Cultivating eager learners/Parents can start early, encourage activities

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Healani Hutch has always been a voracious reader.

The excitement and intrigue of the written word contributed to her becoming a high school English teacher - and becoming a parent who believed in reading to her child.

Hutch read to her daughter, Pono Fernandez, during every stage of her life, from infancy to grade school, until Pono could read on her own.

Which happened sooner than Hutch had expected.

"We were at McDonald's and she was still small enough to stand on the seat," the 53-year-old Kane'ohe resident recalled. "She seemed occupied by something. All of a sudden she said, 'No smoking.'"

Pointing to a sign on the restaurant's wall, Pono repeated, "That sign says 'No smoking.'"

She was just 3 years old.

The everyday reading - and emphasis on its learning and entertainment values - ignited a passion within Pono for learning.

That was an important value Hutch wanted to instill in her only child.

An eagerness to learn "was paramount in my mind," said Hutch, a teacher at Kamehameha Schools for 25 years.

Her efforts have paid off. Pono, now 14 and a freshman at 'Iolani School, is a focused student bursting with creativity.

It's not easy convincing children that learning can be fun, especially when the material seems difficult or boring. But making learning fun - through books, games and enthusiastic conversations - can stimulate a child's curiosity and eagerness for learning.

"There's a lot parents can do," said Stephanie Feeney, professor of education at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and early childhood specialist. "And it isn't always what they think."

Guiding babies, toddlers

Allana Wade Coffee, a clinical therapist in Kaiser's Behavioral Health Services division, said children are born ready to learn: It's in their nature.

Research has shown that the first three years, of a child's life are critical in development and success in school. According to Feeney, a great deal of learning occurs in these early years and most of adult intellectual potential is developed before a child reaches age 6.

At this time, children need two things from parents, she said: nurturing and a stimulating environment.

"These two things will probably do more to determine how the child is going to approach schooling and what kind of learner they will be," Feeney said.

Parents should create a supportive, caring and loving home and provide a stimulating environment rich in opportunities for exploration and discovery. A grocery store outing, a trip to the zoo, even an hour in the back yard - all are full of sensory stimulation and opportunities to learn.

"Children are like sponges, taking everything in," said Dr. Shigeko Lau, a pediatrician at Straub Clinic & Hospital.

Lau recommends that parents allow their infants to crawl and explore their environment under close supervision. Let them touch, smell, even taste (when appropriate). Parents can even strategically place objects they want their infant to "discover."

Toys the children play with and tasks they learn should be age-appropriate, Coffee said. If they're too young to tie their shoelaces or put together puzzles, they may get frustrated and quit.

"Make the task manageable for them," said the mother of 3-year-old twins. "We have to keep (hindrances to learning) . . . to a minimum."

Added Lau: "The important thing is to let their natural curiosity flow and let them be rewarded by things they discover themselves."

This is the philosophy behind the Early School, a toddler and preschool program near Varsity Theatre in Mo'ili'ili.

Children there are encouraged to participate in open-ended activities that allow them to be as creative as they want to be. They can freely move between workstations that focus on different activities, such as writing, building with blocks or experimenting with art materials.

"Making learning fun is absolutely primary," said director Frances Dote. "It has to be fun, or why bother?"

Everything they learn is experiential. Instead of reciting the alphabet, the kids use just the letters to create something, as in making a card for their parents or writing their own names. "It has to be meaningful," Dote said.

For school-age children

"In a preschool setting, they're naturally eager to learn," Dote said. "Depending on how you approach it, you could extend that eagerness or squelch it" when it's time to transfer to kindergarten and grade school.

The learning has to continue at home.

"Listen to them, and do things with them," Dote said. "Children seem to have a lot to say."

From asking them what they've learned in school to answering their questions about what they've seen on the drive home, parents should encourage collaborative conversations with their kids.

"Your full attention will encourage them because they're gratified you think they're important," Lau said.

She also suggests playing games with school-age children, from counting red cars on the drive to school to letting them help measure ingredients in the kitchen. Putting a map up and asking kids to find states, countries and cities makes a game out of a geography lesson.

Power of reading

"It's never too early to start reading," Feeney said. "But do it in a way that's pleasant for both of you. Don't do it to teach them something. Do it as a good experience. That makes a huge difference in their attitudes toward reading."

