[Tea] Brains before Curriculum

Welcome to "Tea with Julie," a weekly missive by me, Julie Bogart. My wish is to give you food for thought over a cup of tea to enhance your life as an educator, parent, and awesome adult. Glad you're here. Pinkies up!
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Cincinnati, May 27, 2023

Hi Friend,

Whether “science” or “knitting,” your children are using their minds to think critically and creatively about any subject they encounter. Parents and teachers, however, have decided which subjects are more deserving of absorbed attention than others. Science, we can all agree, is a subject adults consider essential. Knitting? Less so.

Yet what does it take for a mind to use a microscope?
What kind of mental and digital dexterity is needed to knit?
What kind of thinking is required to examine angles?
What kind of mind is used to crochet or quilt?

When we talk about physics, we forget the physics of our bodies in motion on a playground or the skill to create a perfect tumbling domino chain.

Next time one of your kids assembles a LEGO build from scratch relying on the 2-D instructions to build a 3-D model, say aloud all the ways the brain did that bit of gymnastics to SEE what should be seen and to fit the pieces together in just the right way.

How many times do your kids compare movies and song lyrics to one another? How well do they forecast the next plot in a book series?

Brain stuff worth noting regardless of subject:

Reading deeply and closely
Following directions
Modifying directions to achieve an effect
Designing and then implementing that design
Assembly
Comparing and contrasting
Forecasting outcomes
Hypothesizing reasons
Identifying themes
Correlating one experience or practice to another
Building a vocabulary in the subject area
Noticing experts
Practicing the skill for mastery
Using a skill in one field to learn another

The dexterity of a child’s brain can be a bigger priority than mastery of dates, processes, and information.

Focus on how your child thinks well about any subject from cooking to skateboarding to algebra to medieval history.

Brains before curriculum.

To learn more, get my book, Raising Critical Thinkers.

Warmly,

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