“Register for kindergarten” the outside display sign announced at the neighborhood elementary school.  If they aren’t old enough to attend then what? Is the child’s learning postponed?  

It has always amazed me how much thought and planning go into the child’s attending kindergarten and how little planned and implemented learning occurs in the home. In general, there is a tendency for parents to rely heavily on the child’s attendance in school to guide them in learning. Too often parents lack confidence in their own ability to be the first and best teacher for their child. 

The base foundation for my learning began with my parents Clarence and Phyllis Pfeiffer. They both read books and magazines. My mother taught me the alphabet. Once I learned the basics, she taught me to write my name. My parents didn’t consciously encourage our learning (didn’t fixate on grades) as they modeled it and allowed it to happen. Some of our learning is organic, spontaneous. Some is guided by example of word and deed. 

I’ve been toying with an idea I call “The Learning Profile and Plan. Each parent would have a learning style profile. That way each parent could understand his or her own approach to learning and support the other in their learning. As the child grows, a profile could be administered. 

The Learning Plan would include questions to address certain key decisions:

• How much do I value learning?
• What are my personal learning goals?
• What do I know well that I can teach to my children?
• What resources do I need to help my children learn?
• How much money can we spend on education per year?
• Will we home school our children? If so, when do we start? What resources do we need for this?
• Will we put our children in pre-school? If so, at what age? Which pre-school? What criteria will guide our decision?

You get the idea. What plans do you have to educate your children? Let me know what they are and how I  can support you.