If reading is fun, experts say, there's a good chance children will become lifelong readers. Reading can improve atheir verbal and reading comprehension skills, while expanding their vocabulary.

From big-print picture books to "Nancy Drew" series books to science fiction, Pono Fernandez has grown up surrounded by books. Her bedroom is distinguished by a wall of books, whose spines change every few years. She almost never leaves home with a book.

"I know that reading has tied into her academics," Hutch said. "She's very focused."

Teaching teens

When coffee works with teens, she stresses the emotional component to learning.

"Learning is fun," she said. "When we master something, we get a sense of pride and excitement about it. We can't forget that."

It's important that teens have access to the tools they need for homework and study in a stress-free, clutter-free space.

She sees a lot teens who are stressed about their school performance and their parents' expectations of them, which can lead to psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression.

Coffee believes it's important not to overschedule teens with outside activities. "They need to have time at home, to just be," Coffee said. Give them some breathing space. And figure out what their strengths, weaknesses and interests are. Some teens may need more time to read textbooks, some, more time to write term papers.

If the teen isn't enjoying school or can't get a handle on the workload, parents should consult a physician or counselor.

"If there's a learning disability, you want to evaluate that and address it as soon as possible," Coffee said. "A learning problem is not the same as an intelligence problem."

There's really no foolproof, guaranteed way to get kids motivated to learn. But parents should remember that learning is natural. And if the child has a positive experience learning something new, that attitude may continue for the rest of his or her life.

"Learning is lifelong," Hutch said. "I hope it's something . . . (my daughter) carries with her always."

Here are some books to encourage learning

Books for parents

• "The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grown, Learn, and Flourish," by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. (Perseus Publishing, 2000)
• "How Children Learn," by John Caldwell Holt (Perseus Publishing, rev. 1995)
• "Raising Lifelong Learners: A Parents' Guide," by Lucy McCormick Calkins and Lydia Bellino (Perseus Publishing, 1998)
• "Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read," by Bernice E. Cullinan (Scholastic Trade, Books 1992)
• "The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children," by Eden Ross Lipson (Three Rivers Press, 2000)
• "Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide," by Betsy Hearne and Deborah Stevenson (University of Illinois Press, 2000)
• "How to Raise a Brighter Child: The Case for Early Learning," by Joan Wagner Beck (Pocket Books, 1999)

Some ways to foster kids' enthusiasm for learning

There's a lot parents can do to stimulate that natural eagerness to learn in their children. Here are some helpful hints from experts:

• Be a positive role model: Children learn by example, making it important for parents to provide a positive role model for them. "If they're in a household where the parents are constantly reading books, I think they naturally fall into that pattern," said Dr. Shigeko Lau, pediatrician at Straub Clinic & Hospital.
• Give them chores: It could be as simple as having them dress themselves (for toddlers) to as daunting as helping prepare dinner (for pre-teens and teens). "It's a good way for them to learn," Lau said. "As long as it's something that's not too difficult and time-consuming for the child."
• Take trips: Traveling to places as distant as Japan to as close as your neighborhood fish market can be great learning experiences for children, no matter what age. "The important thing is the adult taking the time to let the child enjoy the experience," said Stephanie Feeney, professor of education at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. "It's not dragging them through, but talking about stuff. It's answering their questions, stopping to smell the flowers. We don't do that enough."
• Family time: Many experts recommend families schedule family dinners. And not in front of a TV. "It's a time when the whole family shares time together," Lau said. "Everybody's busy with work or school, and there's very little time during the week to spend together." This is a time when parents and children can share their experiences and what they've learned that day. It's a good time to connect.
• Limit the TV: Experts recommend reading instead of watching TV, which is more passive than active. "A child watching television isn't doing anything," Feeney said. "So it's time that could be spent doing some activity that would be more meaningful, like playing outside, doing a puzzle, helping Mom cook or reading a book. Do anything."
• Give them personal space and time: "Go with the flow," Lau said. "Children need time for themselves. A lot of them need alone time, where they can do their own thing, collect their thoughts and not have to answer to adults." Let them do what interests them for the moment. "If you keep putting them in a rigorous environment, they may become more inhibited. They will always need someone to tell them what to do and how to do it."

Catherine E. Toth may be reached at ctoth@ honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8533.