I am excited to share Dennis Dinoia’s new book, Teach: Creating Independently Responsible Learners. This book is a great new resource for all homeschooling parents! We live in a world where any information is literally at our fingertips. It can be difficult to steer our children toward valuable knowledge and teach them critical thinking skills. The topics and strategies discussed in this new book take on these challenges in a new and refreshing way.
Disclaimer: I received this product for free and was compensated for my time. My opinions are honest and true to my personal experience with this product.
The Inspiration for Teach
Teach: Creating Independently Responsible Learners begins with the author, Dennis Dinoia, sharing his background as a classroom educator. He shares the struggle he experienced getting his students to engage and care about their education fully. He often felt the information he taught went in one ear and out the other. We can relate to this feeling as homeschooling parents! I know I can!!
Frustrated by this challenge, Dennis sought a solution. He realized if his students had to correct their assignments, their grades would improve. They retained information more effectively if they had more ownership of their work. Students also became more excited about learning. Of course, this is a goal for all parents and teachers.
When Dennis made the transition to the homeschool sector, he was able to apply the same techniques. He inspired parents to create learning environments where the child has a sense of ownership over their education. He terms this the independently responsible learner.
Practical Tips to Encourage Learning
Throughout the book, Dennis shares techniques and strategies you can apply to your homeschool to encourage independently responsible learning. One method I liked (and will be implementing) was regarding vocabulary. The parent gives a list of words and has the student discover the meanings for themselves. Then the student returns and explains each word to the parent, essentially teaching the parent the vocabulary. What a great way to encourage independence and creativity!
Furthermore, Dennis provides so many real-life examples and strategies. These are geared not only toward the homeschooling parent but also the student. For example, the chapters include:
- Present yourself
- Learning how to think
- Do what you love to do
- The parent is the coach
- Goal setting (you know I love goal setting, mama)
My Thoughts on Teach by Dennis Dinoia
I have to be honest. I do not read a lot of advice-giving nonfiction books. To me, they are often preachy or set too high a standard. I prefer to garner advice from others who have been there and done whatever I am seeking to learn about. But the beauty of this book is Dennis has BTDT! He is entrenched in the homeschooling community and passionate about supporting parents. Additionally, he has over 30 years of educational experience!
I knew I would love this book because I am such a fan of Dennis’s. Those of us familiar with his online homeschool classes and podcast affectionately call him Mr. D. I was NOT disappointed. This book’s practical and actionable tips will add value to your homeschool as you encourage independent learning. Get your Kindle copy of Teach for only $0.99!
Thanks for sharing this review. I’ve heard about this book a few times, but never really picked it up myself. I’m also surprised to learn that the kindle copy is only $0.99. I will have to check it out sometime – I’m sure I can find some useful tips about parenting and schooling kids!
Yes! Teaching kids to be independent learners is amazing. That was my goal for my 2nd grader this year…and it actually worked! Yes, one of those successful mom moments.