Learning is an Experience

Your child’s learning journey, indeed everyone’s, follows a similar pathway.  We all gain mobility, acquire language, and become independent by travelling the same track. Some arrive earlier, some later.

At whatever speed we travel, the skills we learn shape our lives. The skills we learn are acquired through lessons, an out-of-date word for 21st-century learners.

Let’s call them learning experiences. That’s better!

Why? Because learning is an experience.

How often did you fall off the two-wheeled bike before mastering it? At some point, your brain gets a handle on everything necessary to stay upright–core strength, balance, forward movement, steering, scanning ahead, braking.

Pick a skill, and after some gentle thought, you can identify a bundle of sub-skills that support it.

Mastering it means tackling the sub-skills first. The ability to crawl requires the sub-skill of rolling over because … well, who can crawl on their backs?

Standing requires balance, core strength … and rolling over.

Walking requires standing, balance, and core strength.

We learned how to learn. (more on this later)

And we did it on our own. Sure, a helpful person was nearby. But we dragged ourselves around the floor before standing and taking a couple of cautious steps. Cautious steps turned into confident ones. They were followed by faster, more determined paces.

Our brains love it! They love the repetition, the mastery, and the joy when it comes together. There’s a keyword in that last sentence. You probably identified it if you’ve been following the kid’s blog. It’s repetition or practice.

You kept practising until you got it. If you have a child who’s learning a musical instrument, keep encouraging them. Even if that blurry, scratchy trumpet (or violin) sound doesn’t yet resemble music.

They’ll get it! When you doubt it, recall your first bike crash.