Every morning I have a big mug of tea with milk and sugar. This particular mug, however, is a toddler magnet, adorned as it is with bright colors and frolicking sheep. As soon as I sit down, I’m swarmed by little boys, who touch the sheep with their fingertips and start jabbering away in what I imagine to be a pre-verbal debate on the tea-drinking habits of blue sheep. Every now and then I try to steer them toward Daddy’s mug with its equally fascinating cows, but I guess they prefer sheep.
Lately the finger pointing has escalated. I loosened my clutch on the mug one day to show them that the sides of the cup are warm—a fact that delighted them, so now when I lift the cup to my mouth, it’s helped along by four little hands. After that comes peering in and pointing at the liquid. Sometimes I lift the tea bag and let it drip, which makes them giggle. And as an encore, they lick the mug, one tongue on each side, and then toddle off, leaving me to finish alone.
At first I thought I just had a couple of weird kids. But then I started thinking about how children at this age are simply masters of learning by doing. Without words or full comprehension at their disposal, they have no choice but to rely on visual and physical ways to explore and learn.
Reflecting on our morning ritual, I realized just how many lessons the boys had learned with my teacup:
- how to identify the colors white, blue, and orange
- what a sheep looks and sounds like
- the sides of a cup can be hot or cold
- sharing: everyone’s hands fit on the cup together
- how to be gentle and not jostle the cup
- warming cold hands on a warm cup is pleasurable
- self-restraint: they can point at the tea and teabag, but can’t touch them
- it’s pretty neat to spend these few quiet minutes with Mamma, chatting about tea
- licking the cup is just plain, silly fun!
And I thought, Wouldn’t it be great if they never lost the joy in learning?
While this scenario is not news to most parents, of course, I’m fairly new at this gig, so every day is a revelation. What has struck me most, however, is the difference between these little boys and the thirteen- to sixteen-year-olds I used to teach in the classroom.
Before becoming a full-time writer and editor, I taught literature at a high school for gifted students—and these kids were serious. The kind who gave me five pages when I asked for two and pestered me for extra credit to pull up their 96 average. They were swamped with homework every night, many of them burning the midnight oil to get it all done. So serious, that I often sent them off for the weekend with the words, “Please remember to find some time to frolic!”
With such a studious audience, I was often nervous as I planned my lessons, many of which involved art, drama, group work, and sensory exercises. But I was determined to reconnect these kids with the excitement of learning through all of their senses. For the opening paragraphs of 1984, for example, each student had to choose an image and create a sound and movement to represent it. After the shyness and cries of “This is weird!” subsided, we created a cacophonous chorus of imagery that rose and fell and drew curious onlookers to the door…and that ended with students saying, “Cool! I think I’m going to like this book.”
Of course, there was always a grumbler or two who would have preferred to sit in a chair and be filled with knowledge—but I wanted students to feel the books in their bones, and that would never happen if I just stood up and talked.
You see, I am a firm believer in the power of engagement, in getting kids doing and moving and involved, engaged in the activity and engaged in learning.
And to do that, sometimes students have to be taken back to their inner toddler, back to that lovable place where they used to learn naturally and with abandon—a place where they could find a world of wonder in a teacup.
About Renée LaTulippe
My kids aren’t toddlers anymore, but I am so glad they are still in that place where they love to learn and have fun!
I would love more articles on how to do this with my struggling learner, 8, and 10 year old who just want to finish his work. Thanks!
This is something I need to remember! When we had mainly younger children at home, it seemed easier to naturally engage them. But as those youngers have grown, I tend to focus on their maturing needs and have a tendency to overlook the opportunities to engage the younger ones who really delight in discovery and exploration. Thank you for the gentle reminder to never forgo experiential, “out-of-the-box” type learning!
What a good reminder of how important it is to take advantage of these little moments for learning in our every day lives!
Thank you for the reminder to enjoy learning! Just last week I took the boys out by the stream to do school. We ended up building a dam out of rocks. It was so much fun searching for just the right rocks to interlock and make our dam stable in the rushing water.
I think I need to go find *my* inner toddler as well!
This is awesome! Thanks for the reminder that it’s okay for learning to be FUN!
It’s so important to find these ‘moments’. Thankfully if we are involved in our children’s lives, we can find these moments. With my children, I find them learning quickly and better this way.
I try to remind my girls we are always learning and sometimes we “do school” too. teaching with simple everyday things I found it easy to do this with my oldest 2 when they were young – I needed the reminder to do that with my younger 2 also because anything can be turned into a learning experience if I put forth a little effort
What a great thought. It’s been a challenge for me to consistently step into interactive ways of teaching for my kids, who really need that. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post!
: )
I was usually the student who prefered to sit in the chair and be filled with knowledge, but since I have started teaching my own kids, I have found that learning can be so much more fun than just “learning.” We have found all sorts of creative ways to try new stuff and they learn so much more when they are involved!
I love this reminder. Here in Florida winter is the best time for us to be outside. I have to remember the many lessons that are learned through play and by being outdoors.
My child is a toddler and I now that he is learning so much and I want that to continue!
I have two toddlers….thank you for the reminder that they know and understand so much more than we give them credit for! And they love being a part of anything grown up! :-)
Thanks for the reminder to sit back & enjoy the ride! Sometimes we get so busy “teaching”, we forget to enjoy the small simple moments… Great article!
We played Settlers of Catan today. As we engaged in taking turns, bartering, and counting to see who had the longest road, I realized my three children often try to help one another to reach their goals. As the game looked like it was over, the youngest child played her last settlement and declared that she had won. As I counted her road I realized she indeed had the longest road and had placed all her pieces for the most points. Sometimes I overlook the fact that we can help each other and still reach the goal that is set before us.
Thanks for a great reminder to enjoy the little moment-by-moment learning opportunities that arrive every day. Great article!
Engagement with JOY is so important!!!
It is those moments that teach the most when I was a teacher we called them teachable moments. I hope that my children will grow in their love of knowledge.
Very very creative. Its so great to find them moments.
All of my favorite teachers were just like that–thanks for the encouragement!
A wonderful reminder that our kids are learning all day!
My favorite part of homeschooling is “accidentally” teaching my kids something. I find that is the knowledge that sticks with them the longest and that they learn the easiest. Thank you for showing us that they learn so much more than we realize just by being around us.
I love using everyday items to teach my children.
Love this post!! Drinking my own cup of tea while reading it. :)
My children are all young enough that they do a lot of learning by exploring, and I find that even at my age, I can learn right along with them:)
This is such a timely post for me to find . . . Will keep it in my mind as I pray for apiece lol! Thanks!
I don’t have preschoolers any more, but I hope I’m still keeping alive my children’s love of learning.
I love this post. I love learning in the midst of life…or is it life in the midst of learning? Well, either way, I think we can learn a lot from everything around us. And thank you for the reminder to engage!
What a great reminder that learning happens in unscripted ways, and can be so easy and fun!