017 How to Stop Lecturing and Start Engaging

As parents, our goal is not to TELL our kids what they need to know but to GUIDE them through experiences that will help them learn for themselves. But HOW do you help your child have these personal experiences? This week we highlight some simple questions that build on each other to help your child have that "aha" moment themselves. We role play two different lesson plans: to SHOW you the difference between traditional lecturing lessons and more personal, engaging lessons. With these insights and examples, you will see the power of personal questions and how to use them to GUIDE your children’s learning. Key Takeaways: A child won't remember what YOU say, but they will remember what THEY say Ideally, your children are speaking more than 50% of the lesson Remember, as the parent, your role is to GUIDE them. Not TELL them. Not let them have free reign. You are the GUIDE. Start by knowing where you want to go. There needs to be an objective to the lesson. What do you want them to learn or testify of? Choose an experience that goes along with your objective (a story, a scripture, an activity, etc.) Use questions that BUILD on each other to help your children come to their own conclusion. Questions can include: (1) Short comprehension questions (what happened?); (2) Why it's important questions (Why did they do that? or What did they learn?); (3) Personalization questions (what does this mean to me?); (4) Action questions/invitations (What are you going to do in the future because of what you learned? TIME TO ROLE PLAY- What does this type of teaching look like in real life?