Teaching Children

Why do some ideas stick while other die? Learnunderstand ideas. Try moving a piece of metal
six important traits ideas need to have to makewith a hidden magnet and watch as they try to
stick with your children.figure it out.
Teaching ChildrenConcreteness:How do you make an abstract idea
“You can’t do that, you’ll giveeasy to remember? As adults we have a difficult
your baby shaken baby syndrome.” My momtime understanding abstract ideas, just imagine
then went into a fifteen minutes lecture on howhow difficult it must be for a child to understand.
tossing my baby in the air was damaging my kid.When we teach with something physical that we
Not wanting to permanently damage my kid Ican see, feel and touch then it is easier to
toned down my playing with her. My wife wasremember. When teaching numbers to children it
extremely glad to see that her babyis often easier to use blocks to teach them how
wasn’t flying through the air. In order toto add or subtract.
stop me completely, my wife asked the doctor ifCredibility:How do you get your children to believe
it caused shaken baby syndrome. Much to heryour ideas? Luckily, most children naturally believe
dismay the doctor informed her that there wastheir parents. It’s not until they reach the
no reason to fear. With this great news my babydreaded teens where they start to think that
can again touch our ceiling. If you look on thethey know better than their parents. This is the
internet, most sites will state that it will damagetime when it is most critical to make your ideas
your kid. How do stories like these spread socredible. The Heaths show that vivid detail add a
easily while the important ones die?Chip and Danlevel of credibility that otherwise wouldn’t
Heath book “Made To Stick” explains how aendorse your story.
parent can help make the important ideas stick.Emotional:Why do a lot of mothers believe that
One of the main tasks of a parent is passing ontossing their kids in the air is going to damage
important information that we have learned astheir child? Is it based on facts or emotion?
adults. Knowing how to teach our kids will greatlyI’m extremely impressed how much my
help our ability to communicate effectively withwife sacrifices for our child. I can understand why
our children. “Made To Stick” discusses sixshe is a little protective of her child. Stories that
ideas that will make your teachings aplay on her emotion as a mother will stick
“succes”.compared to one that just give cold hard facts.
Simplicity:Make your ideas simple! ThatStories:Can any one doubt the power of a story!
doesn’t mean that you can only teachTo this day, I love hearing stories of my dad
simple concepts. It does mean that you shouldflying helicopter missions in the navy. Some of the
only teach one concept at a time. “If you saybest children’s books use stories to
three things you say nothing at all.” Childrenportray a message. Why not use the same tactic
have a great desire to learn new things. If it iswhen teach our children? We live in an
muddled with several ideas then theyinformational era. The amount of information that
won’t remember any of them.is available to kids today is amazing and scary.
Unexpectedness:Have you ever watched a badBeing able to instill correct ideas that will provide a
movie to the end just to see how it turns out?guide through our kids lives is on extremely
The Heath brothers explain how our brains hateimportant task as a parent. That is why it is
the idea of a knowledge gap. This is why weimportant to learn how to make ideas stick. I
watch a bad movie to the end or stay up late torecommend that every one read “Made to
see how the book ends. Creating a knowledgeStick”.
gap for you children will help them want to