Reflect on a time you went to a museum. You walk up to an object on display and glance down at the label in front of it. There, you read who made it, what year it is from, and what materials it is made out of. You take one last long glance at the object to take in the information you just read, and move on to the next one to repeat the same series of events. Whether consciously or not, you participated in passive learning.
Passive learning is when you receive information without actively engaging with it. Think reading a flyer on a bulletin board or skimming through a magazine. Even reading a book is considered passive learning! Through this process, you’re able to be exposed to a wide range of information and process it at your own pace. You might be thinking, what other ways am I passively learning? Well, when you enter the Non-Fiction section of the Children's Room, take a look around. You and your kids may see front-facing books on display that may spark your curiosity on a topic, or thematic activity sheets on the table, but you’ll also see our bulletin board displays around the room. These are a great tool to introduce children to various topics and concepts. In the past, we’ve displayed topics such as exploring Canada, the science behind bicycles, and important historical figures.
Taking Canada as an example, what can we learn about our neighbors to the north? Well, discussed on the bulletin boards was information about their government, culture, famous citizens, wildlife, and the indigenous population. For example, did you know that Canada has two official languages, English and French? While you’re at it, check out books in the 900s section of our collection for more information of the provinces, the 500s for more on wildlife, and the 700s to learn all about hockey!
In April, our displays featured kid-friendly information about our Concord Read's title, Where You'll Find Me, by Ty Gagne. Kids could learn about New Hampshire's beautiful mountains, search and rescue missions, and hiking essentials.
In May, we are featuring our neighbor to the south, Mexico. What new facts can you learn? Come in to see and keep an eye out every month for new passive learning opportunities in the Children's Room! |
