning to different situations, to think through solutions and conclusions, and to make informed decisions. Here’s the hard and potentially painful part of that process: We find out what we know and don’t know by applying it. And that’s why educational institutions have traditionally done quizzes and tests—it’s a quick way to see what the student can apply. So a low score may be indicative of a lack of knowledge, but it might also indicate that we don’t know how to apply it in that situation. We want our students to be able to use all this knowledge in their daily lives. How quickly can I figure out how much tax I’ll pay at the store or how much insulation I’ll need for my subflooring?
Let’s remember that we are teaching our children skills; some are learned faster and more completely than others. Look for the times when your child shows improvement or mastery in a skill and encourage that process. Be watchful for things that might be interfering with that process: personal desires, lack of practice, misunderstanding the concepts or the application, or dependence on a device, to name a few. Help your student understand that skill automaticity takes time and practice—but it’s so worth it. ~ Ruth
