SYPM 015: How to support each unique child’s learning journey

I hear from a lot of parents who are worried about their children’s learning.  They tell me things like:   “I want to encourage my child’s learning and creativity and confidence as a learner without solely focusing on literacy and numeracy.”   “We’ve been in lockdown here in Melbourne for a very long time, with my older kids learning remotely, and I feel that a lot of the tasks they are given by their school are a bit … uninspiring. It’s so cool when there is something that really engages them and I’m trying to find more things like that.”   “I am wary about the school system squashing the natural instinct to learn, as I feel it did with me. But I'm hoping we can provide the attitude and environment at home to mitigate this.”   “What we have read about traditional schooling is a bit disheartening but something we have to embrace for now. So it is important that with the time we have outside of school we do the best we can to encourage his spark for exploration and learning.”   “My children are already in school. Even though they (and I) are happy with their school and learning so far, I would love to learn how I can support them better and help them being more motivated and stay curious. The challenges of distant-learning that we experienced during the lockdowns have highlighted that I find it difficult to be a good teacher for them and I would like to change that.”   If you could have said (or have already said!) one or more of these things yourself, then I want to introduce you to Madeline.   She describes all three of her children as ‘spirited’ (you can kind of see it in their eyes, right?!)   When I first met her, she wanted to know that she was doing everything she could to support their intrinsic love of learning in the preschool years - and she wasn’t sure whether or not they would go to school.     In this episode we discuss some of the Learning Explorations she’s done with them, how she became confident that she really was meeting each child’s learning needs, and what decision she ultimately made about school!     Jump to highlights 00:02 Introduction to the episode 05:08 Kids’ creativity encouraged through Kid Kitchen Creations 06:38 What Madeline values as a parent: Autonomy and skills 08:23 How being a perfectionist affected Madeline’s parenting 12:30 Finding balance between allowing her child to make mistakes and providing guidance 14:19 The effectiveness of workbooks in supporting children’s love of learning 16:26 Madeline discusses her middle child’s interests and learning style 18:47 Madeline discusses how joining the joining the Supporting Your Child’s Learning Membership supported her 23:04 Madeline shares a specific example of how she applied the learning framework she gained from joining the membership 27:59 Madeline reflects on the importance of keeping the balance between her children’s learning and their emotional, social and psychological wellbeing 29:40 Madeline shares the importance of documenting her children’s learning 38:08 Madeline shares how being a member of both Parenting Membership and Supporting Your Child’s Learning Membership supported her 42:05 Madeline’s advice for parents