Psychology for Young Learners

Young learners like to discover things about themselves and other people. In this class young learners will get introduced to some very simple aspects of psychology by taking fun tests from the book Fun Psychology for Kids. and engaging in amusing experiments at home on friends and family. For instance, one of the exercises asks the question what makes  your parents (or other significant adult) smile? The child will show them three funny pictures from the book and last the child will hug the adult. The joke is the hug not the pictures makes the adult smile. Learners will also discover their personalities—whether they are an introvert or extrovert and practical ways to nurture themselves. Young learners will also learn the very basics of psychology and discover their learning strengths.

Young learners will  dive into the science of psychology, with chapters on the chosen textbook including the brain, personality, intelligence, emotions, social relationships, and more. There will also be fun practical and creative experiments to try at home, there’s no better way to dive into the topic.  Some subjects include: Why do we sleep? What are feelings? How do we make decisions, and how do we learn from them? Psychology helps us ask and answer these big questions about ourselves, others, and the world around us.
This class requires young learners to discuss ideas with other learners. The instructor is funny and engaging. She knows how to excite young people. 

Nearly all learners will find this class interesting. Young authors who are working on developing characters in their novels might find this class helpful because while learning about themselves, they also learn about other people. Young learners who like to read and question why something happens--especially as it relates to human nature will enjoy this class. Besides light weekly reading ( which will be posted in the Outschool classroom, the weekly experiments are optional and meant to be fun. Every week the instructor will pose a question and encourage conversation. 

The instructor has taught this popular  class in her homeschool cooperative. She is adept at breaking material down. 


Class format:
Welcome (first class) and check-in of weekly psychology question
Weekly Discussion Review of weekly reading and application 
Weekly Questions: Based on the weekly topic 
Teacher-made video or Powerpoint presentation for young learners.



Learning Schedule:

Week One
Part One: Exploring Psychology
What Is Psychology? 
Where’s the Proof?

Week Two
Part Two: Mind and Body Working Together
Is Putting On Your Socks a Superpower? 
How Does the Brain Work?

Week Three
Part Three: The One and Only Me
What Makes Me “Me”?  
Understanding what psychology is and why it is important

Week Four
Part Four: Learning and Growing
How Did You Learn That? 
What Does It Mean to Be Smart?
How Do We Think?

Week Five
Part Five: Wrapping it all up; More Brain Power!
What Motivates You 
How Do You Remember?
Fun ways to concentrate on school work