Innate Flow of Learning

by Juliette McDonald
Summer 2005
posted July 26, 2005

Have you ever noticed when working with your children how everything will be going great for long periods of time, and then all of a sudden, without any obvious reason, your child will just be opposed to doing anything? Over the last 10 years, every year I have had at least two of the families I work with at Laurel Springs contact me with this very problem.

"I don't know what happened. My son used to love doing math, but now he will not do one single page!" Or, "My daughter used to love to read. Now, all of a sudden, she won't pick up a book."

I hear similar stories again and again in the homeschooling circle, and I see it in my own children. After ruling out the obvious -hunger, sleepiness, sickness, boredom, or a possible traumatic experience - taking a look at what I call the Innate Flow of Learning, IFL, may help. The IFL is a natural flow of learning based around the internal clock of every child that includes the Up Time when children learn, and the Down Time when there seems to be (but don't be fooled) a refusal to learn. Both have equal importance in the learning process.

The warning signals of Down Time include yawning, squirming in the seat, dropping the pencil, spacing out, huffing, whining, or if your child says, "I don't like this". Take these warning signals seriously and make a change.

When our children are in the Up Time of their learning flow, we can rejoice in the knowledge that we are doing the right thing and be completely confident that homeschooling is really working. When our children are learning with ease or accelerating at an amazing speed, we are pleased and can relax with confidence. But when this Up Time stops, the Down Time begins and the learning seems to halt or even start to reverse. That may make us a little tense. During this stage, our children may refuse to do any academics. A child who once loved math may have a meltdown at the mention of the subject. Or a child who loves to read may want to rip up all of her books. These challenging moments can be predicted by using the techniques of observing and recording (as described at the end of this article) - that can help you avoid difficult times by taking new action before frustration and meltdowns occur.

When our children are in the Down Time of this flow, and they don't want to, or more fairly, simply can't take in any more information, we tend to worry. We may even question our homeschooling journey thinking, "Is this really working?" We don't need to worry. It's just the Down Time of the IFL at work. This good and peaceful period allows our brains to relax and absorb information we have already learned. This phase holds equal importance to the Up Time. Both are natural and extremely necessary in the learning process.

I've often thought it's amazing that schools are based upon a 7- 8-hour work day, when children usually only have a two-hour window of good natural learning time each day.

During this stage you can try to change the way work is presented. For example you can read to your children, watch videos, play CD Roms or board games. You can adjust your learning time - starting a bit earlier or later in the day, or stopping directed learning activities altogether for a while. This Down Time can be one of the strongest learning and bonding times of the homeschooling experience.

As mentioned previously, Down Time of the IFL can be predicted. Everyone has an ultimate and natural window of good daily time for learning. You probably know your own. Are you better in the early morning, or in the evening? Observe your children and you will see when they seem to perk up and are ready for their day. The innate rhythms also take on a yearly pattern, taking the holidays and seasons into consideration. For many, the Down Time occurs around the winter holidays, in the spring when "spring fever" strikes, and in the bold heat of summer. During these times, if we try to force our children into academic studies, it can backfire in a way that turns our children off to learning. You can avoid this scenario by observing and honoring your family's Up and Down Times.

I've often thought it's amazing that schools are based upon a 7- 8-hour work day, when children usually only have a two-hour window of good natural learning time each day. As homeschooling parents, we are able to observe our own children very closely and note when they learn best. We have the luxury of playing with the clock a bit to see when the learning process best unfolds for our family members. For example, we can take a week or two off of studies to go to museums, travel, or enjoy family. Our time is not dictated by the school calendar. We also have the choice to continue learning activities on the days our children don't want to stop.

As homeschooling families, we are in a unique and interesting position. We can decide when to offer teachings to our children based on their individual learning rhythms. Once we observe our own children's learning rhythms, we will find it easier to understand those times when frustration strikes, hopefully eliminating meltdowns and burn out before they happen. Learning rhythms may be different every year, or remain constant throughout the years. Observations will keep you in tune with this. It may be different with each child you have in your family. For example, a preschool child may do better from 9 AM to 12 PM, where a teen may do better from 12 to 3 PM. In general, children ages 5-10 need a good transition period from the time they wake up to the time they begin any type of lessons. Sleeping and eating schedules will affect this pattern too.

