Hello friends!
Welcome to another installment of our weekly resources for families with children at home during school closures. This week’s theme? Inspired Learning.
Does it feel like a lot is on your plate? In addition to juggling jobs, 24/7 parenting, and other responsibilities, in the era of COVID 19 we are also online learning tech support, electronic assignment submission monitor, virtual classroom parent volunteer, and teacher email tracker. That’s A LOT of jobs.
In the back of our minds, maybe we’re anxious -- will our kids be ready for the next grade level? Take a breath, grab a cup of tea, and take a minute for inspiration.
This week we take up the theme of “Inspired Learning,” a term coined by Zaretta Hammond, a national education consultant and author of Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Recently, a number of Sound Discipline Facilitators attended Ms. Hammond’s Inspired Learning workshop. Here are just a few of the gems that inspired us and that, we hope, inspire you too.
Our greatest asset as parents is our strong relationship with our  child. More than anyone, we understand intimately how our children approach learning, and what it takes for them to thrive.
Academic rigor is important. Hammond emphasizes that the job of a teacher is to be a coach -- to see the child as capable, to ask questions that reinforce that child’s intrinsic competence, and that build confidence. Our job is to help our child “carry the cognitive load.”
Parents have a unique opportunity through daily life and play to help our children translate learning – math, language arts, social studies, science – to our children’s lived experience and cultural context. Learning can happen everywhere and with everything.
Here are some ideas to try with your child(ren).
Use Curiosity Questions and conversations to spark learning connections:
- Why do you think this is important?
- How is this like something you already know about or know how to do?
- What is interesting to you about this?
- What might make it more interesting to you?
Increase Word Awareness:
- Find and expand ways to say a word. Example: Cook = Bake, grill, steam sauté, roast, fry, toast. Collect those words by having your child write them on posters, in a book, on a paper chain, in a journal etc.
- Children can also collect words they don't know into a book and learn about them. Check out the book The Word Collector, by Peter Reynolds or watch the video of the President and Mrs. Obama reading it!
Invite your child to research a topic:
- Point your child to tools – videos, web sites, TED Talks, books -- and strategies to investigate topics that connect with their questions. Videos like this, for example: Underwater Astonishments: https://youtu.be/YVvn8dpSAt0
Find more information on Inspired Learning activities and resources on our website.
Here are two opportunities to connect with more coaching and peer support for parents:
- Online Parent Support Network- Join us every Thursday evening, at 7pm. This week, on Thursday May 21, we'll focus on ways for parents to help inspire learning in their kids. We also take parents' questions on any topic during the Q & A! Ask questions and leave with new approaches, greater confidence, and hope! RSVP required to receive the Zoom link.
- Our private Facebook group for parents - Join us for discussion, resources and support.
We love hearing from you. Reach us via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, or email.
Sending all our best wishes,
Stacy Lappin
Director of Program
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