The fire flickered as the parents talked and the kids played. The father turned to one of his sons and asked, "Does fire burn uphill or downhill?"
The boy paused, considering the question. He tried to remember if he had seen any examples of this happening in life. Had he witnessed a fire on a hill?
His father waited a moment. When it was clear the boy was fixated on the wrong information, he asked, "Does heat rise or sink?"
"Heat rises."
"So if a fire is on a hill, will it go up or down?"
The scene unfolded before me. I'd had similar conversations when I was growing up. But now the beauty of life-long learning struck me anew. 'Is this how most parents talk with their children?'
As a homeschooler, the idea of taking every opportunity and turning it into a discussion or "teaching moment" is natural. Of course fire should inspire us to ask questions about the physics of heat! But does everyone see it that way?
If so, then far more people should be homeschooling because they are already doing it.
If not, then far more people should be homeschooling because of how it changes the way we see the world and interact with our children.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
P.S. I just got my third order from Sonlight: Rosetta Stone Italian. With sale prices this low and a wife interested in linguistics, how could I refuse such an offer? Check out the incredible Rosetta Stone sale going on right now!
Rosetta Stone Italian
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