Let's Talk About It Outside

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6,7 (NIV)

Ahh - Fall, my favorite time of the year. Breakfast picnics along rushing streams and waterfalls.  Hikes through a rainbow of colored leaves. Jackets and sweaters that become too hot by afternoon. Nuts stashed in our pockets.  Wood smoke from fireplaces. Snuggles with blankets around campfires and tales of long ago. 

Studies from Harvard and MIT reveal the importance of time spent talking to children from birth to three. Those babies love the woods, actually any part of the outdoors. They are full of questions and listening ears. Yes listening ears. They are more calm outside than indoors. But back to the research. Research with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who have conversations with adults shows that in ten years their IQ and literacy skills are ahead of others who lacked those conversations. These skills are necessary for success with all other areas of learning. Poverty seems not to be the biggest player in learning gaps.

So how do you have a conversation with an infant? a toddler? a pre-schooler? A conversation is when an adult or child initiates a conversation and the other replies. An infant my only coo or babble but there is eye contact and facial expressions that convey a message. An infant may cry and the adult responds with "What's wrong? Are you wet? Do you need a diaper change? Are you hungry? And the child will either continue to cry or will calm and listen to the adult speech. Either way, it's a conversation. The same with toddlers and pre-schoolers. The child says, "Look tower." The adult responds, "You want me to look at your tower?"

The conversation about life should be going on all day long as Deuteronomy instructs us, when we wake, when we walk or sit and when we lie down, we must be talking to our children. God knew what it takes to help our children grow. He told us long before Harvard and MIT figured it out. Let's put down the iPhone, iPad, Tablet and yes turn off the TV. Let's get outside and talk to our children. Let's make connections to God's creation and His word. Let's go hiking.

Hey Kids:

Have you had a conversation with someone today? Was it a little kid or a parent or maybe a grandparent?
What did you find interesting about that conversation? 
Was it funny or silly?
Did you speak a different language or pretend to use different dialects and dance to silly tunes? 
Was it a serious conversation about times long ago and the difficulties faced?
Did you ask for help with lessons or join mom for a cooking adventure?
Did you take a hike with dad through the woods?
Did you learn the names of trees and nuts?
Did you turn your conversations into a journal entry?
Conversations are the first part of great learning. Writing is the second part because you are using more movement. 
So dance like no one is looking and who cares if they are.
Sing and talk like you're on a great stage because you are on life's great stage.
Write like it will be read by scholars 100 years from now because it may and the scholars maybe your family. 
Enjoy being loud and silly and adventurous because that's what makes life so much fun. The world wants to know that living your life for Christ is the best life.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,

    our tongues with songs of joy.

Then it was said among the nations,

    “The Lord has done great things for them.”Psalms 126:2 (NIV)

Blessings, 

Gail

Conversations

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: Psalms 78:6,7

It's back to school. The kids come home and you ask, "How was school today?" 

And the answer is, "Fine."

Do you feel like your children just don't want to tell you or are they answering like we often do when someone says, "How are you?"

Here are some suggestions to get a conversation going.

• What did you do today that was fun?
• What was hard today?
• What was your best class? Why?
• Did you read any good stories?
• What are you studying in history? science?

All of these questions and more lead into conversations with your children that will help you engage with their education. Even if you're homeschooling, these can be worthwhile questions to see where your children's interest lie.

Let their answers tell you what to share about your experiences with your children. Suppose they say they had fun at recess. Next question," What did you do?" It's not likely they played jump rope or hopscotch or red rover, but maybe you did. Share those experiences. Teach them how to play those games and recite those jump rope rhymes.

If fractions were hard, pull out the measuring cups and spoons and ask them to help you make cookies or supper. Then show them how you use fractions. Money is another good way to teach fractions. Pour out the change jar and let them sort and count the money discovering what makes up the parts of a whole dollar. 

Maybe music was the best class. Ask about what they are singing and share songs you remember from childhood like Eating Goober Peas, or The Erie Canal. 

Are they reading Little House on the Prairie? Go explore a nearby antique shop or the basement if you happen to have family antiques. Subjects like reading, history, and science are always more meaningful if children can put their hands on what they are reading about. 

Are their historical parks in your area? Do they put on demonstrations? In my area, there is American Indian Days at Haygood Mill, reenactments at Cowpens Battlefield and Walnut Grove. What about your family history? Did your ancestors follow the wagon road down the mountains to settle southern Appalachia or were they already there to meet the pioneers? Did they come over on slave ships? Did they go with the wagon trains to settle the west? Were they stowaways on ships? Are they new immigrants who are fleeing harsh homelands? Let your children know and then tell them how good God has been to your family during the tough times as well as the good. 

Do your children enjoy science or need encouragement to study harder? Visit farms, orchards, festivals, planetariums, museums. The Creation Museum is close by for most of the east coast located in Kentucky. The Institute of Creation"s museum is opening in September located in Texas. 

As the holidays approach make sure your children are aware they can share the true meaning of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter at school. 

If you and the Lord are in the middle of your child's education this year it will be the best year ever because you are having those conversations that implant the Lord in your child's heart and daily life. 

Hey Kids: '

What's this school year like? 

Dig deeper into things that interest you most. Let your parents know so they can share their experiences with you. 

Did you know that everything in life is tied to every subject? 

Maybe math is your best subject but history is kind of okay. You will need to read well to learn about the best mathematician - Einstein. In the process, you will learn the history of how he struggled as a kid and why he needed to flee his homeland. Einstein was also a scientist. Look, we've already covered every subject in school just because you like math!

Maybe you liked to reading The Drinking Gourd. To really understand it you may need to talk with your grandparents, visit an antique shop, a farm or a National Park to see how harsh life was during that time period. Math and science will come in handy to know slaves navigated by the stars. Now you've already used all the subjects from school.

Don't leave your parents out of your adventures. They have lots to share as well and may the Lord lead you in this new school year. 

Blessings,

 Gail