Don't Mind the Gaps

Your child will never know everything.

Now you know.

Worse still, if your students are anything like me, they will likely forget much of what they learn. As the years tick by, more and more of their formal education will seep out of their minds.

But don't be alarmed. This shouldn't cause you any concern whatsoever. Our brains retain the bits we use and tend to dump the rest. "Use it or lose it," as the psychologists say. Gaps and information loss are common, natural, and probably even healthy. In fact, gaps offer a huge benefit: You get to (re)learn something!

I've recently started reading Enchantress from the Stars to my wife. I remember, years ago, finishing the book and thinking, 'Wow.' But now that I've started reading it again, I realize I have forgotten everything: The plot, the characters, the central conflict. I'm now mourning my memory loss, but I'm also secretly excited to experience the book again ...almost for the first time.

The purpose of education, then, isn't to cram information into one's head. Rather, a good education is one that teaches us how to learn and inspires us to learn more. Put another way: Don't Mind the Gaps.

Don't Mind the Gaps

Last week, Lori said it even better in her post Home Schooling or Home Education?

May you enjoy learning (and relearning) things with your children as you finish up school, enjoy the summer, and look forward to another great year of homeschooling next year!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester