Have you ever seen a big golden retriever with a corn chip balanced on its nose until its master gives the okay, then snap! Sure, dogs can be trained to do that, but it doesn't come naturally. It takes a lot of concentration. It's funny to watch: even a well-trained, compliant dog has to think so hard to keep from eating that chip it practically shakes with the effort, eyes crossing keeping an eye on that luscious morsel.

Our boys can be that way, too. After we spoke recently, a mother came up distressed that after they'd been working awhile, her son would get distracted and wiggly. When she'd say, "Come on, honey, concentrate! We just have three more subjects before lunch," he'd sigh in despair and drag his feet even more. That little guy was just like the dog with the corn chip. By the time he'd sat there that long, it was taking every bit of his mental capacity and will just to sit still--there was nothing left to learn with!

Hands on learning and field trips are great for all children. They provide the mental hooks to hang all those facts on, they drive the points you are teaching home, and they foster a lifelong love of learning.

For the active child, though, they are a lifeline. They provide a break from sitting still without breaking from learning. It's tempting for a mom to think, "We can't take time to go on a field trip; we're behind in math." What seems like good stewardship of your time sometimes isn't. Going ahead and taking the field trip can make your child better able to learn the rest of the week.

We've graduated three of our eight and have been homeschooling for close to twenty years now. We're not nearly as concerned about getting the workbooks done as we used to be. We've found that some of those "extra" things like labs, projects, activities and field trips often provide way more long term learning and influence than the actual book lessons we were so worried about.  

So, let your son eat the corn chip! (Wait that was the dog, right?) Go take some field trips, folks!

Yours in the battle,

 Hal & Melanie

It's not too late to hear us speak this year! Come see us at the Teach Them Diligently Marketplace events in Dallas and Colorado Springs or at HINTS in Charlotte, NC. See our itinerary here. See you there!