I have to say, I was overflowing with joy this afternoon. I have heard before about older chldren teaching the younger children in a homeschool setting but today was the first time I really took note of this with my children.
I've been revising individual letter sounds with no. 2, 5 yrs and no. 3, 3 yrs, sits in the lessons, does some colouring for him to work on his fine motor skills (holding and controlling a pencil).This afternoon, I gave him a little worksheet to draw a line to the t sound word pictures.
He sat down next to no. 1, 7 yrs, (who was doing his music theory), and no. 1, on his own initiative, took on the task of helping him with his worksheet. I sat back and enjoyed the whole thing.
no. 1: Can you hear the t t sound in the word pig?
no. 3: *nods head*
no. 1: t.. t... Is there a t sound in pig? If you can hear a t sound then you draw a line to the pig. If you cannot, you don't draw the line. Do you hear t in pig?
no. 3: *nods head*
And it was so heart warming to hear myself in no. 1 teaching no. 3. When he got it right, no. 1 would praise him (in an excited sing-song voice), "Very good, Didi! Now, do you hear a t t sound in toaster?"
Actually, no. 2 has also been sitting down with no. 3 and reading to him their chinese, which their lao shi instructed her to do. She does this without my prompting. She quite a big sister, that girl.
That says so much, doesn't it?
When the older child is teaching, they are showing care for their younger siblings, helping them achieve the next level of learning. There's the sharing of not only knowledge, but care and concern. It takes patience to teach a learner who may not be able to grasp the concept that they themselves already know. It makes them extend themselves in service. It means they have to break down concepts in a systematic way in order to communicate it to their learner. They are polishing their knowledge..
So no. 3 has three teachers now! Me, korkor and chairchair.
1 Peter 1: 5- 8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
PS. And as for no. 3 not being too sure about beginning sounds.... ah. don't sweat the small stuff. He's only three. He'll get it, when he gets it. ;O)
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