Self-directed Learning Strategies

In this post, I will be discussing some self-directed learning strategies that may help you to edge towards increased independence all round. Also, teaching your children to be partners in their own education really helps make homeschool doable when the trickier times come, which they inevitably do.

General Self-Directed Learning Strategies

I want these posts to be very focused on being relevant specifically for homeschool families. Below, I’ve listed some general self-directed learning strategies which seem to be included in more generic posts on independent learning.

Self-directed learning is a student-centered approach. Learners assume responsibility for their learning by setting goals, identifying resources, and evaluating their progress.  General self-directed learning strategies include:

• Choosing own learning goals, according to learning needs, and formulate a plan
• Exploration of available resources and learning methods in accordance with overarching learning goal
• Enlisting the help of others for collaboration, support, feedback and mentorship
• Deciding on a way to track process, evaluate learning outcomes and reflect on and adapt learning methods to achieve goals
• Improve time management and organisational skills using scheduling and to-do lists

But what about when you are homeschooling? Do the above strategies still stand? Yes, but the above tends to happen as the children mature. The following self-directed learning strategies are more about giving younger children the skills and love for learning that enables them to become life long independent learners.

Self-Directed Learning Strategies For Homeschoolers

I would have to say that the above strategies are helpful to homeschoolers too. Self-directed learning is self-directed learning, right?

For our homeschool, the ability to work independently was one of my over-riding goals since the start. In my post (linked below), I state, ‘For our family, the purpose of education is not knowledge.  Knowledge is merely the by-product.  Our purpose is to produce hard workers and independent, life long learners, capable of seeking out any additional information we have not provided.  Additionally, it is very important to us that we help the children learn to think for themselves; to be confident in their thoughts and opinions, yet to enjoy listening to those of others.’

Read this!   If you’d like to read more about my own personal take on education as a whole, then please do click on this link

Knowing independent learning was a goal of mine right from the start allowed me to plan accordingly. So, my first self-directed learning strategy is to start early.

1. Start Early

In our family there were many things that were organised by me. For example, the children’s schedule for the day, their night-time routine, having quiet-time after lunch, morning chores and when they were young (aged 2-6) what they learnt each day. However, within these areas I tried to give them as much choice as possible.

Hour of Art or Science

One example is that I would often set out lots of different things for an hour of art or an hour of science. They then had complete freedom in how they utilised everything (and how much mess they made!). This is the first step to them owning their own discovery learning.

Discover More! See how these science sessions worked: Colour and Fizz Post; Bicarb Balls; Concoctions Lab as well as some of the art sessions: Messy Art; Coloured Foam Fun; Homemade paint

Quiet Time Box/Basket

Often each child’s quiet-time box or basket is linked to the book unit we are on at the time. I would include a selection of toys, books, little world items… and give each child their own basket. How they played with these toys and books was up to them. In a small way, the children themselves directed their own learning during that hour. I have five children and they all played and favoured different toys.

Find Out More! Book units which have quiet time baskets related to the specific book include Angus Lost and Katie No-Pocket

Quiet time extends their learning in a fun enjoyable way which grows and strengthens a love of learning.

Open-Ended Activities

In every book unit I included one or two open-ended activities. These might be dressing up clothes, pretend play or little world toys and animals. These types of toys allowed the children to free play. This may be by play-acting out the book becoming the characters themselves (using the dress up) or by playing with the small world. I did not interfere at all with this process. Having no preconceived ideas of how the children should play gave them a lot of freedom.

Read More! Book units which included open-ended activities are Caps For Sale, If Jesus Came to my House and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

Open-ended activities encourages imaginative play. Imagination is vital for a child to wonder and be curious. The best education begins with the child asking a question. Imagination allows for the possibility of more interesting questions 😊

Tag Teaming Activities

Mentorship is a really powerful concept to me and, I believe, an essential component of interest-led learning. Collaboration, being a team player and, most importantly, learning to ask for help. Funnily enough, I believe the best independent learning happens when there are supportive players surrounding the child. And yes, I know, that is slightly oxymoronic. But, when a child veers off course, a mentor can gently nudge them back. When a child gets bored, a mentor can eject some fun back in or help them to work past the boredom and move onto the next stage, keeping up the momentum.

At this age, learning to work within a supportive environment, where mistakes are simply part of the learning and help from very eager siblings on offer throughout, is gold. Mother and child activities are also helpful to show your youngster in a very tangible way that you are invested in their life and can be trusted to help with their learning.

Learn More! Lots of collaborative activities can be found in any of my book units. Here are a couple to keep you going: The Snowy Day and Goodnight Moon.

2. Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning is a perfect introduction to self-directed learning and is an important strategy in and of itself. It is great from about seven onwards. Our very first project was on space and it was such a success!

As a first project, it was truly amazing. They each created their own presentation board, wrote, practiced and gave their own presentation on the aspect of space which interested them the most. Thomas chose the landing on the moon and made his own Apollo spaceship. The spaceship came apart in the same way it did in space. Thomas presented the journey from start to finish. Charlotte presented on Jupiter with a demonstration of a storm in a bottle. Lillie asked the question…Pluto: a planet or a dog?!

They all dressed up and turned a climbing frame into a spaceship using lots of foil. The children then gave a ‘landing on the moon’ play. This was followed by a very interesting meal of space food which was fairly revolting! This project was such a success because the children owned their own work. They were invested, interested and, by the end of the night, completely sold on the idea of project based learning!

I will be writing much more about projects in my next self-directed learning post, so I’ll not say too much here.

If you’d like to look into project based learning, there are many, many on my blog. I think our most successful was the medieval unit study which culminated in a medieval banquet. Enjoy!