Joyful Academics- Not an Oxymoron.

Close your eyes and imagine your idea of early childhood education. What does it look like? Not your ideal, but real-life traditional or typical preschool classrooms. Does it look like rows of silent children, sitting like statues behind tiny desks? Is the teacher standing in front of her class, talking at (not to) her students? Does your vision include standardized tests, fill-in-the-blank worksheets and flashcards? Probably. Most people think, “this is just how school is.” If that’s what traditional education looks like, how do we involve joy in academics?

When children are taught in a lecture method- they check out, they get lost and they lose their love for learning. Strictly-scheduled traditional schools don’t always leave time for children to take learning into their own hands, to get their hands dirty and to engage their minds.

Learning doesn’t always have one ‘look’. For many of us, learning equals textbooks, paper and pencils, computers, worksheets and dreaded tests. That’s hardly a joyful education. Despite the monotony of this method, plenty of children (including many of you) were able to learn, grow and develop skills through these methods. Even though these are traditional methods that do yield results, it doesn’t mean they’re the best methods or that the results can’t be drastically increased!

When children are nurtured, allowed to explore and encouraged to rely on their own abilities, joyful educational experiences happen naturally and constantly. The intersection between education and exploration is where joy and academics fuse together, and is no longer an oxymoron.

What transforms academics from a bore to a blast? A spark! A spark of curiosity that is nurtured, not shut down. Schools need to thoughtfully cultivate your child’s joy in education. They need a preschool that respects their innate desire to learn through their senses, and that will encourage their natural curiosity. They also need a learning environment that encourages free exploration, knowing a teacher is nearby to coach and support their learning. Teachers shouldn’t micromanage-rather they need to prioritize their student’s interests and desires- weaving them into the curriculum. They also need to work eye-to-eye with children individually and in small groups. In this type of educational setting we see children thriving academically because they are fully immersed. Their teachers personalize and individualize the day – acting as guides and nurturing that ‘spark’.

Mix all of these factors together, and what do you get? Each day becomes the most interesting day a child can dream of! Classrooms allow children to follow their curiosity, and teachers encourage them with questions. There’s genuine excitement for their progress and their natural desire to learn bursts from them because they are experiencing Joyful Academics!

Whether it’s an imaginatively amazing activity that gets her thinking in a totally new way or a teacher who is so passionate about a subject/area, that spark can completely transform the educational experience.

Schools like this are hard to find, but they do exists! When you find one, jump at the opportunity to share this kind of learning opportunity for your child.

When academics become joyful experiences, your child will take pride in what she accomplishes and celebrate learning!

Article Highlights and Conclusions:

What transforms academics from a bore to a blast?

What to look for:

• Preschools that respect children’s innate desires to learn through their senses and encourage their natural curiosity.
• Teachers who work eye-to-eye with students individually and in small groups, immersing themselves in their student’s passions.
• Classroom environments designed for students to freely explore the lessons, knowing a teacher is always nearby to coach and support their learning, never micromanaging and planning their student’s every move.
• Teachers who prioritize their student’s interests and desires- weaving them into the curriculum. Personalizing and individualizing the lessons, keeping academic topics fun, interesting and engaging. We want a day to be the most interesting place a kid can think of!
• Classrooms where children are allowed to follow their curiosity. Teachers encourage them with questions and genuine excitement for their progress and their natural desire to learn bursts from them because they are experiencing Joyful Academics!