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Creative Thinking: Connecting the Dots

September 22, 2020 by Guest Writer

My best friend has always insisted that she is not creative. It’s true that she doesn’t gravitate toward crafty projects. But scrapbooking and making art are not the only ways to be creative. Creative thinking is being able to use what you already know to solve a problem you’ve never seen before. And my friend does that all the time as a doctor in the emergency room. Medical doctors need a strong knowledge base. But they also have to be able to connect that knowledge to the patient sitting in front of them.

Is creative thinking an innate skill, or can you teach it to your children? God, the most creative thinker, made us in His image. Therefore, we all have the potential to think creatively. You can help your children learn to connect prior knowledge to new problems. Here are some ways to instill creative thinking.

Add variety to the learning environment.

You have probably designated a place in your home for learning. The benefit to learning and testing in the same place is that it aids memory and recall. However, varying the environment strengthens the ability to apply knowledge in a new context. Homeschooling allows more opportunity for changing the learning environment than traditional classrooms can. Using a variety of teaching methods also promotes creative thinking. Use analogies in your teaching to connect new concepts back to what your kids already know. The variety of environments and methods promotes a variety of mental connections.

Ask open-ended questions.

Before teaching new content, ask questions like, “Since you know seven times five, how would you solve seven times six? What would you try first?” Notice the hint about what prior knowledge will be helpful to apply. The hint gives your children confidence, when faced with a new question. Asking what they would try first, implies that they may need more than one try to solve the problem. Even outside of school, you can entertain open-ended questions that begin with “What if.” Ask your children to think about what they would do in different scenarios, realistic or imaginary. What if we are on a field trip and you can’t find me? What if you could have any superpower you wanted? Let them imagine scenarios they have not encountered by thinking creatively.

Have them explain in their own words.

Ask your children to describe what they have learned recently to Grandma. You can also ask them to teach a younger sibling what they have learned. They will have to know it well enough to use their own words and make it simple. Even an above average student will benefit from study groups. Explaining content to others helps move that knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. The better they remember information, the more likely they will be able to connect that knowledge to new areas.

Encourage collaboration.

Your children may be able to collaborate on some problems at home. If not, be sure to include interactions with other children in your schedule. Giving kids projects to work on together can increase their confidence when they don’t have all the answers. Connecting with people who think differently broadens the scope of their thinking. Working in groups gives kids confidence to think creatively on their own. At the park recently, I saw a group of Boy Scouts tying knots together. The next time one of them needs a knot, what will he do? He will remember that collaboration and connect the dots from what he learned then to the new problem he faces.

Practice.

After teaching in a way that promotes creative thinking, be sure to practice. Thinking creatively is not limited to science and math. Any subject will do. Like any skill, getting better at creative thinking comes with more practice. Inevitably, your children will be unsuccessful. They may not be able to connect to prior knowledge at first. Some kids will be frustrated when solutions are not easy to find. The word “yet” is valuable. When your child says, “My idea isn’t working,” you can add, “yet.” When she says, “I can’t do this,” again you add, “yet.” Talk to your children about times when you had to try again and again. Remind them that a solution that doesn’t work is useful. You know what won’t work, and now you can try other possibilities. Thomas Edison is credited with saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Kids and adults can learn to think creatively with intent and practice. If you’re hoping to teach your children to think creatively, what would you try first?

• • • • •

Valerie is a wife and a mother to a very busy toddler. In her free time she enjoys reading all kinds of books. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Bob Jones University, minoring in Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from Ohio State University. Valerie has 15 years of experience working in research laboratories and has coauthored 8 original research articles. She has also taught several classes and laboratories at the high school and college levels. She currently works as a Data Analyst and a freelance writer.

Tips for Homeschooling Multiple Children

September 15, 2020 by Megan

When I started homeschooling four years ago, I wasn’t homeschooling multiple children. I had one student and a toddler in tow. It wasn’t hard to get through our homeschool day. My biggest stresses usually came from the toddler when she was grumpy or getting into things. Since then, I have added two more students (and another toddler), and now things are definitely a little more challenging. Not only am I trying to keep the toddler out of trouble, but I am also trying to teach and/or manage over 20 homeschool courses. Next year I will add another student, and my head is already spinning.

But I feel like I have had it pretty easy. Some of you haven’t had the luxury of starting your homeschool journey with only one student. Some of you are homeschooling for the first time with two or more students. You are doing a very brave thing. Homeschooling multiple children is challenging but very rewarding. Unfortunately, there is no “magic formula” that works for every family. But here are some tips for homeschooling multiple children that have worked for my family and for some of the other homeschool families I have interacted with.

Work on teaching your children how to learn independently.

