The most contagious condition on the planet is attitude. This contagion most affects the people closest to you. In fact, if you are homeschooling, your attitude can change the entire trajectory of your child's learning!
If your child has lost motivation for studying a specific subject matter, it's time to assess your own feelings about the topic. For example, do you dislike math? Is it possible that you see no value in learning the concept yourself? After all, you may have been taught how to figure out an equation, (and possibly even excelled at it), without fully understanding how any of it points to an organized and purposeful Creator.
If you don't understand or value what God reveals through subject matter study, how do you expect your child to?
It's time to dig deeper. If your goal for your child is to have him amass data, pass a test, and keep up with the knowledge you are led to believe your child of a certain age needs to know, you are totally missing the point.
In the books of Psalms and Proverbs, we are reminded that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom." Considering that "all those who practice wisdom have a good understanding" (Psalm 111:10), that "fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7), and that "the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (Proverbs 9:10), don't you think there is much more to learning than amassing mere facts and skills? Could it be that learning has a much deeper purpose?
A change in perspective initiates a change in attitude.
Let's take a look again at the subject study of mathematics. First, we must understand where math came from. In other words, did man create math, or did man discover it? If man discovered it, who created it? Since God created all things, including our world, our galaxy and the universe, we know He also created math. "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16, ESV). As we study math, we can see just how planned and orderly God's creation is. We realize how consistent math is and we use it every day to develop solutions and understand our world. Math proves that God created logic and order. Math glorifies God!
Let's consider the Fibonacci sequence. This is one of many formulas that man has discovered when observing God's world. This "golden ratio" is a series of numbers where the next number in the sequence is the sum of the two previous numbers. As we study the Fibonacci sequence, we develop a better understanding of who God is, how he works, and how best to leverage what we learn through His creation to help others. This simple formula has helped us understand God's design in nature from the way branches wrap around a tree and leaves wrap around its branches to maximize sunlight energy absorption, to the spiral patterns found in galaxies. Observing those branches and leaves, one could be inspired by God's creation and apply this mathematical wonder to create a "tree" of solar panels to maximize the harnessing of our sun's energy. Imagine how all of the other formulas discovered in math can help us understand more about God and how we can become better equipped to help others in ever-expanding ways. Wouldn't it then be of great benefit to make the study of math relatable and full of jaw-dropping wonder to ignite your child's desire to learn more?
Take what you and your child learned in math today and use it to explain something beyond comprehension. For example, astrophysicists estimate that one septillion stars exist in the ‘observable universe’ (Howell & Harvey, 2022). To help your child comprehend that astronomical number, write down the number one followed by twenty-four zeros. Then explain that if stars were grains of sand, you could fill dump trucks and line them up from where you are sitting to the sun and back over thirty-one thousand times! Scientists speculate that we don't even have enough sand on earth to do that!
You can take math principles a step further and connect them to what you are learning in other subjects too. For example, you can use math to explain how the discovery of soft tissue found in dinosaur bones proves that there is no way the bones are old enough that dinosaurs went extinct sixty-five million years ago.
Do you see the impact your change in attitude and perspective can have on your kids as you educate them at home? Bring your homeschool back to life. Next time you study any subject—including math—stand together with your child in awe and contemplate the wonder and power of God!
-Yvonne Strachan
Resources
Howell, E., & Harvey, A. (2022, February 11). How many stars are in the universe?. Space.com. https://www.space.com/26078-how-many-stars-are-there.html
Kiprop, V. (2018, November 6). Are there more grains of sand on Earth or stars in the universe?. WorldAtlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/are-there-more-grains-of-sand-or-stars-in-the-earth.html
Boyle, R. (2011, August 19). 13-year-old designs super-efficient solar array based on the Fibonacci sequence. Popular Science. https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-08/13-year-old-designs-breakthrough-solar-array-based-fibonacci-sequence/
YouTube. (2020, April 23). What does soft tissue in dinosaur bones mean for evolution? - dr. Kevin Anderson. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykwgE9MlNCs
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