It has been over 40 years since John Holt wrote his books on the the disastrous state of schools in this country. The people who are in charge of educating our children have yet to listen to any of his insightful and profound observations. So, generations and generations of children have gone to school to be told what to learn, when to learn it and how to learn it. Understanding, intellectual development and processing of any kind are not part of our schools' curriculums.
For example:
I have been in many schools and there are still classes of 20 plus children reading the same page in a social studies book, one at a time, out loud while the other 19 plus children are pretending to listen. How many are interested? How many read ahead? How many can even read? How many have any background so as to understand the material? I was in one primary class reading about the West and there was a sentence about a stagecoach. They had no idea what that was. A minor point, true, but the days of these children are made up of details they do not understand.
Idea: Spend a few minutes telling the children what they are expected to know that day about social studies. Then assign the pages in the text (if you must have a text) pertaining to the knowledge they are to know. Let THEM learn; be there for questions. Some will read the material on their own. Some students will read to each other in pairs or small groups; their choice. Have pictures and/or games for the ones who have trouble reading. Ask the readers to discuss the material with the ones who do not want (as opposed to cannot)to read it. After approximately 20 minutes, call the class together and talk about what they have learned.
Result: More than a handful of students will learn what is expected and all will learn something. All will feel empowered in their own abilities.
