4 Steps to Furnishing Your Homeschooler’s Mind

Recently, David and I had the pleasure of speaking with Andrew Pudewa, who is a homeschool father of seven children and is currently expecting his 20th grandchild. All of his school-aged grandchildren are homeschooled. 

Mr. Pudewa is also the founder of IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing). IEW focuses on listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking. Because of his successful writing curriculum, Mr. Pudewa speaks at homeschool conventions and supports homeschooling families. 

We had a great discussion and covered many engaging topics, such as the development of AI, furnishing our minds, and teaching hard things to children. 

• Teach hard things at a young age. 
• Focus on mastery through repetition.
• Furnish the mind.
• Use critical thinking skills. 

Learn, Learn, Learn!

First of all, teach hard things to your children. Mr. Pudewa explained that children can often learn hard things. His ideas were sparked by the Suzuki method because Suzuki believed that children can indeed learn hard things through repetition. If you want to teach hard things to your child, I suggest teaching how to learn a new language, an instrument, or a new sport.

Next, focus on mastery through repetition. This can apply to both homeschool work and the “hard things” category. Allow your child to progress through practice! Encourage them even while struggling. They will figure it out eventually, and they can do hard things. 

Continuing, furnish your child’s mind. This is vital for mental survival. Read aloud together, as this will strengthen vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. In an age of declining literacy rates, reading together is a choice and an act of dedication to your family. 

It’s important to note that if learning assistance is needed, use Susan Barton’s curriculum, which is helpful for students who struggle with dyslexia. If you have an ADHD learner, encourage them to move around while learning.

Finally, use critical thinking skills, especially when it comes to AI and technology. Teach your child how to ask reflective questions like “Do we want to control the technology or do we want the technology to control us?” Also, evaluate how much you’re using AI and if it’s good for you. How does it make you feel? Have open discussions about technology, AI, and your use of both items. This creates critical thinking when reflecting and openly discussing these topics as a homeschool family.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we use terms like “brain rot” or “doomscrolling.” Let’s choose differently for our children. Offer yourself grace when you do find yourself doomscrolling or struggling with a tech addiction. Work on balance together as a family. You can work on this by teaching hard things to your children, practicing mastery through repetition, furnishing your mind, and using critical thinking. Doing these things together will strengthen both your brain and your homeschooler’s brain! When you teach your child how to furnish their mind, this sets them up for lifelong success. 

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This information came from a resource on the interview with Andrew Pudewa.

- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)