Have you heard the phrase “delight directed learning? I have come across it in the past and really didn’t understand it for awhile. And then, after reading a bunch of articles I realized that this method of homeschooling is largely what we have transitioned to over the past 18 months. I find interests in my children and I tap into them and offer lots of resources for them to use and explore as they learn about topics that interest them.
Here is the way that delight directed learning looks like in our home. Last week on Monday the girls were given a writing assignment that instructed them to write out at least five questions that they would like to know the answer to. These questions could be about anything from history to math, from animals to cooking. We reviewed the parts of a question, like a capitol letter and a question mark, and once their writing was finished we revised wording and corrected spelling errors.
Then on Tuesday after lunch I got out a bunch of books, and turned on the computer and told the girls that they had to find the answer to one of their questions today. They choose to work on the same question together which was fine with me. They then spent the next two hours watching videos online, reading articles, and taking notes about creating with chocolate. On this day I didn’t check spelling or correct punctuation. I did help spell words when they asked and also to guide them to find good resources. But I pretty much let them decide which direction they took their question and how long they spent researching it.
The third step of the process and their Wednesday “assignment” was to put the information that they had gathered into a “report”. They wrote out all that they wanted to share and then we revised and reworded the sentences. This was a great time to work on sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling. We also talked about ways to make your writing more descriptive and how to use words to make it flow better and not be so “choppy”. Now this part of the process, the rewriting mainly, the girls did get a little frustrated with. But I feel that it is vital for them to be able to do it. And once they had done it they were so proud of their neatly written paper. Their faces were all smiles.
From start to finish I guided them through this research and writing process, but I tried to do it on their terms and with their interests in mind. This whole concept of “delight directed learning” is pretty new to me, but we are enjoying it. There are still things that must be done, even if we don’t like them or if they are “hard”. But overall, I am learning that a lot more learning takes place when the children are happy and learning in the way that suits their needs, desires, and personalities. Have you ever given delight directed learning a try? I encourage you to try it today. This is what it looks like to me, at this time. That is subject to change at any given moment as you other homeschool momma’s know. What does it look like in your home? Can you give me some pointers? I am always ready to learn and be challenged.
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