I feel very strongly that children must be exposed to as many positive influences and experience as possible, while given the opportunity to prove both their own initiative and competence. My definition of positive will quite likely continue to evolve, but as of this point (Sunday, 23 February, 2003), includes anything that will not harm the child, and will open his or her eyes to the world around him. Thus, trips to museums, libraries, theaters, and other countries, as long as a safe adult is there to provide protection, reassurance, and guidance, are all positive experiences. Inappropriate touch or talk are not positive experiences. Children do need to be taught how to set boundaries, enforce those boundaries in a firm, polite, but if necessary, effective manner. Children also need to be taught to take the initiative to organize their lives, and to seek to learn new things -ways of thinking, how to do anything they may need in life, etc. These all require critical thinking skill, and being allowed to ask lots of questions. Parents also need to show children, by deeds, rather than words, that they are loved by seeking to spend time and show attention to their children before the children act out in various attention getting maneuvers to force parents to show them attention. That means asking "how was your day" when the child arrives home, watching Johny play his keyboard or draw, paint or write before Johny asks you to, and seeking out your children and saying "What would you like to do today?"
A friend and classmate of mine pointed out that what would help children most is probably teaching them to figure out what their own learning styles tend to be, and applying them. For example, a child who discovers that she learns new vocabulary words best by finger-spelling them, in sign language, could be a kinesthetic learner, and may also benefit from techniques such as finger math, building models, or other hands-on methods of learning, while a primarily visual learner may like to take written notes, or a spatial learner will draw map or flow-chart style notes.
More to come...
Toward Peace For All, Paz para todos,
For questions, constructive comments, a coffee date, etc, email catalan_athens@yahoo.com