The Learning Household
How to Help Your Child Get More out of School
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- $26.99
Publisher Description
An expert guide to raising creative, passionate learners, from the bestselling author of What the Best College Teachers Do.
Children are eager learners. As anyone who has taken a car trip with a toddler will tell you, they have a seemingly endless urge to ask questions about whatever pops into their heads. And yet, many kids end up bored and alienated at school. What can parents do to sustain their natural curiosity?
In The Learning Household, educators Ken Bain and Marsha Marshall Bain argue that parents can do a lot. Too often, however, parents emphasize grades instead of instilling the creativity, grit, and enthusiasm necessary to navigate a rapidly changing world. At its best, school provides opportunities to cultivate innovation and apply knowledge to novel problems. But before children can experience such an education, parents must create “a learning household” in which they encourage children to ask thoughtful questions rather than memorize correct answers, to discover their passions rather than fret about report cards, and to take risks rather than worry about failing.
Providing dozens of activities that can be adapted to meet the needs of every family, The Learning Household is an essential guide to bringing curiosity back to the classroom and fostering an appreciation for the intrinsic value of learning.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Married collaborators Bain (What the Best College Teachers Do), president of the teacher-training Best Teachers Institute, and Marshall Bain, the institute's coordinator, make a strong case in this smart manual for encouraging children's natural inquisitiveness to build their love of learning. The authors explain that sparking curiosity through open-ended conversation, like asking "Why are there so many different kinds of animals and plants in the world?" during a walk in the park, can help even young kids feel comfortable asking questions and searching for answers, and "unlock more of what a school education should offer." Elsewhere, Bain and Marshall Bain argue that genuine interest in a topic can take students further in their studies than rote memorization, citing how one Texas student's performance soared when she pursued her passion for studying botany, a decision the authors note may "spark dismay" in parents looking for a more practical path. Their approach is bolstered by eye-opening studies: in one example, children were given puzzles that had no solution, and the authors describe how those who believed that "intelligence expands with experience," rather than being fixed, were more willing to continue having fun. Educators and parents looking to deepen children's love of learning should check this out.
