On parenting, in the 21st century, the learning process, translated…
Children of this generation, started cramming in their elementary years, like it was, their ways of, life, no matter what the subjects, English seemed mandatory, or rather, even if they don’t take any other cram sessions, at least, you should, put your children in, the English courses! Had this, become, a trend? Or, was this choice, something we must, go for?
As my older son entered into elementary, I saw all the children of all my friends were placed in the afterschool programs, and that, was the choice of those dual-income households, back then, I’d, thought seriously, if I need to, allow my son to follow that trend too? I’d also worried, about my son lagging behind, seeing how everybody is moving fast, I’d started, panicking myself.
Growing up in the mountains, in that era where there’s, a lacking in resources, being able to go to school everyday is a blessing in itself, there’s, NO such thing as cram school sessions, but, we were, really, truly, happy as, children. Back then, as school let out, we go home, finish up the assignments, then, we get to head out to play: hide-and-seek, hopscotch, catching the insects, we were, wild, free, and happy! But the time’s changed, the children in the cities, are all, enclosed in, to those, tightened spaces, nobody dares to let her/his child wander too far off, because so many news stories of kidnaps and murders scared the parents. But, are the, kids, unhappy because of it? Doesn’t seem to look that way! Because they didn’t grow up like we had, the sense of freedom we all had as children, is something, beyond their comprehension.
For the sake of freedom, to give my children more time of their own, I’d ended up, not following the trends to send them to cram schools, and, because of it, we’d saved a ton of money. I believed, that learning, is an ongoing process, they’re only in the elementary years now, there’s, NO need to put them through the trials just yet! But, without the cram schools, did they, lose at the starting point? Honestly, I doubt it!
And so, I’d, started, teaching my children English, I’d started finding the resources, with absolutely, NO system of organization, but, I’d, stayed by my children’s sides, for twenty minutes a day to help them read. My belief is, even if they can only remember one vocabulary word a day, learn a new sentence each day, it should be great, if they continued this for awhile! And this, was proven, although not a-hundred percent, but at least, eighty, to ninety. As my older son entered into middle school, I’d stopped reading with him like this, he’s in the ninth grade this year, he’d, never made me worry about his scholastic performances, he’d even, filled in the wrong blanks, and almost, failed an English test too, it wasn’t that I don’t worry about grades, it’s just, that I hope that my kids can review for themselves, find out what they did wrong on their own, instead of just seeing the grades they’d made, I believe, that this skill set, is something that’s, more important, than making the grades.
instead of something like this…
Learning needs to come from the inside, then, it would be, effective, my kids still had, never gone to any cram schools, although, there were, the ups and downs in the grades they’d made, but, in my sons’ adjusting themselves, I’m sure, that this had, taught them more, compared to if I just, throw them into, a cram school. Let’s, believe in our children, and trust, that they will, find the joys of learning on their own.
And so, this, is the BEST way you can help a child find that motivation from within, to learn, not by shoving them into those classes after school, or zoom in on the grades they made on exams, but to, have them find out what they did wrong on their own, and correct their own mistakes, because, the process is always, WAY more important, than the end results, especially in learning!