Let’s start off by acknowledging that it is probably not possible for you as a homeschool mom to teach every single course to every one of your children. There simply isn’t enough time in the day. That’s why it is so important to teach your children how to work and learn independently. Your children can probably do a lot of things independently now. All of my children do handwriting on their own, and my oldest two teach themselves spelling and Bible. My sixth-grader loves history and has always done very well in heritage studies. So this year, she is teaching herself Heritage Studies 6. I give her an assignment every day, but she completes the reading and any activity manual pages independently. It saves us a lot of time, and she enjoys the challenge.

Teach a course to more than one child if possible.

Some homeschoolers recommend doing subjects like heritage studies and science as a group. That can work well if your children are close in age, but it is difficult to do if there is a large age span between your children. My husband and I tried this approach with two of our children last year. For some reason, we thought that it would be a good idea for my kindergartner to do the same Bible course as my third grader (Bible 3). It wasn’t a good idea. My kindergartner wasn’t ready for the content, so she was frustrated. We ended up abandoning the approach a couple of weeks into the school year.

If you are considering teaching a single course to multiple children, remember that usually it is better to hold back an older child than it is to try to teach something that a younger child is not prepared for.

Enlist the help of older children.

Some skills, particularly those introduced in the early grades, require a lot of practice. Beginning readers may need to review word families or high-frequency words. Second graders may need to practice math facts. Enlist an older child to help younger siblings with these kinds of review tasks. Not only will it save you time, but it is a good review for your older child too!

Rely on video courses.

Our homeschool uses a mix of video courses and parent-led courses. This allows my other children to continue learning while I focus on the needs of one child. We’ve chosen to use video courses for subjects that require a lot of prep work (such as science) and for subjects that I don’t feel comfortable teaching (such as math).

Some days you are going to feel completely overwhelmed with teaching multiple children. Some days you will feel like you accomplished nothing during the day. But on those low days, remember you have accomplished something pretty incredible—you have poured yourself into the education of your children. You won’t regret it.

Homeschooling multiple children has some pretty great rewards. You get to spend more time with your kids, and your kids get to spend more time with each other. In the end, your entire family is going to grow through your homeschool experience.

So don’t give up—you will get through this. And if you need additional support, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local HomeWorks consultant. She’d love to help you!

Teaching Tragedies: Lessons from 9/11

September 8, 2020 by Jenna

Next year, September 11, 2021, will mark the 20-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the 2,977 people who lost their lives on that day and on the days following. As time passes, the pain and fear of those days have dulled, and many young adults have no knowledge of the attacks outside of their history textbooks and the stories their parents have shared. Today we face new fears and tragedies that the whole world shares in. How can we possibly approach teaching tragedies and equipping our children to handle them? How can we even truly express the tragedy and horror of what happened on September 11, 2001?

Your heritage studies materials will be helpful in covering and introducing the events, and even helping your children to develop biblical perspectives on tragic events. If you would like to go deeper in discussions about tragedies, here are some themes that you can use to guide your children’s thinking and your discussion.

Love Others.

In the midst of a national or worldwide tragedy, people will be hurting. People will be afraid. And many will be angry. It’s even harder to accept what is happening when we don’t know all the facts that led to the tragedy or who is responsible. For most people, it’s often easier to just react to the things that are happening, but we don’t always know what other events our reactions may lead to. As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors. In order to love appropriately, we need to be patient and honest with others and with ourselves. Patient in dealing with those who are afraid and need assurance, and honest about what’s happening so those who are hurting or angry can respond and grieve appropriately.

God Is in Control.

During a tragedy, the thing that drives fear most is the uncertainty. What will happen next? After 9/11, our fears were centered on war. What kind of retaliation would occur? How many more lives would be lost? How would we rebuild and recover? Job must have felt much of the same fear and uncertainty after losing everything. But no matter the circumstances we face today, tomorrow, or 20 years from now, those who have put their faith in Christ can always take comfort in knowing that God is in control. Nothing that will happen or can happen is against His plan (Isaiah 14:24).

God Brings Good out of the Evil That People Do.

Because God is always in control, we can rest assured that any tragedy will glorify Him, even if we can’t see how in our lifetime. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). The events of 9/11 helped many lost and broken souls to realize their desperate need for salvation. One pilot’s testimony also brings us a beautiful picture of the sacrifice and redemption in Christ’s death on the cross. In addition to the souls brought to Him, the loss and tragedy of those days also brought the people of the United States closer to each other for a time, and countless other nations showed Americans support and compassion in a time of overwhelming grief and fear.

These Are Times to Pray.

We should, of course, be teaching our children that they should “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) but times of tragedy are special times to lift up others in prayer. Not just the families of those who have lost their lives or are suffering, but for many others as well. For leaders to make good and wise decisions. For first responders who risk their lives for the safety of others. And for military personnel, who may be called in for additional support, to give an appropriate response.

