For some parents, getting their child to choose a learning focus can feel like a daunting task. It might take some effort at first, as you both get accustomed to a new way of doing things, but you’ll be happy to see your efforts rewarded.
This article will highlight some of the benefits of encouraging your child to choose a learning focus.
Being in charge
Giving students the ability to choose their learning focus empowers them and allows them to be more invested in their education because it’s not something they have to do; it’s something that they’re choosing to do.
Unpressured learning
When providing students with a choice of learning focus, you can avoid the boredom and lack of engagement when students think a project is too easy and the resistance from students who feel a task is extremely daunting.
Learning is deep. richer and more complex
Suppose you’ve ever encountered a child who has become passionate about a topic, whether that’s dinosaurs or cars. In that case, you know that they will learn the most complicated things about issues they are interested in. They can become walking encyclopedias, illustrating what’s possible when learning about something they want to know more about.
Increased Social and emotional learning
When you encourage a child to pursue interesting topics to him or her, it allows the student to pursue interests that they are curious to learn more about. It can be a social or environmental issue, and the knowledge they gain will help them learn more about people who support the same interests. They may even become a part of an organization to help make a significant impact.
Creates a collaborative learning environment
When children can choose their focus rather than follow a standard curriculum that everyone else is following, it allows for more collaboration among students. Competition doesn’t exist since each student is focusing on an area of their choosing. A partnership can take place when there is an overlap in the studies of different students.
Conclusion
Traditionally, schools have taught students to learn a bit of everything and be generalists until college or university. Schools are having more success in many places, letting children stream towards science, math, and humanities earlier. Allowing children to choose their learning focus early can help them foster an early love for learning that will set them up for success in the future.
