It has long been a challenge for educators to teach children about politics. In the United States, our politics are anything but simple, given the various government levels from city to county to state and country. Then, too, the processes — such as how a bill becomes a law and our three-legged stool system with power resting in the legislature, judiciary, and presidency — are anything but elementary.
A Deeper Level of Understanding
We call our approach Holistic Language Acquisition, which we use in the books we write. To educate children on the political process, we use a modern fable about politics — “How To Become President.” The book, written by Erika Nielsen, tells the story of a lion seeking the land’s highest office.
Read aloud, the written word, accompanied by illustrations, conveys a great deal of meaning. This process allows for conversations with questions about the story, all in comments and ideas expressed in away that a child can understand. Specialized words are added specifically to expand the child’s vocabulary relevant to the election process.
Instead of memorizing terms or reciting facts, children learn the nuance of a new and complex concept through various methods centered on this modern fable about politics that results in understanding. This is a process that complements regular education and assigns meaning to new ideas.