--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Allowing children to learn about what…" description: "\"“Allowing children to learn about what interests them is good, but helping them do it in a meaningful, rigorous way is better. Freedom and choice are g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/lori-mcwilliam-pickert-58388_children_allowing-children-to-learn-about-what-in_530384.jpg" --- # Allowing children to learn about what interests them is… ![“Allowing children to learn about what interests them is good, but helping them do it in a meaningful, rigorous way is better. Freedom and choice are good, but a life steeped in thinking, learning, and doing is better. It’s not enough to say, “Go, do whatever you like.” To help children become…” quote by Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/lori-mcwilliam-pickert-58388_children_allowing-children-to-learn-about-what-in_530384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/lori-mcwilliam-pickert-58388_children_allowing-children-to-learn-about-what-in_530384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dc/lori-mcwilliam-pickert-58388_children_allowing-children-to-learn-about-what-in_530384.jpg) > ““Allowing children to learn about what interests them is good, but helping them do it in a meaningful, rigorous way is better. Freedom and choice are good, but a life steeped in thinking, learning, and doing is better. It’s not enough to say, “Go, do whatever you like.” To help children become skilled thinkers and learners, to help them become people who make and do, we need a life centered around those experiences. We need to show them how to accomplish the things they want to do. We need to prepare them to make the life they want.”” [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should blend freedom of choice with structured, rigorous learning to develop thoughtful, capable individuals. **In simple terms:** Combine choice with disciplined learning for better outcomes. Key Takeaway Balance freedom and rigor in teaching. Themes education learning freedom Mood inspirational practical Type pedagogical inspirational When to use this quote - classroom instruction - home schooling - skill development Key Concepts constructivist pedagogy critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster autonomy while ensuring depth? - What methods ensure meaningful rigor? A Different Perspective Too much structure can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Homeschool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeschool/) [Homeschooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homeschooling/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Learning process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-process/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Unschooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unschooling/) ## Related quotes > [“The philosophy of project-based homeschooling — this particular approach to helping children become strong thinkers, learners, and doers — is dependent upon the interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/the-philosophy-of-project-based-homeschooling-this-particular/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) > [“To learn how to do, we need something real to focus on — not a task assigned by someone else, but something we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/to-learn-how-to-do-we-need-something-real-to-focus-on-not-a-task/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) > [“Children, even when very young, have the capacity for inventive thought and decisive action. They have worthwhile ideas. They make perceptive connections. They’re individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/children-even-when-very-young-have-the-capacity-for-inventive-thought/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) > [Responsibility is fostered by allowing children a voice and wherever indicated a choice in matters that affect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-ginott/responsibility-is-fostered-by-allowing-children-a-voice-and-wherever/) [Haim Ginott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-ginott/) > [Allowing children to show their guilt, show their grief, show their anger, takes the sting out of the situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/allowing-children-to-show-their-guilt-show-their-grief-show-their/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Allowing children to spew forth whatever is on their minds in the name of openness only creates an illusion of family closeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-kurshan/allowing-children-to-spew-forth-whatever-is-on-their-minds-in-the/) [Neil Kurshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-kurshan/) > [“Licking a 9-volt battery, learning to whittle, riding a bicycle, climbing trees: we may not see these as necessities like learning to read and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gever-tulley/licking-a-9-volt-battery-learning-to-whittle-riding-a-bicycle/) [Gever Tulley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gever-tulley/) > [“What would have become of the people five hundred years ago if they had followed strictly the advice of the doctors? 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Do something different, even if it's within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/if-i-m-not-learning-from-something-that-i-m-doing-then-that-means-i/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [“Enjoy what you are learning and doing. This is one of the hardest concepts in the entire world to understand. Harder yet to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/enjoy-what-you-are-learning-and-doing-this-is-one-of-the-hardest/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) ## More by Lori McWilliam Pickert > [“To learn how to do, we need something real to focus on — not a task assigned by someone else, but something we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/to-learn-how-to-do-we-need-something-real-to-focus-on-not-a-task/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) > [“Children, even when very young, have the capacity for inventive thought and decisive action. They have worthwhile ideas. They make perceptive connections. They’re individuals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/children-even-when-very-young-have-the-capacity-for-inventive-thought/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) > [“Family culture is the manifestation of your priorities — not what you say, not what you wish were true, but what you actually do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/family-culture-is-the-manifestation-of-your-priorities-not-what-you/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) > [“The philosophy of project-based homeschooling — this particular approach to helping children become strong thinkers, learners, and doers — is dependent upon the interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/the-philosophy-of-project-based-homeschooling-this-particular/) [Lori McWilliam Pickert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) [Explore all 5 Lori McWilliam Pickert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-mcwilliam-pickert/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. 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Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. 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Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Allowing children to learn about what interests them is good, but helping them do it in a meaningful, rigorous way is better. Freedom and choice are good, but a life steeped in thinking, learning, and doing is better. 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