One day I was sitting in a food court around 4 pm, and a boy about ten years old walked up to a table where his uncle and another man were sitting not too far from where I was. The boy greeted his uncle who then asked him what he had learned in school that day. Perhaps thinking that it would sound “cool”, the boy replied “Nothing.” Unfortunately, the uncle didn’t express sadness. But it was sad to think that, if the boy’s response were literally true, that he would have wasted six hours of his life by learning nothing. How many more days in school would that boy, or any other child, spend so much time getting so little out of it? I thought that it would be interesting if children learned one (at least) new thing each day in school that they could come home and talk to their parent(s) about.

Maybe, depending on their age, learning something like, where in the world a specific country is, how a kiwi tastes, or how to use a tool.  In the meantime, how about parents talking each day to their children about what they learned in school? Why not help a child develop a favorite subject? Why not share with a child that which each parent finds interesting in the world? Getting up in the morning is easier for us all when we have something to look forward to that we are passionate about. Hopefully each child this fall can be helped to develop, by the adult(s) or other caretakers in the home, an interest to pursue at or after school that makes them want to get up and get out into the world beyond their home.

Whether it’s going back to school or helping you or your child become more excited about their learning experience, therapists at Specialized Therapy Associates can help you and your child become more active in their learning process.  Call us at 201-488-6678 for more information or to schedule an appointment.