Welcome to the preview of my new blog series - Latticed Learning! I've been developing this concept throughout Gv's second year - knowing I wanted to do something a bit different with her schooling, but also wanting to integrate top research-based practices gleaned from my background in education into whatever I decided to do.
How did I come up with the term Latticed Learning? I just loved how using the metaphor of a lattice in education created the perfect image in my mind - that of a framework where plants are supported to grown on their own path and flourish - which is just what I want for my sweet girl!
I also liked the symbol of how a lattice in mathematics extends infinitely in any direction - meaning the options are endless, and as your child climbs up, he or she is free to explore different paths of exploration. This paper from the Studies in Art Education journal details how replacing a traditional spiral approach to education with a lattice model makes sense, and this other article from the Harvard Business Review discusses how this lattice model is replacing the corporate ladder in the workplace, as well.
What this blog series won't be is a bunch of scripted lesson plans. Oh, sure, I'll tell you what Gv and I did for each week's focus, but it will just be our interpretation of things. If the things we do look like something you want to try, by all means, do them! But make sure that you are choosing activities that will be the best fit for your family!
Think of these posts more as suggestions and a guide for what you can do with your little learner each week. Remember that the whole point of Latticed Learning is to provide a framework to support and nurture our children - to help them grow and bloom and become the best unique individuals they can be!
The timeline for this quasi-curriculum corresponds to a "normal" school year, but there are some weeks of padding built in - so that if you want to spend a couple weeks longer on a particular focus, you can, along with providing plenty of time for fun holiday activities like these.
I'm beginning Latticed Learning with my toddler, but I anticipate continuing with the concept throughout all of her learning time with me. To help organize this, I'll be breaking things down into the following segments:
Starter Seeds (toddlers)
Little Sprouts (preschoolers)
Roots & Shoots (elementary years)
Blossoms & Blooms (middle and high school years, when things become more specialized)
The ideas presented in these Latticed Learning posts should help narrow your focus, while still allowing for customization. I'll let you know what we did over the week (you're welcome to the ideas), but I'll also be sharing great resources from some of my favorite bloggers, in case you want to do more or take things in a different direction than I did.
You'll learn more about how each week will play out in upcoming posts, but my framework will provide a Bible lesson & verse, a letter, a number, a broad exploration topic and loads of suggestions for resources and activities to match.
I'm so excited to finally be sharing this with all of you - Gv and I jumped right into the program as soon as we got back from our big summer campout, and we've been having the best time with everything we've done so far, so I know you'll love it, too. Be sure to sign up for free updates here so that you don't miss a single minute of offbeat Latticed Learning fun!
Also, be sure to check out my Latticed Learning page to see all the great posts associated with this concept in one place!
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Thanks for explaining:) I was so seeing where the term came from.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of letting the child guide the learning based on what they find interesting, with some direction. It makes learning so much more flexible and things can be learned in the order the child finds interesting.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! Thank you for sharing on #HeartEncouragement. Blessings to you!
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