This is a problem the Emperor and I have been discussing. We both had this problem as kids, and he sees it in his students as well (he teaches honors and International Bacclaureate). We presumed it wouldn't be a problem with home school, but we were just starting to see it crop up in some of the Zoomlians.
Here's the deal: sometimes smart kids grasp things too easily. They "get it" instantly and, depending on the schooling they are receiving, either wait around while the teacher explains things to the rest of the class, or they move on to the next interesting thing.
Because they grasp so much so easily, when they run into something they don't immediately "get" (say a kid who can do math and reading intuitively but can't play the violin on the first try), they mentally file it as "don't get it" and avoid that activity in the future. Often enough, the "don't get it"s really are things like the violin, things they aren't positively required to do.
Why worry if the "don't get it"s are non-essential? Because what they are actually missing is learning how to learn something challenging. A kid can be doing algebra in 2nd grade and not be being challenged in the sense that they are intuitively grasping the concepts as they are presented.
A person needs to know what to do when they're "lost in the sauce." They need to know that when they hit the "don't get it" wall in something essential, they can outline a door and start hacking their way through.
Here is our suggestion: If you have a kid who seems to easily grasp everything, look for the things they have difficulty with and provide them with structure and support to help them learn what is difficult for them. Point out that they are learning how to learn. Be patient with them and try to teach them to be patient with themselves. I would not force a kid to stay for years with a hobby they hate, but use discernment as to what opportunities you have to teach perseverance.
Get it? ;)
3 comments:
Some good thoughts. For me all school stuff was pretty easy, but fortunately I had much older siblings which exposed me to much harder things. Also some necessary real-life skills came hard--like talking to strangers on the phone or learning to drive. And fortunately my parents pushed me to do things for myself.
Good point.
Can you please teach me how to attack things that aren't easy as an adult? I can be your guinea pig, then you can patent the methodology and make a mint. I'll only request small royalties. :)
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