1 more early learning question -- will they remember it?

[msjones]

Reading all the 'early learning' conversations has me thinking.

 

Do your kids remember the 'early' stuff you did with them?

 

I don't mean their letters or colors or foundational math or how to use scissors or things like that. I'm thinking of stories you read, experiments you tried, any 'history' you may have attempted early on, and general factual information.

 

For example, I did Sonlight K with both boys, and they remember hardly any of it. It's as if we never did it. I'm not regretting it -- we enjoyed that time very much and I'm sure they benefitted from all that reading and attention. But they sure don't remember many specifics.

 

What about the rest of you -- do your kids remember details from that early instruction?

 

For what it's worth -- my boys are both progressing like typical bright-ish kids -- no memory issues or anything like that.

[myfunnybunch]

I don't think they remember all of the details. (I don't either!) But that doesn't mean that it's valueless. The learn-play-do-read-think parts of their brains are being challenged.

 

Cat

[mom2att]

In a word, no. My oldest is now in 8th grade, nearly 14 years old. We started full-on with the WTM stuff when she was 5, starting K, but she was "ready" and I was excited to get started, so we did the first grade recommendations. This was before SOTW, so we read books, looked at the Usborne World History book, did narrations, learned about many and varied science topics, made volcanoes, etc. We had a blast together, and yes, she learned a lot. But does she remember it now--no. She might remember doing some of it, mostly from seeing pictures and the like, and if she comes across similar content, I don't know, maybe it rings a bell. But I can't say that getting that early start made her farther ahead or more receptive to similar knowledge later on. Knowing that has definitely changed my approach to early grades history and science with my boys.

[angela in ohio]

Reading all the 'early learning' conversations has me thinking.

 

Do your kids remember the 'early' stuff you did with them?

 

I don't mean their letters or colors or foundational math or how to use scissors or things like that. I'm thinking of stories you read, experiments you tried, any 'history' you may have attempted early on, and general factual information.

 

For example, I did Sonlight K with both boys, and they remember hardly any of it. It's as if we never did it. I'm not regretting it -- we enjoyed that time very much and I'm sure they benefitted from all that reading and attention. But they sure don't remember many specifics.

 

What about the rest of you -- do your kids remember details from that early instruction?

 

For what it's worth -- my boys are both progressing like typical bright-ish kids -- no memory issues or anything like that.

 

They remember books we read and places we went. They remember the places/ experiences the most. :001_smile:

[Jean in Newcastle]

No, mine don't remember it. But I think it layers because the next time they read or hear something, they have heard the vocabulary etc. before. But I think that the learning is better when it is indirect (through play and experiences) instead of direct learning because then it is more integrated into your daily life experience and talk.

[ChristusG]

I have been wondering the same thing. My DD is 5 years old and we've been studying the Middle Ages and stuff like that. I'm wondering if it is pointless? We'll keep doing it for the fun value, but I worry I'm not teaching her enough simple facts about the time period. But then again, I think that it doesnt matter because she will not remember it anyways.

 

Then again, does anyone really remember a whole lot of things that they do not use frequently? I couldn't tell you about all the history, humanities, science, and literature stuff that I learned in high school and early college that I do not use often. I may recall bits and pieces, and of course I remember more of the things I excelled at, but overall I do not think that I retained a lot of stuff that I learned and do not use.

[WTMindy]

They don't remember most of it, actually much to my chagrine. But, what they do remember is the impression is that school is fun. My kids have a love of history now because of the time we spent early on doing projects and reading lots of books. I did take pictures of all the projects and their narrations and put together notebooks which they like to go back and look through. But, mostly it is just vague recollections. I just reminded them the other day of how we used to act out Bible stories in little plays when they were in pre-school and they remembered loving that, although not the specifics. :-) They also learned how to sit still and listen and follow directions and other things that we built upon as they got older.

 

So, if anything it doesn't discourage me that they don't remember, but it encourages me to make sure the things we do early on give a love of learning and encourage a little routine and discipline.

[Starr]

It sets them up for lifelong learning.

[LibraryLover]

LOL Some do, some nope. No how.

 

I have one kid who peeked in while I was reading to a sib and said, "'I don't remember you reading me that book. But I do remember some of the stories". It was D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths. I guarantee you, we read that book a lot. lol We've owned it for over a decade.

 

I can say that when he read The Odyssey in 9th grade English, he did well with it. He got it. So, somewhere in his head, there was something...somewhere. It seemed familiar, at least. lol

 

But you re not looking towards mastery, you're looking to fill their heads with stories and information. Some of it will stick, and some won't. Yet they will have had years of being read to, and being engaged. That matters.

Edited February 15, 2010 by LibraryLover

[FloridaLisa]

Lol, I'm always surprised at how much my kids have forgotten from studies in their early years. Those studies that I spent many an evening coordinating spines, read alouds, library books and crafts. I chuckle that I agonized over the perfect cycle.

 

Now I do have several fact-oriented kids that remember in great detail, but it's as much or more from their independent reading than my elaborately-planned studies. We still *do* history and science, but it's not nearly the focus in K-6 as it used to be. I invest my time and energy primarily in the fundamentals (including Latin here) while stocking great books and requiring/providing lots of reading time.

 

Lisa

 

P.S. Some history comes through our 3Rs work. Latin history is woven into the curriculum, for instance, so there is always exposure and study even if I'm not majoring on history as much as I used to.