Children learn new information by relating it to what they already know. The child who has traveled to the beach, felt the sand squish up between his toes, collected seashells, felt a wave wash the sand off his feet, and watched the seagulls soaring overhead will find it much easier to learn information about the ocean than the child who has never had these experiences. As a result, teachers, homeschoolers, and parents who teach or assist children with learning content can use the child's interests and experiences to support that child's learning. Further, when children share experiences in class, the experiences of the other children are enriched. There are several ways that teachers can get to know their students and use this information to support student growth.
Parents can also help teachers get to know their children.
Homeschooling parents can use interests to strengthen learning and provide relevance for the content. Administer an interest inventory to find out about a child's interests. Click here for an interest inventory that you may consider using with your students. Students are told that they will be interviewing each other to produce a class newspaper, magazine, Open House scrapbook, or book that people will be reading. Students read and discuss interviews from previous years, magazines, and newspapers.