TEACH by Dennis Dinoia: How to Encourage Independent Learners

Recently, I learned that one of my favorite homeschool curriculum providers, Mr. D Math, just published a new book, TEACH by Dennis Dinoia. I had to take a look because I’ve talked with Dennis personally and we have a lot in common. We’ve talked a couple of times about troubleshooting in homeschooling and about self-directed special needs learners on his podcast, A+ Parents. So, I was very excited to get my hands on his book. It was a very easy to read, accessible book written to students and their parents.

My Thoughts About TEACH by Dennis Dinoia

Full of Great Examples

One of the things I really liked about TEACH by Dennis Dinoia is that it includes real life examples. Here is one bit from the chapter on Goal Setting that I really liked,

What you say makes a difference. You have probably heard that if you say something is bad, then it is bad. However, if you say something is good, then it is good. What do I mean by that? For instance, have you ever woken up in the morning and said to yourself that it was going to be a bad day? You probably ended up being right. Or, for example. have you taken a test and said that it was not going to go very well? You were probably right about that, too. I say that people are practicing this idea of the self-fulfilling prophecy all the time. They are predicting how things are going to go. They are the ones doing the predicting and then they start to put that into action because that is what they said. An independently responsible learner can have a different view of this sort of thinking.

All these real life examples make the book relatable, easy to understand, and help the reader see himself taking action on the points shared. This book includes eight chapters directed primarily at students. The Student as Teacher chapter emphasizes the fact that a person doesn’t really know something until he teaches it to someone else. But, in this case, the student is teaching it to himself. Dennis includes many examples of how this happens. Another example is the Present Yourself chapter where Dennis not only talks about what he means by this, but why it is important. He discusses not only how to present yourself, but how to be fully present. Being fully present is a characteristic to strive for if you want to be an independently responsible learner.

Proven Actionable, Practical Ideas

Another thing I really liked about TEACH by Dennis Dinoia was that it included lots of actionable tips and ideas for implementing the points he makes. Some homeschooling and education books are heavy on theory that is hard to apply. Or, they have some examples and tips, but they aren’t very practical in a real setting. Not with TEACH by Dennis Dinoia. Dennis has been teaching students for more than 30 years and has lots to share about easy, practical ways to start becoming an independently responsible learner right now. Every chapter includes stories and hands-on tips. Sometimes, he uses questions to help the reader discover answers for himself. This is, of course, a learning strategy in itself.

If you’re looking for a new homeschooling book that will help you encourage independently responsible learning, if you need something with content you can easily implement right now, grab TEACH by Dennis Dinoia.