The Importance of Tailwinds
We live in a time of one-offs and novelties, and I strongly suggest you think carefully before participating.
You’ve heard me advise you to be discerning.
I’ve addressed the perils of ‘craft kits’ and ‘stem kits,’ which offer pre-packaged and pre-digested concepts.
I’ve discussed the importance of repetition for skill development at the end of every activity and relational interchange suggested here.
If we want young children to learn in a lasting way, we need to offer layers of experience and engagement.
This is challenging in a busy world.
This is hard in a disposable culture.
And children are paying the price.
Yesterday was Earth Day. It was a perfect day to honor our beautiful planet. You may have talked about it over the past weekend, or attended some type of related event - a trash pickup, a nature walk. Your child may have been chattering about it after school.
Now it’s time for the tailwinds, to make the learning dynamic and move it forward.
What is a tailwind? A wind that comes from behind and propels an object forward.
What is my definition of a tailwind?
The ways we keep a child’s learning momentum going after the fact, to amplify and integrate learning.
What can tailwinds look like?
Ongoing conversation using critical thinking questions to support retention and analysis:
Who, what, when, where, why, and how
Selecting books related to the topic:
We Share this Earth and Water, Land are two relevant favorites
Researching the topic:
A library visit to learn more about rainforests or composting
Creating art in relation to the topic:
A drawing with chalk, crayons, or pencil; a collage
Constructing in relation to the topic:
Magna-tiles, wooden blocks, legos, cardboard boxes, clay, salt dough
Writing about the topic:
Making a short book with your child about the earth, focusing on simple facts, or about how you celebrated Earth Day
Sharing knowledge with others about the topic - friends, siblings, other family:
Discussion at a family meal, during a play date, or over FaceTime
Specific activities that relate to the topic:
Planting pollinators
Reviewing your re-use and recycling plans
Picking up garbage more often
Visiting your local watershed or arboretum
Donating to conservation efforts
Don’t leave an experience behind, thinking the learning has already integrated.
Your child’s learning is experience-dependent - and needs your nurturing attention.