Below are some ways to honor the Down Time of the IFL and eliminate meltdowns and power struggles in the family...

Honor Your Child's Feelings: If you see opposition from your children - expressed in words or actions - listen and honor that they know what they need innately. If you are not sure, try the next step, observing and recording.

Observing and Recording: Observe your children one at a time. Make several 10-minute observations a few times a day, or observe for longer periods of time throughout the week - whatever works for you. Jot down only the facts that you see. Observe and record, writing down motions, actions, reactions, and behaviors in clear detail. The more you write the more you will learn. While recording, only jot down what you see, leaving out your emotional responses, comments, judgments, or wisdoms.

Example of observation using judgments, evaluations, and predictions:
I see a cute little boy holding a cup in his left hand, and then he adds his right hand to the cup. He is not in control of his motor skills yet, so I know he is going to spill his juice, and he does. The juice spills on his shirt that he must have worn when having fun painting...

Same observation without judgments, evaluations, and predictions:
A toddler boy is holding a cup in his left hand. His fingers are wrapped around the cup, which is larger than his hands. He adds the right hand to the cup and holds it with both hands as he raises it up toward his mouth. His fingers are turning white with the pressure of holding the cup. His eyes are focused on the top of the cup. He lifts the cup to his mouth. The cup tilts toward his chest and juice spills on his shirt that has three colors of paint on it.

What Did You Notice? After you have several observations recorded, write down what you have learned about your child. This is the time you can compare, make realistic judgments, and come to some conclusions. In the case of the toddler, you may have been able to honestly predict the juice would spill. Maybe it wasn't the toddler's motor skills that were to blame - maybe the size of the cup was too big. In observing your own child, you may notice that he or she can read faster during one time of the day versus another, or that math may seem to be easier or harder at different times of the day. This technique can help you understand the challenges or struggles your children are having. It provides a chance to stand back and observe honestly and it's amazing what you can learn from this practice. This is also a GREAT technique to do when you want more information about what your child is learning and what to put in your portfolio or records, if you keep them.

What Action Can You Take Now? Once you have recorded your observations, jot down what you would like to try that is different or new. Is this a time to switch the schedule, get different material, or is this a real Up or Down Time of learning? How will you use this information to help you in the future to homeschool your child? Does your child do better on a tight schedule, a loose one, or without a schedule at all? Not everyone is the same and you don't have to be boxed into anything.

Put Your Action Plan in Motion: Now that you have observed, recorded, and know what action to take, put it in motion and observe and record again to ensure it's working.

Once you have this done, you can predict or spot the Up and Down Times for your children a bit easier and be comfortable knowing that they are learning even if the academics stop. This should help give you options to see your child in a new light and learn from the ones we feel we know the best. It's also a fun skill to teach your older children and then they can observe you, too.

Terms To Remember:

Don't miss Part II - An Observation of a 2 ¾ year old boy in my program...

Universal Preschool's Preschool Expert: Juliette McDonald

Juliette McDonald our Preschool Expert

Juliette McDonald is the owner of Little Bloomers In-Home Preschool, a private preschool located on the San Francisco Peninsula. She also offers children's art and music classes.

Juliette is the author of a three-volume set of parent co-op art books entitled, Borrowed Recipes for Exploratory Arts. Juliette is also a song writer, singer, recording artist, and performer. She has written and recorded her first two children's CD's, Around and Around, and Kitty Vacation, and is now working on her third CD, It's A Brand New Day.

Juliette is a homeschool mom and together with her two daughters, Yvette and Alainah, she performs children's family concerts throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Juliette welcomes your inquiries. For more information, E-mail her or visit her website at www.littlebloomers.com.

For more helpful information from our author, be sure to read Staying Home With Your Children

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