My Sweet Lady got a barrel of monkeys in her stocking which were quickly acquired in a friendly takeover by Tallulah. A conversation has ensued regarding square roots. Hah! Made you learn! There has also been a discussion of “perfectly round” vis-a-vis the shape of the barrel. In neither instance was Tallulah coerced into increased knowledge. If she can connect it to something in her experience, Tallulah is happy to gain new concepts or facts. They help make the world make sense.
We’re not jet-setters or world explorers, but we do get out and about when we can. When things really get boring, we will hit up a museum or library or something. We’re also pretty good about making sure Tallulah gets lots of tv. Some folks don’t have the same availability of time, access to transportation, or discretionary funds. Their children are, therefore, simply not going to have the same variety of experiences to connect to classroom lessons.
We need to make sure more kids get monkeys. I know this is a time of tight finances, but we are not talking about expensive things here. Libraries and museums already exist. If we take the pressure off of the tests and put in on to seeing the world, we’ll have students who are much more able to adapt in a rapidly changing environment. With luck, they can link their arms together and reach farther than we can now imagine.