Page 82 - Issue 112 May-June 2021

82 could be a strength. Playing with Lego, chatting, making bread – these are all the foundations of a self-directed education. It starts with what the child enjoys and what is important to them. The parent’s role is to be curious and supportive, and to offer new opportunities to do more of whatever they love. If they love playing Minecraft alone, perhaps they’d enjoy playing with others, for example. Or if they like drawing, perhaps they’d like to experiment with paint pens or watch some drawing tutorials together on Youtube. Self-directed learners need a supportive adult and an environment of opportunity. That adult needs to be ready to support but not to control – a tricky balance for many parents. It means valuing whatever the child wants to learn about and helping them find out more – rather as we did when they were small. Interested in diggers? Okay, let’s go to the building site! Let’s look up pictures online and Youtube videos. Let’s draw diggers and look at catalogues. In this way, the child’s learning follows their interest, and so they are motivated and learn to think of themselves as autonomous and capable people. And this is surely what we want for our children with SEND, that whatever their ability, they know that their choices matter. Alice’s mother decided that something had to change, and so she stopped the pressure to do worksheets. Instead, she noticed that Alice was interested in cats. They went for a walk around the neighbourhood and stopped to talk to the cats they met on the way. Back at home, Alice and her brother drew pictures of cats. Her mother drew cats too but they weren’t as characterful. ‘‘Never mind’’ said Alice. ‘‘You can copy mine if you want’’. Alice wrote ‘cat cat cat’ spontaneously and then said ‘if you change a letter, it’s just like hat’! They drew cats with hats. Then it was time for tea. That evening Alice said ‘I like cats. Can we do that again tomorrow?’. And her mother said ‘Yes’. “Lost her zest for life” Five Ways to Bring Self-directed Learning into Your Home 1. Watch your child. What do they do when they have free choice? What are they drawn to? What makes them come alive? Those are the places to start. 2. Drop the battles. Many children react to pressure with resistance – and therefore it’s entirely unproductive. Stop the pressure and instead use the energy to engage with them doing the things they love. 3. Join your child doing what they enjoy. Sit with them whilst they watch YouTube videos. Learn to play Minecraft. Draw pictures. By being involved, you can introduce new ideas when they are ready. 4. Trust your instincts. Most parents have a very good idea of their child’s ability level. Forget what school tells you that they should be doing, and instead find the things you know they’ll enjoy. It’s fine if they still like playing with playdough or watching Peppa Pig at age nine. Life isn’t a race. Find books you think they’ll enjoy rather than books you think they should be reading. 5. Just for a while, focus on doing the things they do best rather than the things which need work. Do they love riding their bicycle? Do that together. Do they enjoy chatting to new people? Go and try that on your next outing (socially distanced, of course). Is messy play really their passion? Find new ways to get messy! ■ Do what they enjoy. Learn to play Minecraft. SEN112 senmagazine.co.uk Self-directed learning