When it comes to your child's education, you might hear a lot about "passive learning" and "active engagement." But what do these terms really mean, and why do they matter? Let’s break it down in simple terms and explore some easy ways you can help your child become a more active learner.
What Is Passive Learning?
Passive learning is when your child sits and listens, like watching a show or listening to a lecture. They’re receiving information, but they’re not doing much with it.
Imagine your child watching a video on how plants grow, but they can’t ask questions and there’s no hands-on activity. This is passive learning.
What Is Active Engagement?
Active engagement, on the other hand, is all about being involved and interacting with what they’re learning. It’s when students can ask questions, engage in experiences, discuss with other students, or even teach what they know to someone else.
Take the same video on how plants grow, but now add activities like planting seeds in a garden, forming a hypothesis about how the plant might grow, observing and recording how the plant grows over time, and eventually, harvesting vegetables from the plant. When you combine passive learning with active engagement, learning becomes more meaningful, memorable and fun.
Why Does It Matter?
Active engagement helps kids remember what they learn because they’re part of the process. It makes them curious and excited about learning new things. Especially in early education, active engagement helps build a strong foundation for all the skills students need later on.
We encourage our students to ask questions and become active participants in their learning,” said Kindergarten teacher Rebecca Boyle. It’s so much fun to see students get excited, try new things, and build new skills.
How Can You Help Your Child Be an Active Learner?
1. Ask Questions and Encourage Curiosity: Encourage your child to teach you about their learning. Simple conversations can make a big difference. You can also help them expand on their learning by connecting it with a real-world activity. For example, when shopping at the grocery store, you can practice simple reading or math skills. For older students, you can have them help make a list, plan a meal, or stick to a budget to practice their skills.
2. Make Reading Fun: Reading is a big part of learning, but it doesn’t have to be just about books. Ms. Boyle often uses songs and poems to make reading exciting. “Let your child pick stories that interest them and talk about the characters and what they might do next. You could act out a favorite story, play charades, or read funny poems together.”
3. Explore Math Concepts: Math isn’t just about addition and subtraction. Creating and replicating patterns, recognizing objects in a collection of 5 without counting, and understanding the words “more” and “less” are foundational math skills. Families can use everyday objects to have fun with these concepts.
4. Celebrate Their Efforts: Encourage your child by celebrating their hard work, not just the results. “I am so proud of the progress our students show,” said Ms. Boyle. “It’s okay to fail when you try something new or something hard. We can practice and get better together.” A simple “Great job!” when your child tries something new or finishes a task can go a long way in keeping them motivated.
Active Learning Tips
Here are a few go-to tips from Ms. Boyle to help make learning more interactive:
Use Online Resources Together: Ms. Boyle uses tools like Literacy Footprints and i-Ready in her class. These are great resources you can explore together at home to make learning more interactive and fun. Ask your child to be the teacher and show you how to navigate these tools!
Keep It Simple and Fun: Learning doesn’t have to be a big production. Even everyday activities like cooking or grocery shopping can turn into learning moments. Count the apples as you put them in the cart or talk about the different shapes of pasta you’re cooking.
Accept the Wiggles: “Students often learn with their whole body”, shares Ms. Boyle. “Bouncing while reading a story, wiggling while doing math, or moving around while listening are normal child behaviors. It’s okay!”
By turning everyday moments into learning opportunities, you’re helping your child become an active learner who’s curious, engaged, and excited about exploring the world around them. And remember, it’s the little steps that make the biggest difference!
