Cover_Jan 05 (Page 2) - The Parklander Magazine

Children Need To Become
Independent Learners
By Dr. Jeanne M. Korn
Watty Piper’s wonderful children’s
book, The Little Engine That Could, has a
simple message: “I think
I can, I think I can…” Just as the little engine
attempted to climb the very large mountain
and believed in its power to do so, we
as parents must help instill in our children
the belief that they are capable learners.
As an educator for more than 30 years, I’ve watched various
parenting styles come and go. When I began teaching in the 1970s,
parents expected their children to complete the tasks that teachers
deemed critical at each grade level. Parents were not always asked
to share information about their child, but were asked to be
“silent” partners.
During the 1980s and 1990s parents became partners in
education, sharing with teachers information about their child’s
learning style. This was a very exciting time in education. We
developed an alliance that promoted learning at school and at
home. Parents and teachers worked cooperatively to create
independent learners that loved learning.
The task of helping children learn is one of the most difficult
tasks that face parents today. We want our children to be
independent learners who work up to their ability. I think most
parents would agree that this goal is worthwhile and necessary
in order for children to have success in today’s world.
Yet due to our fast-paced world, parents are feeling pressure to
provide an excessive amount of tutoring, homework assistance and
study monitoring. Many parents believe their children are
unwilling to work hard and stretch themselves to complete tasks
independently. Parents feel pressure to push their children to do
more and learn faster.
We must not discount the importance of child development —
the relationship between a child’s age and the skills he will master.
Children must go through each developmental stage in order to
master skills and develop emotional resiliency. Pushing children
to the next level isn’t always the best strategy.
We must know when to support and when to withdraw
our support and demand independent effort. We must be very
cautious not to send the message to our children that “I am going
to do this for you or get someone to do it for you because you
aren’t capable of doing it.” Guiding and facilitating is a different
process than doing.
We must guide and facilitate the home learning process
through positive statements, by giving assistance when truly
needed and by extending genuine praise for tasks completed in
a quality manner. Children will learn how to become independent
learners. We cannot protect nor defend them from the learning
process. We must encourage and support them as they grow and
master skills. We must allow mistakes to be made and we must
guide them in learning how not to repeat mistakes.
Easy It is the most difficult task I’ve ever had in my life. But
nothing has meant more to me than helping my children learn how
to be effective, confident learners. It takes time, energy and love. P●
Dr. Jeanne M. Korn is assistant headmaster and principal of The North
Broward School at Coral Springs. E-mail her at korn@theparklander.com.
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