Book description by homeschooloasis.com
Get to Know Your ChildrenDevelop Interests through Three Seasons of Your Childs Development
The Scripture says to Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keep with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it Proverbs 22:6 (The Amplified Bible). To do this, we must know the child. The message of this book carries with it a challenge for the homeschool mom to thoughtfully proceed on an adventure of becoming intimately acquainted with the peculiar bents and traits unique to each of her children. It is about enjoying the way God created each one, and allowing the nurturing of all the wonderful gifts He put inside of them.
It will clearly show how you can develop God-designed purpose in your children while they are still young that can extend into vocational expression as they mature. Marilyn uses examples from her son, Johns, life (up through the ages of 13 to 14) to show how many of his interests were sparked and allowed to develop because of the opportunity he was given to focus. Focus is visions counterpart and a principle that must be present in the childs daily training in order for his personal life purpose and vision to unfold. She is attentive to the peculiar traits and underlying motivations as they manifested through his interests. Knowing the childs motivations will significantly contribute to the parents ability to direct his learning process and his future vocation. You will see her sons informal learning process unfold.
Next, she shows how her daughter, Kathryns, primary interest in horses was encouraged and developed throughout the seasons of her development, even though their family was never around horses. She then shows how this interest is being developed toward an entrepreneurial purpose and shares the answers to prayer and provision that came along the way.
Various types of notebooks, entrepreneurial, and apprenticeship structures are discussed using actual examples. Included are two completed charts that show at a glance how she developed many of her childrens interests through three seasons of their development. Also included is a blank chart to help you visualize a path of learning seasons for your own children. As you read, you may find yourself seeing your children with tender eyes of love in deeper ways than ever before.
Points of impact for me:
Focus-spend time pursuing an interest.
Seasonal mindset-focus on a few areas of need at a time.
We need to recognize our children's interests and particular traits and allow both to become developed
Let child develop many interests and provide resources
Three tries=perseverance
Develop interests through three seasons of a child's development (nurture the interest beyond a hobby and toward purpose)
Encourage collections. They stimulate growth and skills.
Create a personal library of interests
Unit of Life Learning Model
Reading
Collecting
Notebook Recording
Construct Projects