Socratic Approach for Kids?

My learning in US and Japan particularly after Master course is largely based on Socratic Approach. Wikipedia explains that this is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas. To young children, I think this may be called "proactive learning". To me, in the context of training people at work place is "I teach you one thing, you have to teach me back ten in return".

One major contrast to this approach is our commonly seen spoon feed teaching method. In this method, teachers or parents tell kids everything on what they should know. Notes are prepared, and students are expected to do well in exams after reading the notes, period! I have gone through this and I have seen how spoon feeding type of education limits and slows down learning process (**see my comment). Just ask ourselves how can one teach in the limited hours of lesson per week? Compared to another students who keen learning by himself, I would think the later learns better.

The question for me is how do we encourage proactive learning? How do we teach young kids to learn by themselves? Call me lazy or whatever, I dislike taking care of my kids's spelling test. I made it clear that it's his responsibility and he managed that very well. Whenever he asked me meaning of a new words, I seldom give him the answer and asking him to check dictionary. Sometimes, I tell him to "google" the answer. I think all these are part of proactive learning education from me to him! Socratic approach requires more than that, students are supposed to critically think about what they learned. In contrast, some teachers told me that if they asked students to look up dictionary, they are wasting lesson time! The expectation of parents is no dictionary in classroom! Wow! I am surprised.

I have a friend whose daughters were both pursuing medicine under scholarships. I asked him how did he do that.. His answer to me was, "do nothing!". Interesting answer... but I think that answer has a lot of wisdom in it. It's not easy to do nothing, especially if you see your kids get bad marks from one exam, right?

What else can I do better on this? I don't know. Perhaps following my classmate's way is the best! What do you think? Please share.

Teaching My Girl - Hooked on Phonics -- using spelling approach.

This is about the Hooked On Phonics that I introduced quite some time ago. I am glad that I used this set for my son because without my supervision, he managed to get 100% almost all the time in his spelling test. I have started this for my daughter 6 months ago.. We make some progress, but we also see some challenges.

My son's characteristic is different from my daughter. My son, from the very beginning, learned how to pronounce by looking at the phonetic sound of each letter. My daughter, on the other hand, memorized the phonetic sound very quickly. She tends to memorize pronunciation of each words without looking at phonetic sound at all. She just read without really looking at the words.

This gave us a hard time because there's always a limit, and she can't pronounce new words that she never learns. By right, using the Hooked on Phonic Material, she should be able to read new wordslike "Magic". For your information, the Hooked on Phonics material teaches basic phonetic sounds, and put words together that children can read words in stories book by on their own.

Her progress slowed down... In order to encourage her to look at each phonetic sounds, I play "spelling game" with her. She likes to write on white board. So, when we installed a new book cabinet, I added in "my designs" having white boards for her to write on. (Actually copied from a blogger friend cum colleague).

Here you go... see her happy face and the confidence in her! She can spell many words. Like many other kids, she tends to write in mirror... for example, mixing up "b" and "d", "p" and "q" etc. But overall she does very well. Whenever she can't spell a word, I guided her. And she tried to guess the phonetic sounds.

1st half...

2nd half...

Note : Although I corrected her, I never emphasis on what she did wrong, only on what she did right. Again, the power of singing praises.

After few rounds of this spelling game. Now, she can read new words... "Daddy, I never learn this word but I can read!" I am very glad. "Different strokes for different folks".. This is another management technique learned at work applied in parenting.

The only obstacles now is discipline. Right now, I only conduct the lessons as and when both of us feel like to do so, and sometimes, I realized that the last lesson was actually 3 weeks ago!

I will improve on that and I hope my daughter can read and be ready for school by 7 years old. Wish me luck, OK?