"Children do not need to be made to learn about the world, or shown how. They want to, and they know how." -John Holt
Gabriel's fascination with everything under the sea has not wavered for years. The boy has got a serious case of fish-on-the-brain. Even during everyday conversations he'll bust out random thoughts on the matter. Example:
Me: Gabe, do you want a sandwich for lunch?
Gabe: Are jellyfish fish?
Me: Uh, I guess so since it has "fish" in the name... So do want a sandwich?
Gabe: Then Jellyfish are my favorite fish!
Me: Oh, great! Soooo, sandwich?? Yes or no?
Gabe: Huh? What? I cannot hear you.
And so it goes. I often wonder what it's like to be in his brain where fish, sharks and manta rays are constantly swimming around blocking the sound of my voice.
And just to be clear, the cuter animals of the sea do not generally interest him. Dolphins and baby sea lions? Give me a break. Angler fish, krill, whale sharks and moray eels... now you're talking!
Speaking of angler fish, here's his latest work of art titled, "Angler Fish Monster" as photographed by Gabriel himself:
He also works in 3D to create masterpieces such as this octopus (or was it a jellyfish!?):
Aching for more? Watch Gabe's favorite angler fish video
here.
"By nature people are learning animals. Birds fly; fish swim; humans think and learn. Therefore, we do not need to motivate children into learning by wheedling, bribing, or bullying. We do not need to keep picking away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do - and all we need to do - is to give children as much help and guidance as they need and ask for, listen respectfully when they feel like talking, and then get out of the way. We can trust them to do the rest."
John Holt
"In the end, the secret to learning is so simple: Think only about whatever you love. Follow it, do it, dream about it...and it will hit you: learning was there all the time, happening by itself." -Grace Llewellyn
"What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, not knowledge in pursuit of the child."
George Bernard Shaw
Real, natural learning is in the living. It's in the observing, the questioning, the examining, the pondering, the analyzing, the watching, the reading, the DO-ing, the living, the breathing, the loving, the JOY. It's in the joy. ~Anne Ohman
"How could youth better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living?" -Henry D. Thoreau
2 comments:
So very cool ... I love the angler picture and the octopus/jellyfish.
Hey~
Is that the shirt that says Gabriel all over it?!
~Andrea
PS Cam also recenly lost the same position tooth as Gabe. I am bummed that my baby's face is about to change :(
Post a Comment