[Podcast #262] Teaching Through Play

Brave Writer Podcast

Play isn’t a reward for learning, it is learning.

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we dig into the reflex to be suspicious of anything fun, and we rebuke it with developmental science and lived experience. We give ideas on how to create playful conditions for deep, sustainable learning for your kids and even yourself. Also, we break down how to evaluate homeschool learning you’re already doing.

If you’re feeling stuck and bored with your homeschooling, or if your kids are feeling that way, this is the episode for you.  

Show Notes

The Importance of Pleasure

Many of us live in a culture where we automatically approach pleasure with distrust and suspicion. At best, we see play as a reward. The truly valued part of education is hard, joyless work and the discipline to do it day after day. That’s what we believe will best serve our children in their adult lives.

But, there are other ways of looking at pleasure. For example, when Julie studied abroad in France, she learned the cultural approach to infusing pleasure into daily life. Value was placed on affirming humanity, acting as a bulwark against a life as an unhappy cog in a machine.

Creating Playful Conditions

Once we accept that pleasure is okay and that humans learn through play, we can start examining the learning conditions we create for our homeschooled kids:

  • How does it look like play?
  • How are you capitalizing on tools, clothing, kinesthetic energy, excitement, and engagement?
  • Does the skill being honed lead to something the kids actually want to do? 

Remember to stay true to the spirit of play—don’t manipulate it. Kids can sniff out inauthenticity a mile away. Give them autonomy over how they want to make an activity fun and meaningful.

Lifelong Learning

As homeschooling parents, sometimes we get restless with our children’s play. We want them to learn faster and deeper. The answer might be to look at your own play. Are you playing enough? Do you have your own toys you enjoy? Are you learning new things and forming relationships with subjects in new ways? A parent taking on their own fun learning sets a fantastic example for kids.

Every day isn’t sunshine and rainbows for homeschooling families, but play can be a consistent habit and an ongoing mindset. Remember, kids are pros at playing. Let them do the work.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Connect with Melissa

Produced by NOVA Media

Brave Writer Podcast

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