The homework dilemma (2007-09-10)

(Originally posted on 10 September 2007.)

I recently read a post on another blog about a book called Guerilla Learning: How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School, and I immediately ordered it at the library. I picked it up last Saturday and read the first section that night, which discusses what’s wrong with the education system. I’m eager to get to the following sections, which deal with what we as parents can do to help our kids learn despite the school system, and how to engage their interests.

This is something that has niggled at my mind for the past year and more. Giggles started off Grade 1 last year happy and eager to learn, and she loved her teacher. By the end of the year, while she still loved her teacher, she was no longer eager and complained virtually every morning bout having to go to school. Homework was a battleground virtually all year. The focus was on learning to read, and while she IS capable and bright, she has struggled with learning to read (and with basic math skills – she’s good in some areas of math, but lousy in others). A year later, she still struggles, though she's made TONS of progress with reading, owing in large part to plenty of persistence by Mama’s to get her to just plain practice reading, and lots of incentives and prizes for every little step.

On the other hand, she got good marks in science, social studies, health/phys ed, and art – reflections of her interest in the world, in learning things, and creative personality. I don’t want these areas of interest (and the concomitant good marks) to end up being dragged down by struggles in the “core” areas of reading and math, which may happen down the road if nothing changes.

So my concern is that I see a child who LOVES to learn and to discover things., but who is not being served to the best of her possibilities by the education system, through no fault of its (or her) own. The system has rules and structures and requirements, and just doesn’t have the flexibility to be able to take her interests and use them as a springboard to learning. And it uses certain methods of learning that may work just fine for some kids, but don’t seem to work well for Giggles. The exercise books and worksheets that come home don't seem to have that much effect – she ends up being able to complete the exercises fairly well, but not much of it seems to “stick.” It hasn’t translated into MEANING or significance. She NEEDS to learn this stuff in a meaningful context. And she has tons of interests, which could – if give half a chance – provide a great context for learning everything she needs to learn. But the school doesn’t do that. It can’t.

Since I’m single-parenting, I can’t home school (well, I know some single parents who manage to do it, but it doesn’t work with my job situation!). I want to find a way to engage her interests in a way that supports her LEARNING as opposed to meeting the school requirements. Last year my focus was on activities that tended to mirror the school methods, and they weren’t all that helpful either. So I want to try a new tack. Since I’ll be off work most of the school year (once Poppet comes home), I hope I’ll have more chance to do so.

My own school experience was generally positive – I was a very good student and nobody (except perhaps myself) ever put pressure on me to perform– but on the other hand, I often found school insufficiently challenging. I was one of those who managed to get very good marks without necessarily needing to put out a lot of effort. (Thankfully, I don’t think that had a major effect on my work ethic!) But I often dreamed of being in a situation where I would be able to do more interesting work.

Giggles may not be academically inclined, the way I was, but she still has immense aptitude for learning and discovery. I want to feed that appetite in whatever way I can.