People remember:
- 10% of what they hear
- 15% of what they see
- 20% of what they see and hear
- 40% of what they discuss with others
- 80% of what they experience
- 90% of what they attempt to teach
What does this say about home schooling? A whole lot!
I don’t know about you. But, when I’m pushed for time–trying to get through numerous subjects at numerous grade levels–the first thing I skip are the hands-on activities. The science experiments, the lap book ideas, the go-outside-and-find-a-something suggestions. Yet, if I truly want my children to learn, these statistics say the children will remember only 10% of what I read to them but 80% of the experiment. When pushed for time, I should do the experiment instead.
I know this is true. Every time we take the time to do the hands-on ideas, we not only enjoy school more, we all remember more. My seven-year-old still remembers the day we took a suggestion from our Mystery of History curriculum and snipped a lock of hair then burned it. As the putrid smell filled the house, I re-read the portion of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego where the Bible says there wasn’t even the smell of smoke on them. To this day every time we read that story in the Bible, she exclaims, “God protected them so well their hair didn’t even smell!” Now that’s learning that sticks!
Further, these statistics suggest there may be more help for my overloaded days than I realize. I always save asking the older children to teach the younger children for a last resort. But, they remember 90% of what they teach. Perhaps I would do better for their education to include them more often in the teaching role.
I know this to be true as well. I love home schooling, in part, because I’m finally learning all I missed when I was in school. As I teach I have to explore deeply to understand. I find ways to make the information relevant. Answering questions forces me to focus my thinking. All these factors create real learning.
If you already focus on the hands-on and make opportunities for children to practice teaching–you have created a home of learning! If you’re more like me, if you tend to skip over the hands-on or feel badly about having children teach–how about a challenge?
This week, choose at least one activity to do every day to complement the learning. If you’re teaching fractions, cook a batch of cookies but have children double the recipe. Share the extras with a neighbor and work in community service at the same time! If learning about birds, take a half hour to watch the bird feeder and record the birds that visit. If you’re learning about the Babylonian Empire–burn a lock of hair to experience the real miracle of no smell of smoke.
Let your children teach. Assign a family art project and give the older children free reign to oversee. After you work through a history lesson with your child, ask her to retell the story to her little brother.
We remember what we do. I’m learning that if I want real education in my home, I need to stop blowing by the hands-on and stop feeling guilty about asking older children to help. Instead I need to see these as the greatest learning opportunities of all.
Tess married to Mike Worrell and together they enjoy discipling their eight children. They are in their 14th year of home schooling. Tess also writes and speaks to various groups on issues of marriage, parenting, and living as a Godly woman. Tess would love to hear your input. You can contact her at tess@yourfamilymatterstous.com or visit her website: YourFamilyMatterstous.com.