Tips to Support Self-Directed Learning at Home
Self-directed learning is a style of learning that encourages children to take charge of their own educational processes and outcomes. It's often used by homeschool families who engage in child-led learning, project-based learning, and unschooling.
In essence, self-directed learning is any kind of learning activity that allows children to identify their own interests, determine their own goals, decide their own strategies, and work towards outcomes of their own choosing. This is a very different process to a parent or teacher handing down pre-selected assignments and directions to a child.
In our cooperative, an excellent example of self-directed learning is our Passions Projects courses. In these courses, children are given the flexibility and freedom to make the majority of learning decisions on their own and decide their own paths and outcomes throughout each project timeframe. Many aspects of self-directed learning are also incorporated in our Global Studies, ELA and Inquiry Based Science courses.
Implementing self-directed learning at home can help children grow in their self-confidence, develop a growth mindset, build intrinsic motivation to learn, and train them in necessary life skills like goal setting, planning, and time management.
If you would like to continue supporting your child in self-directed learning after the co-op day ends, here are seven tips. You can try one at a time, combine a few together, or try them all at once. Find the balance that works for you and your child.
Include your child's ideas and feedback in the planning and development of your homeschool.
Offer your child choices in topics and activities for learning.
Allow your child reasonable opportunities to set their own schedules and manage their own time.
Help your child grow into responsibility by keeping track of their own daily tasks and progress.
Allow room for spontaneous deep-dives when a child shows strong interest in a topic, even if it means other things on your schedule get pushed back for a bit.
Resist the urge to bargain learning with external rewards. Instead, validate their feelings and celebrate their milestones along the learning journey so their internal motivation and natural love for learning can grow.
Allow them to make mistakes and experience failure. Afterwards, encourage them reflect and accept it as a valuable part of the learning process.