Comments on: Do You Miss The Why Game Or Is It Just Me? http://gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/ Giving New Meaning to Parenting Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:01:39 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Leslie http://gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/comment-page-1/#comment-1979 Leslie Mon, 15 Oct 2007 02:45:27 +0000 http://www.gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/#comment-1979 I think STL Mom nailed it. I think if YOU lead the questions, Eeyore will follow. If you're the one asking, "Why?" even if you're just musing aloud, he'll get interested. I think planning is great, but don't be afraid to ask questions you don't know have an answer for. I think it's okay not to have every answer if you're willing to work with them to find it. It can be an exercise in creativity to come up with "what if" scenarios. No one can know everything. And sometimes the answers children uncover on their own are the ones that really stick. I think STL Mom nailed it. I think if YOU lead the questions, Eeyore will follow. If you’re the one asking, “Why?” even if you’re just musing aloud, he’ll get interested. I think planning is great, but don’t be afraid to ask questions you don’t know have an answer for. I think it’s okay not to have every answer if you’re willing to work with them to find it. It can be an exercise in creativity to come up with “what if” scenarios. No one can know everything. And sometimes the answers children uncover on their own are the ones that really stick.

]]> By: AmyL http://gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/comment-page-1/#comment-1978 AmyL Sun, 14 Oct 2007 04:34:21 +0000 http://www.gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/#comment-1978 After struggling for years with boys who hate learning, I've seen 2 changes this year. First, the younger boys are doing kindergarten and the older ones are having a ball watching their progress and cheering them on. And 'supervising.' The second thing that seems to have created at least a small spark was me asking the why questions when we went on field trip/vacation recently. I wanted to get them thinking so I started randomly asking Why questions about things we saw. At first they didn't take the bait, but eventually they started trying to come up with answers and we all had fun. Lol. One of the things that triggered participation by the older boys was the younger ones getting some of the answers. Planning is good and important, but balance that with random moments when they occur. Ask "I wonder why" questions and model that curiosity for them. After struggling for years with boys who hate learning, I’ve seen 2 changes this year. First, the younger boys are doing kindergarten and the older ones are having a ball watching their progress and cheering them on. And ’supervising.’

The second thing that seems to have created at least a small spark was me asking the why questions when we went on field trip/vacation recently. I wanted to get them thinking so I started randomly asking Why questions about things we saw. At first they didn’t take the bait, but eventually they started trying to come up with answers and we all had fun. Lol. One of the things that triggered participation by the older boys was the younger ones getting some of the answers.

Planning is good and important, but balance that with random moments when they occur. Ask “I wonder why” questions and model that curiosity for them.

]]> By: STL Mom http://gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/comment-page-1/#comment-1977 STL Mom Sat, 13 Oct 2007 03:27:49 +0000 http://www.gnmparents.com/do-you-miss-the-why-game-or-is-it-just-me/#comment-1977 I have friends who are teachers, and I know they do a lot of planning. Maybe there are some people who can turn every life situation into a learning opportunity spontaneously, but I think most people need to plan ahead. Visit websites, read books, and think, "next time we're in the grocery store I'll try that method of teaching math I read about." If you are like me, you may have to write everything down and review it on a regular basis before you remember to use it at the appropriate time. In regards to curiosity, I remember that my dad always asked a lot of questions. He would muse aloud, "I wonder how they did that..." and then speculate on the possibilities. He would read things from the paper or talk about interesting things he heard on the radio. I think showing your kids that YOU are curious and always learning something new is the best way to encourage them to be the same way. Then when he starts in with the why, when, where, what questions you can say, "Good question! I wonder how we can figure out the answer to that?" Answering a question with another question is a classic trick of both parents and teachers. I have friends who are teachers, and I know they do a lot of planning. Maybe there are some people who can turn every life situation into a learning opportunity spontaneously, but I think most people need to plan ahead. Visit websites, read books, and think, “next time we’re in the grocery store I’ll try that method of teaching math I read about.” If you are like me, you may have to write everything down and review it on a regular basis before you remember to use it at the appropriate time.
In regards to curiosity, I remember that my dad always asked a lot of questions. He would muse aloud, “I wonder how they did that…” and then speculate on the possibilities. He would read things from the paper or talk about interesting things he heard on the radio. I think showing your kids that YOU are curious and always learning something new is the best way to encourage them to be the same way.
Then when he starts in with the why, when, where, what questions you can say, “Good question! I wonder how we can figure out the answer to that?” Answering a question with another question is a classic trick of both parents and teachers.

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