The Best Kind of Learning

I really think the 'delight-directed' method of learning is the one that comes naturally. Case in point: Darcie saw the movie Soul Surfer. That started an obsession with all things Hawaiian and Caribbean. She checked out all the books she could find at the library on the subject. Here she is watching a Youtube video on how to hula dance. The grass skirt was left over from a previous birthday party. She completely learned the motions and words to Little Brown Girl. She can now entertain at a moment's notice if things get dull around here.

That led to other Youtube videos of Hawaiian singers and ukulele players. For her end-of-the-year present, she asked for and received her own ukulele. She can already play a couple of songs.

Next came a trip to the grocery store to buy all the tropical fruit we could find. Mangos, papayas, pineapples, and coconuts. Again, she looked online to learn how to know when these fruits are ripe and how to eat them. I took a nail and hammered three holes into the top of a coconut and drained out the milk. A few blows from a machete broke it open to show the super white coconut meat inside. I'll have to say that I learned as much as she did. I had never prepared and eaten a raw mango or papaya before. I also learned that I prefer them dried.

I'll admit that I'm rather indulgent with this kind of learning; within reason, of course. If the interest is there, I try to provide, as much as is in my power, the means to learn about it. I want her to learn the subject into the ground until she's ready to move on to the next obsession.

One big advantage of homeschooling is that you get to lie on the couch with your kitty in your arms and do your required history reading.