Max Learning: Learning Everything

How do you bring a big smile to the face of a father who has been an educator for 30 plus years?  My four-year-old Max knows just what to do.  Simply stare straight into Daddy’s eyes and make this heart-felt declaration, “I want to learn everything!”  My little man’s drive to learn is something to behold. His passion for learning is a precious thing. My wife Courtney, and I, treasure it and are driven to keep that fire stoked.  In this post I will explore some of the actions we take to engage Max so that he can move toward his goal of “learning everything.”  I think the lessons learned here apply to all learners, big and small.

Leave it for later – Max has a variety of centers throughout the house.  He has a store front opposite a miniature grill.  He can “cook” up a multiple course meal, ring you up on the register and serve you at a table for two.  A pressed plastic castle form serves as a central focal point for ongoing pirates versus knights conflict.  He has a dress up area, multiple libraries and his current favorite, a table for his Legos. 

To maintain order, our expectation for Max was to reorganize one center before moving on to the next.   “Clean up Clean up, everybody everywhere….”   I suspect you know this song.  Like most young ones, Max is prone to fight the clean-up process.   This is especially true when it comes to his Lego creations.  We learned a tough lesson through these battles to let Max pick a specific creation to keep for later.  Upon reflection, it makes total sense that he would struggle with dismantling the creation he finds value in.  This simple acquiescence has reduced our battles and created a balance between cleaning up and devaluing his creativity. How can you allow for ongoing processes that provide continuity of creativity for your learners?   

Let them lead – Max has become very proficient in riding his bike with training wheels. The wheels will be coming off in the fall.  As his proficiency grew we began lagging behind so that he could pick his own path.  I was amazed at how simply allowing for him to choose which sidewalk he would venture down increased his motivation to ride.  How do you provide autonomy for your learners so they will pedal faster than before?  

Search it up – The questions that Max has about the world seem to be endless.  This is especially true when it comes to space and natural science.  What can I say, he is his father’s son when it comes to that.  I find myself frequently struggling for complete answers that satisfy all his curiosity.  That’s when the smart phone comes in very handy.  My favorite platform to leverage is You Tube.  How do you respond to your learner’s big questions to support a “search it up” mentality?

Lessons within service – I understand that it is important that we all see ourselves as something bigger than ourselves. In an effort to support this idea, Max and I set a New Year’s resolution to pick up one piece of trash every time we are outside. On an outing last spring, we focused on cleaning up a ditch near our home.  Beyond the lesson in service, Max stumbled upon some really interesting things.  A dead cedar wax wing allowed us to look at the anatomy of a bird up close.  A shy crayfish and his recent molt gave us an opportunity to talk about exoskeletons.  How are you leveraging teachable moments for your learners?

Junk collecting – Every parent knows the frustration of their child finding more joy in playing with the box a gift came in than the gift itself. This should not be a surprise when we consider the creative minds of our little ones.  We have begun collecting odds and ends for Max to use outside.  He engages with these random objects as much as or more than his outside toys.  Bungee cords, sticks, and a variety of containers are his current favorites.  Could you create a maker space for your learners?

Moving beyond the trivial – Max has a great memory for past events and the names of things.  On a recent trip to the Sonoran Desert, he had the opportunity to see novel flora and fauna.  He knows the difference between a saguaro and organ pipe cactus.  He can recognize javelina, coyotes and quail.  I am proud of his ability to remember the names of things, but I work hard to question him into deeper understanding.  We were fortunate to observe some animal behaviors that are perfect for exploring the “why”.  We watched a pair of javelinas stroll into a dry creek bed.  One began rooting with its snout in the creek bottom until a muddy pool of water appeared.  Through questioning, Max was able to articulate why this animal was doing this.  At first he postulated the javelina was going to drink the water, but when the javelina rolled in the water, Max figured out that he was after a cool bath.  How do you question your learners so that they will think deeply and own their learning?

Butterfly lessons – In the spring we collected 5 monarch butterfly caterpillars.  On a daily, sometimes hourly basis, we watched as the caterpillars devoured the milk weed and grew larger.  Four of the five attached and formed a chrysalis. Only three of the insects fully pupated and spread their wings as butterflies.  In our world that seems to promote only immediate gratification, it was refreshing to see Max stay interested and ultimately be rewarded by seeing an adult emerge.  I believe this is the most important lesson of all.  Life and learning are imperfect and require patience, but wonder lies at the end!