Resources for Teaching about 9/11

Heritage Studies 5 teacher edition, chapter 19
Reading 5, student text, “Let’s Roll”
Lesson Plans from 9/11 Memorial
StoryCorps library of 9/11 stories—please preview stories before sharing.

Mastery vs. Spiral Learning

September 1, 2020 by Arianna

We hope that what we teach our children sticks with them, and that they build on that knowledge for the rest of their lives. But traditional approaches to education often fail to help children retain the material. Short units that focus on good test performance succeed in short-term retention, but do not result in learning that sticks with students long after they’ve finished the unit. However, different approaches that emphasize mastery of concepts help students retain material longer. Two dominant approaches for learning that sticks, specifically in math, are mastery and spiral learning. These learning strategies are tools you can use to choose and adapt curriculum to best support your children.

Mastery Learning

Mastery learning is studying one concept at a time in-depth, mastering it before moving on. This approach focuses on giving children as much time as they need to understand the material. Most traditional approaches have students working in time-constrained units where they move to the next unit even if they haven’t mastered the material. That approach can impede students’ learning. For example, children who don’t understand the concepts necessary for Pre-Algebra will eventually hit a wall because they have too many gaps in their knowledge. They may think, “I just can’t do math!” However, they likely just never mastered the foundational material. In a mastery learning approach, there are no restrictive time frames for learning the material. Students won’t feel rushed to understand all the material. They can move at their own pace to master the concepts.

Spiral Learning

Spiral learning is repeating a set of topics throughout the year, adding more depth to the material each time. For example, each unit may contain addition and subtraction but each treatment of those topics adds a new skill, like increasing the amount of numbers in the equations. If students don’t master the material the first time, they will have many opportunities to practice that material throughout the year. There is no pressure for a child to learn the material the first, second, or even third time.

Frequent practice and review increases a child’s ability to retain information. Spiral learning also encourages flexible thinking and critical-thinking skills because students will have to decide what concept to use to solve a problem. Learning multiple concepts at the same time also encourages them to see relationships between concepts.

Our Approach

While we generally use spiral learning for all courses, at BJU Press, we use both of these learning strategies in our math materials. Our approach promotes mastery as students are continually reviewing skills and uses the spiral approach to cover the same concepts in greater detail each time. Our materials emphasize understanding and application beyond memorization. They provide strategies for helping students master the material and practice real-world application.

Both of these approaches have advantages, and the wonderful thing about homeschooling is that you can match your curriculum to your children’s needs. Perhaps a mastery approach works best right now, but maybe in a different season a spiral approach is better. Remember that there is no timeline for when your child needs to achieve mastery. However long learning takes is the best timeline, and whatever way your children learn is the best approach for you.

Growing Stronger in Hard Times

August 25, 2020 by Guest Writer

If these past few months of quarantine have taught us anything, it’s to appreciate all the extra time we’ve been able to spend together as families. Many parents have had time to stop and reevaluate what’s really important for their family life. Despite the hardship of isolation from neighbors, coworkers, friends, and church family, we have all learned invaluable lessons. As this unique trial eases or continues, let’s hold on to these lessons and allow God to use them to strengthen our families so we can be growing stronger even in hard times.

Growing Stronger as a Family

One of the main lessons we’ve learned is that we often allow busyness to overtake our lives. This time of quarantine has forced families to postpone normal activities such as work, sports, and music lessons. All of a sudden, everyone has had a lot more free time on their hands! Families have been able to enjoy simple things like outdoor walks, board games, bonfires, and picnics. We’ve been able to tackle those intended chores and house projects. We’ve been free to pursue new hobbies, such as gardening or crafting. All of these activities have provided special times of bonding with our children and making lasting memories. As this period of isolation wanes, let’s continue to guard our time together and keep busyness to a minimum.

More Time for God

Another vital opportunity we’ve been given during this trial for growing stronger is teaching our children to trust in God more than ever. With so many people living in fear and anxiety, there’s never been a better time to remind our families that God is still sovereign, all-powerful, and good. My husband and I have had several wonderful conversations with our daughters about the Lord. We’ve discussed Bible verses that point us to our hope in Christ, our security in His promises, and His faithfulness to us. One of the main verses that has been an encouragement to us is Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

What a comfort to know that God can use even a virus for good in our lives and for His salvation purposes! We have a peace unbelievers don’t possess or understand. We know that no matter what, God will never forsake us. Nothing can take away our eternal security or our future heavenly home. If you haven’t already, spend some time with your family sharing what God has revealed to you about Himself and His Word during these past few months. Discuss how God wants to grow and strengthen your family as you persevere through this trial, however long it may last.

Special Opportunity

We didn’t ask for, expect, or want this upheaval in our world. But as we keep our focus on the Lord, He can produce lasting spiritual fruit in our lives. Let’s allow God to draw us closer to Him and use our families for His glory during this time!