LAST week, I shared how the concept of “Mind Maps” by Tony Buzan helped me in managing my kids’ homework. I learned then that introducing concepts through diagrams was more effective in making my kids absorb information because they got to use both sides of their brains. This week, let me share another effective tool I continue to use today.
At age four, I remember liking abstracts more than facts. I found memorizing things, even spelling words, quite stressful. After spending half a day in a highly traditional school, I remember my afternoons spent in clay and paint. It was not that I excelled in art class, but I just loved the “freedom” of spilling things and using my hands. Looking back, I may have been a visual and tactile learner. Even when I was learning math, I remember having a hard time memorizing the multiplication table in first grade.
My aunt drew it out on a cardboard like an art project and then taught me a sing-song way in Fukien, making it far more enjoyable.
When I moved to Poveda in high school, each student had “Individual Work” requirements for core subjects. These were projects to apply our theoretical learnings from concepts in english, math, science and the like. For example, when we were learning Canterbury Tales, we were tasked to choose a character from the book, create our costume and attend english class wearing the costume while adopting the character’s personality. It was a refreshing experience.
That was when I started to love learning more. I liked the “play” injected into the required projects. Even if I had a hard time with a subject like english, doing the projects allowed me to enjoy the content by processing the knowledge in a more relaxed way.
When I had kids, I was always curious about finding ways for them to truly love learning. My hypothesis was if I could spark the interest and rationale of the subject matter to my kids, incorporate a playful element, and deliver it in a more relaxed and loving way, then my kids would have a higher probability of absorption. The bonus wish was for my kids, that because learning that particular concept was a delightful experience, they would eagerly continue the learning journey on their own.
When it came to subject learning, my kids were stubborn to say the least. They did not sit still and were pretty vocal when they did not like the subject matter. When Marcus was Kinder 1, he did not like to study Chinese at all. He was uneasy pronouncing the words. We took a break from studying and I told him we would just play. Because I knew he liked to learn while using his hands, we cut out pieces of paper together in squares. Then I challenged him to draw out the vocabulary he was learning. I wrote the Chinese words on the other pieces of paper. Then we played a picture-matching type of game. Chinese became one of Marcus’s favorite subject later on. He even got a 100 in his report card the following year. Meagan has always been visual. She uses art play to deepen her knowledge on a subject matter that interests her. She mixes technology, books and art to research and “relax.”
On top of injecting play in core subject learning, I also leave a lot of “free play” during school days. This is providing my kids the avenue to choose and try new things, not because they need to be very good at it, but because they would like to expand their horizon. Saturday nights were our venue for game nights, “concerts” and cooking activities. There was a time that Meagan wanted to try newscasting, and we would set up a high chair as her podium. I actually have a video of her pretending to be this famous newscaster on her own show.
Free play is also about fun and being “active.” It is about them freely and “actively” picking, mixing and role-playing all the toys they have. It is using their favorite toys to make each of us laugh. It is about giving them a free hand in planning activities.
There was a weekend when I found a directional sign at the ground floor leading to the second floor, where my kids had set up a hotel concierge for me to check in, with Marcus’s action figures as their welcoming party.
Every year, I see my kids dive in subject learning with both enthusiasm and ease. When they get stumped on something, they would automatically pause, grab their favorite toy like their Rubik’s cube, play a while, then get back to their work. Then they would ask me or they would find a material on the Web to help them. Thanks to “play,” I see my kids taking on their homework without fear, looking forward instead to the fun in store in finding play in their work.
Next week, I will share more concrete play-infused subject learning activities you can use for your kids.